VALDOSTA, Ga. – Four Benedict College football players have been named to the NCAA Division II Conference Commissioner's Association All Super Region Two team.
 
Named to the first team were offensive lineman Roger Smith, defensive lineman Loobert Denelus, and cornerback Ja'Voni Melidor. Defensive lineman Jayden Broughton was named to the second team.
 
The first team selections will move onto the national ballot for All-America consideration as the D2CCA All-America Teams are scheduled to be announced Thursday, Dec. 14, just prior to the national championship game on Dec. 16 in McKinney, Texas.
 
Smith, a sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio, was the leader of a Benedict offensive line that paved the way for a Benedict offense that averaged 423.6 yards of offense per game. Benedict as a team gave up just 10 sacks in 11 games.
 
Denelus earns All-Region honors for the second year in a row. The two-time SIAC Defensive Player of the Year ranks ninth in NCAA in sacks per game, and 14th in tackles for loss per game. He is a leader of a Benedict defense that ranks 1st in NCAA in points allowed (10.7 per game), fifth in total defense, second in team sacks, second in team tackles for loss, and was a 2022 AFCA first team All-American. He is a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, presented to the top offensive or defensive lineman in Division II.
 
Melidor was named first-team All-SIAC after recording four interceptions during the 2023 season. He ranks second in SIAC and 43rd in NCAA with 0.4 interceptions per game.
 
Broughton earns second-team All-Region honors after being named first team All-SIAC. He ranks sixth in NCAA in tackles for loss per game (2.0), and 15th in sacks per game (0.88). He was a key member of a Benedict defense that ranks first in scoring defense, fifth in total defense, second in team sacks, and second in team tackles for loss.