CHARLOTTE (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Campbell sophomore quarterback Hajj-Malik Williams (Atlanta, Ga.) and Kennesaw State redshirt-senior linebacker Bryson Armstrong (Marietta, Ga.) have been voted the Big South Conference’s 2020 Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, by the league’s head football coaches and media panel, it was announced today.

Campbell QB Hajj-Malik Williams

Williams is the first sophomore to earn the league’s top preseason offensive honor and is Campbell’s first-ever Big South preseason Player of the Year honoree since the Camels joined the league in 2018.  The Big South Offensive Freshman of the Year in 2019, Williams enjoyed a record-breaking campaign in his first year leading the Camels.  A finalist for the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year Award (finishing 10th in the voting), Williams was a Hero Sports Freshman All-America First-Team selection a season ago.  He received four Big South Freshman of the Week nods as well as five STATS Honorable Mention weekly accolades in 2019.  Williams established Big South-freshman records for passing touchdowns (17), total offensive yards (2,686), rushing yards by a freshman quarterback (664) and rushing touchdowns by a freshman signal-caller (9).  He led all Big South freshmen AND quarterbacks in rushing yards during the regular-season, and passed for 200 yards and rushed for 100 yards in a game twice in 2019.  Williams posted a league-high six games with both a rush TD and passing touchdown, was second with four games accumulating 300+ yards of offense, and was third overall in total offense yards.  The first freshman quarterback in Big South history with multiple touchdown passes in the first three games of a season, Williams had a TD pass in his first 10 collegiate appearances and six multi-TD pass efforts.  He was responsible for 27 total touchdowns last year -- and caught a touchdown pass against Hampton on Oct. 19.



Williams received three first-place votes and 25 total points in the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year voting, ahead of Charleston Southern quarterback Jack Chambers (three first-place votes and 15 points).



Armstrong is now a three-time recipient of the conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honor –- the first player in league history with this distinction.  A three-time First-Team All-Conference selection in his first three years at KSU, as well as last year’s Big South Defensive Player of the Year, Armstrong earned five All-America plaudits in 2019 and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the nation’s top defensive player.  Named Second-Team All-American by the AFCA, Associated Press and Hero Sports in addition to Third-Team All-America honors from STATS LLC and Phil Steele, Armstrong finished 2019 with a team-high 95 total tackles during the season -- including 51 solo stops.  A member of the nation’s third-ranked defense, Armstrong totaled 12.0 tackles-for-loss, 3.5 sacks, one interception, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery in 2019.  He helped the Owls lead the Big South in total defense (278.7), scoring defense (18.7) and rushing defense (88.9).  Armstrong was the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week on Oct. 28 following his 10-tackle, 2.5-TFL, 1.0-sack effort over North Alabama.  He led KSU in tackles seven times -- including five games with 10+, and his 95 stops were 39 more than his next-closest teammate.  Armstrong also recorded a tackle-for-loss in 10 of his 14 games played.



The 2017 STATS Jerry Rice Award Winner as the FCS National Freshman of the Year, Armstrong enters his final season 16 tackles shy of 300 in his career, and has posted 67 stops in seven career FCS Playoff games (9.57 average).  He collected nine first-place votes and 35 points in the preseason balloting, ahead of Charleston Southern defensive lineman Shaundre Mims (two first-place votes and 17 points).



Williams and Armstrong were also voted to the preseason All-Conference First-Team, which is comprised of 12 offensive and defensive positions, plus specialty positions.  A preseason Honorable Mention squad features the next highest vote-getters at each position where available.  Kennesaw State and Monmouth tied for the most preseason selections with 10, followed by Charleston Southern (9), Campbell and Gardner-Webb with six each, North Alabama had three honorees, and Hampton had one selection.  The 2020 preseason All-Conference team appears below.



2020 Big South Football Preseason All-Conference Teams



PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST-TEAM

OFFENSE                                                                     

QB    Hajj-Malik Williams, Soph., Campbell

RB    Isaac Foster, Jr., Kennesaw State

RB    Juwon Farri, R-Soph., Monmouth

WR   Izaiah Gathings, Jr., Gardner-Webb

WR   Jadakis Bonds, Jr., Hampton

WR   Lonnie Moore IV, R-Sr., Monmouth

WR   Terrance Greene Jr., R-Jr., Monmouth (tie)

WR   Caleb Snead, R-Jr., Campbell (tie)

TE    Gene Scott, Jr., Monmouth

OL    AJ Farris, R-Sr., Monmouth

OL    Chris Dye, Sr., Kennesaw State

OL    Jake Lassiter, Sr., Kennesaw State

OL    Justin Szuba, Jr., Monmouth

OL    William Nana-Fabu, Jr., Kennesaw State



DEFENSE

DL    Shaundre Mims, R-Jr., Charleston Southern

DL    Brevin Allen, Jr., Campbell

DL    Nick Salley, R-Sr., Charleston Southern

DL    Anton Williams, R-Jr., Charleston Southern

LB    Bryson Armstrong, R-Sr., Kennesaw State

LB    Da’Quan Grimes, R-Sr., Monmouth

LB    Darien Reynolds, Sr., Gardner-Webb

LB    Justice Galloway-Velazquez, Jr., Campbell

DB    Anthony Budd, Sr., Monmouth

DB    Cody Cline, Soph., Charleston Southern

DB    Darion Slade, R-Sr., Campbell

DB    Justin Terry, Sr., Monmouth



SPECIAL TEAMS

PK    Alex Usry, R-Jr., Charleston Southern

P      Joe Gurley, Sr., North Alabama

KR    Lonnie Moore, R-Sr., Monmouth

PR    Devron Harper, Soph., Gardner-Webb

LS    Ethan Ray, R-Sr., Charleston Southern



PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION

QB    Jack Chambers, R-Jr., Charleston Southern

RB    Shaquil Terry, Sr., Kennesaw State

WR   Garris Schwarting, R-Sr., Charleston Southern

OL    Tyler McLellan, R-Jr., Campbell (tie)

OL    JT Melton, R-Jr., Charleston Southern (tie)

DL    Wallace Cowins Jr., Sr., North Alabama

LB    Cade Hamilton, Jr., Gardner-Webb

DB    Demetrius Pettway, Jr., Kennesaw State

PK    Joe Gurley, Sr., North Alabama

P      Nicholas Jones, Sr., Kennesaw State

KR    Devron Harper, Soph., Gardner-Webb (tie)

KR    Issac Foster, Jr., Kennesaw State (tie)

PR    Issac Foster, Jr., Kennesaw State

LS    Will Mullins, Sr., Gardner-Webb



PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Hajj-Malik Williams, Soph., QB, Campbell (Atlanta, Ga.)



PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Bryson Armstrong, R-Sr., LB, Kennesaw State (Marietta, Ga)

NORFOLK – Seven North Carolina players were named to the 2019 Preseason All-MEAC football team on Friday at its annual football media day in Norfolk, Virginia. Howard University quarterback Caylin Newton was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Delaware State University linebacker Brian Cavicante was selected as Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.








Bethune-Cookman led the way with six members of the preseason all-conference team, while defending MEAC champion North Carolina A&T, Delaware State and Howard each had four First Team honorees.



All-Conference Offense

QB Caylin Newton (Howard)

RB Isaiah Totten (North Carolina Central)

RB Dedrick Parson (Howard)

WR Jequez Ezzard (Howard)

WR Kyle Anthony (Howard)

TE Xavier Gravette (Morgan State)

C L’Dre Barnes (Bethune-Cookman)

OL Alex Taylor (South Carolina State)

OL Marcus Pettiford (North Carolina A&T)

OL Kaiden Crawford (Delaware State)

OL Dontae Keys (North Carolina A&T)



All-Conference Defense

DL Marques Ford (Bethune-Cookman)

DL Justin Cates (North Carolina A&T)

DL Darius Royster (North Carolina Central)

DL Kawuan Cox (North Carolina Central)

LB Brian Cavicante (Delaware State)

LB Marquis Hendrix (Bethune-Cookman)

LB Rico Kennedy (Morgan State)

DB Trevor Merritt (Bethune-Cookman)

DB Tydarius Peters (Bethune-Cookman)

DB Franklin McCain III (North Carolina A&T)

DB Jahad Neibauer (Delaware State)

PK Yahia Aly (Florida A&M)

P Chris Faddoul (Florida A&M)

RS Jimmie Robinson (Bethune-Cookman)



Defending MEAC conference champion North Carolina A&T was also chosen as the favorite to repeat in 2019.



MEAC Projected Order of Finish:

1. North Carolina A&T

2. Bethune Cookman

3. Florida A&M

4. North Carolina Central 

5. Howard University

6. South Carolina State

7. Norfolk State

8. Morgan State

9. Delaware State

NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced Friday its 2018 Preseason All-Sun Belt Football Team and individual awards, as voted upon by the 10 football head coaches and selected media representatives.



Arkansas State's Justice Hansen was tabbed as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Appalachian State's Clifton Duck was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.



Hansen was the 2017 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a First-Team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree. The redshirt-senior from Edmond, Okla., started every game for the Red Wolves and led the Sun Belt with 37 touchdowns through the air, breaking the previous Sun Belt record of 32. He finished the 2017 season with 3,967 yards passing on 305 attempts, averaging 330.6 yards per game.



Additionally, Hansen tallied 663 yards rushing and seven scores. Hansen had a hand in 44 of Arkansas State's 59 touchdowns scored last season. His passing touchdown totals shattered the previous A-State record, giving him 56 for his career at A-State. The redshirt-senior needs just 11 more to tie for the all-time lead in A-State history.



Hansen finished the 2017 season with three games over 400 yards passing, six games over 300 and a career-high, 520, set against ULM.



Duck, a junior defensive back from Matthews, N.C., led the Sun Belt with six interceptions last season. He has tallied 11 in his two seasons in Boone. That total ties for the most in the nation over the past two seasons, along with fellow Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team selection, Blace Brown of Troy.



Duck totaled 50 tackles a year ago to go along with his league-leading interceptions and posted six total pass breakups. When targeted, the junior corner allowed a league-low 35.5 passer rating, ranking ninth of any returning FBS corner. During his first two seasons in Boone, Duck has been chosen as an All-Sun Belt First Team performer, earning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year honors in 2016.



Troy led all teams with 11 total selections on the Preseason All-Sun Belt First and Second Teams, six of which were placed on the First Team and five on the Second Team. Arkansas State had nine student-athletes between the two teams while Appalachian State placed seven.



The honorees include 27 seniors between the two teams comprised of 52 total student-athletes. There are 17 seniors and nine juniors on the first team while the second team is comprised of 10 seniors, 10 juniors and six sophomores.



Sun Belt Media Day will be held in New Orleans at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, July 22-23. Live coverage of the event begins at 8:30 a.m. CT and will run until 5:00 p.m. CT via the Sun Belt YouTube page as well as ESPN3. ESPN3 will be live at Media Day with all 10 head coaches being featured from 1:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m. CT.



The 2018 season kicks off on Thursday, August 30, with two games as Georgia State hosts Kennesaw State (6:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+) and ULM welcomes Southeastern Louisiana (7:00 p.m. CT on ESPN+). The 2018 Sun Belt Football Championship Game is scheduled for Saturday, December 1. Time, television and location will be determined at a later date.



2018 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Teams



Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, QB, RS-Senior)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, DB, Junior)



* - named to 2017 Preseason Teams

^ - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt First Team

# - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt Second Team

$ - named to 2017 All-Sun Belt Third Team

! - named 2017 All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention



First Team Offense

QB - Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, RS-Senior) ^

RB - Jalin Moore (Appalachian State, Senior) *^

RB - Warren Wand (Arkansas State, Senior)

WR - Justin McInnis (Arkansas State, Senior) $

WR - Penny Hart (Georgia State, RS-Junior) *^

WR - Marcus Green (ULM, Senior)

TE - Collin Reed (Appalachian State, Junior) !

OL - Victor Johnson (Appalachian State, Junior) *^

OL - Lanard Bonner (Arkansas State, RS-Senior) ^

OL - Kevin Dotson (Louisiana, Junior) #

OL - Tristan Crowder (Troy, Junior) #

OL - Deontae Crumitie (Troy, Senior) *#



First Team Defense

DL - Ronheen Bingham (Arkansas State, Senior) #

DL - Logan Hunt (Georgia Southern, Senior) #

DL - Hunter Reese (Troy, Senior) ^

DL - Trevon Sanders (Troy, Senior) #

LB - Anthony Flory (Appalachian State, Senior) !

LB - Michael Shaw (Georgia State, RS-Senior) $

LB - Tron Folsom (Troy, Junior) #

DB - Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, Junior) *^

DB - Justin Clifton (Arkansas State, Senior) *#

DB - Monquavion Brinson (Georgia Southern, Junior) #

DB - Blace Brown (Troy, Senior) ^



First Team Special Teams

K - Gavin Patterson (South Alabama, Senior) ^

P - Corliss Waitman (South Alabama, Senior) ^

RS - Marcus Green (ULM, Senior) ^



Second Team Offense

QB - Caleb Evans (ULM, Junior) !

RB - Wesley Fields (Georgia Southern, Senior) !

RB - Trey Ragas (Louisiana, RS-Sophomore) $

WR - RJ Turner (ULM, Junior) $

WR - Jamarius Way (South Alabama, Senior) #

WR - Deondre Douglas (Troy, Senior) *#

TE - Ellis Richardson (Georgia Southern, RS-Senior)

OL - Jacob Still (Arkansas State, RS-Sophomore) !

OL - Curtis Rainey (Georgia Southern, Senior) !

OL - Hunter Atkinson (Georgia State, RS-Junior)

OL - Shamarious Gilmore (Georgia State, Sophomore) !

OL - Aaron Brewer (Texas State, Junior) *$



Second Team Defense

DL - Myquon Stout (Appalachian State, Senior) *!

DL - Marterious Allen (Georgia State, Senior) $

DL - Tyree Turner (South Alabama, Junior)

DL - Marcus Webb (Troy, Junior) !

LB - Silas Kelly (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore) !

LB - Bull Barge (South Alabama, Senior) !

LB - Bryan London II (Texas State, Junior) *!

DB - Tae Hayes (Appalachian State, Senior) #

DB - BJ Edmonds (Arkansas State, Junior) !

DB - Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore)

DB - Cedarius Rookard (Troy, Senior) $



Second Team Special Teams

K - Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, RS-Junior) #

P - Cody Grace (Arkansas State, RS-Junior) $

RS - Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore) #

A trio of standouts headline the list of 2018 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Florida Atlantic senior LB Azeez Al-Shaair was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year, while Southern Miss senior K Parker Shaunfield earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors.



"Motor" Singletary was named C-USA Most Valuable Player last season after scoring a nation-leading 32 rushing touchdowns last season (nine more than any other player) and 33 total TDs (five more than any other player). He scored more rushing touchdowns last year (32) than previous school career record-holder Alfred Morris had in four years from 2008-11 (27). Singletary also topped 100 yards in each of the final 11 games of the season for the Owls. Both the rushing TD’s and total TD’s are new C-USA records in those categories, breaking records held by UCF RB Kevin Smith, now his running backs coach. Singletary finished fifth nationally with 1,920 rushing yards and FAU was sixth nationally in rushing at 285.9 yards per game.

Ben DeLuca

Al-Shaair was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2017 after he set a new Florida Atlantic single-season record with 147 tackles. He posted nine games with double-digit stops and also helped the defense with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Al-Shaair already holds the schools’ career tackles mark with 354.



Shaunfield converted the first 89 extra-point attempts to start his career (a school record) and is now 104-for-106 all-time as a Golden Eagle. The first team All-C-USA performer converted 17-of-20 field goals last season, including 15 in a row at one point. Shaunfield was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2017.



Defending conference champion Florida Atlantic had the most overall preseason selections with six, while Marshall produced five and Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each had players comprising four spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad.



The league’s 23rd football season begins on Thursday, August 30. The 14th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1.

2018 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Devin Singletary, Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic



DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., LB, Florida Atlantic



SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Parker Shaunfield, Sr., K, Southern Miss

Offense

QB	Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas
QB	Brent Stockstill, Sr., Middle Tennessee
RB	Spencer Brown, So., UAB
RB	Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic
OL	Reggie Bain, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL	Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL	Jordan Budwig, Sr., FIU
OL	Levi Brown, Jr., Marshall
OL	O'Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech
TE	Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic
WR	Tyre Brady, Sr., Marshall
WR	Jalen Guyton, Sr., North Texas
WR	Ty Lee, Jr., Middle Tennessee
WR	Teddy Veal, Sr., Louisiana Tech

Defense

DL	Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech
DL	Fermin Silva, Sr., FIU
DL	Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA
DL	Oshane Ximines, Jr., Old Dominion
LB	Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., Florida Atlantic
LB	Khalil Brooks, Jr., Middle Tennessee
LB	Chase Hancock, Sr., Marshall
LB	Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA
DB	Ben DeLuca, Jr., Charlotte
DB	Malik Gant, Jr., Marshall
DB	Shelton Lewis, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB	Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech
DB	Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic

Special Teams

K	Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss
P	Jack Fox, Sr., Rice
KR	Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion
PR	Darrell Brown, Jr., Old Dominion
LS	Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall