By: By Jake Dorow
KENNESAW, Ga. – Kennesaw State's junior QB
Chandler Burks and junior OL
Zach Mitchler were named to the Associated Press FCS All-America third team, announced Tuesday, Dec. 12, by a national panel of sports writers.
Burks and Mitchler became the first members in KSU's program history to be named All-Americas after guiding the Owls to new heights, finishing the season 12-2 overall, Big South Champions and reaching the FCS Playoffs quarterfinals.
"What a tremendous honor for Chandler and Zach to be named on the FCS All-America Team," said head coach
Brian Bohannon. "With great team success, individual honors follow and both Chandler and Zach have displayed true character on and off the field to help the Owls reach new heights in 2017."
Burks, a Douglasville, Ga., native, led the Big South in scoring (108 pts), rushing attempts (255), rushing TDs (18), rushing yards (1,103), second in total offense TDs (27), and fourth in total offense (172.1ypg). He was a four-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week, a CFPA National Performer of the Year Midseason Watch List and Walter Payton Award Watch List winner. Burks became the first quarterback in Big South history to rush for 1,000 yards and pass for 1,000 yards in a single season and accounted for a KSU-record 27 touchdowns for a single season.
Mitchler, a Calhoun, Ga., native, is one of two Owls to have started in all 36 career games at Kennesaw State. He was named to the Big South's first team All-Conference selection after helping guide the nation's top rushing team (330.2ypg), leading the Owls to top 300 or more rushing yards in 11 of the 14 games. Kennesaw State ranks No. 1 in the FCS in rushing offense (330.2), No. 8 in time of possession (33:22), second in the Big South in scoring (30.1), and first in the league in total offense (301.4ypg). He also helped KSU rush for a Big South single-season record 4,623 yards -- the first team in league history with 4,000 yards on the ground in a campaign.
2017 ASSOCIATED PRESS FCS ALL-AMERICA TEAM
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Chris Streveler, senior, South Dakota.
Running backs — Dominick Bragalone, junior, Lehigh; Josh Mack, sophomore, Maine.
Linemen — Brandon Parker, senior, North Carolina A&T;
Austin Kuhnert, senior, North Dakota State; Jacob Ohnesorge, senior, South Dakota State; Aaron Stinnie, senior, James Madison; Justin Lea, senior, Jacksonville State.
Tight end — Dallas Goedert, senior, South Dakota State.
Receivers — Keelan Doss, junior, UC Davis; Davion Davis, junior, Sam Houston State.
All-purpose player — John Santiago, junior, North Dakota.
Kicker — Trey Tuttle, freshman, Weber State.
DEFENSE
Linemen — Andrew Ankrah, senior, James Madison; Jonathan Petersen, senior, San Diego; Darius Jackson, senior, Jacksonville State; P.J. Hall, senior, Sam Houston State.
Linebackers — Brett Taylor, senior, Western Illinois; Darius Leonard, senor, South Carolina State;
Nick DeLuca, senior, North Dakota State.
Backs — Mike Basile, senior, Monmouth; George Odum, senior, Central Arkansas; Taron Johnson, senior, Weber State; Jordan Brown, senior, James Madison.
Punter — Joe Zema, senior, Incarnate Word.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Jeremiah Briscoe, senior, Sam Houston State.
Running backs — Roc Thomas, senior, Jacksonville State; Zane Dudek, freshman, Yale.
Linemen — Stetson Dagel, senior, South Dakota; John Cook, junior, Central Arkansas; Timon Parris, senior, Stony Brook; Ben Huss, senior, Duquesne; Matthew Schmidt, senior, Furman.
Tight end — Andrew Vollert, senior, Weber State.
Receivers — Neil O'Connor, junior, New Hampshire; Jaelon Acklin, senior, Western Illinois.
All-purpose player — Elijah Marks, senior, Northern Arizona.
Kicker — Gunnar Raborn, junior, McNeese State.
DEFENSE
Linemen — Anthony Ellis, senior, Charleston Southern; Ahmad Gooden, junior, Samford; Jaison Williams, sophomore, Austin Peay; Abdullah Anderson, senior, Bucknell.
Linebackers — Matthew Oplinger, senior, Yale; Jared Farley, senior, Northern Iowa; Brandon Bryant, senior, Lafayette.
Backs — Marlon Bridges, sophomore, Jacksonville State; Phillip Parham, senior, senior, Lafayette; Davontae Harris, senior, Illinois State; Rashad Robinson, junior, James Madison.
Punter — Ian Berryman, junior, Western Carolina.
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Chandler Burks, junior, Kennesaw State.
Running backs — De'Lance Turner, senior, Alcorn State; Detrez Newsome, senior, Western Carolina.
Linemen — Skyler Phillips, senior, Idaho State;
Zach Mitchler, junior, Kennesaw State; Alex Thompson, senior, Monmouth; Iosua Opeta, junior, Weber State; Ross Demmel, junior, Wofford.
Tight end — Ross Dwelley, senior, San Diego.
Receivers — Nathan Stewart, sophomore, Sam Houston State; Justin Watson, senior, Penn.
All-purpose player — Khris Gardin, senior, North Carolina A&T.
Kicker — Lorran Fonseca, junior, Nicholls State.
DEFENSE
Linemen — Darin Greenfield, sophomore, South Dakota; Chris Terrell, sophomore, Central Arkansas; Ben Sorensen, senior, Sacramento State; Nick Wheeler, sophomore, Colgate.
Linebackers — Garrett Dolan, senior, Houston Baptist; Thomas Costigan, junior, Bryant; Christian Rozeboom, sophomore, South Dakota State.
Backs — Elijah Campbell, sophomore, Northern Iowa; Franklin McCain III, redshirt freshman, North Carolina A&T; Tremon Smith, senior, Central Arkansas; Davanta Reynolds, junior, North Carolina Central.
Punter — Austin Barnard, senior, Samford.
VOTING PANEL
John Bohnenkamp, The Hawk Eye, Burlington, Iowa; George Madia, Daily News-Record, Harrisonburg, Virginia; Kevin Gore, Nacogdoches (Louisiana) Daily; Gene Henley, Times Free Press, Chattanooga, Tennessee; Jeff Kolpack, KFGO, Fargo, North Dakota; Colter Nuanez, Skyline Sports, Bozeman, Montana; Teddy Renois, Daily Comet, Thibodaux, Louisiana; Justin Rust, Journal Gazette & Times Courier, Mattoon, Illinois; Damien Sordelett, The (Lynchburg, Virginia) News & Advance; Donal Ware, DW Communications, Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina.
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--
