Four SAC Football Players Earn AFCA All-American Honors
WACO, TEXAS — Four South Atlantic Conference football players headline the 2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America Teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
SAC Defensive Player of the Year, Marquise Fleming of Wingate was a first team selection, while SAC Jacob's Blocking Trophy winner Leondre Andreas of Mars Hill was also named to the first team. Earning second team honors were Barton running back Jordan Terrell and Mars Hill linebacker Landon Honeycutt.
2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America - First Team
Offense |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
QB |
Zach Zebrowski |
6-2 |
208 |
R-Jr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Woodbury, Minn. (East Ridge) |
RB |
Shen Butler-Lawson |
6-0 |
215 |
Jr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Augusta, Ga. (Waynesville) |
RB |
Chris Collier |
6-0 |
200 |
Gr. |
Lock Haven (Pa.) |
Dan Mulrooney |
Elmhurst, N.Y. (Lawrence) |
WR |
Kyle Sheets |
6-4 |
220 |
Sr. |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
Shawn Lutz |
Springboro, Pa. (Conneaut Area) |
WR |
Max McLeod |
6-3 |
200 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Seattle, Wash. (Bainbridge) |
TE |
Devon Garrison |
6-6 |
240 |
Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright |
Elk River, Minn. (Elk River) |
OL |
Garrett Carroll |
6-5 |
315 |
Sr. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Scott Wooster |
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider) |
OL |
Robert Dunham |
6-3 |
285 |
Sr. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
Scott Maxfield |
Nashville, Ark. (Nashville) |
OL |
Devin Hannan |
6-4 |
293 |
Gr. |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
Tremaine Jackson |
Belle Vernon, Pa. (Belle Vernon) |
OL |
Leondre Andreas |
6-3 |
305 |
So. |
Mars Hill (N.C.) |
Tim Clifton |
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Colonial) |
OL |
Blake Larson |
6-7 |
300 |
Sr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Brandon, S.D. (Brandon Valley) |
Defense |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
DL |
John McMullen |
6-0 |
255 |
Gr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Kankakee, Ill. (Kankakee) |
DL |
Marquise Fleming |
6-1 |
235 |
R-Jr. |
Wingate (N.C.) |
Joe Reich |
Charlotte, N.C. (Olympic) |
DL |
Nathaniel Wallace |
6-2 |
255 |
Sr. |
Harding (Ark.) |
Paul Simmons |
Bryant, Ark. (Bryant) |
DL |
Eddie Miller-Garrett |
6-3 |
225 |
R-Sr. |
Ohio Dominican |
Kelly Cummings |
Newark, N.J. (Newark Collegiate Academy) |
LB |
Salvatore Lupoli Jr. |
5-11 |
220 |
Jr. |
Bentley (Mass.) |
Saj Thakkar |
Chelmsford, Mass. (Chelmsford) |
LB |
Micah Cretsinger |
6-2 |
240 |
Jr. |
Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
Ryan Brady |
Jackson, Mich. (Jackson) |
LB |
Garrett Cox |
5-11 |
230 |
R-Jr. |
Millersville (Pa.) |
J.C. Morgan |
Avondale, Pa. (Kennett) |
DB |
Tanner Volk |
6-1 |
175 |
Jr. |
Central Washington |
Chris Fisk |
Portland, Ore. (Aloha) |
DB |
Willie Drew |
6-0 |
185 |
Gr. |
Virginia St. |
Henry Frazier, III |
Smithfield, Va. (Smithfield) |
DB |
Mikael King |
5-10 |
175 |
So. |
Tuskegee (Ala.) |
Aaron James |
Tuskegee, Ala. (Booker T. Washington) |
DB |
Melvin Smith Jr. |
6-0 |
185 |
Jr. |
Southern Arkansas |
Brad Smiley |
Bossier City, La. (Airline) |
Specialists |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
PK |
Eric Scarpino |
5-9 |
195 |
R-Sr. |
Gannon (Pa.) |
Erik Raeburn |
Waterford, Pa. (Fort LeBoeuf) |
P |
Aaron Winn |
6-1 |
190 |
Sr. |
Arkansas Tech |
Kyle Shipp |
Summerville, S.C. (Cane Bay) |
AP |
Dev Holmes |
5-9 |
175 |
Gr. |
New Haven (Conn.) |
Chris Pincince |
Troy, N.Y. (Troy) |
*-2022 AFCA All-American
2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America - Second Team
Offense |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
QB |
John Matocha |
5-11 |
180 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Magnolia, Tex. (Magnolia West) |
RB |
Jordan Terrell |
5-10 |
210 |
Jr. |
Barton (N.C.) |
Chip Hester |
Ramseur, N.C. (Eastern Randolph) |
RB |
Kendel Givens |
5-9 |
215 |
Jr. |
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) |
Todd Knight |
Little Rock, Ark. (Little Rock Christian) |
WR |
John Jiles |
6-3 |
205 |
Sr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest) |
WR |
Arkell Smith |
6-1 |
194 |
R-Sr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Carthage, Mo. (Carthage) |
TE |
Mike Rigerman |
6-2 |
260 |
Sr. |
Findlay (Ohio) |
Kory Allen |
Arcade, N.Y. (Pioneer) |
OL |
Treyvon Cahalan |
6-2 |
295 |
Gr. |
Minnesota-Duluth |
Curt Wiese |
Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park) |
OL |
Hunter Willis |
6-2 |
320 |
Sr. |
Harding (Ark.) |
Paul Simmons |
Kimberly, Ala. (Mortimer Jordan) |
OL |
Jacob Bruce |
6-4 |
290 |
R-Sr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz) |
OL |
*Trase Jeffries |
6-4 |
322 |
R-Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright |
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow) |
OL |
Gabe Clark |
6-5 |
313 |
R-Jr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Lawrence, Kan. (Free State) |
Defense |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
DL |
Maven Kretche |
6-6 |
265 |
Jr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie) |
DL |
Christian McCarroll |
6-4 |
260 |
Sr. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Scott Wooster |
Barberton, Ohio (Barberton) |
DL |
*Loobert Denelus |
6-0 |
255 |
Sr. |
Benedict (S.C.) |
Chennis Berry |
Naples, Fla. (Naples) |
DL |
Jayden Broughton |
6-2 |
230 |
Jr. |
Benedict (S.C.) |
Chennis Berry |
Monks Corner, S.C. (Berkeley) |
LB |
Gary Lewis |
6-2 |
215 |
R-So. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
Scott Maxfield |
Fordyce, Ark. (Fordyce) |
LB |
Landon Honeycutt |
6-2 |
225 |
So. |
Mars Hill (N.C.) |
Tim Clifton |
Mount Pleasant, N.C. (Mount Pleasant) |
LB |
Nolan Reeve |
6-2 |
220 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Mission Viejo, Calif. (Capistrano Valley) |
DB |
Peyton Buckley |
6-1 |
205 |
Jr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Rice Lake, Wis. (Rice Lake) |
DB |
Rico Payton |
6-0 |
182 |
R-Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright |
St. Louis, Mo. (Lindbergh) |
DB |
Andrew Pitts |
5-9 |
156 |
R-So. |
Angelo St. (Tex.) |
Jeff Girsch |
McKinney, Tex. (McKinney) |
DB |
Shon Stephens |
6-0 |
180 |
Sr. |
Ferris St. (Mich.) |
Tony Annese |
Bakersfield, Calif. (Ridgeview) |
Specialists |
|||||||
Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
PK |
Logan Turner |
5-9 |
200 |
Jr. |
Southwest Baptist (Mo.) |
Robert Clardy |
Bentonville, Ark. (Bentonville) |
P |
Avery Book |
5-10 |
190 |
Jr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Ironton, Ohio (Ironton) |
AP |
#Trey Vaval |
6-0 |
170 |
Sr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South) |
*-2022 AFCA All-American #-2019 AFCA All-American
Team Background: The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad in 1945. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams – University Division and College Division – were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — FBS and FCS. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team.
From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. In 1997, a return specialist was added, giving us the current 25-player team. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. In 2016, the AFCA added a second team All-America.
Selection Process: The AFCA's Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a confer- ence call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the teams are chosen.
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches' All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
For more information on the AFCA and its programs, visit www.afca.com and follow us on Twitter @WeAreAFCA.
-(AFCA)-