Burkhalter, Dixon, Gums represent Nicholls on Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team

The Nicholls State University football team had three players named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America teams, as offensive lineman P.J. Burkhalter landed on first team while wide receiver Dai’Jean Dixon and running back Julien Gums were third-team selections.

The Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, announced Wednesday, features 101 players from 56 schools and all 13 FCS conferences. The schools include those playing this fall or in the spring.

The honor is the fifth preseason All-American selection for Burkhalter this season and the second for Dixon. It was the first All-American for Gums, who was a preseason All-Southland First Team member.

Nicholls is one of four Southland Conference programs to have a Stats Perform Preseason All-American, joined by Central Arkansas, Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana. The Colonel trio makes up a third of the SLC’s honorees.

A native of Franklinton, Louisiana, Burkhalter anchored the offensive line that has helped produce the Southland’s top rushing offense the past two years. He played at both center and guard last season as Gums set school rushing records with 1,232 yards and 16 touchdowns. Burkhalter was voted Offensive Lineman of the Year in the Southland in 2019.

Dixon racked up 1,044 yards receiving in only nine games in 2019, averaging 116.0 yards per game to rank second in the FCS. The New Orleans native missed over a third of the season due to injury but still managed to record five 100-yard games and eight touchdown catches. He had a career outing in the River Bell Classic victory at Southeastern Louisiana where he totaled 190 yards and three touchdowns.

Along with his single-season records, Gums ranked second in the Southland with 88.0 yards rushing per game and eclipsed the 100-yard mark five times. The New Orleans native found the end zone twice or more in five games, including rushing for three touchdowns in each of the wins against Stephen F. Austin and HBU. Gums needed only 16 carries to rack up 172 yards in the playoff victory against North Dakota.

2020 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
*-2019 first-team All-American
**-2019 second-team All-American
***-2019 third-team All-American

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – *Trey Lance, sophomore, 6-4, 226, North Dakota State
RB – Josh Davis, junior, 5-9, 195, Weber State
RB – **Jah-Maine Martin, senior, 5-10, 214, North Carolina A&T
RB – **Alex Ramsey, senior, 6-0, 225, The Citadel
WR – *Samori Toure, senior, 6-3, 190, Montana
WR – **DeAngelo Wilson, senior, 5-9, 170, Austin Peay
TE – Colton Dowell, junior, 6-3, 215, UT Martin
OL – *P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls
OL – *Liam Fornadel, senior, 6-4, 308, James Madison
OL – *Drew Himmelman, senior, 6-10, 315, Illinois State
OL – *Dillon Radunz, senior, 6-6, 299, North Dakota State
OL – Ty Whitworth, senior, 6-4, 300, Weber State

DEFENSE
DL – Mike Greene, senior, 6-3, 285, James Madison
DL – Malik Hamm, junior, 6-3, 260, Lafayette
DL – Trace Mascorro, senior, 6-1, 275, Sam Houston State
DL – ***Elerson G. Smith, senior, 6-7, 245, Northern Iowa
LB – ***Bryson Armstrong, senior, 5-11, 212, Kennesaw State
LB – **Willie Eubanks III, senior, 6-2, 230, The Citadel
LB – Jace Lewis, senior, 6-1, 230, Montana
LB – Forrest Rhyne, senior, 6-1, 225, Villanova
DB – *Anthony Adams, junior, 6-0, 180, Portland State
DB – **Brandon Easterling, senior, 6-0, 203, Dayton
DB – *Kordell Jackson, senior, 5-9, 185, Austin Peay
DB – ***Ferlando Jordan, junior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – *Luis Aguilar, senior, 6-1, 190, Northern Arizona
P – **Matt McRobert, senior, 6-2, 195, Sam Houston State
LS – *Matthew O’Donoghue, senior, 6-1, 250, Montana
KR – Bronson Yoder, sophomore, 5-11, 190, William & Mary
PR – *Montrell Washington, senior, 5-10, 170, Samford
AP – Quay Holmes, junior, 6-1, 216, ETSU
AP – **Javon Williams Jr., sophomore, 6-1, 239, Southern Illinois

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Daniel Smith, senior, 6-0, 205, Villanova
RB – ***Julius Chestnut, junior, 6-1, 215, Sacred Heart
RB – ***Ulonzo Gilliam, junior, 5-9, 185, UC Davis
RB – Pierre Strong Jr., junior, 5-11, 200, South Dakota State
WR – Xavier Smith, junior, 5-10, 165, Florida A&M
WR – Isaiah Weston, junior, 6-4, 208, Northern Iowa
WR – Lujuan Winningham, junior, 6-3, 190, Central Arkansas
TE – Trae Barry, senior, 6-7, 245, Jacksonville State
TE – Chris James, senior, 6-3, 220, Chattanooga
OL – Spencer Brown, senior, 6-8, 321, Northern Iowa
OL – ***Liam Dobson, senior, 6-3, 340, Maine
OL – ***A.J. Farris, senior, 6-2, 285, Monmouth
OL – Kyle Nunez, junior, 6-2, 340, Stony Brook
OL – Cordell Volson, senior, 6-7, 313, North Dakota State

DEFENSE
DL – Jared Brinkman, senior, 6-2, 290, Northern Iowa
DL – Jermaine McDaniel, junior, 6-3, 235, North Carolina A&T
DL – Nick Salley, senior, 5-10, 225, Charleston Southern
DL – Jared Schiess, senior, 6-3, 300, Weber State
LB – Christian Elliss, senior, 6-3, 233, Idaho
LB – Ryan Greenhagen, junior, 6-1, 235, Fordham
LB – Jackson Hankey, junior, 6-1, 218, North Dakota State
LB – Jeremiah Tyler, senior, 6-2, 225, Princeton
LB – Tre Walker, junior, 6-1, 235, Idaho
DB – Omar Brown, sophomore, 6-1, 195, Northern Iowa
DB – Robby Hauck, junior, 5-10, 185, Montana
DB – Bryan Mills, senior, 6-2, 170, North Carolina Central
DB – ***Robert Rochell, senior, 6-2, 195, Central Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Trey Tuttle, senior, 5-9, 190, Weber State
P – ***D.J. Arnson, senior, 6-0, 185, Northern Arizona
P – ***Chris Faddoul, senior, 5-11, 210, Florida A&M
LS – ***Ethan Ray, senior, 6-0, 220, Charleston Southern
KR – Malik Flowers, senior, 6-2, 195, Montana
PR – ***Mike Roussos, junior, 6-0, 195, Columbia
AP – Elijah Dotson, senior, 6-0, 185, Sacramento State
AP – E.J. Perry, senior, 6-2, 210, Brown

THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Eric Barriere, senior, 6-0, 200, Eastern Washington
RB – Julien Gums, junior, 5-10, 230, Nicholls
RB – Karl Mofor, senior, 5-8, 225, Albany
RB – Devin Wynn, senior, 6-0, 203, Furman
WR – Dai’Jean Dixon, senior, 6-4, 200, Nicholls
WR – Izaiah Gathings, junior, 6-4, 225, Gardner-Webb
WR – Brandon Porter, junior, 5-10, 165, Northern Arizona
TE – Marshel Martin, sophomore, 6-2, 210, Sacramento State
TE – Todd Summers, senior, 6-5, 245, Duquesne
OL – J’Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 320, Central Connecticut State
OL – Brian Foley, senior, 6-4, 314, Holy Cross
OL – Lewis Kidd, senior, 6-6, 312, Montana State
OL – Blake Mitchell, senior, 6-1, 289, Austin Peay
OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 295, Sam Houston State

DEFENSE
DL – Adrian Hope, junior, 6-1, 218, Furman
DL – Josephus Smith, senior, 5-9, 285, Austin Peay
DL – Kobie Turner, junior, 6-3, 275, Richmond
DL – Amandre Williams, senior, 6-2, 235, Montana State
DL – Anton Williams, senior, 6-3, 250, Charleston Southern
LB – Colby Campbell, senior, 6-0, 210, Presbyterian
LB – Tyler Dressler, senior, 6-3, 244, Richmond
LB – Bryce Flater, junior, 6-1, 224, Northern Iowa
LB – Keonte Hampton, junior, 6-2, 225, Jackson State
LB – Anthony Koclanakis, junior, 6-1, 226, Murray State
DB – Qwynnterio Cole, senior, 6-2, 190, Alcorn State
DB – Evan Horn, senior, 6-0, 206, New Hampshire
DB – Michael Tutsie, junior, 5-11, 190, North Dakota State
DB – Christian Uphoff, senior, 6-3, 195, Southern Illinois

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Ratke, senior, 5-10, 185, James Madison
P – Brady Schutt, senior, 6-1, 210, South Dakota
LS – Bradey Sorenson, senior, 6-2, 230, South Dakota State
KR – Lonnie Moore IV, senior, 5-10, 170, Monmouth
PR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State
AP – Jake Chisholm, junior, 5-9, 182, Dayton
AP – Brandon Rainey, senior, 6-0, 205, The Citadel