NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt Conference announced Friday its 2017 Preseason All-Sun Belt Football Team and individual awards, chosen by the 12 head coaches and selected media representatives.
Appalachian State’s Jalin Moore was chosen as the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Arkansas State’s Ja’Von Rolland-Jones was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
Moore was the 2016 Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and a First-team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree. The junior from Shelby, N.C. finished 19th nationally with 1,402 rushing yards despite starting the season as a backup. Moore made six consecutive starts during the middle of the season and averaged 107.8 yards per game, leading the Sun Belt in rushing.
Moore's ten touchdowns tied for second in the Sun Belt. Moore rushed for over 100 yards in eight of the App’s final ten games, including a 39-carry, 257-yard effort against Akron. Additionally, Moore had three games with multiple rushing touchdowns while ranking second in the Sun Belt with 6.2 yards per carry.
Rolland-Jones, the 2016 Sun Belt Football Player of the Year, enters his senior campaign as the national leader in both career sacks (30.5) and tackles for loss per game (1.26) among active players. He holds the Arkansas State and Sun Belt records for career sacks (30.5) and needs 13.5 sacks to tie the NCAA FBS record for a career, currently held by NFL All-Pro Terrell Suggs (Arizona State, 2000-02) with 44.0. With 45.5 career tackles for loss, Rolland-Jones is 29.5 shy of the most in NCAA history. Rolland-Jones is the second A-State student-athlete, and the first on the defensive side of the ball, to be named the Sun Belt Football Player of the Year. Rolland-Jones was also named to the All-Sun Belt First Team in 2016.
He started eight games for the Red Wolves and played in all 13 recording 57 tackles, the third most in the Sun Belt among defensive linemen, to go along with his 13.5 sacks and league-high 21.5 tackles for loss. He was named to the Preseason watch lists for the Bronko Nagurski, Bednarik and Hendricks awards.
Appalachian State led all teams with 12 total selections on the preseason All-Sun Belt First and Second Teams. Seven of which were placed on the First Team and five on the Second Team. Troy had nine student-athletes between the two teams while Arkansas State placed seven.
The honorees include 36 seniors between the two teams comprised of 52 total student-athletes. There were 18 seniors, four juniors and five sophomores on the first team while the second team had 18 seniors, six juniors and two sophomores.
The 2017 Sun Belt Conference Football Media Day begins on Sunday, July 23 with the inaugural Sun Belt Fais Do-Do and then on Monday, July 24 at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans. Live coverage from the event will be available on the Sun Belt’s media day central website as well as the Sun Belt social media platforms. ESPN3 will broadcast live from the event from 1-3 p.m. CT.
2017 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Football Teams
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Jalin Moore (Appalachian State, RB, Jr., Business)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (Arkansas State, DL, Sr., Sport Management)
* - named to 2016 Preseason Teams
^ - named to 2016 All-Sun Belt First Team
# - named to 2016 All-Sun Belt Second Team
! - named to 2016 All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention Team
$ - named to 2016 All-Sun Belt Newcomer Team
| First Team Offense |
| Name |
School |
Pos |
Year |
Major |
| Brandon Silvers ^ |
Troy |
QB |
Sr. |
Sport & Fitness Management |
| Jalin Moore ^ |
Appalachian State |
RB |
Jr. |
Business |
| Larry Rose III * |
New Mexico State |
RB |
Sr. |
Individualized Studies |
| Shaedon Meadors # |
Appalachian State |
WR |
Sr. |
Criminal Justice |
| Penny Hart * |
Georgia State |
WR |
So. |
Exercise Science |
| Emanuel Thompson ^ |
Troy |
WR |
Sr. |
Risk Management Insurance |
| Blake Mack # |
Arkansas State |
TE |
Sr. |
Health Promotions |
| Colby Gossett *^ |
Appalachian State |
OL |
Sr. |
Management |
| Beau Nunn # |
Appalachian State |
OL |
Sr. |
History Education |
| Jordan Rose ! |
Idaho |
OL |
Sr. |
General Studies |
| Noah Fisher |
South Alabama |
OL |
Jr. |
Political Science |
| Steven Rowzee |
Troy |
OL |
Sr. |
Human Services |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| First Team Defense |
| Tee Sims # |
Appalachian State |
DL |
Sr. |
Criminal Justice |
| Ja'Von Rolland-Jones *^ |
Arkansas State |
DL |
Sr. |
Sport Management |
| Aikeem Coleman # |
Idaho |
DL |
Sr. |
General Studies |
| Joe Dillon # |
Louisiana |
DL |
So. |
General Studies |
| Baron Poole ! |
Troy |
DL |
Sr. |
Social Science |
| Eric Boggs *# |
Appalachian State |
LB |
Sr. |
Physical Education |
| Kyle Wilson $ |
Arkansas State |
LB |
Sr. |
Communication Studies |
| Bryan London II !$ |
Texas State |
LB |
So. |
Management |
| Clifton Duck ^ |
Appalachian State |
DB |
So. |
Business Management & Accounting |
| Justin Clifton # |
Arkansas State |
DB |
Jr. |
Exercise Science |
| Chandon Sullivan ! |
Georgia State |
DB |
Sr. |
Journalism |
| Jeremy Reaves *^ |
South Alabama |
DB |
Sr. |
Sports and Recreation Management |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| First Team Special Teams |
| Stevie Artigue |
Louisiana |
K |
Jr. |
Finance |
| Payton Theisler |
New Mexico State |
P |
So. |
Criminal Justice |
| Blaise Taylor *# |
Arkansas State |
RS |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team Offense |
| Taylor Lamb *! |
Appalachian State |
QB |
Sr. |
Physical Education |
| Xavier Johnson ! |
South Alabama |
RB |
Sr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |
| Jordan Chunn ^ |
Troy |
RB |
Sr. |
Criminal Justice |
| Dijon Paschal * |
Arkansas State |
WR |
Sr. |
Sport Management |
| Keenan Barnes ! |
Louisiana |
WR |
Jr. |
Sports Management |
| Deondre Douglas |
Troy |
WR |
Jr. |
Social Science |
| Gabe Schrade |
Texas State |
TE |
Sr. |
Finance |
| Vic Johnson $ |
Appalachian State |
OL |
So. |
Undecided |
| Grant Horst |
Louisiana |
OL |
Sr. |
Marketing |
| Frank Sutton Jr. ! |
ULM |
OL |
Sr. |
Kinesiology / Exercise Science |
| Aaron Brewer ! |
Texas State |
OL |
So. |
Electronic Media and Mass Communications |
| Deontae Crumitie |
Troy |
OL |
Jr. |
Criminal Justice |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team Defense |
| Myquon Stout ! |
Appalachian State |
DL |
Jr. |
Undecided |
| Dee Liner |
Arkansas State |
DL |
Sr. |
General Studies |
| Mackendy Cheridor |
Georgia State |
DL |
Sr. |
Economics |
| Taboris Lee * |
Louisiana |
DL |
Sr. |
General Studies |
| Devan Stringer |
Appalachian State |
LB |
Sr. |
Business |
| Tony Lashley ! |
Idaho |
LB |
Jr. |
General Studies |
| Darrell Songy $ |
South Alabama |
LB |
Sr. |
Sociology |
| Blaise Taylor * |
Arkansas State |
DB |
Sr. |
Business Administration |
| Tracy Walker * |
Louisiana |
DB |
Sr. |
Sports Management |
| Jaden Wright # |
New Mexico State |
DB |
Sr. |
Individualized Studies |
| Kamryn Melton ! |
Troy |
DB |
Sr. |
Social Science |
| Kris Weatherspoon $ |
Troy |
DB |
Sr. |
Psychology |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Second Team Special Teams |
| Michael Rubino |
Appalachian State |
K |
So. |
Finance |
| Evan Rabon |
Coastal Carolina |
P |
Jr. |
History |
| Xavier Johnson *! |
South Alabama |
RS |
Sr. |
Interdisciplinary Studies |