Price, Robertson Head Up CSJ’s Second All-Freshman Team

Villanova QB John Robertson

By David Coulson

Executive Editor

College Sports Journal

 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. — Wide receiver Sean Price of Appalachian State and quarterback John Robertson of Villanova shared top honors on the second annual College Sports Journal Football Championship Subdivision Freshman All-America team as national freshmen of the year.

 

Price and Robertson head up a 63-man squad that represents the only all-freshman team in the FCS. The 63 players are representative of the 63 scholarships allowed to teams that compete in FCS.

 

Price, a 6-foot-5, 210-pound redshirt freshman, broke nearly all of Appalachian State’s freshman receiving records — many previously held by the school’s all-time leading receiver and current St. Louis Rams player Brian Quick — as he caught 81 passes for 1,196 yards, a 14.8 average and eight touchdowns in 10 games.

 

The Southern Conference freshman of the year was sixth nationally in both receptions per game (8.1) and receiving yards per game (119.6) and was 10th in total receiving yards.

 

He shattered FCS records for freshman receptions (Cal State Northridge’s Drew Amerson had 71 in 1999) and freshman receiving yards (Marshall’s Randy Moss with 1,073 in 1996).

 

Robertson, the Jerry Rice Award winner (Price placed third), helped lead the biggest turnaround in FCS this season as Villanova improved from 2-9 to 8-4 and won the Colonial Athletic Association automatic playoff bid.

 

The multi-talented quarterback who rushed for 1,021 yards and 14 touchdowns and passed for 1,965 yards and threw for 14 more scores, while throwing just seven interceptions.

 

Robertson, who took over as Villanova’s starting quarterback after a season-opening loss to Temple, went on to win CAA freshman of the year honors.

 

 

Appalachian State Central WR Sean Price

Price was one of a team-leading four Appalachian State players named to the squad, joining guard Shaq Counts, defensive end Davante Harris and wide receiver Malachi Jones.

 

Eastern Washington and North Dakota State had three players honored. Quarterback Vernon Adams, returnman Shaquille Hill and safety Jordan Tanani made the squad for the Eagles, while guard Josh Colville, punter Ben LeCompte and defensive tackle Brian Schaetz were selected for the Bison.

 

Cornell, Delaware, Indiana State, Montana, Northern Iowa and Southern Utah each placed two players on the squad. 

 

The Missouri Valley Conference led all leagues with 13 selections, followed by the Big Sky Conference with 10 honorees. All 13 FCS conferences were represented and 49 individual teams were honored.

 

The All-Freshman team was selected by a blue ribbon panel of FCS experts put together by College Sports Journal executive editor David Coulson and CSJ publisher and managing editor Chuck Burton.

 

Coulson has 36 years of experience covering college football, including 21 seasons of following FCS and has served as the executive editor and managing partner of College Sporting News and the executive director for The Sports Network, running its national awards program from 2007-2009.

 

He has had a hand in selecting honors teams at the FCS level since 2002 and is in the process of writing and compiling the first FCS encyclopedia.

 

Burton has been acclaimed for his Lehigh Football Nation blog and as a national columnist for College Sporting News in the past decade.

 

The College Sports Journal will announce its first All-America team, including offensive and defensive players of the year, coach of the year, lineman of the year and special teams player of the year on Thursday.

 

College Sports Journal

FRESHMAN ALL-AMERICA TEAM

 

CO-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR

 

Sean Price, Appalachian State, Wide Receiver 

John Robertson, Villanova, Quarterback

 

OFFENSE

 

Quarterback John Robertson, Villanova

Quarterback Sawyer Kollmorgen, Northern Iowa

Quarterback Josh Woodrum, Liberty

Quarterback Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington

Running Back Luke Hagy, Cornell

Running Back Jake Hutson, Valparaiso

Running Back Ryan Heaston, Missouri State

Fullback Emmanuel Holder, Towson

All-Purpose Back Johna’ Hebert, Prairie View A&M

All-Purpose Back Darius Ramsey, Western Carolina

Wide Receiver Sean Price, Appalachian State

Wide Receiver Jameer Jackson, North Dakota

Wide Receiver Larry Jones III, Charleston Southern

Wide Receiver D.J. Ward, Stephen F. Austin

Wide Receiver Malachi Jones, Appalachian State

Tight End Joe Bowens, Tennessee State

Tight End Sam Rohr, Northern Iowa

Offensive Tackle Ben Curtis, Delaware

Offensive Tackle Derek Chancellor, South Dakota

Offensive Tackle Adam Pasnik, Albany

Offensive Tackle Ethan Wirth, Southern Illinois

Offensive Guard Josh Colville, North Dakota State

Offensive Guard Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State

Offensive Guard Sedale Young, Richmond

Offensive Guard Shaq Counts, Appalachian State

Center Eric Thoni, Furman

Center Zach Wilk, Cornell

 

DEFENSE

 

Defensive End James Cowser, Southern Utah

Defensive End Damon Gresham-Chisholm, Howard

Defensive End Davante Harris, Appalachian State

Defensive End Michael Kozlakowski, Maine

Defensive End Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas

Defensive End Mark Thomas, The Citadel

Defensive End Connor Underwood, Indiana State

Defensive Tackle Daevonte Barnett, Wagner

Defensive Tackle Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State

Defensive Tackle Alex Mosley, James Madison

Defensive Tackle Brian Schaetz, North Dakota State

Linebacker Zak Browning, Southern Utah

Linebacker Alex Donnelly, Illinois State

Linebacker T.J. Lally, South Dakota State

Linebacker J.J. Raffelson, Western Illinois

Linebacker Luke Rhodes, William & Mary

Linebacker Elandon Roberts, Morgan State

Linebacker Jeff Williams, Delaware

Cornerback James Bradberry, Samford

Cornerback Marcelis Branch, Robert Morris

Cornerback Anthony Gaffney, Princeton

Cornerback Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State

Cornerback Aaron Matthews, Hampton

Cornerback Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central

Safety Terrick Colston, Delaware State

Safety Taison Manu, Idaho State

Safety Mark Sewall, Indiana State

Safety Jordan Tonani, Eastern Washington

 

SPECIAL TEAMS

 

Kick Returner Shaquille Hill, Eastern Washington

Kick Returner Khalif Raymond, Holy Cross

Punt Returner Jamel Smith, Lafayette

Return Specialist Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech

Kicker Chris Lider, Montana

Punter Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State

Punter Stephen Shaw, Montana

Long Snapper Jake Olson, Montana State

 

Conference Breakdown

 

Big Sky (10): Vernon Adams, Eastern Washington; Zak Browning, Southern Utah; James Cowser, Southern Utah; Shaquille Hill, Eastern Washington; Jameer Jackson, North Dakota; Chris Lider, Montana; Taison Manu, Idaho State; Jake Olson, Montana State; Stephen Shaw, Montana; Jordan Tonani, Eastern Washington.

 

Big South (2): Larry Jones III, Charleston Southern; Josh Woodrum, Liberty.

 

Colonial Athletic Association (8): Ben Curtis, Delaware; Emmanuel Holder, Towson; Michael Kozlakowski, Maine; Alex Mosley, James Madison; Luke Rhodes, William & Mary; John Robertson, Villanova; Jeff Williams, Delaware; Sedale Young, Richmond.

 

Ivy League (3): Anthony Gaffney, Princeton; Luke Hagy, Cornell; Zach Wilk, Cornell.

 

Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (6): Terrick Colston, Delaware State; Damon Gresham-Chisholm, Howard; Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State; Aaron Matthews, Hampton; Elandon Roberts, Morgan State; Ryan Smith, North Carolina Central.

 

Missouri Valley Football Conference (13): Derek Chancellor, South Dakota; Josh Colville, North Dakota State; Alex Donnelly, Illinois State; Ryan Heaston, Missouri State; Sawyer Kollmorgen, Northern Iowa; T.J. Lally, South Dakota State; Ben LeCompte, North Dakota State; J.J. Raffelson, Western Illinois; Sam Rohr, Northern Iowa; Brian Schaetz, North Dakota State; Mark Sewall, Indiana State; Connor Underwood, Indiana State; Ethan Wirth, Southern Illinois.

 

Northeast Conference (3): Daevonte Barnett, Wagner; Marcelis Branch, Robert Morris; Adam Pasnik, Albany.

 

Ohio Valley Conference (3): Joe Bowens, Tennessee State; Jermaine Hough, Jacksonville State; Ladarius Vanlier, Tennessee Tech.

 

Patriot League (2): Khalif Raymond, Holy Cross; Jamel Smith, Lafayette.

 

Pioneer Football League (1): Jake Hutson, Valparaiso.

 

Southern  Conference (8): James Bradberry, Samford; Shaq Counts, Appalachian State; Davante Harris, Appalachian State; Malachi Jones, Appalachian State; Sean Price, Appalachian State; Darius Ramsey, Western Carolina; Mark Thomas, The Citadel; Eric Thoni, Furman.

 

Southland Conference (3): Donald Jackson, Sam Houston State; D.J. Ward, Stephen F. Austin; Jonathan Woodard, Central Arkansas.

 

Southwestern Athletic Conference (1): Johna’ Hebert, Prairie View A&M.