Category: College Football

2025 SIS Preseason All-America Team

It’s time once again to announce our SIS College Football Pre-Season All-American Team. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our selections.

A brief explanation of Total Points:

Total Points takes nearly everything that SIS measures about a play and uses it to evaluate each player on a scale that allows you to compare them more easily. It’s always useful to be able to understand the different ways in which players can be valuable. Does he break a lot of tackles? Does he get a lot of yards after the catch? Does he make the best out of a poor offensive line? Does he get more pressures than expected? Does he break up a lot of passes? Total Points offers the opportunity to take all of those elements and get a quick picture of how well a player is performing overall.

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced within this piece here.

Here are our selections:

1st Team Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Drew Allar	Penn State
RB	Jeremiyah Love	Notre Dame
RB	Ahmad Hardy	Missouri
WR	Jeremiah Smith	Ohio State
WR	Antonio Williams	Clemson
TE	Terrance Carter Jr.	Texas Tech
T	Isaiah World	Oregon
T	Paul Rubelt	UCF
G	Keylan Rutledge	Georgia Tech
G	Paolo Gennarelli	Army
C	Brady Small	Army

Ahmad Hardy, Isaiah World, Paul Rubelt, Keylan Rutledge, and Brady Small all earned spots on our 2024 All-American team, and we expect continued great play from all of them. Drew Allar, Jeremiyah Love, and Jeremiah Smith all look poised to be a driving force for their respective teams as they make a push for the College Football Playoff.

Antonio Williams and Paolo Gennarelli are some of the top returning players at their respective positions, and Terrance Carter Jr. will look to continue his level of play on a bigger stage. Every player on our 1st Team Offense is Top 3 in Total Points at their position among returning players.

1st Team Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Zane Durant	Penn State
DT	Skyler Gill-Howard	Texas Tech
EDGE	TJ Parker	Clemson
EDGE	Colin Simmons	Texas
LB	Whit Weeks	LSU
LB	Isaiah Glasker	BYU
CB	D’Angelo Ponds	Indiana
CB	Chandler Rivers	Duke
CB	Christian Gray	Notre Dame
S	Caleb Downs	Ohio State
S	Kerry Brown	Minnesota

TJ Parker, Whit Weeks, D’Angelo Ponds, and Kerry Brown headline the all defensive team as the lone returners from the 2024 All-American team. Parker and Weeks both lead the country in returning Total Points at their respective positions. The 2024 season saw a star studded defensive tackle class head to the NFL, as Zane Durant and Skyer Gill-Howard fill the interior. Colin Simmons rounds out the defensive line after a stellar freshman season, leading all edge rushers in Total Points per Snap.

The Big Ten is also well represented in the secondary as Ponds and Brown are joined by star safety Caleb Downs, who is returning to lead the reigning National Champion, Ohio State Buckeyes. Christian Gray, Isaiah Glasker, and Chandler Rivers fill out the rest of the defense and look to build on their impressive 2024 seasons.

1st Team Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Dominic Zvada	Michigan
P	Rhys Dakin	Iowa
Returner	Kaden Wetjen	Iowa

Kaden Wetjen was on our 2024 All-American team, and he is in line for another big season. His teammate, Rhys Dakin, looks to continue Iowa’s special teams dominance, especially in the punting game. Dominic Zvada narrowly missed out on our post season team, but expectations are very high in Ann Arbor.

2nd Team Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Cade Klubnik	Clemson
RB	Jonah Coleman	Washington
RB	Makhi Hughes	Oregon
WR	Ryan Williams	Alabama
WR	Elijah Sarratt	Indiana
TE	Eli Stowers	Vanderbilt
T	Aamil Wagner	Notre Dame
T	Dorion Strawn	Texas State
G	Jordan White	Vanderbilt
G	Olaivavega Ioane	Penn State
C	Ryan Linthicum	Clemson

Clemson’s Cade Klubnik and Ryan Linthicum headline the 2nd Team Offense as they lead the ACC in Total Points at their respective positions. Jonah Coleman, Makai Hughes, Elijah Surratt, and Olaivaega Ioane all return in a loaded Big Ten conference in 2025.

Eli Stowers and Jordan White look to improve upon their 2024 campaigns and help get Vanderbilt to achieve back-to-back winning seasons for the first time in over a decade. Aamil Wagner and Dorion Strawn bookend the offense line and look to repeat their dominant 2024 seasons.

2nd Team Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Lee Hunter	Texas Tech
DT	Gracen Halton	Oklahoma
EDGE	Eric O’Neill	Rutgers
EDGE	Mikail Kamara	Indiana
LB	Anthony Hill Jr.	Texas
LB	Wade Woodaz	Clemson
CB	Davison Igbinosun	Ohio State
CB	Xavier Scott	Illinois
S	Isaiah Nwokobia	SMU
S	Adon Shuler	Notre Dame
S	Koi Perich	Minnesota

Lee Hunter and Eric O’Neill found new homes this offseason, but will look to be equally productive as last season. Gracen Halton and Koi Perich are in line for much bigger roles after putting up very impressive numbers in limited action. Mikail Kamara, Xavier Scott, Isaiah Nwokobia, and Adon Shuler were impact players last season and could be even better this season.

Anthony Hill Jr. and Wade Woodaz are two of the most versatile and impactful defenders in all of college football. If Davison Igbinosun can limit the penalties this season, he may find himself on the postseason 1st Team Defense.

2nd Team Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Peyton Woodring	Georgia
P	Tyler White	Texas A&M
Returner	Jalen Moss	Arizona State

Peyton Woodring was tied for 1st in returning Total Points for Kickers in all of college football. Tyler White returns to Texas A&M after an impressive 2024 season, forcing the most fair catches in the SEC while having the least amount of punts returned as well. Jalen Moss is looking to make an impact as a returner for Arizona State, after spending the 2024 season at Fresno State.

July 24, 2025

Analytics Scouting Report: Travis Hunter, Wide Receiver

Photo: Chris Leduc/Icon Sportswire

Usually, the saying goes that players who are athletes but can’t catch the ball play cornerback. Well, a cornerback who won the Chuck Bednarik Award as the nation’s best defender also took home the Fred Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver (and something else called the Heisman Trophy).

Travis Hunter is an incredible athlete whose versatility reached unprecedented levels while playing at Jackson State and Colorado. In his final year, Hunter played 700-plus snaps on both offense and defense, rarely coming off the field at any point in time.

Even though Hunter’s intentions are to play both sides of the ball 100% of the time in the NFL, it will be rather difficult to excel at both on a full-time level. Covering the best receivers in the world AND trying to become one of the best receivers in the world is something nobody has seen and would be a monumental task to achieve.

Assuming he will pick one side as primary, our scouting department believes he will provide the most value as a cornerback and scouted him as such. But to capture the full picture of who Hunter is, we wanted to break down his receiving ability from a metrics perspective to find where his best part-time value can be applied on the offensive side of the ball. Playing both sides all the time may be impossible, but there will come opportunities that having one of the freakiest athletes on the field can pay dividends on the scoreboard.

Here is what his Stats Overview would look like on our draft site if he were coming out as a receiver.

Stat	Value	Rank (out of 22)	Percentile
TPTS Per Game	2.5	4	87th
TPTS RTG Overall	91	9	57th
TPTS Per Gm Slot	0.9	8	65th
TPTS Per Gm Wide	1.5	3	87th
Catchable Catch %	94%	2	96th
Target% +/-	5.7%	11	57th
Target Share	27%	8	61st
Deep Route%	26%	22	0
Unique Routes	31	17	30th
YAC Per Rec	5.0	18	26th
Brk+Miss Tkl Per Rec	0.28	7	74th

Hunter comes into the draft with some of the surest hands we have seen since we started collecting data in 2016. Hunter’s 2024 ranked 14th in catchable catch percentage at 94% and 19th in on-target catch percentage at 97% among the nearly 1,200 receivers with 75 or more targets in a season since 2016. Not too bad for a corner!

From a Total Points perspective, Hunter led the Buffaloes with 31 Receiving Total Points, which was also good for 9th in FBS last season. The majority of this production was from out wide, notching 21 Receiving Total Points on 103 targets compared to only 9 Receiving Total Points on 22 targets from the slot, with the former being good for 6th in FBS last season.

Travis Hunter’s Top 10 Routes Run

Route Type	Percent of Routes	Percent of All Completions
Curl	32%	25%
Fade	10%	3%
Slant	9%	8%
Dig	9%	16%
Screen	6%	19%
Post	5%	3%
Deep Cross	4%	4%
Out	4%	5%
Go/Fly	3%	4%
Drag	2%	4%

Hunter’s route tree is pretty concentrated to the curl route, accounting for about one-third of his routes in 2024. Colorado had to get the ball out quick with a below-average pass protection unit, so throwing to your best player on a simple curl route with hands as sure as his proved to be successful. This also could help explain his low rate of running deep routes generally.

Even though he ran more fades and slants, the percent of his completions are lower than digs and screens. Fades make sense, as that is a lower catch probability than others and can be used as a clearout route for underneath targets. However, the gap between slants and the others is significant given that was his third most common route, but was only targeted 9 times.

Given that the majority of his receptions come on the curl route, it isn’t a shock that his yards after catch per reception were so low (18th out of 22 qualifying players SIS scouted this year). His ability to make people miss and break tackles is above average, so hitting him more in space where he can show that athleticism can help his YAC.

Hunter starred on both sides of the ball in college, both with his production (most Total Points among receivers and corners in FBS in 2024) and pure athleticism. He made plenty of highlight reel catches and has sure hands in got-to-have-it situations. He has room to grow as a receiver and was not fully unleashed at Colorado on that side of the ball. It will be intriguing to see if a team lets him play both sides in some capacity, as there is a path to success with his profile.

April 10, 2025

Evaluating How A Quarterback’s College Accuracy Projects To The NFL

Photo: Andy Altenburger/Icon Sportswire

The NFL Draft is always a tricky thing to figure out. Drafting well can propel a franchise for sustained success, but whiffing on picks, especially at the top of the draft, can set a team back for years. This applies even more so when it comes to quarterbacks. Teams are constantly trying to find the slightest edge over their competition, and so there is great value in discerning if an aspect of a player’s play in college can reliably indicate how they will perform in that same aspect in the NFL.

For that purpose, we wanted to investigate how strong of a correlation existed between a quarterback’s accuracy in college and in the NFL. To give it a little more specificity, we compared on-target percentage between college and the NFL at three specific depths. When running correlation and linear regression tests, we got results that are in line with what one would have expected, in terms of on-target percentage for short passes having the strongest correlation between college and the NFL.

On-Target Percentage Depth	Correlation Coefficient	Adjusted R²
Short (< 11 yards)	0.73	0.50
Intermediate (11-20 yards)	0.36	0.09
Deep (> 20 yards)	0.34	0.07

The above table shows how career college on-target percentage at different depths predicts NFL on-target percentage in the first 2 to 3 years (at least 2 years and 300 passing attempts, at most 3 years). SIS started tracking college football in 2016 and 22 quarterbacks qualified by these criteria since then.

While the order of correlation may not be the most exciting discovery, just how strong the correlation is for short passes is worth paying attention to. At the very least, a prospect’s college on-target percentage for short passes is a good piece of context to include when considering how accurate he could be at that depth at the next level.

When observing the graph above, there are other interesting bits of information to take away. Let’s take a moment to compare Josh Allen and Zach Wilson. Both came out of college being described as boom-or-bust prospects with big arms and a penchant for big plays, but questionable accuracy, decision making, and reliance on hero ball at times. We can see that in college they had similar accuracy on short throws (and intermediate throws as well, as seen in the graph below), but at the next level Allen has been able to deliver accuracy above expectations while Wilson’s accuracy has been underwhelming. This offers insight on one potential factor out of many for why their careers have taken different directions.

Results for correlation testing at the intermediate and deep levels are not as strong, though not insignificant and therefore still worth mentioning. One note to take away from all three charts is that Baker Mayfield was the most accurate at all three depths in college and that has translated into him now being one of the more accurate passers in the NFL, a trait that belies his gunslinger reputation.

On-Target Percentage and Overall QB Performance

With these results in mind, we wanted to discover whether they could tell us anything in terms of performance, and therefore we performed correlation testing between on-target percentages and IQR (Independent Quarterback Rating, an SIS quarterback metric that builds on the traditional Passer Rating formula by considering the value of a quarterback independent of results outside of the his control such as dropped passes, dropped interceptions, throwaways, etc.).

NFL Accuracy by Depth	Correlation with NFL IQR
Short (< 11 yards)	0.55
Intermediate (11-20 yards)	0.74
Deep (> 20 yards)	0.24

First, we wanted to test with NFL accuracy numbers because if there was no significant correlation, then there would not be much reason to check for correlation between college on-target percentage and NFL IQR. We can see that short and especially intermediate accuracy share a strong correlation to QB performance and therefore being more accurate on intermediate throws could be a little more valuable when evaluating prospects than at other depths.

College Accuracy by Depth	Correlation with NFL IQR
Short (< 11 yards)	0.34
Intermediate (11-20 yards)	0.38
Deep (> 20 yards)	0.16

When testing with college accuracy numbers, the results are understandably not as strong. However, the strength of correlation follows the same order with intermediate on-target percentage coming in first, followed by short, and then lastly deep. Deep accuracy showing weak correlation to QB performance makes some sense on an intuitive level even if solely because long throws are rarer and more volatile in nature.

2024 Draft Class

The 2024 draft class was not included in the study above due to having only one season under its belt. However, evaluating their rookie seasons against their college careers (both with a minimum of 300 attempts) could prove useful in terms of identifying bounce back or regression candidates. Among these players, when taking a look at Caleb Williams, his intermediate on-target percentage had the largest drop off at any depth between college and the NFL. If his intermediate accuracy bounces back, we could see better production from him in year two.

Stats	Bo Nix	Caleb Williams	Drake Maye	Jayden Daniels
Coll OnTgt% Short	83%	84%	79%	78%
NFL OnTgt% Short	83%	81%	83%	80%
College OnTgt% Intermediate	60%	63%	63%	63%
NFL OnTgt% Intermediate	61%	48%	55%	64%
College OnTgt% Deep	52%	47%	50%	49%
NFL OnTgt% Deep	44%	40%	43%	54%
NFL IQR	92.7	88.0	84.8	104.6

2025 Draft Class

Looking ahead to the 2025 draft class, outside of Riley Leonard and Tyler Shough, the other eight prospects are fairly bunched together in terms of their short accuracy in college, so making any meaningful predictions for how they will compare to each other at the next level could prove difficult. One nugget to file away is Jaxson Dart’s lead in accuracy on intermediate throws, potentially one positive indicator for his overall performance if he is able to replicate that level of precision in the NFL.

Player	OnTarget% Short	OnTarget% Intermediate	OnTarget% Deep
Cameron Ward	82%	67%	46%
Dillon Gabriel	84%	64%	58%
Jalen Milroe	82%	56%	51%
Jaxson Dart	84%	74%	51%
Kurtis Rourke	83%	62%	51%
Kyle McCord	81%	61%	55%
Quinn Ewers	82%	66%	48%
Riley Leonard	79%	59%	45%
Shedeur Sanders	83%	69%	55%
Tyler Shough	79%	58%	47%
Will Howard	81%	60%	49%

Conclusion

While recognizing the limitations of sample size and various factors outside of a quarterback’s control, our study shows there is some value in considering a quarterback’s accuracy in college, especially on short throws, when projecting how accurate he may be at the same distances in the NFL.

Separately, we found that accuracy on intermediate throws had the strongest correlation with a quarterback’s overall performance, with short throw accuracy coming in second. Deep accuracy had a significantly weaker correlation, presumably due to deep throws inherently being more volatile, at least in part. While dropping a 60 yard bomb right into a receiver’s hands may draw the most applause, a quarterback’s accuracy at shallower depths may prove to be more insightful when projecting how he might perform in the NFL.

April 8, 2025

2024 SIS College Football All-American Team

Photos: Jeffrey Brown and Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire

It’s time once again to announce our SIS College Football All-American Team. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our selections.

A brief explanation of Total Points:

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced within this piece here.

Here are this year’s selections:

1st Team Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Dillon Gabriel	Oregon
RB	Ashton Jeanty	Boise State
RB	Cam Skattebo	Arizona State
WR	Travis Hunter	Colorado
WR	Xavier Restrepo	Miami
WR	Tetairoa McMillan	Arizona
TE	Harold Fannin Jr.	Bowling Green
T	Isaiah World	Nevada
T	Josh Conerly Jr.	Oregon
G	Keylan Rutledge	Georgia Tech
G	Baraka Beckett	New Mexico
C	Brady Small	Army

QB – Dillon Gabriel – Oregon

Gabriel led all quarterbacks in Total Points and Points Above Average, passing for 3,558 yards and 28 touchdowns. Accuracy is his calling card. Gabriel finished Top 5 among quarterbacks in completion percentage, catchable pass percentage, and on-target percentage.

RB – Ashton Jeanty – Boise State

Jeanty led all running backs in Total Points and Points Above Average, thanks to his 2,497 rushing yards and 29 touchdowns. His 1,665 yards after contact was more than the next best running back had in yards alone.

RB – Cam Skattebo – Arizona State

Skattebo led all running backs in Total Points Per Play, while gaining 2,074 yards from scrimmage and scoring 22 total touchdowns. A total of 1,024 of his 1,568 rushing yards came after contact, and he forced a broken and/or missed tackle on 30.7% of his attempts (7th-best, minimum 150 carries).

WR – Xavier Restrepo – Miami

Restrepo had a dominant final season in college, leading all wide receivers in Total Points and Points Above Average. The sure-handed receiver was one of two Power-4 wide receivers to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards and 10 receiving touchdowns.

WR – Tetairoa McMillan – Arizona

McMillan solidified himself as one of the most dominant receivers in the sport as a true junior. In addition to being Top 5 in Receiving Total Points, he posted the second-most air yards this season (881), while also being in the Top 5 in broken and missed forced tackles among receivers with 27.

WR – Travis Hunter – Colorado

Hunter was so good that we added an extra spot on both the 1st Team Offense AND 1st Team Defense so he could get his due. He finished the season Top 10 in Total Points among non-quarterbacks. The 2024 Biletnikoff Award winner finished 2nd in the FBS with 14 receiving touchdowns.

TE – Harold Fannin Jr. – Bowling Green

Fannin Jr. led all Tight Ends in Total Points and Points Above Average, hauling in 1,332 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns. Perhaps his most impressive stat was that despite 133 targets this season, he dropped only 1 pass.

T – Isaiah World – Nevada

World’s all-around, stellar play earned him a spot on the 1st team. He finished 7th in the FBS in Run Block Total Points among tackles and tied for 1st in Total Points among all FBS offensive linemen this year.

T – Josh Conerly Jr. – Oregon

Conerly Jr. had a dominant season en route to Oregon’s undefeated regular season. He finished 3rd among all offensive linemen in Total Points and Points Above Average. He was very well balanced as he was the only tackle in the FBS to finish in the Top 10 of both Pass Block Total Points and Run Block Total Points.

G – Keylan Rutledge – Georgia Tech

Rutledge finished Top 10 in Total Points among offensive linemen, particularly shining in run blocking where he finished Top 5 in Run Blocking Total Points. His pass blocking accomplishments were also impressive, as with roughly 400 pass block attempts, he gave up only 2 blown blocks.

G – Baraka Beckett – New Mexico

Beckett was one of three Lobos to rank within the top-20 interior linemen in terms of Total Points, alongside teammates Richard Pearce and Lajuan Owens. The seventh-year senior played a key role in New Mexico’s offense, which had the highest yards per rush in the country (6.7).

C – Brady Small – Army

Small was the middle man on the dominant, Joe Moore Award-winning, Army offensive line this season. He led all centers in Total Points, and made a statement in the run game by leading all offensive linemen in Run Blocking Total Points.

1st Team Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Mason Graham	Michigan
DT	TJ Sanders	South Carolina
EDGE	Donovan Ezeiruaku	Boston College
EDGE	Abdul Carter	Penn State
LB	Shaun Dolac	Buffalo
LB	Jackson Woodard	UNLV
LB	Carson Schwesinger	UCLA
CB	Nohl Williams	California
CB	Jahdae Barron	Texas
CB	Travis Hunter	Colorado
S	Nick Emmanwori	South Carolina
S	Xavier Watts	Notre Dame

DT – Mason Graham – Michigan

Graham capped off a highly-decorated career by leading all defensive tackles in Total Points and Points Above Average. He was a force against the run and the pass, leading all defensive tackles in Run Defense Total Points and finishing 7th in Pass Rush Total Points.

DT – TJ Sanders – South Carolina

Sanders was nearly unblockable for the Gamecocks this past season. He finished Top 10 among all defensive tackles in Pass Defense Total Points Per Play, Run Defense Total Points, Run Defense Total Points Per Play, and ended up with 41 Total Points, which ranked 2nd among all players at his position.

ED – Donovan Ezeiruaku – Boston College

Ezeiruaku was a dominant force as a pass rusher where he led all Edges in Total Points and pressures generated. He also ended the season 3rd in sacks with 15.5. Not only was he one of the dominant forces as a pass rusher, but he was just as dominant in the run game where he led all Edges in Total Points against the run, tackles per game, and tackles for loss.

ED – Abdul Carter – Penn State

Carter finished 5th in Pass Defense Total Points and 7th in Run Defense Total Points, proving his dynamic ability that made him a top-3 edge defender in the nation with 61 Total Points. His Big 10-leading 19.5 tackles for loss, coupled with his double digit sack total, has put him into the national spotlight as a premier rusher in this upcoming draft.

LB – Shaun Dolac – Buffalo

Dolac led all linebackers this season with 88 Total Points. He was impactful against the run and pass game, having the most Pass Defense Total Points among linebackers as well as the 2nd-most Run Defense Total Points.

LB – Jackson Woodard – UNLV

Woodard was everywhere this season for the Rebels defense. He was Top 5 in Total Points, Total Points per Play, tackles, and tackles for loss among defenders on run defense. He also contributed 6 turnovers forced (4 INTs and 2 forced fumbles) and 3.5 sacks.

LB – Carson Schwesinger – UCLA

Schwesinger led all linebackers in Run Defense Total Points after finishing the season as the leading tackler among all Power-4 linebackers with 134. His 2.9% broken and missed tackle percentage led the nation. He ranked 6th in Pass Defense Total Points as he also picked off 2 passes this year.

CB – Nohl Williams – California

Williams led the NCAA with 7 interceptions, 2 of which he returned for touchdowns. He has also played the most coverage snaps (494) and allowed only a 41.6 QB Rating and 42.6% completion percentage when targeted. He led all FBS cornerbacks in Total Points.

CB – Jahdae Barron – Texas

Barron put together an excellent season out on the boundary for the Longhorns. He finished 3rd in Total Points among all cornerbacks while posting a 25.7 QB Rating Against, a 37.1% completion percentage against and only 10 yards allowed per game. He also had 5 interceptions.

CB – Travis Hunter – Colorado

Hunter was so good that we added an extra spot on both the 1st Team Offense AND 1st Team Defense so he could get his due. He finished the season Top 10 in Total Points among non-quarterbacks. The 2024 Bednarik Award winner led all FBS cornerbacks in Total Points.

S – Nick Emmanwori – South Carolina

Emmanwori was a force in the secondary for the Gamecocks this season. He led all safeties in Total Points and Points Above Average. He finished 9th with a 27.8 QB Rating Against when targeted.

S – Xavier Watts – Notre Dame

Watts ranks 2nd in Total Points for safeties and followed up his 7-interception campaign in 2023 with 5 more picks in 2024. Notre Dame is the only team in the NCAA to allow a completion percentage under 50%, with Watts leading the charge.

1st Team Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Kenneth Almendares	Louisiana
P	Alex Mastromanno	Florida State
Returner	Kaden Wetjen	Iowa

K – Kenneth Almendares – Louisiana

Almendares was Mr. Reliable for the Ragin’ Cajuns this season. He made 27 of his 29 field goal attempts with his only two misses coming from beyond 50 yards. He also made 46 of 47 PAT attempts. It should come as no surprise that these accomplishments contributed to Almendares finishing first among all FBS kickers in Total Points.

P – Alex Mastromanno – Florida State

Mastromanno led the nation with 49.3 yards per punt, making him the top punter with 24 Total Points. His accuracy was key as he placed 17 punts inside the 20 with only 2 touchbacks all season.

RET – Kaden Wetjen – Iowa

Wetjen was the dominant returner on both punts and kicks this season as he posted 937 total return yards on the season. He was also one of only two players to have multiple punt return touchdowns.

2nd Team Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Cam Ward	Miami
RB	Corey Kiner	Cincinnati
RB	Ahmad Hardy	UL-Monroe
WR	Jack Bech	TCU
WR	Andrew Armstrong	Arkansas
TE	Tyler Warren	Penn State
T	Paul Rubelt	UCF
T	Lucas Scott	Army
G	Adrian Medley	UCF
G	Michael Ford Jr.	Kansas
C	Mike Katic	Indiana

QB – Cam Ward – Miami

Ward excelled this season after transferring to Miami, finishing 3rd in Total Points among quarterbacks. He was the only quarterback to throw for at least 4,000 yards and 30 touchdowns this season despite being outside of the Top 10 in the total number of dropbacks.

RB – Corey Kiner – Cincinnati

Kiner finished 3rd this year in Rushing Total Points this year behind Heisman contenders Ashton Jeanty and Cam Skattebo. He was top-3 in broken tackles forced this season with 46, and he also placed Top 5 in broken and missed tackles forced per attempt (minimum 150 attempts).

RB – Ahmad Hardy – UL-Monroe

Hardy burst onto the scene as a true freshman to finish the season 4th among FBS running backs in Total Points. He didn’t need to rely on volume either as he was also 3rd in Total Points Per Play.

WR – Jack Bech – TCU

Bech finished 4th in Receiving Total Points and was 2nd in EPA generated when targeted. Relative to his peers in the Top 10 for Receiving Total Points, Bech had the lowest Bust Percentage at 4.3% (that stat is explained further here).

WR – Andrew Armstrong – Arkansas

Armstrong, who finished 3rd in Receiving Total Points, was everything to the Arkansas passing game. His 1,140 receiving yards were 35% of the Arkansas receiving yardage total this season, and his 78 receptions were 32% of the team’s receptions.

TE – Tyler Warren – Penn State

Warren was truly a swiss army knife for Penn State, taking snaps all over the field, including at center. His 88 receptions for 1,062 yards, 191 rushing yards and 11 total touchdowns were a major reason for his 35 Total Points, good for 4th among FBS tight ends.

T – Paul Rubelt – UCF

Rubelt finished the season tied for the lead in Total Points among FBS tackles due to his dominance in the run game. He was the only tackle to finish inside the Top 5 in Run Block Total Points that did not play for a service academy.

T – Lucas Scott – Army

Scott led the AAC in Total Points for tackles, and was also the leading run blocker in the FBS. The senior helped Army average nearly 300 rushing yards per game. He had only 3 total blown blocks in 718 snaps.

G – Adrian Medley – UCF

Medley was a prominent piece on UCF’s offensive line this year. He led all FBS guards in Total Point and finished 2nd in Total Points Above Average. The powerhouse finished 4th among all FBS guards in Run Blocking Total Points.

G – Michael Ford Jr. – Kansas

Ford was a consistent presence for Kansas this year. He finished Top 10 among FBS guards in Total Points and Total Points Per Play. His 0.8% Blown Block Rate was also 2nd among Big 12 offensive linemen (minimum 400 snaps).

C – Mike Katic – Indiana

Katic was a stalwart on the interior of the Indiana offensive line that led the way to the team’s best season in school history. The sixth-year senior excelled specifically as a pass blocker and earned 35 Total Points, which tied for 2nd among all FBS centers this season.

2nd Team Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Walter Nolen	Ole Miss
DT	Ty Robinson	Nebraska
EDGE	T.J. Parker	Clemson
EDGE	Mike Green	Marshall
LB	Jay Higgins	Iowa
LB	Whit Weeks	LSU
CB	Ethan Robinson	Minnesota
CB	D’Angelo Ponds	Indiana
S	Jaylen Reed	Penn State
S	Malaki Starks	Georgia
S	Kerry Brown	Minnesota

DT – Walter Nolen – Ole Miss

Nolen had a fantastic season in the middle of the Rebels’ defensive line this year. He was especially stout against the run, where he finished 4th among all defensive tackles in Run Defense Total Points and third in the FBS in Total Points (39) at his position.

DT – Ty Robinson – Nebraska

Robinson was outstanding for the Cornhuskers, landing him 4th in Pass Defense Total Points among defensive tackles. His 6 sacks and 11 tackles for loss makes him an all-around force along the defensive line, which allowed him to finish tied for 3rd in Total Points.

ED – T.J. Parker – Clemson

Parker put together a great season out on the edge of Clemson’s defensive front. He finished 4th in Total Points among all edge rushers where he accumulated 12 sacks and tied for the most forced fumbles in all FBS with 5, while also recovering 2.

ED – Mike Green – Marshall

Green burst onto the scene this year by leading the country in sacks this year with 17. He had the most Pass Rush Total Points of all qualifiers and was top-3 in Pass Rush Total Points Per Play. He also placed Top 5 in pressures with 54.

LB – Jay Higgins – Iowa

Higgins did his best work against the pass this season while leading the always stingy Hawkeye defense to another solid year. Among FBS linebackers, he finished 2nd in Pass Coverage Total Points, 3rd in overall Pass Defense Total Points, and 6th in Pass Rush Total Points Per Play en route to amassing the 4th-most Total Points at his position.

LB – Whit Weeks – LSU

Weeks put together an outstanding sophomore season in the Tigers defense where he finished 5th in Total Points and 4th in Pass Rush Total Points among all linebackers. He also finished in the Top 10 for all linebackers in tackles per game with 9.6.

CB – Ethan Robinson – Minnesota

Robinson flew under the radar for an impressive Minnesota defense. He finished 3rd among FBS cornerbacks in Total Points. His balance was also impressive as he was the only FBS cornerback to earn at least 30 Pass Defense Total Points and 20 Run Defense Total Points.

CB – D’Angelo Ponds – Indiana

Ponds was a big part of Indiana’s unexpected run this season. He was Top 5 in Total Points and was ranked 5th in Pass Defense Total Points out of all defenders in the country. Among players targeted at least 30 times, Ponds ranked in the Top 25 in yards allowed with 166.

S – Jaylen Reed – Penn State

Reed performed well against both the run and pass, finishing in the top-25 on both fronts (24th and 13th, respectively). He was all over the field for the Nittany Lions, as he accumulated 79 tackles, one forced fumble and three interceptions, even taking one back to the house. He finished the season in the Top 5 among all safeties in Total Points, with 54.

S – Malaki Starks – Georgia

Starks has been a chess piece for Georgia’s defense, moving all over the field. He was Top 5 in Total Points among safeties and ranked 8th in Pass Defense Total Points. He was a sure tackler too, ranking 2nd among safeties in one of our key stats, Broken and Missed tackle percentage per run defense snap.

S – Kerry Brown – Minnesota

Brown was half of the dynamic freshman safety pairing for Minnesota. He led all FBS safeties in Total Points Per Play. Similar to his teammate, he was also remarkably balanced, finishing 5th in Pass Defense Total Points Per Play and 1st in Run Defense Total Points Per Play.

2nd Team Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Peyton Woodring	Georgia
P	Eddie Czaplicki	USC
Returner	Jalen Moss	Fresno State

K – Peyton Woodring – Georgia

Woodring, on the heels of a Lou Groza award semifinalist freshman season, connected on 91% of his kicks in the 2024 season. His only two misses on the season came on attempts of at least 50 yards.

P – Eddie Czaplicki – USC

Czaplicki won the Ray Guy Award due to his excellent punting prowess this season. Not only was his 48.5-yard Punt Average impressive, but his accuracy was outstanding. He had 24 punts inside the 20 with only a single touchback all season.

RET – Jalen Moss – Fresno State

Moss, despite an injury-shortened season, finished in the Top-15 for Punt Return Yards highlighted by an 85 yard TD. He was also one of only four players in the FBS with at least 15 kickoff returns and 15 punt returns.

December 19, 2024

SIS Independents All-Conference Team

It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our team of selections for 2023, plus some honorable mentions.

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best of the Independents.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Sam Hartman	Notre Dame
RB	Audric Estime	Notre Dame
RB	Kayron Lynch-Adams	UMass
WR	Anthony Simpson	UMass
TE	Mitchell Evans	Notre Dame
FLEX	Justin Joly	UConn
OT	Joe Alt	Notre Dame
OT	Connor Finucane	Army
OG	Christian Haynes	UConn
OG	Marcellus Anderson	UMass
OC	Brady Small	Army

Sam Hartman made the most of his one season in South Bend and had more Passing Total Points than every other Independent QB COMBINED. Audric Estime was the leader by a substantial amount in Rushing Total Points, but Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams finished Top-30 in the FBS with his 1,153 rushing yards affording him a spot on the team.

Justin Joly and Mitchell Evans didn’t only lead all TEs in Receiving Total Points, but led all pass catchers among the Independent schools. Anthony Simpson led all Independent receivers in targets, yards, and first downs.

Each Independent school has at least 1 representative along the offensive line with Joe Alt and Conor Finucane leading the conference in back-to-back years in Blocking Total Points. All five linemen were also Top-5 in Blown Block Percentage, with all of them coming in under 1.2%.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Howard Cross III	Notre Dame
DT	Billy Wooden	UMass
EDGE	Javontae Jean-Baptiste	Notre Dame
EDGE	Pryce Yates	UConn
LB	JD Bertrand	Notre Dame
LB	Jackson Mitchell	UConn
CB	Cam Hart	Notre Dame
CB	Jabari Moore	Army
S	Xavier Watts	Notre Dame
S	Quindrelin Hammonds	Army
FLEX	Benjamin Morrison	Notre Dame

Javontae Jean-Baptiste led all Independent pass rushers in Pass Rushing Total Points and pressures while coming in 4th for Run Defense Total Points. Billy Wooden led all Independents with 6 sacks from the DT position. Howard Cross III finished 2nd in total pressures and 5th in Run Defense Total Points among Independent defenders. Pryce Yates finished 4th in Pressures and Pass Rush Total Points to round out the defensive front.

Jackson Mitchell was Top-10 nationally in Run Defense Total Points. JD Bertrand finished as the top Independent LB with 25 Pressures and added four passes defensed in coverage on top of that.

Notre Dame is well represented on the back-end of the defense with Xavier Watts who was T-1st nationally with 7 INTs and 2nd in the nation in Coverage Total Points. Cam Hart was 2nd among Independent DBs in Coverage Total Points behind his teammate and Benjamin Morrison led all Independent players with 13 passes defensed.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Spencer Shrader	Notre Dame
P	George Caratan	UConn
Returner	Jadarian Price	Notre Dame

Spencer Shrader went a near perfect 61-of-62 in extra points and his 4 field goals made of 50+ yards was T-3rd nationally.

George Caratan had a strong leg and his punt average of 45 yards was Top-5 nationally for all punters with at least 60 punts.

Jadarian Prince was the only Independent return man with a kick return touchdown, and his kick return average of 26.2 was Top-20 in the FBS.

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
TE Gino Campiotti	UMass
OL Chase Lundt	UConn
DT Rylie Mills	Notre Dame
DT Jelani Stafford	UConn
LB Jack Kiser	Notre Dame
CB Bo Nicolas-Paul	Army

TE was a very difficult selection, and as a result, Gino Campiotti earned an honorable mention because he finished 3rd among Independent TEs in both Receiving and Blocking Total Points. Offensive tackle was also a close decision as Chase Lundt finished 3rd among Independent offensive linemen in Total Points, but behind the two tackles who made the All-Conference team.

Jelani Stafford finished tops among Independent DTs in Run Defense Total Points and Jack Kiser finished 2nd among LBs. Bo-Nicolas Paul finished 3rd in the conference in Coverage Total Points among CBs.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/28/2023

April 4, 2024

2023 SIS Mountain West All-Conference Team

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the Mountain West.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Chevan Cordeiro	San Jose State
RB	Ashton Jeanty	Boise State
WR	Ricky White	UNLV
WR	Tory Horton	Colorado State
TE	Dallin Holker	Colorado State
FLEX	Jacory Croskey-Merritt	New Mexico
OT	Adam Karras	Air Force
OT	Tiger Shanks	UNLV
OG	Ethan Jackman	Air Force
OG	Cade Bennett	San Diego State
OC	Thor Paglialong	Air Force

Air Force’s offensive line was dominant all season, and Adam Karras, Ethan Jackman, and Thor Paglialong all ranked top-5 in the conference in Blocking Total Points. Chevan Cordeiro led all quarterbacks in the conference in Passing Total Points and nearly doubled the total points of 2nd place on only nine more passing attempts.

Running backs Ashton Jeanty and Jacory Croskey-Merritt rank 1st and 2nd, respectively, in Total Points, and both running backs were top-10 in the conference in Broken/Missed Tackles per attempt.

Ricky White solidified himself as a certified deep threat, and aside from leading all Mountain West receivers in Total Points and EPA, he also led them in yards per route run, air yards, and intended air yards.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Jordan Bertagnole	Wyoming
DT	Payton Zdroik	Air Force
EDGE	Mohamed Kamara	Colorado State
EDGE	Bo Richter	Air Force
LB	Alec Mock	Air Force
LB	Andrew Simpson	Boise State
CB	Jay’Vion Cole	San Jose State
CB	A’Marion McCoy	Boise State
S	Trey Taylor	Air Force
S	Alexander Tuebner	Boise State
FLEX	Cameron Oliver	UNLV

Mohamed Kamara led all Mountain West pass rushers with 26 Total Points and 61 total pressures. Bo Richter wasn’t far behind him with 24 Total Points and 24 quarterback hits, good enough for 2nd in both categories. Andrew Simpson was able to generate pressure on 20% of his pass rushes, which ranked 11th out of all Mountain West defenders with at least 10 pressures.

Alex Mock and Trey Taylor were both fantastic in coverage for Air Force as they each gave up 0.1 and 0.2 Yards per Coverage Snap, respectively. Trey Taylor also boasted the 2nd-lowest Passer Rating Against him with a rating of 8.2. Cameron Oliver was an all-around force for UNLV, tying his teammate and honorable mention, Jaxen Turner, to lead the conference in interceptions with 5 while also having 3 defensive touchdowns.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Jose Pizano	UNLV
P	James Ferguson-Reynolds	Boise State
Returner	Jacob de Jesus	UNLV

Jose Pizano led the Mountain West in field goals made, attempted, and FG% while knocking in 100% of his extra point attempts (55-of-55).

James Ferguson-Reynolds was the best at pinning punts inside the 20 and the 10, and also boasted the highest net average in the conference.

Jacob de Jesus was dynamic as both a kick and punt returner this season. His 807 kick return yards is the highest in the Mountain West and lead 2nd place by nearly 250 yards.

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
RB Kairee Robinson	San Jose State
TE Caleb Rillos	Air Force
TE Mark Redman	San Diego State
OL Wesley Ndago	Air Force
ED Ahmed Hassanein	Boise State
LB Easton Gibbs	Wyoming
LB Jackson Woodard	UNLV
CB Morice Norris Jr.	Fresno State
S Jaxen Turner	UNLV
K Jonah Dalmas	Boise State

Air Force was able to run the ball all over, and with 3-of-5 of the offensive line making the all conference team, they still had some honorable mentions. Wesley Ndago and Caleb Rillos both posted a remarkably low Blown Block % of 0.9% in a run-heavy offense.

Morice Norris Jr. was lockdown all year, giving up only 0.4 yards per cover snap and a 40% completion percentage. Wyoming’s Easton Gibbs was a tackle machine, making nine tackles a game which ranked 5th in the conference.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/28/2023

April 3, 2024

2023 SIS Sun Belt All-Conference Team

Photo: Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the Sun Belt.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Jordan McCloud	James Madison
RB	Kimani Vidal	Troy
WR	Elijah Sarratt	James Madison
WR	Caullin Lacy	South Alabama
TE	Jjay McAfee	Georgia Southern
FLEX	La’Damian Webb	South Alabama
OT	Jack Murphy	Appalachian State
OT	Travis Glover	Georgia State
OG	Bucky Williams	Appalachian State
OG	AJ Gillie	Louisiana
OC	Chandler Strong	Georgia Southern

When discussing the Sun Belt in 2023, you have to begin with Kimani Vidal. His dominant season culminated in receiving both the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and the Sun Belt Football Championship Game Most Valuable Player award. It is no surprise that Vidal led all Sun Belt RB’s with 37 Total Points. Not far behind him is rising senior La’Damian Webb, who racked up 35 Total Points while missing a game due to injury.

When taking a deeper look at the Total Point amounts in the Sun Belt this year, one player jumps off the page, Elijah Sarratt. Sarratt’s 42 Total Points easily surpassed his position mates, with two players tying for 2nd place at 26 Total Points each.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Jamree Kromah	James Madison
DT	Micheal Mason	Coastal Carolina
EDGE	Jalen Green	James Madison
EDGE	Javon Solomon	Troy
LB	Brian Holloway	Texas State
LB	Jason Henderson	Old Dominion
CB	Reddy Steward	Troy
CB	D’Angelo Ponds	James Madison
S	Clayton Isbell	Coastal Carolina
S	TyGee Leach	Georgia State
FLEX	Wayne Matthews III	Old Dominion

While the Sun Belt provided plenty of stout defenses in 2023, none dominated like James Madison. Both Jamree Kromah and Jalen Green paced their position groups with 43 and 47 Total Points, respectively. Green, who suffered a season ending injury after only nine games, also led the nation with 13 solo sacks. Add in a stellar performance from true freshman D’Angelo Ponds and it is easy to see why the Dukes feel like they would have won the Sun Belt Championship, if they were eligible.

The 2023 Sun Belt Champion Troy Trojans would argue that their defense would have proved the Dukes wrong, and they have the players to back it up. Pressure specialist Javon Solomon was 2nd to Green with 43 Total Points and 12 solo sacks in 2023, while Reddy Stewart led all Sun Belt CBs with 62 Total Points.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Michael Hughes	Appalachian State
P	Ryan Hanson	James Madison
Returner	Jayden Harrison	Marshall

With strong specialists from multiple schools in the Sun Belt this year, we leaned on team success to land on Michael Hughes and Ryan Hanson as our top choices. Both were tied for the most Total Points at their position, with 16 and 12, respectively. Both were consistent contributors that aided in their team’s accomplishments.

When looking at returners, Jayden Harrison bounds off the screen when watching him with the ball in his hands. A perpetual threat to take it the distance on every touch, Marshall will look to incorporate the electric receiver more in 2024.

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
WR Sam Pinckney	Coastal Carolina
TE Eli Wilson	Appalachian State
OL Khalil Crowder	Georgia Southern
OL Isaiah Helms	Appalachian State
OL Reggie Smith	South Alabama
DT James Carpenter	James Madison
DT Adin Huntington	Louisiana-Monroe
ED Jamie Sheriff	South Alabama
ED Richard Jibunor	Troy
ED Mikail Kamara	James Madison
LB Ben Bell	Texas State
CB Tyrek Funderburk	Appalachian State

Anyone watching the Sun Belt over the past decade has seen the improvement in both top-tier athletes and sustainable depth in talent. It is no surprise to see some excellent college football players find themselves on this list. Sam Pinckney, in particular, is someone that easily could have been the second WR on our list. His 26 Total Points were only eclipsed by Elijah Surratt and Pinckney played as a true WR1 for CCU.

Defense was the theme of the Sun Belt in 2023 and we see why with this list. James Carpenter was increments away from supplanting his teammate, Jamree Kromah, on this list. Carpenter’s 42 Total Points are only one off and they were a dynamic duo when playing together. Another player that was ousted by a teammate is Richard Jibunor. His 38 Total Points were good for 4th among Sun Belt EDGEs, and he complimented fellow rusher Javon Solomon to bring havoc to passers.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/26/2023

March 28, 2024

2023 SIS C-USA All-Conference Team

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the C-USA.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Kaidon Salter	Liberty
RB	Quinton Cooley	Liberty
WR	CJ Daniels	Liberty
WR	Malachi Corley	Western Kentucky
TE	Bentley Hanshaw	Liberty
FLEX	Kris Mitchell	FIU
OT	Xavior Gray	Liberty
OT	Will O’Steen	Jacksonville State
OG	Jonathan Graham	Liberty
OG	Quantavious Leslie	Western Kentucky
OC	Canaan Yarro	New Mexico State

Liberty’s offense is well represented after finishing 4th in the FBS in yards per game. Kaidon Salter led the conference in total yards, Quinton Cooley led the conference in rushing yards, and CJ Daniels was 2nd in receiving yards. All three, along with Bentley Hanshaw and Xavior Gray, led their respective positions in Total Points in the conference, with Jonathan Graham finishing 2nd.

Malachi Corley generated 17 broken/missed tackles after the catch and was a playmaker all season. Kris Mitchell led the conference in receiving yards and drew 4 pass interference calls as well. Will O’Steen and Canaan Yarro were both 2nd at their respective positions in Total Points with a Blown Block rate under 1.5%. Quantavious Leslie had a miniscule Blown Block rate of 0.5%.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Marley Cook	Middle Tennessee
DT	Jeff Marks	Jacksonville State
EDGE	Chris Hardie	Jacksonville State
EDGE	Praise Amaewhule	UTEP
LB	Trevor Williams	Sam Houston State
LB	Kavian Gaither	Sam Houston State
CB	Willie Roberts	Louisiana Tech
CB	Kobe Singleton	Liberty
S	Mehki Miller	New Mexico State
S	Brylan Green	Liberty
FLEX	Andre Seldon	New Mexico State

Chris Hardie generated 42 Total Points which easily led EDGE players with 2nd place generating 24. Praise Amaewhule was 3rd in the conference in pressures (34) and also had 5 passes batted/deflected at the line. Marley Cook and Jeff Marks both made their presence felt as run stuffers with both finishing among the top 25 in FBS in Run Defense Total Points among DTs. Trevor Williams and Kavian Gaither were tough in coverage with a Passer Rating Against of 42.5 and 16.7 respectively.

Kobe Singleton may not have been perfect, but he did snag 4 interceptions with another 11 passes defensed. Brylan Green led the conference with 5 INTs and Andre Seldon generated at least 20 Total Points against both the run and the pass. Willie Roberts and Mekhi Miller led the conference in Total Points at their respective positions.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Ethan Albertson	New Mexico State
P	Jack Dawson	Jacksonville State
Returner	Smoke Harris	Louisiana Tech

Ethan Albertson led the conference in most FGs made 1-29 yards (tied), 30-39 yards, and 40-49 yards, showing consistent reliability.

Jack Dawson had pinpoint accuracy with 23 punts inside the 20 with only a single touchback.

Smoke Harris was a dynamic playmaker whenever he had the ball, easily leading the conference in punt return yards (with a touchdown to boot).

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
WR Trent Hudson	New Mexico State
OL Xavier Bausley	Jacksonville State
OL Clay Webb	Jacksonville State
OL Elijah Klein	UTEP
OL X’Zauvea Gadlin	Liberty
OL AJ Vaipulu	New Mexico State
OL Vincent Murphy	Western Kentucky
OL Jordan White	Liberty
LB Donovan Manuel	FIU
CB Anthony Johnson Jr.	Western Kentucky
S Fred Perry	Jacksonville State
S Jeremiah Harris	Jacksonville State

The selections for the offensive line and secondary were very difficult for C-USA. The combination of high-powered offenses and strong Blown Block numbers meant making some difficult decisions, such as leaving players like X’Zauvea Gadlin and Jordan White, who led their respective positions in Total Points, off the team. Jacksonville State’s safety tandem of Fred Perry and Jeremiah Harris made life difficult for opposing QBs with Perry having a Passer Rating Against of just 0.8.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/25/2023

March 27, 2024

2023 SIS MAC All-Conference Team

Photo: Jason Mowry/Icon Sportswire

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the MAC.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	DeQuan Finn	Toledo
RB	Peny Boone	Toledo
WR	Chrishon McCray	Kent State
WR	Jerjuan Newton	Toledo
TE	Anthony Torres	Toledo
FLEX	Terion Stewart	Bowling Green
OT	Nick Rosi	Toledo
OT	Reid Holskey	Miami OH
OG	Addison West	Western Michigan
OG	Vinny Sciury	Toledo
OC	Jacob Gideon	Western Michigan

Our All-MAC team is headlined by a litany of Rockets, with every position group having at least one player from Toledo. DeQuan Finn and Peny Boone each led the conference at their respective positions in yards, touchdowns, and Total Points. Jerjuan Newton amassed the most receiving yards and 2nd-most receiving Total Points among MAC pass catchers, while Anthony Torres finished 2nd among all MAC tight ends in receiving Total Points while leading the position in blocking Total Points.

Up front, Toledo also had two offensive lineman make our All-Conference team in tackle Nick Rosi and guard Vinny Sciury. They were joined by two Western Michigan OL in guard Addison West and center Jacob Gideon, who paced the conference in Total Points at their positions.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	Rodney Mathews	Ohio
DT	Judge Culpepper	Toledo
EDGE	Brian Ugwu	Miami OH
EDGE	Sidney Houston Jr.	Ball State
LB	Bryce Houston	Ohio
LB	Ty Wise	Miami OH
CB	Jordan Oladokun	Bowling Green
CB	Jalen Huskey	Bowling Green
S	Michael Dowell	Miami OH
S	Devin Grant	Buffalo
FLEX	Quinyon Mitchell	Toledo

The MAC was loaded with solid defenders across the board this season, resulting in players from six different squads being selected to our All-Conference defense. Toledo defensive tackle Judge Culpepper led all MAC players in total sacks with 10 last season, while EDGE Brian Ugwu recorded 60 total pressures, easily topping the conference. Ohio linebacker Bryce Houston recorded top-2 finishes in the conference in solo tackles, total tackles, and Points Saved against the pass, as well as leading all MAC off-ball linebackers in TFLs.

Our DB group on the All-MAC team is absolutely loaded with talent. Toledo’s Quinyon Mitchell, who will hear his name called on night one of the NFL Draft in April, and Bowling Green’s Jordan Oladokun finished 1st and 2nd among all MAC defenders in Points Saved against the pass, respectively. At safety, Devin Grant from Buffalo led the conference in interceptions with 5 while allowing precisely zero touchdowns last season.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Graham Nicholson	Miami OH
P	Mitchell Tomasek	Eastern Michigan
Returner	Jacquez Stuart	Toledo

Apart from offensive and defensive studs, the MAC also has a good group of difference-making specialists on our All-Conference team. Graham Nicholson from Miami OH was unquestionably the best kicker in the MAC last season. He finished first in the conference in FG made by a landslide with 27 on 28 attempts while also connecting on 36-of-38 XP attempts.

Eastern Michigan’s Mitchell Tomasek had a stellar 2023 campaign, recording the most punts, punt yards, net yards, and highest punt average among all MAC punters.

Rounding out our specialist group, Jacquez Stuart of Toledo led the conference in kick return average while taking one back for a touchdown.

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
RB Antario Brown	Northern Illinois
TE Harold Fannin Jr.	Bowling Green
OL Nolan Potter	Northern Illinois
OL Jon Mucciolo	Ball State
DT Rayyan Buell	Ohio
DT Dontrez Brown	Bowling Green
ED Caiden Woullard	Miami OH
ED Cashius Howell	Bowling Green
LB Matt Salopek	Miami OH
LB Dallas Gant	Toledo
CB Yahsyn McKee	Miami OH

With so many talented players in this conference, there were bound to be a few who slipped through the cracks. Bowling Green’s Harold Fannin Jr. led all MAC tight ends in almost every single raw statistic, including receptions, touchdowns, and Total Points. On the offensive line, Northern Illinois tackle Nolan Potter finished with the most Total Points of any OL in the conference.

On the defensive side, two big-time linebackers lead our Honorable Mentions with Dallas Gant from Toledo and Miami OH’s Matt Salopek. Each of these two finished in the top-2 in Points Saved against the run for all MAC defenders, with Salopek finishing atop the conference in this area as well as solo and combined tackles.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/19/2023

March 21, 2024

2023 Big 12 SIS All-Conference Team

Photo: Gregory Fisher/Icon Sportswire

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the Big 12.

Offense

Position	Name	School
QB	Dillon Gabriel	Oklahoma
RB	RJ Harvey	UCF
WR	Jayden Higgins	Iowa State
WR	Adonai Mitchell	Texas
TE	Ben Sinnott	Kansas State
FLEX	Ollie Gordon II	Oklahoma State
OT	Kelvin Banks Jr.	Texas
OT	Amari Kight	UCF
OG	Cooper Beebe	Kansas State
OG	Hayden Conner	Texas
OC	John Lanz	TCU

Dillon Gabriel ran away from the pack leading all Big 12 QBs in EPA, Positive%, and Bust%. RJ Harvey finished 3rd in the conference in Points Earned and led all RBs in receiving points earned (minimum 20 targets). Jayden Higgins and Adonai Mitchell finished 1 and 2 respectively in Receiving Points Earned in the conference. Ben Sinnott led all Big 12 TEs in Points Earned and led in Positive% for the position as well. And the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year and Doak Walker winner, Ollie Gordon II, led the conference in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns.

John Lanz led all centers in Blown Block% and Total Points. Kelvin Banks Jr. and Amari Kight finished 2nd and 4th respectively at the tackle position in Points Earned. Kight also finished the year with a very respectable 0.8% BB%. Cooper Beebe and Hayden Conner took the 1 and 2 spots for guards in Total Points which landed them top 10 across the FBS as well.

Defense

Position	Name	School
DT	T’Vondre Sweat	Texas
DT	Byron Murphy II	Texas
EDGE	Collin Oliver	Oklahoma State
EDGE	Tre’Mon Morris-Brash	UCF
LB	Danny Stutsman	Oklahoma
LB	Jaylan Ford	Texas
CB	Jacob Parrish	Kansas State
CB	Jakob Robinson	BYU
S	Beau Freyler	Iowa State
S	Deshawn Pace	Cincinnati
FLEX	Cobee Bryant	Kansas

T’Vondre Sweat led all DTs in Run Defense Points Saved while teammate Byron Murphy II led all DTs in pass rush Points Saved. Collin Oliver led all pass rushers in Points Saved and led the conference in total pressures. Tre’mon Morris-Brash finished 2nd in total pressures, 2nd in sacks, and 1st in tackles for loss.

Danny Stutsman finished 1st in pass defense and rush defense Points Saved. Jaylan Ford finished Top 5 in both pass defense and rush defense Points Saved for the LB position, and had a conference best 12.3 Passer Rating Against.

Jacob Parrish, Beau Freyler, and Jakob Robinson finished 1st, 2nd, and 5th respectively in pass defense Points Saved. Deshaun Pace finished the season 3rd in Run Defense Points Saved for the safety position and led the position with 10 tackles for loss. Cobee Bryant finished 3rd overall in Run Defense Points Saved in the Big 12.

Specialists

Position	Name	School
K	Bert Auburn	Texas
P	Ryan Rehkow	BYU
Returner	Drae McCray	Texas Tech

Bert Auburn finished the year with 29 makes on 35 attempts, which led the conference in both categories.

Ryan Rehkow led the conference in punt average, was tied for the longest punt, and was also tied for first with 25 punts inside the 20.

Drae McCray led the conference with the most kick return yards, which was 3rd-best across the whole FBS.

Honorable Mentions

Name	School
RB DJ Giddens	Kansas State
RB Devin Neal	Kansas
RB Tahj Brooks	Texas Tech
WR Javon Baker	UCF
WR Lawrence Arnold	Kansas
WR/RET Xavier Worthy	Texas
TE Mason Fairchild	Kansas
OL KT Leveston	Kansas State
LB Nickloas Martin	Oklahoma State
LB Anthony Hill Jr.	Texas
CB Mello Dotson	Kansas
S Billy Bowman Jr.	Oklahoma

Tahj Brooks finished 1st in Rushing Points Earned in the conference (minimum 100 carries). Javon Baker led the conference in intended air yards. Xavier Worthy led the conference in punt return yards, finishing with a whopping 234 more yards than 2nd place. Nickolas Martin led the conference in tackles. And, Billy Bowman Jr. led the conference in interceptions with 6.

Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.

Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/12/2023

March 14, 2024