The Arkansas State football team had eight players combined for nine selections to the 2022 All-Sun Belt Conference Team, announced Thursday by the league office.
The Red Wolves had two first-team selections, one player earn second-team recognition, one third-team pick and an additional four honorable mention choices. A-State had players represent all three phases of the game, including four on offense, two on defense and two on special teams.
Sophomore tight end Seydou Traore represented A-State on the first team after ranking first in the Sun Belt Conference among tight ends for receptions (50) and receiving yards (655), while also ranking second among the same group for touchdown receptions (4). He ranks third among FBS tight ends for receiving yards and yards per catch (13.10). He recorded a career-high 120 receiving yards and a touchdown against Memphis and was responsible for at least 50 receiving yards in six games.
Also representing A-State on the first team was true-freshman place-kicker Dominic Zvada. A Lou Groza Award semifinalist, Zvada broke the Sun Belt Conference single-season record by a true freshman for points by kicking in a season with 81, which is also the ninth most in school history. He led the Sun Belt in field goal percentage while also ranking fifth in in scoring by kick and seventh in overall scoring. He ranks fifth in the nation in field goal percentage and 24th in the country (first in the Sun Belt) in field goals per game. He made a career-long 56-yard field goal against Texas State that is the second longest in FBS this season. Among freshmen only, he leads the nation in field goal percentage and ranks second in field goals made.
Senior running back Johnnie Lang Jr. represented A-State on the second team as a return specialist and at the all-purpose position as well. Named Midseason All-America by CBS Sports and to the Doak Walker Award Watch List, Lang leads the nation in kickoff return yards and ranks 15th in all-purpose yards (135.8 ypg). He leads the country in combined kick return yards with 973. He was named to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll and the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week after posting a kickoff return, rushing and receiving touchdowns in the same game during a Red Wolves victory over ULM. He ranks fourth in the Sun Belt Conference in punt return average and recorded six combined rushing and receiving touchdowns.
Finding a place on the third team was senior defensive end Kivon Bennett. He ranked sixth in the Sun Belt in fumbles forced and 13th in sacks with 5.5. He led all A-State defensive linemen in tackles with 50 and was first on the team in tackles for loss (9.5) and sacks (5.5). He posted at least five tackles in six games, including a season-high eight versus both Southern Miss and Troy. He recorded a career-tying 2.0 sacks versus Troy and at least a half-tackle for loss in all but two games.
A-State’s four honorable mention selections were made up of defensive tackle TW Ayers, quarterback James Blackman, wide receiver Champ Flemings and offensive lineman Jordan Rhodes.
2022 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL POSTSEASON AWARDS
Player of the Year Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
Offensive Player of the Year Todd Centeio, James Madison
Defensive Player of the Year Carlton Martial, Troy
Newcomer of the Year Todd Centeio, James Madison
Freshman of the Year Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina
Coach of the Year Jon Sumrall, Troy
All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina
RB – Khalan Laborn, Marshall
RB – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
OL – Cooper Hodges, App State
OL – Austin Stidham, Troy
OL – Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina
OL – Jake Andrews, Troy
OL – Anderson Hardy, App State
TE – Seydou Traore, Arkansas State
WR – Jamari Thrash, Georgia State
WR – Kris Thornton, James Madison
WR – Ali Jennings III, Old Dominion
All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – T.J. Jackson, Troy
DL – Zi’Yon Hill-Green, Louisiana
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall
DL – Will Choloh, Troy
DL – Isaac Ukwu, James Madison
LB – Carlton Martial, Troy
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB – Nick Hampton, App State
DB – Yam Banks, South Alabama
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall
DB – Reddy Steward, Troy
DB – Bralen Trahan, Louisiana
All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State
P – Rhys Burns, Louisiana
RS – Eric Garror, Louisiana
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Todd Centeio, James Madison
RB – Kimani Vidal, Troy
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss
OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern
OL – Pat Bartlett, Georgia State
OL – Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
OL – Malik Sumter, Georgia State
OL – Nick Kidwell, James Madison
TE – Henry Pearson, App State
WR – Jalen Wayne, South Alabama
WR – Tyrone Howell, ULM
WR – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern
All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Levi Bell, Texas State
DL – James Carpenter, James Madison
DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy
DL – Jamare Edwards, James Madison
DL – Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina
LB – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern
LB – Andre Jones, Louisiana
LB – Jourdan Quibodeaux, Louisiana
DB – Steven Jones Jr., App State
DB – Quavian White, Georgia State
DB – Steven Gilmore, Marshall
DB – Lance Boykin, Coastal Carolina
All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Diego Guajardo, South Alabama
P – Devyn McCormick, ULM
RS – Johnnie Lang Jr., Arkansas State
AP – Johnnie Lang Jr., Arkansas State
All-Sun Belt Third Team Offense
QB – Kyle Vantrease, Georgia Southern
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison
RB – Jalen White, Georgia Southern
OL – James Jackson, South Alabama
OL – Kyle Hergel, Texas State
OL – Caleb Kelly, Georgia Southern
OL – Isaiah Helms, App State
OL – Antwine Loper, Coastal Carolina
TE – Jacob Jenkins, Coastal Carolina
WR – Jason Brownlee, Southern Miss
WR – Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina
WR – Michael Jefferson, Louisiana
All-Sun Belt Third Team Defense
DL – Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State
DL – Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina
DL – Justin Ellis, Georgia Southern
DL – Javon Solomon, Troy
LB – Taurus Jones, James Madison
LB – JT Killen, Coastal Carolina
LB – Santrell Latham, Southern Miss
DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss
DB – Malik Shorts, Southern Miss
DB – Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama
DB – Antavious Lane, Georgia State
DB – Derrick Canteen, Georgia Southern
All-Sun Belt Third Team Special Teams
K – Briggs Bourgeois, Southern Miss
P – Mason Hunt, Southern Miss
RS – Milan Tucker, App State
AP – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama
Arkansas State Honorable Mention
DL – TW Ayers
QB – James Blackman
WR – Champ Flemings
OL – Jordan Rhodes
