Southland Conference Preseason All-Conference Teams

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FRISCO, Texas – A total of 20 of the 58 Southland Conference football players who earned all-conference honors after the 2013 season return for the 2014 season and garner spots on the preseason all-conference teams, the league office announced Wednesday a week ahead of its media day at L’auberge Resort in Lake Charles, La.
 
Reigning conference player of the year Bryan Bennett highlights a talented list of nine offensive players and 11 defensive players who return from last season’s all-conference squads to earn a spot on the preseason teams. Bennett is one of nine Southeastern Louisiana first-team selections and one of 15 Lions to be represented on the two teams.
 
Defending champion Southeastern leads all league schools with 15 all-conference selections while McNeese State had 10 players on the two teams followed by Central Arkansas with nine and Northwestern State with eight. Sam Houston State has six preseason picks while Stephen F. Austin and Lamar each have four. Nicholls completes the preseason all-conference team with two selections.
 
Southeastern returns 15 starters from a team that went 7-0 in league play and reached the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs. First-team all-conference selections returning for the Lions are senior quarterback Bennett, junior running back Rasheed Harrell, senior offensive lineman Jonathan Braddock, junior all-purpose player and kick returner Xavier Roberson, senior defensive lineman Jacob Newman, senior linebackers Isiah Corbett and Drew Misita and junior defensive back Harlan Miller.
 
Bennett, one of the nation’s top returning quarterbacks and a top candidate for the Walter Payton Award, ranked fourth in the nation with 4,211 total yards, helping the Lions claim their first Southland title and earn their first trip to the postseason while finishing No. 6 in the final polls. Bennett is one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation, having tossed for 3,165 yards and 21 touchdowns last season to go along with 1,046 yards rushing and a single-season school record 16 touchdowns.
 
Earning second-team honors for Southeastern include junior wide receiver Jeff Smiley, junior offensive lineman Joe Graves, junior defensive lineman A.J. Bowen, senior linebackers Justin Church and Kaleb Muse and senior defensive back Tyler Stoddard.
 
McNeese, which is coming off a 10-3 overall record and a return trip to the FCS playoffs, has seven first-team all-conference selections, including senior offensive lineman Antoine Everett and defensive lineman Everett Ellefsen, both of whom earned first-team honors last season. Joining Everett on the first-team offense is fellow lineman Quentin Marsh, a junior, and sophomore tight end Zach Hetrick. Other first-team defense honorees for the Cowboys include junior linebacker Bo Brown, defensive back Aaron Sam and punter Jean Breaux.
 
Central Arkansas, Northwestern State and Sam Houston State each placed three on the first teams. The Bears are led on the first team by senior wide receiver Dezmin Lewis, senior offensive lineman Cole Carruthers and junior defensive lineman Jonathan Woodard. UCA, which tied for third with a 4-3 league mark, will be under the direction of first-year coach Steve Campbell.
 
Northwestern, which finished fifth at 3-4, is represented on the first-team by senior defensive lineman Deon Simon and senior defensive backs Imoan Claiborne and Fred Thomas.
 
Sam Houston will be searching for its fourth consecutive postseason trip after finishing 4-3 in conference play in 2013. The Bearkats, who will are led by new head coach K.C. Keeler, placed junior offensive lineman Donald Jackson, sophomore placekicker Luc Swimberghe and senior defensive back Michael Wade on the first team.
 
Lamar and Stephen F. Austin complete the first team with two selections each. The Cardinals have junior wide receiver Reggie Begelton on the offense and senior punter returner Kevin Johnson on the defense while the Lumberjacks have senior running back Gus Johnson and senior wide receiver Tyler Boyd on the offense.

Returning student-athletes who earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of the 2013 season were automatically named to the preseason teams. Head coaches from the 11 schools that play football in the Southland Conference voted for the remaining 38 positions, which included five on the first-team offense, four on the first-team defense, 14 positions on the second-team offense and 15 on the second-team defense. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
 
The conference’s two preseason polls – coaches and sports information directors – will be announced July 23 at media day.
 

 

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2014 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams

First-Team Offense
Pos.	Name	University	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown
QB	Bryan Bennett	Southeastern La.	6-3	215	Sr.	Granada Hills, Calif.
RB	Gus Johnson	Stephen F. Austin	5-10	224	Sr.	Gilmer, Texas
RB	Rasheed Harrell	Southeastern La.	5-10	195	Jr.	Miami, Fla.
TE/HB	Zach Hetrick	McNeese State	6-3	246	So.	Baton Rouge, La.
WR	Reggie Begelton	Lamar	6-2	200	Jr.	Beaumont, Texas
WR	Dezmin Lewis	Central Arkansas	6-4	212	Sr.	Mesquite, Texas
WR	Tyler Boyd	Stephen F. Austin	5-10	185	Sr.	Daingerfield, Texas
OL	Antoine Everett	McNeese State	6-3	325	Sr.	Richmond, Texas
OL	Donald Jackson	Sam Houston State	6-2	270	Jr.	Kilgore, Texas
OL	Cole Caruthers	Central Arkansas	6-4	292	Sr.	Sugar Land, Texas
OL	Jonathan Braddock	Southeastern La.	6-4	285	Sr.	Ripley, Miss.
OL	Quentin Marsh	McNeese State	6-3	310	Jr.	Dickinson, Texas
AP	Xavier Roberson	Southeastern La.	5-9	180	Jr.	Atlanta, Ga.
PK	Luc Swimberghe	Sam Houston State	6-0	185	So.	Tyler, Texas
First-Team Defense
Pos.	Name	University	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown
DL	Jonathan Woodard	Central Arkansas	6-6	271	Jr.	Brentwood, Tenn.
DL	Everett Ellefsen	McNeese State	6-3	233	Sr.	Madisonville, La.
DL	Jacob Newman	Southeastern La.	6-2	275	Sr.	Visalia, Calif.
DL	Deon Simon	Northwestern State	6-4	332	Sr.	Baton Rouge, La.
LB	Isiah Corbett	Southeastern La.	6-3	250	Sr.	Belle Glade, Fla.
LB	Bo Brown	McNeese State	6-1	232	Jr.	Katy, Texas
LB	Drew Misita	Southeastern La.	6-1	245	Sr.	Amite, La.
DB	Harlan Miller	Southeastern La.	6-0	180	Jr.	Kentwood, La.
DB	Imoan Claiborne	Northwestern State	5-11	187	Sr.	Alexandria, La.
DB	Michael Wade	Sam Houston State	5-11	195	Sr.	Arp, Texas
DB	Aaron Sam	McNeese State	5-9	182	Sr.	Lake Charles, La.
DB	Fred Thomas	Northwestern State	5-10	160	Sr.	Lutcher, La.
P	Jean Breaux	McNeese State	5-10	170	Jr.	Scott, La.
KR	Xavier Roberson	Southeastern La.	5-9	180	Jr.	Atlanta, Ga.
PR	Kevin Johnson	Lamar	6-0	210	Sr.	Houston, Texas
Second-Team Offense
Pos.	Name	University	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown
QB	Caleb Berry	Lamar	6-2	195	Sr.	Needville, Texas
RB	Kelvin Bennett	McNeese State	5-11	170	Jr.	Bleakwood, Texas
RB	Keshawn Hill	Sam Houston State	5-10	205	Sr.	Klein, Texas
TE/HB	Shane Young	Sam Houston State	6-4	253	Sr.	Lago Vista, Texas
WR	Jeff Smiley	Southeastern La.	5-9	175	Jr.	Flower Mound, Texas
WR	Damien Watts	Central Arkansas	5-10	197	Sr.	Texarkana, Texas
WR	Ernest Celestie	McNeese State	5-11	190	Sr.	Lake Charles, La.
OL	C.J. Simon	Central Arkansas	6-3	296	Sr.	Kingwood, Texas
OL	Byron Williams	Stephen F. Austin	6-4	302	Jr.	Dickinson, Texas
OL	Austin Douglas	Northwestern State	6-1	304	Sr.	Batesville, Miss.
OL	Justin Brock	Lamar	6-5	300	Jr.	Beaumont, Texas
OL	Joe Graves	Southeastern La.	6-3	320	Jr.	Covington, La.
AP	Daniel Taylor	Northwestern State	5-7	160	Jr.	Convent, La.
PK	Eddie Camara	Central Arkansas	5-9	168	Sr.	Cedar Hill, Texas
Second-Team Defense
Pos.	Name	University	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	Hometown
DL	T.J. Randall	Central Arkansas	6-3	291	Sr.	Lee’s Summit, Mo.
DL	A.J. Bowen	Southeastern La.	6-2	320	Jr.	Olive Branch, Miss.
DL	JeMarcus Marshall	Northwestern State	6-3	245	So.	Monroe, La.
DL	Gary Lorance	Sam Houston State	6-0	290	Sr.	New Boston, Texas
LB	Justin Church	Southeastern La.	6-4	235	Sr.	Mandeville, La.
LB	Davin Bovie	Nicholls	5-11	180	Sr.	Waggaman, La.
LB	Kaleb Muse	Southeastern La.	6-0	255	Sr.	Ponchatoula, La.
DB	Gabe Hamner	McNeese State	6-0	190	Jr.	Sealy, Texas
DB	Dillon Winfrey	Central Arkansas	5-8	174	Jr.	Bryant, Ark.
DB	Tyler Stoddard	Southeastern La.	6-2	210	Sr.	Westlake, La.
DB	Adam Jones	Northwestern State	6-2	196	So.	Katy, Texas
DB	Byron Cobb	Nicholls	5-10	175	Sr.	St. Francisville, La.
P	Nick Bruno	Stephen F. Austin	5-11	197	Jr.	Rowlett, Texas
KR	Jatavious Wilson	Central Arkansas	5-9	171	So.	Bastrop, La.
PR	Ed Eagan	Northwestern State	5-10	181	Jr.	New Orleans, La.

 

 

 

 

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