New Orleans, La. – Coastal Carolina football had three players earn all-conference accolades and a total of seven players receive postseason conference recognition, as the Sun Belt Conference offense announced the 2018 Sun Belt All-Conference football teams and end of the year awards on Thursday, Nov. 29.
Sophomore defensive end Jeffrey Gunter earned a spot on the All-Sun Belt first team, while both defensive end Tarron Jackson and place-kicker Massimo Biscardi were both named to the all-conference third team.
Offensive lineman Trey Carter, linebacker Silas Kelly, long snapper Connor Kubalaand wide receiver Malcolm Williams were all named honorable mention.
CCU’s first-ever first-team All-Sun Belt football selection, Gunter was the defensive leader up front all season long, starting and playing in all 12 games this season on the defensive line. Named a top-20 finalist for the 2018 Blanchard-Rogers Award – the Heisman Trophy of South Carolina awarded by the South Carolina Football Hall of Fame – Gunter led the team and ranked fourth in the Sun Belt with 14.0 tackles for loss, an average of 1.2 per game. His 14.0 tackles for loss this season were the second-most in CCU single-season history and is just 2.0 TFL behind the single-season school record of 16.0 set back in 2003.
A member of the Team Leadership Council this season, Gunter also led the team and ranked fifth in the conference in sacks with 5.0 on the year. He totaled 49 tackles, five quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and forced a fumble this season from his defensive end spot. He also blocked what would have been the game-tying field goal versus UAB (Sept. 8) in the third quarter with the Chants up 27-24. The block spearheaded a 20-0 fourth quarter for the Chants, who pulled away for the double-digit win over the Blazers in CCU’s home opener.
Jackson, who is also a member of the Team Leadership Council, was named to the third team. He played and started all 12 games this season for the Chants at defensive end, despite battling through a leg injury all season long. The sophomore was second on the team and fifth overall in the Sun Belt in tackles for loss with 11.0 on the year, an average of 0.92 per game. He totaled 58 tackles on the season, including 3.0 sacks, and was tied with Gunter for the team-lead with five quarterback hurries. 2018 was a breakout season, as his 58 total tackles and 11.0 tackles for loss were both more than he had over his first two seasons combined at Coastal in 2016 and ’17.
Joining Jackson on the third team was Biscardi. A Lou Groza Award semifinalist for the top place-kicker in the nation, Biscardi made an immediate impact in his first year for the Chants, leading the team in scoring with 72 points on the season. He ranked eighth in the Sun Belt in total points (72), having scored at least one point in all 12 games on the season, an average of 6.0 points per game, which ranked in the top-10 in the Sun Belt.
He was second in the Sun Belt and 28th nationally in field goal percentage, making 13-of-16 attempts (81.3 percent), which included a career-long 50-yard field goal in the win at Louisiana (Sept. 22) and the game-winning field goal at Georgia State (Oct. 27). The true freshman made good on each of his first eight field goal attempts (8-for-8) to start his career, a CCU record. He also became the first true freshman in CCU history to make three field goals in a single game, doing it twice this year at South Carolina (Sept. 1) and at Georgia State.
For the second-straight season, both Carter and Kelly earned honorable mention honors, while Williams was recognized for the second consecutive year after receiving third-team recognition last season. It is Kubala’s first Sun Belt postseason honor, but his second all-conference accolade overall.
A member of the Team Leadership Council, Carter started and played all 12 games for the Chants up front on the offensive line. The Chants’ offense led the Sun Belt and ranked 15th nationally in time of possession (32:47); and ranked second in the conference and 29th nationally in red zone offense, scoring on 34-of-38 (89.5 percent) attempts in the red zone. Carter helped to clear the way for a rushing attack that ranked in the top four of the Sun Belt all season long and finished the regular season ranked fourth in the Sun Belt in rushing with 198.7 yards per game.
CCU’s offense also ranked first in the Sun Belt and 12th nationally in fourth-down conversion percentage at 68.8 percent and third in the conference in third-down conversion percentage (42.2). The sophomore was the top-graded offensive lineman in games versus Campbell, Louisiana, Troy, ULM, UMass, and Arkansas State, while tying for the team honor versus South Carolina, UAB, App State and Georgia Southern.
Kelly, also a Team Leadership Council member, was second on the team with 60 tackles and 5.5 tackles per game, despite missing almost a full two games due to an injury. The sophomore linebacker started the season off with a team-high eight tackles at South Carolina (Sept. 1) and at home versus UAB (Sept. 8). He also had a team-high eight stops in the game at Troy (Sept. 29) and came back from an injury to total a team-high nine tackles versus Georgia Southern (Nov. 17).
Named to the 2018 Google Cloud Academic All-District (District 4) first team by CoSIDA, Kelly recorded six tackles or more in seven games on the season at his linebacker position and registered 3.0 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, a fumble recovery and three pass breakups on the year.
A 2017 third-team All-Sun Belt selection, Williams earned honorable mention honors this season. Williams became just the 10th player in CCU history to record 1,000 career receiving yards with his first catch of the game at Troy (Sept. 29) and ranks sixth all-time in CCU history with 1,534 career receiving yards.
The senior caught a pass in 11-of-12 games this season and was CCU’s top receiver with a team-high 47 catches for 724 yards and five touchdowns. Williams ranked in the top-10 in the Sun Belt in total receiving yards (724), receiving yards per game (60.3), yards per catch (15.40) and receiving touchdowns (5) on the year. His season-high 153 receiving yards in the win at UMass (Oct. 20) and 109 yards in the season finale at South Alabama (Nov. 23) gives him four 100-yard receiving games in his career at Coastal, which ranks fourth all-time.
Kubala, who was named to the CCU Transition Committee all-conference second team in 2016, snapped for every field goal, punt and point after attempt in all 12 games in 2018.
The senior played in 42 games in his four-year career at CCU, missing five games last year in 2017 due to a shoulder injury, and did not record a single bad snap in his entire career as CCU’s long snapper. In fact, Kubala has delivered the snap on each of CCU’s last made three 50-yard field goals and each of the three longest punts in program history (65, 64 and 59).
This season he helped Biscardi rank second in the Sun Belt in field goals made on the year with 13, while punter Charles Ouverson ranked third in the conference in punting average at 43.1 yards per punt. Ouverson’s average of 43.1 yards per punt this season ranks second all-time in CCU single-season history.
2018 Sun Belt All-Conference Football Teams
Player of the Year: Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, QB, RS-Senior)
Offensive Player of the Year: Zac Thomas (Appalachian State, QB, Sophomore)
Defensive Player of the Year: Ronheen Bingham (Arkansas State, DE, Senior)
Newcomer of the Year: Kirk Merrit (Arkansas State, WR, Junior)
Freshman of the Year: Marcel Murray (Arkansas State, RB, Freshman)
Coach of the Year: Scott Satterfield (Appalachian State)
First Team Offense
QB – Justice Hansen (Arkansas State, RS-Senior)
RB – Darrynton Evans (Appalachian State, Sophomore)
RB – B.J. Smith (Troy, Junior)
WR – Kirk Merrit (Arkansas State, Junior)
WR – Marcus Green (ULM, Senior)
WR – Damion Willis (Troy, Senior)
TE – Keenen Brown (Texas State, Senior)
OL – Victor Johnson (Appalachian State, Junior)
OL – Lanard Bonner (Arkansas State, Senior)
OL – Curtis Rainey (Georgia Southern, Senior)
OL – Kevin Dotson (Louisiana, Junior)
OL – Kirk Kelley (Troy, Junior)
First Team Defense
DL – MyQuon Stout (Appalachian State, Senior)
DL – Ronheen Bingham (Arkansas State, Senior)
DL – Jeffrey Gunter (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore)
DL – Trevon Sanders (Troy, Senior)
LB – Jordan Fehr (Appalachian State, Junior)
LB – Bryan London II (Texas State, Junior)
LB – Hunter Reese (Troy, Senior)
DB – Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, Junior)
DB – Desmond Franklin (Appalachian State, Junior)
DB – Justin Clifton (Arkansas State, Senior)
DB – Kindle Vildor (Georgia Southern, Junior)
DB – Cedarius Rookard (Troy, Senior)
First Team Special Teams
K – Tyler Bass (Georgia Southern, Junior)
P – Brandon Wright (Georgia State, Junior)
RS – Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore)
AP – Marcus Green (ULM, Senior)
Second Team Offense
QB – Zac Thomas (Appalachian State, Sophomore)
RB – Elijah Mitchell (Louisiana, Sophomore)
RB – Wesley Fields (Georgia Southern, Senior)
WR – Corey Sutton (Appalachian State, Sophomore)
WR – Justin McInnis (Arkansas State, Senior)
WR – Jamarius Way (South Alabama, Senior)
TE – Javonis Isaac (Arkansas State, Sophomore)
OL – Chandler Greer (Appalachian State, Senior)
OL – Noah Hannon (Appalachian State, Sophomore)
OL – Jeremiah Culbreth (Georgia Southern, Senior)
OL – Robert Hunt (Louisiana, Junior)
OL – Deontae Crumitie (Troy, Senior)
Second Team Defense
DL – William Bradley-King (Arkansas State, Sophomore)
DL – Forrest Merrill (Arkansas State, Junior)
DL – Raymond Johnson (Georgia Southern, Sophomore)
DL – Tyree Turner (South Alabama, Junior)
LB – Akeem Davis-Gaither (Appalachian State, Junior)
LB – David Griffith (ULM, Senior)
LB – Bull Barge (South Alabama, Senior)
LB – Tron Folsom (Troy, Junior)
DB – Jerry Jacobs (Arkansas State, Sophomore)
DB – Monquavion Brinson (Georgia Southern, Junior)
DB – Nigel Lawrence (South Alabama, Senior)
DB – Marcus Jones (Troy, Sophomore)
Second Team Special Teams
K – Tyler Sumpter (Troy, Sophomore)
P – Cody Grace (Arkansas State, Junior)
RS – Tra Minter (South Alabama, Junior)
AP – Tra Minter (South Alabama, Junior)
Third Team Offense
QB – Caleb Evans (ULM, Junior)
RB – Marcel Murray (Arkansas State, Freshman)
RB – Trey Ragas (Louisiana, Sophomore)
WR – Penny Hart (Georgia State, Junior)
WR – Ja’Marcus Bradley (Louisiana, Junior)
WR – Deondre Douglas (Troy, Senior)
TE – Collin Reed (Appalachian State, Junior)
OL – Hunter Atkinson (Georgia State, Junior)
OL – T.J. Fiailoa (ULM, Sophomore)
OL – Bobby Reynolds (ULM, Junior)
OL – Tristan Crowder (Troy, Junior)
OL – J.l. Gaston (Troy, Junior)
Third Team Defense
DL – Tarron Jackson (Coastal Carolina, Sophomore)
DL – Logan Hunt (Georgia Southern, Senior)
DL – Zi’Yon Hill (Louisiana, Freshman)
DL – Antione Barker (Troy, Junior)
DL – Jarvis Hayes (Troy, Junior)
LB – Anthony Flory (Appalachian State, Senior)
LB – Jacques Boudreaux (Louisiana, Junior)
LB – Nikolas Daniels (Texas State, Junior)
DB – Tae Hayes (Appalachian State, Senior)
DB – Darreon Jackson (Arkansas State, Junior)
DB – Blace Brown (Troy, Senior)
DB – Tyler Murray (Troy, Sophomore)
Third Team Special Teams
K – Massimo Biscardi (Coastal Carolina, Freshman)
P – Tyler Sumpter (Troy, Sophomore)
RS – Clifton Duck (Appalachian State, Junior)
AP – Darrynton Evans (Appalachian State, Sophomore)
