2012 FCS Preseason All-America Teams Announced

100 student-athletes of the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) were honored today with inclusion on the 2012 FCS Preseason All-America Teams by College Sporting News. The FCS is the highest level of NCAA championship football. Founded in 2001, College Sporting News is the largest and oldest news service solely devoted to publishing original content and other information of the FCS.

By Kent Schmidt
College Sporting News

CHICAGO -- Four teams had four individual performers placed on the 2012 CSN Preseason FCS All-American team to highlight this year’s squad. This is the 11th year that College Sporting News, the longest active news service that covers the FCS exclusively, has named preseason All-America teams.

Sam Houston State leads this year’s preseason team with five members. Sam Houston State, who was the national runner’s up last year is represented by three first team performers in running back Timothy Flanders, defensive tackle J.T. Cleveland, and strong safety Darnell Taylor. The Bearkats also placed two on the second team in wide receiver Richard Sincere and cornerback Daxton Swanson.

Three schools with four members on the team include three different conferences in the Missouri Valley Football Conference’s Indiana State, the Ohio Valley Conference’s Eastern Kentucky, and Big Sky Conference newcomer Southern Utah.

Indiana State placed two on the first team and one each on the second and third team. The Sycamores first team members were running back Shakir Bell and defensive end Ben Obaseki. Linebacker Aaron Archie and offensive center LN Lutz were on the second and third teams respectively.

Eastern Kentucky’s four members were first-team offensive tackle Aaron Adams, second-team members in running back Matt Denham and offensive tackle Patrick Ford, and third-team defensive back Justin Bell.

Southern Utah is moving from the defunct Great West to the Big Sky Conference and will have four All-Americans to guide them in the expanded league. These four include offensive tackle Zach Brackus on the first team and quarterback Brad Sorensen, center Gavin Farr, and defensive tackle Cody Larsen on the second team.

Defending national champion from the Missouri Valley Football Conference North Dakota State was among seven teams to land three members on the preseason honor team. The Bison finished 2011 with a 14-1 record and defeated previously undefeated Sam Houston State in the national title game.

NDSU’s preseason honorees include first-team member Marcus Williams at cornerback, second-team member Colten Heagle at strong safety, and third-team member Billy Turner at offensive tackle.

The other six schools with three-individuals on this year’s team included James Madison, Liberty, Montana State, Northern Iowa, Towson, Wofford, and Youngstown State.

In total, 57 FCS schools are represented by this year's preseason squads, while all 13 FCS conferences are represented on the list.

The Colonial Athletic Association and the Missouri Valley Football Conference topped all of the conferences with 16 selections each followed by the Big Sky Conference and the Southern Conference with 13 each, and the Southland Conference with 12.

College Sporting News will release its 11th annual postseason All-America team in the week following the NCAA Division I Football Championship game, scheduled for January 5 in Frisco, TX.

FCS 2012 Preseason All-America Teams

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE
QB DeNarius McGhee, Montana State, Jr
RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State, Jr
RB Timothy Flanders, Sam Houston State, Jr
FB Eric Breitenstein, Wofford, Sr
AP Jordan Brown, Bryant, Sr
OT Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky, Sr
OT Evan Conrad, SE Missouri State, Sr
OG Malcolm Boyd, Liberty, Sr
OG Zach Brackus, Southern Utah, Sr
OC Mike Sellers, The Citadel, Jr
TE Colin Anderson, Furman, Sr
WR Aaron Mellette, Elon, Sr
WR Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington, Sr
WR Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State, Sr

DEFENSE
DE Ben Obaseki, Indiana State, Sr
DE Blake Oliaro, San Diego, Jr
DT J.T. Cleveland, Sam Houston State, Sr
DT Brent Russell, Georgia Southern, Sr
DL Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr
LB Matt Evans, New Hampshire, Sr
LB Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State, Sr
LB Keith Pough, Howard, Sr
LB Mike Niam, Wofford, Sr
CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State, Jr
CB Demetrius McCray, Appalachian State, Sr
SS Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State, Sr
FS Kejuan Riley, Alabama State, Sr
DB Charles James, Charleston Southern, Sr

SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Sr
PR Darius Drummond, South Carolina State, Jr
K Zach Brown, Portland State, Sr
P Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion, Sr
LS Richard Wright, Liberty, Jr

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE
QB Brad Sorensen, Southern Utah, Sr
RB Terrance West, Towson, So
RB Matt Denham, Eastern Kentucky, Sr
FB Kendall Gaskins, Richmond, Sr
AP Gralyn Crawford, Stephen F. Austin, Sr
OT Blake Matthews, Norfolk State, Sr
OT Patrick Ford, Eastern Kentucky, Sr
OG Earl Watford, James Madison, Sr
OG Danny Kistler, Montana, Jr
OC Gavin Farr, Southern Utah, Jr
TE Justin Perillo, Maine, Jr
WR Richard Sincere, Sam Houston State, Jr
WR Ryan Spadola, Lehigh, Sr
WR Norman White, Villanova, Sr

DEFENSE
DE Frank Beltre, Towson , Sr
DE Joseph LeBeau, Jackson State, Sr
DT Zach Minter, Montana State, Sr
DT Cody Larsen, Southern Utah, Sr
DL Marquis Jackson, Portland State, Sr
LB Blake Peiffer, SE Missouri State, Sr
LB Aaron Archie, Indiana State, Sr
LB Wes Dothard, Chattanooga, Jr
LB Jody Owens, Montana State, Sr
CB Daxton Swanson, Sam Houston State , Jr
CB B.W. Webb, William & Mary, Sr
SS Colten Heagle, North Dakota State, Jr
FS Malcolm Bronson, McNeese State, Sr
DB Serge Kona, Duquesne, Sr

SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Fabian Truss, Samford, Jr
PR Terrence Lewis, Alcorn State, Sr
K Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa, Jr
P Patrick Murray, Fordham, Sr
LS Mike Chocholousek, Charleston Southern, Sr

THIRD TEAM

OFFENSE
QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State, Jr
RB Jamaine Cook, Youngstown State, Sr
RB Andrew Pierce, Delaware, Jr
FB Brian Barlow, James Madison, Sr
AP Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona, Jr
OT Billy Turner, North Dakota State, Jr
OT Kadeem Williams, Albany, Jr
OG Chris Howley, Maine, Sr
OG Ricky Archer, New Hampshire, Jr
OC FN Lutz, Indiana State, Sr
TE Kyle Juszczyk, Harvard, Sr
WR Cordell Roberson, Stephen F. Austin, Sr
WR Tyrone Walker, Illinois State, Sr
WR Lanny Funsten, Davidson, Sr

DEFENSE
DE Joshua Williams, Chattanooga, Sr
DE Tyler Starr, South Dakota, Jr
DT Chris Burnette, Old Dominion, Sr
DT Caraun Reid, Princeton, Sr
DL Marcus Edwards, Tennessee Tech, Sr
LB Evan Fierson, Illinois State, Sr
LB Stephon Robertons, James Madison, Jr
LB Alvin Scioneaux, Wofford, Jr
LB Jawara Dudley, Stony Brook, Jr
CB Varmah Sonie, Northern Iowa, Sr
CB Jeremy Moore, Georgetown , Sr
SS Jestin Love, Central Arkansas, Jr
FS Jordan Dangerfield, Towson, Sr
DB Justin Bell, Eastern Kentucky, Sr

SPECIAL TEAMS
KR Jordan Wells, SE Louisiana, So
PR Darius Carey, McNeese State, Sr
K Kevin Robb, South Dakota, Jr
P Cass Couey, The Citadel, Sr
LS John Hubbard, Northern Iowa, Sr