NEW ORLEANS – Appalachian State's Clifton Duck (Matthews, N.C.) is the 2016 Sun Belt Freshman of the Year, the league announced Wednesday.

Duck shined during a dominant and historic season for App State's defense. The Mountaineers allowed only 94 points in Sun Belt play, the only FBS team to surrender fewer than 100 points in conference games. He was a key part of one of the top defensive backfields in the country in 2016. The Apps finished the regular season with 20 interceptions, third nationally.

The freshman cornerback had five interceptions, which tied for second in the Sun Belt. His 44-yard interception return for a touchdown sparked App to a big second half in a 37-19 win over Idaho. Duck would earn Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors in the win. He led the league with 13 passes defended and was fourth on the team with 54 tackles. Duck also had a season-high 13 tackles and an interception in App's win at Akron.

Appalachian State (9-3) faces Toledo in the Camellia Bowl on Dec. 17. Kickoff is at 5:30 p.m. on ESPN.

-App State-