2021 College Sports Journal Group of Five Super Seventy Preseason All-American Team

Seventy student-athletes in the NCAA Division I Football’s Group of Five FBS Conferences have been named to the 2021 College Sports Journal G5 All-America Team.  As a reminder, the Group of Five FBS conferences include the American Athletic Conference (AAC), Conference USA (C-USA), Mid-American Conference (MAC), Mountain West Conference (MWC), and the Sun Belt Conference (SBC).  The Group of Five schools also includes all FBS independents with the exception of Notre Dame. 

Unlike other All-American teams, the CSJ’s honor’s squad is designed to be like a real team, capable of taking the field and competing in a game possibly against a Top 5 Power Five School such as Clemson or Alabama. It includes everything from quarterbacks who can run or pass, to long snappers and other special teams performers. The Super Seventy team also emphasizes players who have exhibited character and other team-oriented traits, not just lofty statistics, or talent.

Seventy players were selected as this is typically the travel roster for a traveling team. 

Three players were selected as CSJ’s Preseason Players of the Year on Offense, Defense, and Special Teams.  These awards went to UTSA RB Sincere McCormick as the Offense Player, Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner as the Defensive Player, and Houston punt returner Marcus Jones as the Special Team Player. 

UTSA RB Sincere McCormick

McCormick ranked second in FBS with a UTSA program-record 1,467 rushing yards. The 2020 Conference USA Offensive Player of the Year totaled 11 touchdowns on 249 carries, both school records, while averaging 133.4 rushing yards per game to rank sixth nationally.  He averaged 5.9 yards per tote and caught 20 passes for 131 yards. He broke UTSA’s all-time rushing yardage mark after tallying 122 yards on 23 carries vs. Louisiana in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. He also currently owns 2,450 rushing yards and 19 TDs in just 23 career games. 

Cincinnati CB Ahmad Gardner

Gardner was a member of the First-Team All-American Athletic Conference selection last year as he tied for second in the AAC’s with nine passes defended and tied for fourth with three interceptions in the regular season. In nine starts, he added 28 tackles and shared a sack. According to ProFootballFocus.com, Gardner allowed the third-lowest passer rating in the FBS in coverage in 2020, making more plays on the ball than first downs allowed.

Houston PR Marcus Jones

Jones enters the 2021 season with five career return touchdowns (four kickoff + one punt) and has recorded 1,565 kickoff return yards in his three-year career to go along with 507 punt return yards. The starting cornerback for the Cougars in seven games last year also finished with 24 tackles (18 solo), 2.0 tackles for loss, one interception and five pass breakups.

Nevada led the team with six selections, while Cincinnati and Tulsa were next each with five selections.

Conference-wise, the AAC led the team with 22 selections. The Mountain West was second with 14 selections.

Offensive Player of the Year: Sincere McCormick, RB, UTSA, Jr.

Defensive Player of the Year: Ahmad Gardner, CB, Cincinnati, Jr.

Special Teams Player of the Year: Marcus Jones, PR, Houston, Sr.

See the full team below:

Pos.PlayerSchoolConferenceClassHt.Wt.
QBDesmond Ridder CincinnatiAACSr.6’4″215
QBGrayson McCallCoastal CarolinaSun BeltSoph.6’3″200
QBCarson StrongNevadaMWCJr.6’4″215
QBKaleb ElebyWestern MichiganMACR-So.6’1″215
QBMalik WillisLibertyIndependentJr.5’9″195
RBSincere McCormickUTSAC-USAJr.5’9”200
RBTyler AllgeierBYUIndependentSr.5’11”220
RBRonnie RiversFresno StateMWCJr.5’9″195
RBUlysses Bentley IVSMUAACSoph.5’10”184
RBToa TauaNevadaMWCSr.5’9″210
APTyler SneadEast CarolinaAACSoph.5’7″169
WRKhalil ShakirBoise StateMWCSr.6’0″188
WRJalen TolbertSouth AlabamaSun BeltJr.6’3″195
WRReggie Roberson, Jr.SMUAACSr.6’0″200
WRKeylon StokesTulsaAACGr.6’0″194
WRCalvin Austin IIIMemphisAACSo.5’9″162
WRJustin HallBall StateMACSr.5’9″186
TEIsaiah LikelyCoastal CarolinaSun BeltSr.6’4″240
TETrey McBrideColorado StateMWCJr.6’4″260
TECole TurnerNevadaMWCSr.6’6″240
OCJames EmpeyBYUIndependentJr.6’4″303
OCAhofitu MakaUTSAC-USASr.6’3″320
OGCole SchneiderUCFAACJr.6’4″312
OGDylan ParhamMemphisAACR-Jr.6’3″290
OTO’Cyrus TorrenceLouisianaSun BeltR-So.6’5″332
OTJack SnyderSan Jose StateMWCGr.6’5″310
OLKayode AwosikaBuffaloMACSr.6’5″315
OLTyler SmithTulsaAACR-So.6’5″332
OLAaron Frost NevadaMWCSr.6’5″310
OLMax MitchellLouisianaSun BeltSr.6’6″297
OLIsaac Moore TempleAACJr.6’7″310
       
DEMyjai SandersCincinnatiAACSr.6’5″258
DEDemetrius TaylorAppalachian StateSun BeltSr.6’1″295
DTKeenan StewartUTEPC-USAR-So.6’2″305
DLDeAngelo MaloneWestern KentuckyC-USASr.6’4″240
DLDurrell JohnsonLibertyIndependentJr.6’4″235
DLCade HallSan Jose StateMWCSr.6’3″270
DLLogan HallHoustonAACJr.6’6″260
DLDion NovilNorth TexasC-USASr.6’4″330
DLJaxon PlayerTulsaAACJr.6’0″290
LBCarlton MartialTroySun BeltJr.5’9”210
LBKadofi WrightBuffaloMACSr.6’3″230
LBDiego FagotNavyAACSr.6’3″240
LBJustin WrightTulsaAACR-Jr.6’2″234
LBNoah WilderUABC-USASr.6’0″235
LBTrey BaldwinLouisiana TechC-USASr.6’2”235
LBXavier SmithEast CarolinaAACJr.6’0″246
LBArik SmithArmy West PointIndependentSr.6’0″240
LBAntonio Grier South FloridaAACSr. 6’1″222
LBChad MumaWyomingMWCJr.6’3″242
CBAhmad GardnerCincinnatiAACJr.6’2″188
CBCoby BryantCincinnatiAACGr.6’1″198
SBralen TrahanLouisianaSun BeltR-Jr.6’0″191
SKeith GallmonSouth AlabamaSun BeltJr.5’9″205
DBRashad WisdomUTSAC-USAJr.5’10”205
DBDishon McNary Central MichiganMACJr.6’1″190
DBDerrick CanteenGeorgia SouthernSun BeltR-Soph.5’11”190
DBReed BlankenshipMiddle Tennessee StC-USASr.6’1″204
DBBerdale RobinsNevadaMWCGr.5’9”170
DBSteven GillmoreMarshallC-USAJr.5’11”175
       
KJake OldroydBYUIndependentR-So.6’0″195
KBrayden Narveson Western KentuckyC-USAR6’0″191
PJake JulienEastern MichiganMACSr.6’5″230
PLucas DeanUTSAMWCSr.5’11”180
PRMarcus JonesHoustonAACSr.5’9″188
PRRomeo DoubsNevadaMWCSr.5’11”174
KRChris SmithLouisianaSun BeltSr.5’10”180
KRTre Tucker CincinnatiAACSo.5’8″175
LSAdam HigueraTulsaAACSr.6’1″210
LSJacob WestberryFresno StateMWCSr.6’1″225

All photos courtesy of each school’s athletic department.