BIG SOUTH RELEASE

KENNESAW, Ga.— Seventeen Kennesaw State Owls were honored on the 2017 Big South All-Conference football teams, which were announced Tuesday by the conference office. In addition, head coach Brian Bohannon garnered the prestigious Big South Coach of the Year honor, while the Owls had a league-high 10 first-team selections and seven second-team honorees.

Junior QB Chandler Burks received Offensive Player of the Year and Scholar-Athlete of the Year, while redshirt freshman LB Bryson Armstrong garnered Co-Freshman of the Year.

The first-team selections includes the following: Burks, junior WR Justin Sumpter, junior OL Zach Mitchler, junior OL CJ Collins, sophomore DL Desmond Johnson, Jr., Armstrong, junior LB Anthony Gore, Jr., senior LB Izzy Sam, junior DB Taylor Henkle, and junior K Justin Thompson.

Juniors Jake McKenzie (RB), Joseph Alexander, Jr. (OL), Ryan Warrior (OL), Drew McCracken (LS) and Jace White (DB), along with seniors Matt Frank (OL) and Tonarius Portress (DL) were named to the second team.

Engineering the number one rushing attack in the country (339.0), Burks ranks second in the country and tops the Big South Conference with 15 rushing touchdowns and is 10th nationally in scoring (8.2 ppg.). He has amassed 1,919 total yards (912 rushing, 1,007 passing) to rank fourth in the Big South in total offense, fourth in the conference in rushing (82.9 ypg.) and fifth in passing (91.5 ypg.).
 
Burks is a four-time Big South Conference Offensive Player of the Week selection this season, and was named a STATS FCS Walter Payton Award (FCS Offensive Player of the Year) Finalist earlier in the week.

Armstrong has made an immediate impact on the defensive side of the ball for the Owls as he leads KSU in tackles (82), solo tackles (63), tackles for loss (10) tackles for loss yardage (73), sacks (10), fumble recoveries (4), forced fumbles (3), and is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3) and blocked kicks (1). His fumble recovery total leads the country, while his sacks per game (0.91) and solo tackles per game (5.7) rank 11th and 15th, respectively.

Armstrong has garnered Freshman of the Week accolades four times, and earned Defensive Player of the Week honors following his performance in a 52-21 victory over Monmouth on Saturday. He was named a STATS FCS Jerry Rice (FCS Freshman of the Year) Finalist earlier in the week.

Burks and Armstrong join head coach Brian Bohannon, who on Monday was announced as a finalist for the STATS FCS Eddie Robinson Award, presented annually to the National Coach of the Year.

Under Bohannon's leadership, KSU has garnered a No. 18 national ranking after completing a 5-0 Big South Conference record and posting an undefeated regular season mark (6-0) at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
Kennesaw State became the second team since 2008 to reach the FCS playoffs in its third year, joining Old Dominion, which accomplished the feat in 2011.

The Big South's All-Conference teams were selected by a vote of league's head coaches. Kennesaw State had 11 selections in 2016 and four in 2015.

The Big South Champion Owls (10-1) remain in The Nest on Saturday when they host Samford (8-3) in the first round of the NCAA FCS D-I Playoffs. The game is scheduled to kickoff at 2 p.m. You can watch the game live on ESPN3 or heard on ESPN Radio 1230 and 106.3.

Below are the full teams announced by the Big South.

2017 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
 
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE                                                                      
QB    Chandler Burks, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
RB    Pete Guerriero, R-Fr., Monmouth
RB    Torrance Marable, Fr., Presbyterian College
WR   Reggie White Jr., R-Jr., Monmouth
WR   Antonio Gandy-Golden, Soph., Liberty
WR   Justin Sumpter, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
TE    Jake Powell, R-Soph., Monmouth
OL    Alex Thompson, Sr., Monmouth
OL    Zach Mitchler, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
OL    C.J. Collins, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
OL    Frank Cirone, Sr., Charleston Southern
OL    Ryan Wetzel, R-Jr., Monmouth
 
DEFENSE
DL    Anthony Ellis, Sr., Charleston Southern
DL    Johnny Robinson, Jr., Charleston Southern
DL    Solomon Brown, R-Jr., Charleston Southern
DL    Desmond Johnson, R-Soph., Kennesaw State
LB    Bryson Armstrong, R-Fr., Kennesaw State
LB    Kenyatta Dunbar, Sr., Gardner-Webb
LB    Anthony Gore Jr., R-Jr., Kennesaw State
LB    Izzy Sam, R-Sr., Kennesaw State
DB    Mike Basile, Sr., Monmouth
DB    Rock Ya-Sin, Jr., Presbyterian
DB    Taylor Henkle, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
DB    Teddie Martinez, R-Sr., Monmouth
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK    Justin Thompson, Jr., Kennesaw State
P      Kyle Reighard, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
LS    Hunter Winstead, Gr., Liberty
KR    Pete Guerriero, R-Fr., Monmouth
PR    Kamau Dumas, R-Sr., Monmouth
 
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE                                                                      
QB    Stephen Calvert, Soph., Liberty
RB    Carrington Mosley, R-Sr., Liberty
RB    Jake McKenzie, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
WR   Kameron Brown, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
WR   B.J. Farrow, R-Jr., Liberty
WR   DaShawn Davis, Jr., Presbyterian
OL    Joseph Alexander Jr., R-Jr., Kennesaw State
OL    Ryan Warrior, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
OL    Matt Frank, R-Sr., Kennesaw State
OL    Matt Stoneberg, R-Sr., Monmouth
OL    Dontae Duff, R-Soph., Liberty
 
DEFENSE
DL    Tonarius Portress, Sr., Kennesaw State
DL    Juwan Wells, Jr., Liberty
DL    Manny Maragoto, R-Sr., Monmouth
DL    Josh Ramseur, R-Jr., Gardner-Webb
LB    Grant Beidel, R-Sr., Presbyterian
LB    J.D. Sosebee, R-Soph., Charleston Southern
LB    Zane Cruz, Sr., Charleston Southern
LB    Solomon McGinty, Gr., Liberty
DB    Shadarius Hopkins, Jr., Charleston Southern
DB    Jeremy Peters, Jr., Liberty
DB    Jace White, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
DB    Tymere Berry, R-Soph., Monmouth
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK    Alex Probert, Soph., Liberty
P      Trey Turner, Gr., Liberty
LS    Drew McCracken, Jr., Kennesaw State
KR    Frankie Hickson, R-Soph., Liberty
PR    Taz Lindsey, Jr., Charleston Southern
 
 ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
James Allen, DB, Jr., Charleston Southern
Will Millikan, OL, Jr., Gardner-Webb
Chandler Burks, QB, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
Hunter Winstead, LS, Gr., Liberty
Mike Basile, DB, Sr., Monmouth
Elijah Turner, DB, Soph., Presbyterian
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Chandler Burks, QB, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
 
CO-DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Mike Basile, DB, Sr., Monmouth
Anthony Ellis, DL, Sr., Charleston Southern
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Justin Thompson, PK, Jr., Kennesaw State
 
C0-FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Bryson Armstrong, LB, R-Fr., Kennesaw State
Pete Guerriero, RB, R-Fr., Monmouth
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Brian Bohannon, Kennesaw State
 
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
Chandler Burks, QB, R-Jr., Kennesaw State
 
Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
 
Keep up with Kennesaw State Athletics by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook. You also can follow Kennesaw State football at @KennesawSTFB and The Owls fund on Twitter at @TheOwlsFund.

--#GoKSUOwls-- 
 

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