Eight Southland football standouts earn Preseason All-America Honors

Defending national award winners Cole Kelley (Walter Payton), Cameron Ward (Jerry Rice) recognized

CHICAGO – Eight Southland Conference football standouts were named to the 2021 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team that was announced Monday.

Southeastern quarterback Cole Kelley, who received the Walter Payton Award as the FCS offensive player of the year, headlines the All-America first team after finishing second nationally in passing yards (2,662) and points responsible for (164) over seven games in the spring.

Kelley is joined on the first team by Lions teammate Ferlando Jordan, who garnered his second all-America nod in 2020 enters his senior season in the top-five in conference history in career interceptions returned for a touchdown (three) and interception return yards (300).

Two-time defending Southland Offensive Lineman of the Year P.J. Burkhalter (Nicholls) and McNeese defensive end Isaiah Chambers, who finished fourth in the voting for the 2020 Buck Buchanan Award as the FCS defensive player of the year, rounded out the league’s first-team honorees.

An NFL Combine invitee last year, Nicholls wide receiver Dai’Jean Dixon is tabbed Second-Team Preseason All-America and enters his final season ranked eighth on the Southland’s career leaderboards for receiving yards (2,800) and receiving touchdowns (27).

Also on the second team is UIW running back Kevin Brown, who paced FCS tailbacks in yards per carry (10.47) and ranked third in rushing yards per game (129.2) and fifth in all-purpose yards per game (163.33).

The first Southland student-athlete to win the Jerry Rice Award as the FCS freshman of the year, UIW signal-caller Cameron Ward highlights the third team. He led FCS quarterbacks in passing touchdowns (24) and ranked third nationally in completions per game (30.5) and passing yards per game (376.7).

Southeastern led the way with three preseason All-Americans, including third-teamer C.J. Turner. The junior wideout is one of nine returning starters on offense for SLU and among eight preseason all-conference picks.

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Cole Kelley, senior, 6-7, 260, Southeastern Louisiana1
OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls1
DEFENSE
DL – Isaiah Chambers, grad, 6-5, 250, McNeese1
DB – Ferlando Jordan, senior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana2

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
WR – Dai’Jean Dixon, senior, 6-4, 200, Nicholls
SPECIAL TEAMS
AP – Kevin Brown, senior, 5-9, 204, UIW2

THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Cameron Ward, sophomore, 6-3, 235, UIW
WR – C.J. Turner, junior, 6-2, 180, Southeastern Louisiana

1 – 2020 First-Team Stats Perform FCS All-America
2 – 2020 Second-Team Stats Perform FCS All-America

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2021 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – Eric Barriere, senior, 6-0, 200, Eastern Washington

QB – Cole Kelley, senior, 6-7, 260, Southeastern Louisiana

RB – Julius Chestnut, senior, 6-1, 215, Sacred Heart

RB – Jah-Maine Martin, senior, 5-10, 214, North Carolina A&T

RB – Otis Weah, junior, 5-9, 195, North Dakota

FB – Hunter Luepke, junior, 6-1, 245, North Dakota State

WR – Avante Cox, senior, 5-10, 170, Southern Illinois

WR – Jakob Herres, senior, 6-4, 211, VMI

WR – Tyler Hudson, sophomore, 6-2, 185, Central Arkansas

TE – Ryan Miller, senior, 6-2, 221, Furman

OL – P.J. Burkhalter, senior, 6-3, 330, Nicholls

OL – Liam Fornadel, senior, 6-4, 310, James Madison

OL – Garret Greenfield, junior, 6-6, 295, South Dakota State

OL – David Kroll, senior, 6-7, 315, Delaware

OL – Cordell Volson, senior, 6-7, 310, North Dakota State

OL – Ty Whitworth, senior, 6-4, 300, Weber State

DEFENSE

DL – Jared Brinkman, senior, 6-2, 290, Northern Iowa

DL – Isaiah Chambers, grad, 6-5, 250, McNeese

DL – Mike Greene, senior, 6-3, 285, James Madison

DL – Jahari Kay, senior, 6-2, 255, Sam Houston

DL – Jordan Lewis, junior, 6-3, 205, Southern

LB – Troy Andersen, senior, 6-4, 235, Montana State

LB – Logan Backhaus, senior, 6-4, 205, South Dakota State

LB – Willie Eubanks III, senior, 6-2, 230, The Citadel

LB – La’akea Kaho’ohanohano-Davis, senior, 6-1, 215, Southern Utah

LB – Stone Snyder, junior, 6-3, 225, VMI

LB – Tre Walker, senior, 6-1, 235, Idaho

DB – Markquese Bell, redshirt senior 6-3, 205, Florida A&M

DB – Nicario Harper, junior, 6-1, 205, Jacksonville State

DB – Kordell Jackson, senior, 5-9, 188, Austin Peay

DB – Ferlando Jordan, junior, 6-0, 180, Southeastern Louisiana

DB – Zyon McCollum, senior, 6-3, 195, Sam Houston

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK – Ethan Ratke, senior, 5-10, 185, James Madison

P – Daniel Whelan, senior, 6-6, 215, UC Davis

LS – Kyle Davis, senior, 5-11, 210, James Madison

KR – Christian Watson, senior, 6-4, 200, North Dakota State

PR – Jequez Ezzard, grad, 5-9, 190, Sam Houston

AP – Elijah Dotson, senior, 6-0, 185, Sacramento State

AP – Quay Holmes, senior, 6-1, 216, ETSU

AP – Javon Williams Jr., junior, 6-2, 245, Southern Illinois

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SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – Zerrick Cooper, senior, 6-3, 225, Jacksonville State

QB – Eric Schmid, senior, 6-1, 180, Sam Houston

RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, senior, 6-0, 204, James Madison

RB – Karl Mofor, senior, 5-9, 229, Albany

RB – Pierre Strong Jr., senior, 5-11, 210, South Dakota State

FB – Nathan Walker, senior, 6-0, 225, Wofford

WR – Samuel Akem, senior, 6-4, 212, Montana

WR – Dai’Jean Dixon, senior, 6-4, 200, Nicholls

WR – Xavier Gipson, junior, 5-9, 170, Stephen F. Austin

TE – Noah Gindorff, junior, 6-6, 266, North Dakota State

TE – Rodney Williams II, senior, 6-4, 235, UT Martin

OL – AJ Farris, senior, 6-2, 300, Monmouth

OL – Tylan Grable, junior, 6-7, 260, Jacksonville State

OL – Braxton Jones, senior, 6-7, 310, Southern Utah

OL – Trevor Penning, senior, 6-7, 321, Northern Iowa

OL – Tre’mond Shorts, senior, 6-4, 326, ETSU

OL – Tristen Taylor, senior, 6-6, 325, Eastern Washington

DEFENSE

DL – DJ Coleman, senior, 6-6, 265, Jacksonville State

DL – Malik Hamm, senior, 6-3, 260, Lafayette

DL – Kobie Turner, senior, 6-3, 285, Richmond

DL – Spencer Waege, senior, 6-5, 274, North Dakota State

DL – Joseph Wallace, senior, 6-1, 300, Sam Houston

LB – Ryan Greenhagen, senior, 6-1, 235, Fordham

LB – James Kaczor, senior, 6-0, 211, North Dakota State

LB – Jace Lewis, senior, 6-1, 238, Montana

LB – Conner Mortensen, senior, 6-0, 215, Weber State

LB – Tristan Wheeler, junior, 6-2, 228, Richmond

DB – Anthony Adams, junior, 6-0, 185, Portland State

DB – Anthony Budd, senior, 5-11, 200, Monmouth

DB – Qua Brown, senior, 5-11, 206, Southern Illinois

DB – Decobie Durant, senior, 5-11, 175, South Carolina State

DB – Chris Edmonds, junior, 6-2, 205, Samford

DB – Kedrick Whitehead, senior, 5-11, 195, Delaware

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK – Antonio Zita, senior, 5-9, 170, Tennessee State

P – D.J. Arnson, grad, 6-0, 185, Northern Arizona

LS – Robert Soderholm, junior, 6-1, 216, VMI

KR – Rashid Shaheed, senior, 6-0, 180, Weber State

PR – Tyrin Ralph, senior, 5-8, 170, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

AP – Kevin Brown, senior, 5-9, 204, UIW

AP – Dejoun Lee, senior, 5-7, 185, Delaware

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THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE

QB – E.J. Perry, senior, 6-2, 210, Brown

QB – Cameron Ward, sophomore, 6-3, 225, UIW

QB – Liam Welch, grad, 6-2, 194, Samford

RB – Josh Davis, junior, 5-9, 195, Weber State

RB – Juwon Farri, junior, 5-10, 195, Monmouth

RB – Geno Hess, senior, 5-8, 209, Southeast Missouri

RB – Devin Wynn, senior, 6-0, 211, Furman

FB – Logan Kendall, senior, 6-4, 264, Idaho

WR – Xavier Smith, redshirt senior, 5-10, 175, Florida A&M

WR – C.J. Turner, junior, 6-2, 180, Southeastern Louisiana

WR – Lujuan Winningham, junior, 6-3, 195, Central Arkansas

TE – Marshel Martin, sophomore, 6-2, 210, Sacramento State

OL – J’Von Brown, senior, 6-3, 320, Central Connecticut State

OL – ZeVeyon Furcron, senior, 6-2, 327, Southern Illinois

OL – Kyle Nunez, senior, 6-2, 340, Stony Brook

OL – J.D. DiRenzo, senior, 6-6, 315, Sacred Heart

OL – Colby Thomas, senior, 6-2, 295, Sam Houston

OL – Matt Waletzko, senior, 6-7, 295, North Dakota

DEFENSE

DL – Malik Fisher, senior, 6-4, 295, Villanova

DL – Devonnsha Maxwell, senior, 6-2, 295, Chattanooga

DL – Shaundre Mims, senior, 6-0, 276, Charleston Southern

DL – Jared Schiess, senior, 6-3, 300, Weber State

LB – Keonte Hampton, senior, 6-2, 220, Jackson State

LB – Matthew Jackson, senior, 6-2, 205, Eastern Kentucky

LB – Forrest Rhyne, senior, 6-1, 225, Villanova

LB – Jeremiah Tyler, senior, 6-2, 225, Princeton

DB – James Caesar, senior, 5-10, 185, Southern Illinois

DB – Brandon Easterling, senior, 6-0, 203, Dayton

DB – Marcis Floyd, junior, 6-0, 188, Murray State

DB – Robby Hauck, junior, 5-10, 185, Montana

DB – Evan Horn, senior, 6-0, 220, New Hampshire

DB – Tyree Robinson, senior, 5-11, 184, ETSU

SPECIAL TEAMS

PK – Luis Aguilar, grad, 6-3, 200, Northern Arizona

P – Noah Gettman, senior, 6-5, 205, Sacred Heart

P – Brady Schult, senior, 6-1, 215, South Dakota

LS – Matthew O’Donoghue, senior, 6-1, 260, Montana

KR – Malik Flowers, junior, 6-2, 195, Montana

PR – Mike Roussos, senior, 6-0, 195, Columbia

AP – Jake Chisholm, senior, 5-9, 182, Dayton

AP – Isaiah Davis, sophomore, 6-1, 220, South Dakota State