Defending national champion South Dakota State leads the way with eight overall selections on the 2023 Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, presented by FedEx Ground and announced on Tuesday.
Jackrabbits running back Isaiah Davis, offensive linemen Garret Greenfield and Mason McCormick, and linebacker Adam Bock were named to the first team, while quarterback Mark Gronowski, wide receiver Jaxon Janke, tight end Zack Heins and cornerback DyShawn Gales were part of the second team.
Greenfield and Mercer’s Devron Harper have twice been named to the postseason All-America first team. There are 11 returning players who were on last year’s postseason first team.
All 15 FCS conferences, which combine on 13 FCS leagues, and 52 schools are represented among the 107 All-Americans.
The Big Sky Conference landed 19 players on the team, including five that earned preseason first-team All-American honors. Idaho junior receiver Hayden Hatten, the Big Sky’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year, landed on teh first team, as did Sac State senior tight end Marshel Martin. Weber State senior cornerback Maxwell Anderson is the lone first-team defensive selection from the Big Sky. Montana State junior long snapper Tommy Sullivan and junior kick returner Abraham Williams also landed on the first-team.
Montana State led the way with five total selections. Bobcat junior quarterback Tommy Mellott, junior offensive tackle Rush Reimer and junior defensive tackle Sebastian Valdez all landed on the second team. Junior kick returner Marqui Johnson and sophomore punt returner Taco Dowler were each third-team selections.
Weber State landed four players on the squad as senior offensive lineman Noah Atagi and senior linebacker Winston Reid landed on the second team. Reid is the preseason Big Sky Defensive Player of the Year.
Sac State shared the Big Sky title with the Bobcats. Martin is joined by junior offensive tackle Jackson Slater and senior linebacker Armon Bailey, each who landed on the second team.
Montana landed two players on the squad: junior punt returner Junior Bergen is a second team pick and senior defensive tackle Alex Gubner made the third team.
2023 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Michael Hiers, 6-1, 211, senior, Samford
QB – Matthew Sluka, 6-3, 215, senior, Holy Cross
RB – Isaiah Davis, 6-1, 220, senior, South Dakota State
RB – Jaden Shirden, 5-9, 185, junior, Monmouth
WR – Devron Harper, 5-9, 168, senior, Mercer
WR – Hayden Hatten, 6-2, 205, redshirt junior, Idaho
WR – Ty James, 6-2, 200, redshirt senior, Mercer
TE – Marshel Martin, 6-2, 210, senior, Sacramento State
OL – John Allen, 6-1, 310, senior, Southeastern Louisiana
OL – Zack Gieg, 6-1, 287, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
OL – Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 310, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick, 6-4, 305, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Luke Newman, 6-5, 301, senior, Holy Cross
DEFENSE
DL – Ty French, 6-3, 230, senior, Gardner-Webb
DL – Jay Person, 6-3, 224, senior, Chattanooga
DL – Josiah Silver, 6-2, 243, junior, New Hampshire
DL – David Walker, 6-3, 265, junior, Central Arkansas
LB – Adam Bock, 6-1, 215, senior, South Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, 6-0, 237, senior, Holy Cross
LB – John Pius, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, William & Mary
LB – Tristan Wheeler, 6-2, 228, redshirt senior, Richmond
DB – Maxwell Anderson, 5-11, 170, senior, Weber State
DB – Khalil Baker, 6-0, 185, senior, North Carolina Central
DB – Myles Harden, 6-0, 205, senior, South Dakota
DB – Lawrence Johnson, 6-0, 196, grad, Southeast Missouri
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Matthew Cook, 5-11, 199, grad, Northern Iowa
P – Ryan Kost, 6-2, 220, grad, Delaware
LS – Tommy Sullivan, 5-11, 220, junior, Montana State
KR – Abraham Williams, 6-1, 175, junior, Weber State
PR – Jarrod Barnes, 5-11, 180, senior, Central Arkansas
AP – Dylan Laube, 5-10, 204, senior, New Hampshire
—
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Mark Gronowski, 6-3, 220, junior South Dakota State
QB – Tommy Mellott, 6-0, 209, junior, Montana State
RB – Ailym Ford, 5-9, 213, redshirt senior, Chattanooga
RB – Geno Hess, 5-8, 222, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
RB – ShunDerrick Powell, 5-7, 168, junior, Central Arkansas
WR – Jalen Coker, 6-3, 207, senior, Holy Cross
WR – Jaxon Janke, 6-3, 210, senior, South Dakota State
WR – Chandler Smith, 5-10, 186, senior, Samford
TE – Zach Heins, 6-7, 260, senior, South Dakota State
OL – Kiran Amegadjie, 6-5, 321, senior, Yale
OL – Noah Atagi, 6-6, 335, senior, Weber State
OL – Mike Edwards, 6-7, 355, grad, Campbell
OL – Nick Correia, 6-6, 330, redshirt senior, Rhode Island
OL – Rush Reimer, 6-5, 302, junior, Montana State
OL – Jackson Slater, 6-4, 302, junior, Sacramento State
DEFENSE
DL – Daylan Dotson, 6-3, 280, junior, UT Martin
DL – Thor Griffith, 6-2, 305, senior, Harvard
DL – Nate Lynn, 6-3, 255, senior, William & Mary
DL – Eli Mostaert, 6-3, 286, senior, North Dakota State
DL – Sebastian Valdez, 6-3, 291, junior, Montana State
LB – Armon Bailey, 6-1, 228, senior, Sacramento State
LB – Rodney Dansby, 6-0, 225, junior, Houston Christian
LB – Bryce Norman, 6-0, 226, junior, Southeast Missouri
LB – Winston Reid, 6-1, 230, senior, Weber State
LB – Antoine Williams, 5-10, 200, redshirt junior, Western Carolina
DB – Kameron Brown, 5-9, 179, senior, Chattanooga
DB – Rex Connors, 6-1, 203, redshirt sophomore, UC Davis
DB – DyShawn Gales, 5-11, 190, senior, South Dakota State
DB – Devin Haskins, 6-3, 209, senior, Holy Cross
DB – TaMuarion Wilson, 6-2, 205, junior, Central Arkansas
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Gettman, 6-4, 190, senior, Bryant
P – Trey Wilhoit, 5-10, 175, junior, Florida A&M
LS – Hunter Brozio, 6-1, 231, senior, North Dakota State
KR – Anthony Frederick, 5-11, 180, redshirt senior, Bryant
PR – Junior Bergen, 5-11, 184, junior, Montana
AP – Davius Richard, 6-3, 215, senior, North Carolina Central
AP – Bronson Yoder, 5-11, 205, senior, William & Mary
—
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Theo Day, 6-5, 231, redshirt senior, Northern Iowa
QB – Parker McKinney, 6-3, 208, redshirt senior, Eastern Kentucky
RB – Malik Grant, 5-9, 200, grad, Sacred Heart
RB – Jarveon Howard, 5-10, 200, senior, Alcorn State
RB – TaMerik Williams, 6-1, 227, senior, North Dakota State
WR – Ryan Flournoy, 6-3, 197, senior, Southeast Missouri
WR – Bryce Oliver, 6-1, 212, senior, Youngstown State
WR – MJ Wright, 6-0, 192, grad, Fordham
TE – Owen Glascoe, 6-4, 258, redshirt senior, LIU
OL – Ryan Coll, 6-5, 324, redshirt senior, Richmond
OL – Anin Dankwah, 6-8, 362, senior, Howard
OL – Jacob Johanning, 6-3, 276, senior, Furman
OL – Gavin Olson, 6-4, 290, senior, UT Martin
OL – Evan Roussel, 6-2, 290, junior, Nicholls
OL – Jalen Sundell, 6-5, 298, senior North Dakota State
DEFENSE
DL – Sundiata Anderson, 6-3 1/2, 232, senior, Grambling State
DL – Patrick Godbolt, 6-3, 235, senior, South Carolina State
DL – Alex Gubner, 6-3, 285, senior Montana
DL – Logan Jessup, 6-3, 255, senior, Central Arkansas
DL – Eric O’Neill, 6-3, 240, sophomore, LIU
LB – Colton Adams, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, Alabama State
LB – James Conway, 6-2, 225, junior, Fordham
LB – Isaac Dowling, 5-10, 225, junior, Mercer
LB – David Hoage, 6-3, 245, senior, Northern Colorado
LB – Liam Johnson, 6-0, 220, senior, Princeton
LB – Brock Mogensen, 6-2, 230, redshirt senior, South Dakota
DB – Marcus Harris, 5-11, 185, junior, Idaho
DE – PJ Jules, 5-11, 203, senior, Southern Illinois
DB – Raequan Ousley, 5-11, 170, senior, Gardner-Webb
DB – Ryan Poole, 5-11, 185, senior, William & Mary
DB – Hugh Ryan, 6-1, 200, redshirt senior, Furman
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Chris Campos, 5-10, 220, junior, Stephen F. Austin
P – Grant Burkett, 6-1, 184, junior, Missouri State
LS – Nick Levy, 5-10, 210, sophomore, William & Mary
KR – D’Ago Hunter, 5-6, 160, senior, Towson
KR – Marqui Johnson, 5-8, 163, junior, Montana State
PR – Taco Dowler, 5-9, 168, sophomore, Montana State
AP – Narii Gaither, 5-10, 181, senior, Gardner-Webb
AP – Andrew McElroy, 6-3, 184, junior, St. Thomas
Ties are included in the All-America Team voting.
