NEW ORLEANS – The Sun Belt announced its 2015 All-Conference football teams on Monday, as selected by the league's 11 head football coaches and selected members of the media. All 11 schools were represented between the first- and second-teams with at least one selection while ten schools placed at least one representative on the first-team.
UL Lafayette's Elijah McGuire was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year while Texas State's David Mims was named the Preseason Sun Belt Conference Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year.
McGuire, the reigning Sun Belt Player and Offensive Player of the Year, returns for his junior season at UL-L as he looks to build upon the ground success from a year ago. McGuire ran for 1,264 yards and 14 touchdowns last season as he guided the Cajuns to their fourth consecutive R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl win. His yardage totals ranked fourth in school history while his touchdowns tied for fourth overall in Cajuns lore. He became only the fourth Ragin' Cajun to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season and the first since Michael Desormeaux and Tyrell Fenroy in 2008.
McGuire has been named to the following Preseason Watch Lists: 2015 Doak Walker Award, 2015 Maxwell Award, and the 2015 Paul Hornung Award.
Mims, a senior defensive back, is arguably one of the most talented defenders in the Sun Belt. A Preseason All-Conference selection for many of the top collegiate publications, Mims ranked 19th nationally and third among Sun Belt leaders with an average of 0.42 interceptions per game. He was sixth on the team in tackles with 48 and all five of his interceptions came in the final seven games of the season. Mims was a 2014 All-Sun Belt first-team selection.
Arkansas State led all teams with 11 All-Conference selections, six on the first-team and five on the second-team. Leading the charge were offensive standouts, quarterback Fredi Knighten and wide-receiver J.D. McKissic. McKissic holds the most career receptions in the nation (237) amongst active NCAA players in his final season in Jonesboro. Knighten, a Johnny Unitas Gold Arm Award Watch List member, averaged over 300 yards per contest last year, both through the air and on the ground for an offense that averaged 36 points per game and 477 yards per game.
Joining Knighten and McKissic on the first-team were teammates Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (So., DL), Chris Stone (Sr., DL), Xavier Woodson (Jr., LB) and Blaise Taylor (So., DB/RS). A-State also had five on the second-team as senior running back Michael Gordon, senior tight end Darion Griswold, junior offensive lineman Colton Jackson, senior defensive back Rocky Hayes and senior punter Luke Ferguson were all named to the team.
Appalachian State had four players named to the first-team and five overall. Senior offensive lineman, Jesse Chapman, senior defensive lineman Ronald Blair, junior linebacker John Law and senior defensive back Doug Middleton were all named to the first-team. Junior running back Marcus Cox was the fifth and final selection for the Mountaineers as he was named to the second team.
The Mountaineers head into the 2015 season with some momentum as they closed out 2014 with six consecutive wins and enter this season with one of the five longest winning streaks in the country. The Mountaineers only lost four starters from a season ago.
UL Monroe, Georgia State and South Alabama each placed three student-athletes on the first-team with Georgia Southern and the Bobcats placing two apiece on the first-team.
The Ragin' Cajuns placed the most student-athletes on the second-team as they led the way with six selections in addition to McGuire's first-team nod. The Cajuns placed three student-athletes on offensive and defensive second-teams.
The 2015 Sun Belt Conference football season kicks-off on September 3 with Ohio and Idaho set to square off on ESPN3.
2015 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Football Team
First Team Offense
Fredi Knighten (Arkansas State, Sr., QB, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Matt Breida (Georgia Southern, Jr., RB, Finance)
Elijah McGuire (UL Lafayette, Jr., RB, General Studies)
J.D. McKissic (Arkansas State, Sr., WR, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Donovan Harden (Georgia State, WR, Sr., Sociology)
Rashon Ceaser (UL Monroe, Sr., WR, Kinesiology)
Joel Ruiz (Georgia State, TE, Sr., Criminal Justice)
Jesse Chapman (Appalachian State, Sr., OL, Exercise Science/Pre-Professional)
Darien Foreman (Georgia Southern, Sr., OL, General Studies)
Chris May (South Alabama, Sr., OL, Physical Education)
Joseph Scelfo (South Alabama, Jr., OL, Leisure Studies)
Adrian Bellard (Texas State, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice)
First Team Defense
Ronald Blair (Appalachian State, Sr., DL, Health Promotion)
Ja’Von Rolland-Jones (Arkansas State, So., DL, Sports Management)
Chris Stone (Arkansas State, Sr., DL, Sports Management)
Gerrand Johnson (UL Monroe, Gr., DL, Communication)
John Law (Appalachian State, Jr., LB, Health Promotion)
Xavier Woodson (Arkansas State, Jr., LB, Sports Management)
Joseph Peterson (Georgia State, LB, Sr., Speech)
Doug Middleton (Appalachian State, Sr., DB, Business Management)
Mitch Lane (UL Monroe, Sr., DB, Kinesiology)
David Mims II (Texas State, Sr., DB, Philosophy)
Montres Kitchens (Troy, Sr., DB, Social Science)
First Team Special Teams
Aleem Sunanon (South Alabama, Jr., PK, Biomedical Sciences)
Austin Rehkow (Idaho, Jr., P, Exercise Science and Health)
Blaise Taylor (Arkansas State, So., RS, Business Administration)
Second Team Offense
Kevin Ellison (Georgia Southern, Jr., QB, General Studies)
Marcus Cox (Appalachian State, Jr., RB, Management)
Michael Gordon (Arkansas State, Sr., RB, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Jamal Robinson (UL Lafayette, Sr., WR, Criminal Justice)
Ajalen Holley (UL Monroe, Jr., WR, Kinesiology)
Teldrick Morgan (NM State, RS-Jr., WR, Criminal Justice)
Darion Griswold (Arkansas State, Sr., TE, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Colton Jackson (Arkansas State, Jr., OL, Interdisciplinary Studies)
Octravian Anderson (UL Lafayette, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice)
Mykhael Quave (UL Lafayette, Sr., OL, Industrial Technology)
Ryan Melton (Texas State, Jr., OL, Agriculture)
Dalton Bennett (Troy, Sr., OL, Criminal Justice)
Second Team Defense
Jay Ellison (Georgia Southern, Jr., DL, General Studies)
Quinton Bradley (Idaho, Sr., DL, Psychology)
Darzil Washington (UL Lafayette, Sr., DL, General Studies)
Tyler Roberts (Troy, Sr., DL, Accounting)
Marc Millan (Idaho, Sr., LB, Organizational Sciences)
Dominique Tovell (UL Lafayette, Sr., LB, Exercise Science)
Hunter Kissinger (UL Monroe, Gr., LB, MBA)
Rocky Hayes (Arkansas State, Sr., DB, Finance)
Matt Dobson (Georgia Southern, Sr., DB, History)
Tracy Walker (UL Lafayette, Soph., DB, Sports Management)
Roman Buchanan (South Alabama, Jr., DB, Exercise Science)
Second Team Special Teams
Wil Lutz (Georgia State, PK, Sr., Criminal Justice)
Luke Ferguson (Arkansas State, Sr., P, Marketing)
Derek Keaton (Georgia Southern, Sr., RS, Justice Studies)
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year
Elijah McGuire (UL Lafayette, Jr., RB, General Studies)
Preseason Sun Belt Conference Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year
David Mims II (Texas State, Sr., DB, Philosophy)