ASU heads all-conference picks

The head coaches in the Sun Belt Conference didn't pick Arkansas State as favorites to win the football title this season, but judging by the preseason All-Sun Belt teams released Friday, coaches and selected members of the media think the Red Wolves have the most talented players.

ASU placed 11 players in 12 spots on the two preseason All-Sun Belt teams, the most of any league team.

Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference teams

• Teams picked by the Sun Belt’s 11 head coaches and selected members of the media.

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

QB Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State

RB Matt Breida, Georgia Southern

RB Larry Rose III, New Mexico State

WR Dijon Paschal, Arkansas State

WR Robert Davis, Georgia State

WR Penny Hart, Georgia State

TE Gerald Everett, South Alabama

OL Parker Collins, Appalachian State

OL Jemar Clark, Arkansas State

OL Colton Jackson, Arkansas State

OL Andy Kwon, Georgia Southern

OL Antonio Garcia, Troy

DEFENSE

DL Waylon Roberson, Arkansas State

DL Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State

DL Bernard Dawson, Georgia Southern

DL Jay Ellison, Georgia Southern

DL Rashad Dillard, Troy

LB Eric Boggs, Appalachian State

LB John Law, Appalachian State

LB Xavier Woodson-Luster, Arkansas State

DB Cody Brown, Arkansas State

DB Bobby Baker, Georgia State

DB Savion Brown, Louisiana-Lafayette

DB Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Austin Rehkow

K Austin Rehkow

RS Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

QB Matt Linehan, Idaho

RB Marcus Cox, Appalachian State

RB Elijahn McGuire, Louisiana-Lafayette

WR Callen Hightower, Idaho

WR A’Jalen Holley, Louisiana-Monroe

WR Johs Magee, South Alabama

TE Keith Rucker, Georgia State

OL Colby Gossett, Appalachian State

OL Devin Mondie, Arkansas State

OL Anthony McMeans, New Mexico State

OL Curtis Williams, South Alabama

OL Ryan Melton, Texas State

DEFENSE

DL Darrius Sapp, Georgia Southern

DL Shawanye Lawrence, Georgia State

DL Karmichael Dunbar, Louisiana-Lafayette

DL Taboris Lee, Louisiana-Lafayette

LB Khari Lain, Arkansas State

LB Otha Peters, Louisiana-Lafayette

LB Roman Buchanan, South Alabama

DB Chris Humes, Arkansas State

DB Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State

DB Tracy Walker, Louisiana-Lafayette

DB Tre’ Hunter, Louisiana-Lafayette

DB Kalen Jackson, South Alabama

SPECIAL TEAMS

P Lumi Kaba, Texas State

K Aleem Sunanon, South Alabama

RS Xavier Johnson, South Alabama

ASU, which was picked to finish second to Appalachian State in a poll released Thursday, placed eight players on the first team and four on the second. South Alabama placed eight total players on the two teams, while preseason favorite Appalachian State and Louisiana-Lafayette each had six players picked.

Georgia Southern and Georgia State, picked to finish third and fourth, respectively, each had five players picked. Idaho had four, while New Mexico State, Troy, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas State each had two picked.

The Red Wolves' defense was represented most, a year after they forced a conference-best 34 turnovers.

Defensive linemen Waylon Robers and Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster and defensive back Cody Brown were each picked to the first team. Rolland-Jones led the Sun Belt with 8 1/2 sacks last year, the most of any returning player, while Woodson-Luster had 71 tackles and Brown had three interceptions.

Linebacker Khari Lain, who had 78 tackles, safety Chris Humes and cornerback Blaise Taylor were each picked to the second team.

Taylor also was a first-team pick as a return specialist. The junior averaged 13.4 yards per punt return with one touchdown last year..

ASU lost its offensive coordinator, quarterback, leading rusher and top two receivers from last year's team that set a Sun Belt record with 520 points scored. But the Red Wolves' offense still had representatives on the all-conference teams.

Wide receiver Dijon Paschal, who caught 28 passes for 541 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, and offensive linemen Jemar Clark, from McCrory, and Colton Jackson, from Ozark, were picked to the first team. Offensive lineman Devin Mondie was picked to the second team.

New Mexico State running back Larry Rose III, who rushed for a league-high 1,651 yards last season, was picked as the Offensive Player of the Year. Appalachian State linebacker John Law was named Defensive Player of the Year.

A'Jalen Holley, a Hot Springs Lakeside graduate who is now a wide receiver at Louisiana-Monroe, was picked to the second team.

Sports on 07/23/2016

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