WACO, Texas – Benedict College senior defensive lineman
Loobert Denelus and junior defensive lineman
Jayden Broughton were both named to the American Football Coaches Association All-America Team, the AFCA announced.
Denelus, a first-team selection in 2022, was named to the second team. Broughton was also named to the second team.
Denelus becomes the first Benedict football player to be named AFCA All-American in back-to-back years. This year he finished with 47 total tackles, 18 tackles for loss for -81 yards and 10 sacks for -57 yards. He ranked 17
th in the NCAA in sacks per game (0.83) and 23
rd in tackles for loss per game (1.5). He is the two-time SIAC Defensive Player of the Year and was recently named to the D2 Conference Commissioner's Association All-Region Team.
Broughton earns AFCA All-American honors for the first time. This season he finished with 56 total tackles, 10.5 sacks for -76 yards and 24 tackles for loss for -114 yards. He was also named to the D2 CCA All-Region Team.
The pair were the leaders of a Benedict defense that leads Division II in points allowed per game (10.7). Benedict also ranks first in team sacks (4.08 per game), and red zone defense (0.538). Benedict ranks second in team tackles for loss (10.2 per game), passing yards allowed (137.1 yards per game) and fifth in total defense (236.8 yards per game).
Benedict finished the season 11-1, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II football championship for the second year in a row. The Tigers won the SIAC championship for the second year in a row and went undefeated during the regular season.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
The AFCA's Division II All-America Selection Committee is made up of three head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the teams are chosen.
2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America - First Team
Offense
| Po |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
| QB |
Zach Zebrowski |
6-2 |
208 |
R-Jr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Woodbury, Minn. (East Ridge) |
| RB |
Shen Butler-Lawson |
6-0 |
215 |
Jr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Augusta, Ga. (Waynesville) |
| RB |
Chris Collier |
6-0 |
200 |
Gr. |
Lock Haven (Pa.) |
Dan Mulrooney |
Elmhurst, N.Y. (Lawrence) |
| WR |
Kyle Sheets |
6-4 |
220 |
Sr. |
Slippery Rock (Pa.) |
Shawn Lutz |
Springboro, Pa. (Conneaut Area) |
| WR |
Max McLeod |
6-3 |
200 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Seattle, Wash. (Bainbridge) |
| TE |
Devon Garrison |
6-6 |
240 |
Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright |
Elk River, Minn. (Elk River) |
| OL |
Garrett Carroll |
6-5 |
315 |
Sr. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Scott Wooster |
Fort Wayne, Ind. (Snider) |
| OL |
Robert Dunham |
6-3 |
285 |
Sr. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
Scott Maxfield |
Nashville, Ark. (Nashville) |
| OL |
Devin Hannan |
6-4 |
293 |
Gr. |
Valdosta St. (Ga.) |
Tremaine Jackson |
Belle Vernon, Pa. (Belle Vernon) |
| OL |
Leondre Andreas |
6-3 |
305 |
So. |
Mars Hill (N.C.) |
Tim Clifton |
St. Croix, U.S. Virgin Islands (Colonial) |
| OL |
Blake Larson |
6-7 |
300 |
Sr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Brandon, S.D. (Brandon Valley) |
Defense
| Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
| DL |
John McMullen |
6-0 |
255 |
Gr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Kankakee, Ill. (Kankakee) |
| DL |
Marquise Fleming |
6-1 |
235 |
R-Jr. |
Wingate (N.C.) |
Joe Reich |
Charlotte, N.C. (Olympic) |
| DL |
Nathaniel Wallace |
6-2 |
255 |
Sr. |
Harding (Ark.) |
Paul Simmons |
Bryant, Ark. (Bryant) |
| DL |
Eddie Miller-Garrett |
6-3 |
225 |
R-Sr. |
Ohio Dominican |
Kelly Cummings |
Newark, N.J. (Newark Collegiate Academy) |
| LB |
Salvatore Lupoli Jr. |
5-11 |
220 |
Jr. |
Bentley (Mass.) |
Saj Thakkar |
Chelmsford, Mass. (Chelmsford) |
| LB |
Micah Cretsinger |
6-2 |
240 |
Jr. |
Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) |
Ryan Brady |
Jackson, Mich. (Jackson) |
| LB |
Garrett Cox |
5-11 |
230 |
R-Jr. |
Millersville (Pa.) |
J.C. Morgan |
Avondale, Pa. (Kennett) |
| DB |
Tanner Volk |
6-1 |
175 |
Jr. |
Central Washington |
Chris Fisk |
Portland, Ore. (Aloha) |
| DB |
Willie Drew |
6-0 |
185 |
Gr. |
Virginia St. |
Henry Frazier, III |
Smithfield, Va. (Smithfield) |
| DB |
Mikael King |
5-10 |
175 |
So. |
Tuskegee (Ala.) |
Aaron James |
Tuskegee, Ala. (Booker T. Washington) |
| DB |
Melvin Smith Jr. |
6-0 |
185 |
Jr. |
Southern Arkansas |
Brad Smiley |
Bossier City, La. (Airline) |
Specialists
| Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
| PK |
Eric Scarpino |
5-9 |
195 |
R-Sr. |
Gannon (Pa.) |
Erik Raeburn |
Waterford, Pa. (Fort LeBoeuf) |
| P |
Aaron Winn |
6-1 |
190 |
Sr. |
Arkansas Tech |
Kyle Shipp |
Summerville, S.C. (Cane Bay) |
| AP |
Dev Holmes |
5-9 |
175 |
Gr. |
New Haven (Conn.) |
Chris Pincince |
Troy, N.Y. (Troy) |
*-2022 AFCA All-American
2023 AFCA Division II Coaches' All-America - Second Team
Offense
| Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
| QB |
John Matocha |
5-11 |
180 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Magnolia, Tex. (Magnolia West) |
| RB |
Jordan Terrell |
5-10 |
210 |
Jr. |
Barton (N.C.) |
Chip Hester |
Ramseur, N.C. (Eastern Randolph) |
| RB |
Kendel Givens |
5-9 |
215 |
Jr. |
Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) |
Todd Knight |
Little Rock, Ark. (Little Rock Christian) |
| WR |
John Jiles |
6-3 |
205 |
Sr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Wake Forest, N.C. (Wake Forest) |
| WR |
Arkell Smith |
6-1 |
194 |
R-Sr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Carthage, Mo. (Carthage) |
| TE |
Mike Rigerman |
6-2 |
260 |
Sr. |
Findlay (Ohio) |
Kory Allen |
Arcade, N.Y. (Pioneer) |
| OL |
Treyvon Cahalan |
6-2 |
295 |
Gr. |
Minnesota-Duluth |
Curt Wiese |
Champlin, Minn. (Champlin Park) |
| OL |
Hunter Willis |
6-2 |
320 |
Sr. |
Harding (Ark.) |
Paul Simmons |
Kimberly, Ala. (Mortimer Jordan) |
| OL |
Jacob Bruce |
6-4 |
290 |
R-Sr. |
West Florida |
Kaleb Nobles |
Gainesville, Fla. (Buchholz) |
| OL |
*Trase Jeffries |
6-4 |
322 |
R-Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright |
Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow) |
| OL |
Gabe Clark |
6-5 |
313 |
R-Jr. |
Central Missouri |
Josh Lamberson |
Lawrence, Kan. (Free State) |
Defense
| Pos |
Name |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Cl. |
School |
Coach |
Hometown (High School) |
| DL |
Maven Kretche |
6-6 |
265 |
Jr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Sun Prairie, Wis. (Sun Prairie) |
| DL |
Christian McCarroll |
6-4 |
260 |
Sr. |
Grand Valley St. (Mich.) |
Scott Wooster |
Barberton, Ohio (Barberton) |
| DL |
*Loobert Denelus |
6-0 |
255 |
Sr. |
Benedict (S.C.) |
Chennis Berry |
Naples, Fla. (Naples) |
| DL |
Jayden Broughton |
6-2 |
230 |
Jr. |
Benedict (S.C.) |
Chennis Berry |
Monks Corner, S.C. (Berkeley) |
| LB |
Gary Lewis |
6-2 |
215 |
R-So. |
Henderson St. (Ark.) |
Scott Maxfield |
Fordyce, Ark. (Fordyce) |
| LB |
Landon Honeycutt |
6-2 |
225 |
So. |
Mars Hill (N.C.) |
Tim Clifton |
Mount Pleasant, N.C. (Mount Pleasant) |
| LB |
Nolan Reeve |
6-2 |
220 |
R-Sr. |
Colorado School of Mines |
Pete Sterbick |
Mission Viejo, Calif. (Capistrano Valley) |
| DB |
Peyton Buckley |
6-1 |
205 |
Jr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Rice Lake, Wis. (Rice Lake) |
| DB |
Rico Payton |
6-0 |
182 |
R-Sr. |
Pittsburg St. (Kan.) |
Brian Wright St. |
Louis, Mo. (Lindbergh) |
| DB |
Andrew Pitts |
5-9 |
156 |
R-So. |
Angelo St. (Tex.) |
Jeff Girsch |
McKinney, Tex. (McKinney) |
| DB |
Shon Stephens |
6-0 |
180 |
Sr. |
Ferris St. (Mich.) |
Tony Annese |
Bakersfield, Calif. (Ridgeview) |
Specialists
| PK |
Logan Turner |
5-9 |
200 |
Jr. |
Southwest Baptist (Mo.) |
Robert Clardy |
Bentonville, Ark. (Bentonville) |
| P |
Avery Book |
5-10 |
190 |
Jr. |
Augustana (S.D.) |
Jerry Olszewski |
Ironton, Ohio (Ironton) |
| AP |
#Trey Vaval |
6-0 |
170 |
Sr. |
Minnesota St. |
Todd Hoffner |
Blue Springs, Mo. (Blue Springs South) |
*-2022 AFCA All-American #-2019 AFCA All-American
