boxtorow.com
The 2017 college football season is upon us and media members from around the country have selected the 2017 BOXTOROW Preseason All-America Team.
Last year’s BOXTOROW Willie Davis Defensive Player of the Year, South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard, and Grambling quarterback DeVante Kincade lead the team.
Leonard and Kincade are two of the nine who were named to the 2016 postseason team.
Defending BOXTOROW National Champion Grambling and North Carolina A&T lead the way with four selections; North Carolina Central and Tennessee State have three each, while South Carolina State, Southern and Tuskegee have two apiece.
Leonard, a senior from Lake View, S.C. led the MEAC and was sixth in FCS in tackles (124) last year. He was also fourth in MEAC in tackles for loss (14.5) and tied for the lead in the MEAC in forced fumbles (4). His biggest game of the year was against Clemson when he registered 19 tackles.
Kincade was named SWAC Offensive Player of the Year last year after leading the SWAC and finishing fourth in FCS in passing efficiency (164.4). He had the best touchdown to interception ratio in FCS 30-4 and led the SWAC in passing yards (2,996), completion percentage (63.9) and total offense (271.7).
This is the 11th year BOXTOROW has administered the Preseason All-America Team.
2017 BOXTOROW Preseason All-America Team
OFFENSE
QB: DeVante Kincade, Grambling, Sr., Dallas, Texas
RB: Trenton Cannon, Virginia State, Sr., Hampton, Va.*
RB: Anthony Philyaw, Howard, Sr., Los Angeles, Calif.
RB: Martez Carter, Grambling, Sr., Monroe, La.*
OL: Brandon Parker, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Kannapolis, N.C.
OL: Sam Baptiste, Alabama State, Sr., Waycross, Ga.
OL: Leeward Brown, Tuskegee, Sr., Miami, Fla.*
OL: Justin Evans, South Carolina State, Sr., Florence, S.C.*
OL: Darriel Mack, North Carolina A&T, Sr., Clio, S.C.
OL: Trenton Scott, Grambling, r-Sr., Huntsville, Ala.
TE: Dillon Beard, Southern, r-Sr., Baton Rouge, La.
WR: Elijah Bell, North Carolina A&T, Soph., Wheeling, West Va.
WR: Patrick Smith, Tennessee State, r-Sr., Memphis, Tenn.
DEFENSE
DL: Keontre Anderson, Jackson State, Jr., Canton, Miss.
DL: Antonio Brown, North Carolina Central, Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.
DL: Ebenezer Ogundeko, Tennessee State, r-Sr., Brooklyn, N.Y.
DL: Aaron Tiller, Southern, Sr., Columbus, Ohio
LB: Darius Leonard, South Carolina State, r-Sr., Lake View, S.C.
LB: Jeremy Taylor, North Carolina A&T, r-Sr., Kinston, N.C.
LB: Osband Thompson, Tuskegee, Sr., Miami, Fla.
DB: Danny Johnson, Southern, Sr., East Feliciana, La.
DB: Carlo Thomas, Johnson C. Smith, Sr., East Orange, N.J.
DB: Jonah McCutcheon, Tuskegee, Sr., Mobile, Ala.
DB: Aldon McClellon, North Carolina Central, Jr., Lake Butler, Fla.
SPECIALIST
P: Nathaniel Tilque, North Carolina Central, Sr., Charlotte, N.C.
PK: Lane Clark, Tennessee State, Jr., Hays, Kan.
RS: Martez Carter, Grambling, Sr., Monroe, La.
*Indicates tie