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NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt football programs have many selections on preseason All-America teams heading into the 2024 season.
Thirty student-athletes representing eight of the Sun Belt’s 14 football programs earned a total of 52 preseason All-America honors.
Old Dominion University senior linebacker Jason Henderson was named the 2024 Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and led the team with 13 preseason All-America nominations, including five first-team selections. Henderson led the nation with 15.5 tackles per game and 186 tackles for loss as a sophomore in 2022 and led the nation with 14.2 tackles per game and ranked second in the country with 170 tackles in 2023.
Texas State junior running back/all-purpose back Ismail Mahdi (4) and redshirt junior kicker Mason Shipley (3) were the duo who were multiple preseason All-America selections along with Henderson, while Appalachian State senior kicker Michael Hughes (2), James Madison University redshirt senior punter Ryan Hanson (2), University of Louisiana redshirt senior offensive lineman AJ Gilley (2), Texas State senior linebacker Ben Bell (2) and Texas State senior wide receiver Joey Hobart (2) also earned multiple preseason honors.
Sun Belt East Division champion Appalachian State and Sun Belt West Division champion Texas State tied for the top spot in the conference with six student-athletes honored. Following the Mountaineers and Bobcats were Georgia Southern (5), Arkansas State (3), James Madison University (3), University of Louisiana (3), Old Dominion University (2) and the University of South Alabama (2).
Leading the way with Henderson’s 13 nominations, Old Dominion had 14 preseason All-America selections, besting division favorites Texas State (13) and Appalachian State (7) among Sun Belt programs. Georgia Southern (5), James Madison (4), University of Louisiana (4), Arkansas State (3) and South Alabama (2) also earned preseason All-America honors multiple times.
Sun Belt Football Preseason All-Americans
Joey Aguilar, Appalachian State University
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, QB
Santana Hopper, Appalachian State University
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, DL
Michael Hughes, Appalachian State University
CFN – Second Team, K
Hero Sports – G5 third team, K
Ethan Johnson, Appalachian State University
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, DB
Caidin Robinson, Appalachian State University
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, WR
Eli Wilson, Appalachian State University
Hero Sports – G5 third team, TE
Jacob Beyer, Arkansas State University
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, OL
Jaquez Cross, Arkansas State University
Hero Sports – G5 3rd Team, AP
McQuillan Thomas, Arkansas State University
Hero Sports – G5 third team, OL
DeAndre Buchanon, Georgia Southern
CFB News – Excellence Award, RS
Darwin Burgess Jr., Georgia Southern
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, WR
Justin Rose, Georgia Southern
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Marques Watson Trent, Georgia Southern
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, LB
Jaylen White, Georgia Southern
Hero Sports – G5 third team, RB
Ryan Hanson, James Madison
CFN – Punter of the Year
CFN – First Team, P
Chauncey Logan, James Madison
Hero Sports – G5 third team, DB
Cole Potts, James Madison
CFN – Second Team, OG
AJ Gilley, Louisiana
CFN – Excellence Award, OG
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, OG
KC Osai, Louisiana
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, LB
Zylan Perry, Louisiana
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, RS
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
247Sports – Second Team, LB
AP – Second team, LB
Athlon Sports – Second team, LB
CFB News – Second Team, LB
CFN – First Team, LB
ESPN – Second Team, LB
Fox Sports – Second Team, LB
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, LB
Phil Steele – First Team, LB
Sports News – First Team, LB
Sports Illustrated – Second Team, LB
The Athletic – Second Team, LB
Walter Camp – First Team, LB
Denzel Lawley, Old Dominion
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Wykevious Thomas, South Alabama
Hero Sports – G5 Third Team, DL
Jayden Voisin, South Alabama
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DB
Ben Bell, Texas
CFN – Third Team, EDGE
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, DL
Joey Hobart, Texas State University
CFN – Excellence Award, WR
Hero Sports – G5 Second Team, WR
Terek Lockett, Texas
CFN – Excellence Award, OG
Ismail Mahdi, Texas
247Sports – Fourth Team, RB/AP
CFN – Excellence Award, RB
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, AP
Phil Steele – AP Second Team
Jordan McCloud, Texas State University
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, QB
Mason Shipley, Texas
CFB News – Excellence Award, K
CFN – Excellence Award, K
Hero Sports – G5 First Team, K