FRISCO, Texas – Nicholls State University senior
B.T. Sanders has been named to the 2016 Southland Conference Preseason First Team, the league office announced Wednesday.
Sanders, a two-year starter in the defensive backfield at safety, garnered his third recognition from the Southland in as many years. An honorable mention selection as a sophomore, Sanders put together an impressive junior campaign for the Colonels which resulted in an All-Southland Second Team bid.
A native of Foley, Ala., Sanders started all 11 games last season, ranking second on the team with 75 tackles. Despite lining up in the backfield, he had five tackles for loss and one sack. Sanders contributed to the defensive takeways by forcing three fumbles, two against Stephen F. Austin, and also had a 27-yard fumble recovery against the Lumberjacks. In pass defense, Sanders broke up a total of four passes as the secondary allowed an SLC-best 178.2 passing yards per game.
Returning student-athletes who earned all-conference honors at the conclusion of the 2015 season, including Sanders, were automatically named to the preseason teams. Head coaches from the 11 schools that play football in the Southland Conference voted for the remaining 38 positions, which included six on the first-team offense, four on the first-team defense, 13 positions on the second-team offense and 15 on the second-team defense. Coaches could not vote for their own players.
The conference's two preseason polls – coaches and sports information directors – will be announced July 27 at Media Day.
2016 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
First-Team Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| QB |
Zach Conque |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-6 |
237 |
Sr. |
Little Rock, Ark. |
| RB |
Kade Harrington |
Lamar |
5-9 |
190 |
Sr. |
Kingwood, Texas |
| RB |
Corey Avery |
Sam Houston State |
5-10 |
190 |
Jr. |
Dallas, Texas |
| TE/HB |
Zach Hetrick |
McNeese |
6-3 |
250 |
Sr. |
Baton Rouge, La. |
| WR |
Desmond Smith |
Central Arkansas |
6-1 |
201 |
Sr. |
Bentonville, Ark. |
| WR |
Kent Shelby |
McNeese |
6-3 |
194 |
Jr. |
New Orleans, La. |
| WR |
Yedidiah Louis |
Sam Houston State |
5-8 |
187 |
Jr. |
Richardson, Texas |
| OL |
Bret Treadway |
Lamar |
6-3 |
280 |
Sr. |
Silsbee, Texas |
| OL |
Stockton Mallett |
Central Arkansas |
6-3 |
298 |
Jr. |
Harrison, Ark. |
| OL |
Mason Martin |
McNeese |
6-2 |
286 |
Sr. |
Pineville, La. |
| OL |
Bridge Blount |
Sam Houston State |
5-10 |
295 |
Sr. |
Huntsville, Texas |
| OL |
Curtis Riser |
Sam Houston State |
6-4 |
320 |
Sr. |
DeSoto, Texas |
| AP |
Yedidiah Louis |
Sam Houston State |
5-8 |
187 |
Jr. |
Richardson, Texas |
| PK |
Luc Swimberghe |
Sam Houston State |
6-0 |
197 |
Sr. |
Natchitoches, La. |
First-Team Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| DL |
P.J. Hall |
Sam Houston State |
6-1 |
280 |
Jr. |
Seguin, Texas |
| DL |
Isaiah Golden |
McNeese |
6-2 |
335 |
Jr. |
Carthage, Texas |
| DL |
Larance Hale |
Lamar |
6-2 |
280 |
Sr. |
Tatum, Texas |
| DL |
John Franklin |
Stephen F. Austin |
6-4 |
284 |
Jr. |
Greenville, Texas |
| LB |
Sam Denmark |
Abilene Christian |
6-1 |
230 |
Jr. |
Las Cruces, N.M. |
| LB |
Ashari Goins |
McNeese |
5-10 |
200 |
Jr. |
Monroe, La. |
| LB |
Antreon Bennett |
Southeastern La. |
6-0 |
225 |
Sr. |
West Point, Miss. |
| DB |
Tremon Smith |
Central Arkansas |
6-0 |
185 |
Jr. |
Anniston, Ala. |
| DB |
Jabari Butler |
Abilene Christian |
5-11 |
180 |
So. |
Potomac, Md. |
| DB |
Dominique Hill |
McNeese |
5-10 |
177 |
Jr. |
Mansfield, La. |
| DB |
B.T. Sanders |
Nicholls |
6-0 |
190 |
Sr. |
Foley, Ala. |
| DB |
Darion Flowers |
Sam Houston State |
6-0 |
195 |
Sr. |
Tyler, Texas |
| P |
Christian Guzman |
Houston Baptist |
5-11 |
165 |
Jr. |
Brookshire, Texas |
| KR |
Rodney Randle |
Lamar |
5-10 |
200 |
So. |
Beaumont, Texas |
| PR |
Brandon Cox |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
180 |
Jr. |
Conway, Ark. |
Second-Team Offense
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| QB |
Jeremiah Briscoe |
Sam Houston State |
6-3 |
220 |
Jr. |
Houston, Texas |
| RB |
Ryan Ross |
McNeese |
5-9 |
205 |
Jr. |
Richwood, Texas |
| RB |
De'Mard Llorens |
Northwestern State |
5-10 |
214 |
Sr. |
Natchitoches, La. |
| TE/HB |
Cody Dauksch |
Central Arkansas |
6-1 |
221 |
Sr. |
West Memphis, Tenn. |
| WR |
Jatavious Wilson |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr. |
Bastrop, La. |
| WR |
Davion Davis |
Sam Houston State |
5-11 |
175 |
So. |
Hutto, Texas |
| WR |
Shakeir Ryan |
Northwestern State |
5-8 |
161 |
Sr. |
Lafayette, La. |
| OL |
Riley Mayfield |
Abilene Christian |
6-7 |
305 |
Jr. |
Cedar Park, Texas |
| OL |
Terrance Boyd |
Northwestern State |
6-3 |
324 |
Sr. |
Baytown, Texas |
| OL |
Dakota Laws |
Abilene Christian |
6-3 |
320 |
So. |
Denton, Texas |
| OL |
Sam Hardy |
Sam Houston State |
6-3 |
310 |
Sr. |
West Hills, Calif. |
| OL |
Travis Romero |
Southeastern La. |
6-3 |
320 |
Jr. |
Manvel, Texas |
| AP |
Jatavious Wilson |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr. |
Bastrop, La. |
Second-Team Defense
| Pos. |
Name |
University |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
Hometown |
| DL |
Luis Carreno |
Sam Houston State |
6-2 |
245 |
Sr. |
Coppell, Texas |
| DL |
Jammerio Gross |
McNeese |
6-3 |
240 |
Jr. |
Shreveport, La. |
| DL |
Terrence Partee |
Central Arkansas |
6-3 |
278 |
Sr. |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| DL |
Sione Latu |
Sam Houston State |
6-0 |
285 |
Sr. |
Euless, Texas |
| LB |
Josh Zellars |
UIW |
6-0 |
210 |
Sr. |
Baytown, Texas |
| LB |
Collins Okotcha |
Sam Houston State |
6-1 |
220 |
So. |
Coppell, Texas |
| LB |
Garrett Dolan |
Houston Baptist |
6-2 |
240 |
Jr. |
Mont Belvieu, Texas |
| DB |
Jermaine Antoine |
McNeese |
5-11 |
191 |
Jr. |
Loreauville, La. |
| DB |
George Odum |
Central Arkansas |
6-2 |
185 |
Jr. |
Millington, Tenn. |
| DB |
Brendan Langley |
Lamar |
6-1 |
190 |
Sr. |
Marietta, Ga. |
| DB |
Adrian Norwood |
UIW |
6-0 |
210 |
Sr. |
Waco, Texas |
| DB |
Patrick Martin |
Stephen F. Austin |
5-9 |
186 |
Sr. |
Spring, Texas |
| KR |
Jatavious Wilson |
Central Arkansas |
5-9 |
171 |
Sr. |
Bastrop, La. |
| PR |
Jordan Hicks |
UIW |
5-8 |
175 |
Sr. |
Arlington, Texas |
