ASUN Conference Announces First @ASUN_Football Preseason Honors in League History
ASUN Conference Announces First @ASUN_Football Preseason Honors in League History
Preseason All-Conference Awards and Poll
ATLANTA, Ga. - Central Arkansas' Tyler Hudson and Jacksonville State's Nicario Harper were voted the Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, in the first-ever ASUN Conference Preseason Football honors, announced by the league office on Tuesday.
Hudson, a junior wide receiver, was the Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year in 2020 and a First Team All-American. He tallied 50 receptions in his sophomore campaign for 845 total yards and seven touchdowns. He was also a First Team All-Conference Special Teams selection last season with two punt return touchdowns. In 2019, the Spring, Texas, native was named the Southland Freshman of the Year.
Harper was tabbed the FCS Defensive Back of the Year and a consensus First Team All-American last season for the Gamecocks. The safety from Atlanta, Ga., was also named the Ohio Valley Conference Defensive Player of the Year and became the first defensive back to win the award since 2007. He led JSU in tackles as a freshman with a total of 92, including 46 solos, and was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award.
The Bears led the way with 13 members on the Preseason All-Conference Team followed by the Gamecocks with eight and Eastern Kentucky with six. Sam Houston was favored in the ASUN-WAC Challenge Coaches Poll with all seven first-place votes while UCA and JSU finished in second and third place, respectively. Stephen F. Austin, EKU, Abilene Christian and Lamar rounded out the poll.
Kickoff for the 2021 season is just over a month away as Jacksonville State opens the season on Sept. 1 against UAB. Central Arkansas (at Arkansas State) and Eastern Kentucky (at Western Carolina) all begin the season on Sept. 4. Two future ASUN Football members, Kennesaw State (vs. Reinhardt; Sept. 2nd) and North Alabama (at Southeastern Louisiana; Sept. 4th) begin their final season in the Big South Conference. Read more about this year's Preseason All-Conference Team below.
ASUN Football Preseason All-Conference Team
Offensive Player of the Year: Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas
Defensive Player of the Year: Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State
OFFENSE
QB | Breylin Smith, Central Arkansas, Jr., Conway, Ark.
RB | Josh Samuel, Jacksonville State, Jr., Greenville, S.C.
TE | Sam Camargo, Central Arkansas, Sr., Kissimmee, Fla.
WR | Tyler Hudson, Central Arkansas, So., Spring, Texas
WR | Lujuan Winningham, Central Arkansas, Jr., Humble, Texas
WR | Jacquez Jones, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., Clearwater, Fla.
OL | Tylan Grable, Jacksonville State, So., Gordon, Ga.
OL | Jaylin Hendrix, Central Arkansas, Jr., Everman, Texas
OL | Cam Hill, Jacksonville State, Jr., Montgomery, Ala.
OL | Payton Collins, Eastern Kentucky, Fr., Columbus, Ohio
C | Toby Sanderson, Central Arkansas, Sr., Edmond, Okla.
AP | Jyran Mitchell, Eastern Kentucky, So., Matteson, Ill.
DEFENSE
DL | DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State, Jr., Atlanta, Ga.
DL | Logan Jessup, Central Arkansas, So., Wynne, Ark.
DL | Quinten Floyd, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., Frankfort, Ky.
DL | JW Jones, Central Arkansas, Sr., Rayville, La.
LB | Matthew Jackson, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., Nashville, Tenn.
LB | Jaylen Swain, Jacksonville State, Fr., Oxford, Ala.
LB | TJ Campbell, Central Arkansas, Jr., Southaven, Miss.
LB | Marshall Clark, Jacksonville State, So., Munford, Ala.
DB | Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State, So., Atlanta, Ga.
DB | Cameron Godfrey, Central Arkansas, Jr., Spring, Texas
DB | Joseph Sayles, Eastern Kentucky, Jr., Alpharetta, Ga.
DB | DeAndre Lamont, Central Arkansas, Jr., Baytown, Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS
K | Hayden Ray, Central Arkansas, Jr., Bryant, Ark.
P | Jack Dawson, Jacksonville State, Fr., Sylvania Waters, Australia
RS | Cameron Myers, Central Arkansas, So., Plant City, Fla.
| 2021 ASUN/WAC AQ7 Football Preseason Coaches Poll |
| Pl. |
Team |
1st Place Votes |
Points |
2020-21 Record |
| 1. |
Sam Houston |
7 |
49 |
10-0 |
| 2. |
Central Arkansas |
|
40 |
5-4 |
| 3. |
Jacksonville State |
|
37 |
10-3 |
| 4. |
Stephen F. Austin |
|
27 |
6-4 |
| 5. |
Eastern Kentucky |
|
20 |
3-6 |
| 6. |
Abilene Christian |
|
15 |
1-5 |
| 7. |
Lamar |
|
8 |
2-4 |
For the first time, the ASUN took to social media to poll the fans for the conference preseason superlative awards. A total of 4,373 votes were cast for student-athletes across the league. Eastern Kentucky's Kyandre Magloire was named the Fan-Voted Preseason Skilled Position Player of the Year with a poll-high 897 votes. EKU's Parker McKinney (130 votes) and Central Arkansas' Logan Jessup (239 votes) were named the Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively. Other winners selected by the fans were Jacksonville State's Jaylen Swain (317 votes) as Defensive Backfield Player of the Year, UCA's Jaylin Hendrix (331 votes) as Lineman of the Year and UCA's Hayden Ray (123 votes) as Special Teams Player of the Year.
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The ASUN, a Division I conference member of the NCAA, boasts a membership of institutions that share visionary leadership, bold ambition and creative innovation. As a nimble adaptive conference, unafraid to blaze a national pathway for better service to our student-athletes, teams, and institutions, the ASUN has a proud history of firsts, national academic and athletic achievements and a conference culture that walks the walk with its four ASUN Beams. Students First! Rise. Connect. Impact. #ASUNBuilt by Bellarmine (Louisville), Central Arkansas (Conway), Eastern Kentucky (Richmond), FGCU (Fort Myers), Jacksonville (Fla.), Jacksonville State (Jacksonville, Ala.), Kennesaw State (Ga.), Liberty (Lynchburg, Va.), Lipscomb (Nashville), North Alabama (Florence), North Florida (Jacksonville, Fla.), and Stetson (DeLand, Fla.).