By Dennis Switzer, Sports Information Director Benedict,
WACO, TEXAS — Benedict College defensive lineman Loobert Denelus has been named to the 2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America Team, announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
Denelus becomes the first Tiger in school history to be named a First Team AFCA All-American, and just the second player ever to be named an AFCA All-American. Travionte Brown was a second team selection at defensive back in 2018.
Denelus, a junior, ranks as one of the nation’s leaders in sacks (11th) and tackles for loss (34th). He was one of the leaders of the Benedict defense that ranks among the nation’s best in 2022. Benedict ranks fourth in scoring defense (12.9), third in passing yards allowed per game (135.1), and seventh in total defense (248.2). The Tigers led Division II in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (.130) and were third in third-down conversion defense (.248).
Benedict finished the season 11-1, advancing to the second round of the NCAA Division II football championship. The Tigers won the SIAC championship for the first time in school history 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.
2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America – First Team
| First Team-Offense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| QB | *Tyson Bagent | 6-3 | 210 | Sr. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | Ernie McCook | Martinsburg, W.Va. (Martinsburg) |
| RB | Jada Byers | 5-7 | 180 | So. | Virginia Union | Alvin Parker | Hammonton, N.J. (St. Joseph’s) |
| RB | *TJ Cole | 6-0 | 185 | Sr. | Ouachita Baptist (Ark.) | Todd Knight | Texarkana, Tex. (Pleasant Grove) |
| WR | Jarod Bowie | 5-9 | 160 | Jr. | Concord (W.Va.) | Dave Walker | Martinsburg, W.Va. (Martinsburg) |
| WR | Marquis Gray | 5-9 | 165 | Jr. | Southeastern Oklahoma St. | Tyler Fenwick | Tyler, Tex. (Lee) |
| TE | Ty Snelson | 6-2 | 250 | Sr. | Mars Hill (N.C.) | Tim Clifton | Hot Springs, N.C. (Madison County) |
| OL | Gottlieb Ayedze | 6-5 | 300 | Jr. | Frostburg St. (Md.) | Eric Wagoner | Germantown, Md. (Northwest) |
| OL | Quinton Barrow | 6-6 | 331 | Sr. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | Matt Mitchell | Romulus, Mich. (Romulus) |
| OL | Trase Jeffries | 6-4 | 268 | R-Jr. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | Brian Wright | Broken Arrow, Okla. (Broken Arrow) |
| OL | Matt Armendariz | 6-2 | 305 | R-Sr. | Colorado School of Mines | Brandon Moore | Austin, Tex. (Lake Travis) |
| OL | *Brent Laing | 6-4 | 294 | Gr. | Minnesota-Duluth | Curt Wiese | Lakeville, Minn. (North) |
| First Team-Defense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DL | Caleb Murphy | 6-4 | 245 | Sr. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | Tony Annese | Dowagiac, Mich. (Dowagiac) |
| DL | Loobert Denelus | 6-0 | 255 | Jr. | Benedict (S.C.) | Chennis Berry | Naples, Fla. (Naples) |
| DL | Trey Botts | 6-3 | 281 | Sr. | Colorado St.-Pueblo | John Wristen | Aurora, Colo. (Lutheran) |
| DL | Ian Marshall | 6-1 | 270 | Gr. | Northern St. (S.D.) | Mike Schmidt | Springfield, Mo. (Glendale) |
| LB | Daron Allman | 6-1 | 230 | Jr. | Angelo St. (Tex.) | Jeff Girsch | Killeen, Tex. (Shoemaker) |
| LB | Michael Ayers | 6-2 | 220 | Sr. | Ashland (Ohio) | Lee Owens | Columbus, Ohio (Walnut Ridge) |
| LB | Jaylin Parnell | 6-0 | 215 | Sr. | Western Oregon | Arne Ferguson | Medford, Ore. (South Medford) |
| LB | Michael Anderson | 6-0 | 206 | Gr. | West Alabama | Brett Gilliland | Chatom, Ala. (Washington County) |
| DB | Nick Whiteside | 6-1 | 200 | Sr. | Saginaw Valley St. (Mich.) | Ryan Brady | Auburn Hills, Mich. (Avondale) |
| DB | Patrick Rogers | 5-11 | 190 | R-Jr. | Central Washington | Chris Fisk | Tacoma, Wash. (Lincoln) |
| DB | Amos Coleman | 5-11 | 185 | R-Jr. | Texas A&M-Kingsville | Mike Salinas | New Orleans, La. (Alief Elsik) |
| First Team-Special Teams | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| PK | Nick Herber | 5-7 | 175 | So. | Delta St. (Miss.) | Todd Cooley | Naples, Fla. (Naples) |
| P | Reed Martin | 5-10 | 180 | So. | Edinboro (Pa.) | Jake Nulph | Plum, Pa. (Plum Senior) |
| AP | David Durden | 6-2 | 200 | Sr. | West Florida | Pete Shinnick | Midville, Ga. (Emanuel County Institute) |
*-2021 AFCA All-American
2022 AFCA Division II Coaches’ All-America – Second Team
| Second Team-Offense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| QB | *TJ Davis | 6-3 | 180 | R-Sr. | Nebraska-Kearney | Josh Lynn | Colorado Springs, Colo. (Widefield) |
| RB | Emanuel Wilson | 6-1 | 220 | R-Jr. | Fort Valley St. (Ga.) | Shawn Gibbs | Charlotte, N.C. (North Meck) |
| RB | Thuro Reisdorfer | 6-1 | 215 | Gr. | Sioux Falls (S.D.) | Jon Anderson | Sioux Falls, S.D. (Washington) |
| WR | Duane Brown | 6-0 | 190 | R-Sr. | Indiana (Pa.) | Paul Tortorella | Spring Church, Pa. (Apollo-Ridge) |
| WR | Brendan Beaulieu | 6-3 | 215 | Sr. | Bemidji St. (Minn.) | Brent Bolte | Cottage Grove, Minn. (Park) |
| TE | *Kyle Morlock | 6-7 | 245 | So. | Shorter (Ga.) | Zach Morrison | Blairsville, Ga. (Union County) |
| OL | Jacob Long | 6-3 | 322 | R-Fr. | Angelo St. (Tex.) | Jeff Girsch | Waco, Tex. (Midway) |
| OL | Nicolas Melsop | 6-8 | 325 | Gr. | Delta St. (Miss.) | Todd Cooley | Columbus, Ohio (Olentangy Orange) |
| OL | Xavier Cason | 6-6 | 311 | Sr. | Emporia St. (Kan.) | Garin Higgins | Junction City, Kan. (Junction City) |
| OL | *Joey Fisher | 6-5 | 322 | Sr. | Shepherd (W.Va.) | Ernie McCook | Hagerstown, Md. (Clear Spring) |
| OL | Adam Sieler | 6-5 | 336 | Sr. | Ferris St. (Mich.) | Tony Annese | Pinckney, Mich. (Pinckney) |
| Second Team-Defense | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| DL | Hunter O’Connor | 6-3 | 255 | So. | Chadron St. (Neb.) | Jay Long | Broomfield, Colo. (Legacy) |
| DL | Elijah Green | 5-11 | 263 | Sr. | Northwest Missouri St. | Rich Wright | Maryville, Mo. (Maryville) |
| DL | Andre Jefferson | 6-2 | 275 | So. | Lenoir-Rhyne (N.C.) | Mike Jacobs | Calume Park, Ill. (Richards) |
| DL | Grayson Diepenbrock | 6-2 | 230 | Sr. | Augustana (S.D.) | Jerry Olszewski | Parker, Tex. (Plano East) |
| LB | Maalik Hall | 6-2 | 235 | Sr. | Southeastern Oklahoma St. | Tyler Fenwick | Athens, Tex. (Athens) |
| LB | Abe Swanson | 6-1 | 222 | Jr. | Grand Valley St. (Mich.) | Matt Mitchell | St. Charles, Ill. (East) |
| LB | P.J. Sarwinski | 6-1 | 207 | Gr. | Pittsburg St. (Kan.) | Brian Wright | Galena, Kan. (Galena) |
| LB | Jackson Taylor | 6-1 | 240 | Jr. | West Chester (Pa.) | Bill Zwaan | Glenside, Pa. (Abington) |
| DB | Eli Weber | 6-1 | 205 | Sr. | Augustana (S.D.) | Jerry Olszewski | Dawson, Minn. (Boyd) |
| DB | Knylen Miller-Levi | 6-1 | 170 | Sr. | Minot St. (N.D.) | Mike Aldrich | Las Vegas, Nev. (Canyon Springs) |
| DB | Tre Morrison | 6-2 | 185 | R-Jr. | Wingate (N.C.) | Joe Reich | Moncks Corner, S.C. (Berkeley) |
| Second Team-Special Teams | |||||||
| Pos | Name | Ht. | Wt. | Cl. | School | Coach | Hometown (High School) |
| PK | Devin Bartholomew | 5-8 | 170 | R-Jr. | East Stroudsburg (Pa.) | Jimmy Terwilliger | Schnecksville, Pa. (Parkland) |
| P | Myles Prosser | 6-4 | 195 | Gr. | North Greenville (S.C.) | Jeff Farrington | York, S.C. (Comprehensive) |
| AP | Terrell Ford | 6-0 | 200 | Gr. | New Haven (Conn.) | Chris Pincince | Tonawanda, N.Y. (Kenmore West) |
*-2021 AFCA All-American
