Craig Haley - FCS Executive Director
Philadelphia, PA (Sports Network) - It's not surprising to find some of the best FCS players on the rosters of last season's national finalists, four-time defending champion North Dakota State and runner-up Illinois State.
But the top talent clearly runs up, down and far across the FCS nation.
With NDSU and Illinois State leading the way on the STATS FCS Preseason All- America Team, announced Thursday, the three units went 100 players deep, spread out among 63 schools from all 13 FCS conferences.
North Dakota State, which is seeking to continue its unprecedented run of consecutive FCS national titles, had the high with five preseason All-American selections, including senior offensive tackle Joe Haeg returning from the 2014 postseason first team and joined by senior punter Ben LeCompte. In addition, senior fullback Andrew Bonnet and junior offensive tackle Zack Johnson, who is returning from a season off due to knee surgery, were named to the second team, and sophomore long snapper James Fisher was named to the third team.
From Illinois State, which shared the Missouri Valley Football Conference title with NDSU last season, senior running back Marshaun Coprich returned to the first team. Last season's FCS leader in rushing yards (2,274) and touchdowns (27) was suspended from the Redbirds program this offseason, then was reinstated after receiving probation for a drug charge in Illinois.
Illinois State linebacker Pat Meehan made the preseason second team, and quarterback Tre Roberson and defensive end Teddy Corwin were third-team selections. Each is a senior.
Liberty also had four preseason All-Americans, and wide receiver Darrin Peterson, offensive guard Jonathan Burgess and place-kicker John Lunsford gave the Big South Conference power the most first-team selections with three. Fellow senior Chima Uzowihe was named to the second team.
FCS Preseason All-America Team
Selections by conference: Missouri Valley, 17; Big Sky, 15; CAA Football, 14; Ohio Valley, 9; Southland, 9; Big South, 7; Southern, 7; MEAC, 6; Northeast, 4; Ivy League, 3; Patriot League, 3; Pioneer League, 3; SWAC, 3
Schools with the most All-Americans: North Dakota State, 5; Illinois State, 4; Liberty, 4; Chattanooga, 3; Eastern Washington, 3; Idaho State, 3; Maine, 3; Sam Houston State, 3; William & Mary, 3
If many of the preseason honorees appear familiar, it's because 37 selections returned from last season's postseason All-America team. Included were 12 players on the first team, seven on the second team and 18 on the third team.
Like Haeg and Coprich, Lunsford returned to the first team. He kicked three of the five longest field goals in Division I last season, including a 60-yarder.
The other players returning to the first team were Villanova quarterback John Robertson and linebacker Don Cherry; South Carolina State defensive tackle Javon Hargrave and punt returner Antonio Hamilton; Eastern Washington wide receiver Cooper Kupp, already a two-time first-team All-American; Richmond fullback Seth Fisher; Indiana State linebacker Connor Underwood; Stetson safety Donald Payne, the FCS tackles leader last season; and Murray State kick returner Pokey Harris. All are seniors except for Kupp and Payne, a pair of juniors.
Robertson was the 2014 national offensive player of the year, having accounted for 46 total touchdowns (35 passing, 11 rushing) and 301.8 total yards per game and leading the FCS in passer efficiency rating (181.3).
The rest of the FCS preseason first-team offense consisted of running backs Chase Edmonds of Fordham and Dy'Shawn Mobley of Eastern Kentucky; South Dakota State wide receiver Jake Wieneke; Idaho State tight end Josh Cook; and offensive linemen JP Flynn of Montana State, Donald Jackson III of Sam Houston State and Corey Levin of Chattanooga.
Also on the first-team defense were defensive ends James Cowser of Southern Utah and Jonathan Woodard of Central Arkansas; Gardner-Webb defensive tackle O.J. Mau; linebackers Luke Rhodes of William & Mary and Darnell Sankey of Sacramento State; and cornerbacks Casey DeAndrade of New Hampshire, Jermaine Hough of Jacksonville State and Harlan Miller of Southeastern Louisiana.
Prairie View A&M's Johnta Hebert, who led the FCS in all-purpose yards per game (225.3), was selected as the first-team all-purpose back, while Portland State's Kameron Canaday was the long snapper.
The Missouri Valley led all FCS conferences with 17 preseason All-Americans. The Big Sky had 15 selections, including the most on the first team with six, and CAA Football had the third-highest total with 14 selections.
They were followed by the Ohio Valley and Southland conferences with nine each, the Big South and Southern conferences with seven each, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference with six, the Northeast Conference with four, and the Ivy, Patriot and Pioneer leagues and the Southwestern Athletic Conference with three each.
First Team - Offense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
John Robertson Villanova QB Sr. 6-1 221
Marshaun Coprich Illinois State RB Sr. 5-9 205
Chase Edmonds Fordham RB So. 5-9 185
Dy'Shawn Mobley Eastern Kentucky RB Sr. 5-11 215
Seth Fisher Richmond FB Sr. 6-2 232
Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington WR Jr. 6-2 195
Darrin Peterson Liberty WR Sr. 6-2 190
Jake Wieneke South Dakota State WR So. 6-4 210
Josh Cook Idaho State TE Jr. 6-3 221
Jonathan Burgess Liberty OL Sr. 6-2 305
JP Flynn Montana State OL Jr. 6-5 320
Joe Haeg North Dakota State OL Sr. 6-6 299
Donald Jackson III Sam Houston State OL Sr. 6-2 277
Corey Levin Chattanooga OL Jr. 6-5 285
Johnta Hebert Prairie View A&M AP Sr. 5-10 195
John Lunsford Liberty PK Sr. 6-1 180
Pokey Harris Murray State KR Sr. 5-10 173
First Team - Defense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
James Cowser Southern Utah DL Sr. 6-4 258
Javon Hargrave South Carolina State DL Sr. 6-3 311
O.J. Mau Gardner-Webb DL Sr. 6-2 315
Jonathan Woodard Central Arkansas DL Sr. 6-6 271
Don Cherry Villanova LB Sr. 6-1 221
Luke Rhodes William & Mary LB Sr. 6-2 242
Darnell Sankey Sacramento State LB Sr. 6-2 250
Connor Underwood Indiana State LB Sr. 6-3 240
Casey DeAndrade New Hampshire DB Jr. 5-11 214
Jermaine Hough Jacksonville State DB Sr. 5-10 180
Harlan Miller SE Louisiana DB Sr. 6-1 180
Donald Payne Stetson DB Jr. 6-0 215
Ben LeCompte North Dakota State P Sr. 5-10 200
Kameron Canaday Portland State LS Sr. 6-4 230
Antonio Hamilton South Carolina State PR Sr. 6-0 185
Second Team - Offense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Jacob Huesman Chattanooga QB Sr. 6-2 220
Vad Lee James Madison QB Sr. 6-1 225
Khairi Dickson Saint Francis RB Sr. 6-0 182
Connor Kacsor Dayton RB Sr. 6-0 211
Darius Victor Towson RB Jr. 5-8 210
Andrew Bonnet North Dakota State FB Sr. 6-3 250
Chris King Duquesne WR Sr. 6-1 235
Lance Lenoir Western Illinois WR Jr. 6-0 190
Madison Mangum Idaho State WR Sr. 6-2 212
Jordan Payne Alcorn State TE Sr. 6-2 220
Robert Booker Missouri State OL Sr. 6-3 312
Bruce Johnson Maine OL Sr. 6-3 295
Zack Johnson North Dakota State OL Jr. 6-4 329
Garrick Mayweather Fordham OL Sr. 6-3 314
Aaron Neary Eastern Washington OL Sr. 6-4 300
Ed Eagan Northwestern State AP Sr. 5-10 181
Chandler Curtis Mercer AP So. 5-10 186
Michael Schmadeke Northern Iowa PK Jr. 5-10 165
Xavier Roberson SE Louisiana KR Sr. 5-9 180
Second Team - Defense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
P.J. Hall Sam Houston State DL So. 6-1 270
Victor Ochi Stony Brook DL Sr. 6-2 250
Devaunte Sigler Jacksonville State DL Sr. 6-5 292
Chima Uzowihe Liberty DL Sr. 6-2 250
Kourtney Berry Alabama State LB Jr. 6-0 215
Deon King Norfolk State LB Sr. 6-1 220
Pat Meehan Illinois State LB Sr. 6-1 225
Christophe Mulumba Maine LB Jr. 6-1 240
James Bradberry Samford DB Sr. 6-1 205
DeAndre Houston-Carson William & Mary DB Sr. 6-2 195
Tim Kilfoy Northern Iowa DB Sr. 6-1 191
Brent Spikes McNeese State DB Sr. 6-1 196
Lachlan Edwards Sam Houston State P Sr. 6-5 214
Josh Appel Indiana State LS Jr. 6-2 250
Ladarius Vanlier Tennessee Tech PR Sr. 5-8 175
Third Team - Offense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Dakota Prukop Montana State QB Jr. 6-2 195
Tre Roberson Illinois State QB Sr. 6-0 205
Xavier Finney Idaho State RB Sr. 5-11 196
De'Angelo Henderson Coastal Carolina RB Jr. 5-8 205
Herb Walker Jr. Morgan State RB Jr. 5-8 180
Nick Butier Northern Arizona FB Sr. 6-1 240
Seth DeValve Princeton WR Sr. 6-4 240
Paul McRoberts SE Missouri State WR Sr. 6-3 197
William Morris Davidson WR Sr. 6-2 178
Duncan Fletcher Furman TE Jr. 6-4 222
Clay DeBord Eastern Washington OL Sr. 6-6 305
Brett Eyckmans Eastern Kentucky OL Sr. 6-4 290
Andrew Jones William & Mary OL Sr. 6-1 280
Cole Toner Harvard OL Sr. 6-7 295
Byron Williams Stephen F. Austin OL Sr. 6-4 302
Tarik Cohen North Carolina A&T AP Jr. 5-6 172
Ryan McCrum SE Missouri State PK Jr. 6-0 228
Devin Brown Coastal Carolina KR Jr. 5-8 155
Third Team - Defense
Player School Pos. Cl. Ht. Wt.
Trevor Bates Maine DL Sr. 6-2 250
Teddy Corwin Illinois State DL Sr. 6-5 260
Al Page Wagner DL Sr. 6-2 285
Derek Rivers Youngstown State DL Jr. 6-5 240
Akil Anderson New Hampshire LB Sr. 6-1 203
Kamu Grugier-Hill Eastern Illinois LB Sr. 6-2 215
Cory Magwood Furman LB Sr. 6-2 228
James Rentz Sacred Heart LB Jr. 6-1 230
Kendrick Van Ackeren Montana LB Sr. 6-1 220
Marcus Alford Northern Arizona DB Sr. 5-10 160
Miles Killebrew Southern Utah DB Sr. 6-3 223
Matt Smalley Lafayette DB Sr. 5-10 195
Lucas Webb Chattanooga DB So. 6-1 190
Chris Fraser Cornell P Jr. 6-2 208
James Fisher North Dakota State LS So. 6-2 212
Michael Jones North Carolina Ctl PR Jr. 5-10 180
