Football
five/25/2023 12:30:00 PM
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HARRISONBURG, Va. – Athlon Sports recognized 11 James Madison student-athletes with 12 preseason honors, as the organization rolled out its preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Group for the 2023 season this week.
Headlining the list for JMU had been a quartet of 1st Group All-Sun Belt honorees in defensive lineman James Carpenter, offensive lineman Nick Kidwell, punter Ryan Hanson and linebacker Taurus Jones.
Producing the Second Group had been receiver Reggie Brown, offensive lineman Tyler Stephens and linebacker Jailin Walker. Third Group accolades went to operating back Kaelon Black as an all-goal player, tight finish Zach Horton and offensive lineman Tanner Morris, when Josh Sarratt earned Fourth Group distinction each at security and as a punt returner.
Carpenter began all 11 games at nose guard final season, earning Second Group All-Sun Belt and VaSID 1st Group All-State honors. He tallied 52 tackles with 11.five for loss and five.five sacks.
Stephens and Morris began all 11 games on the line, when Kidwell created nine begins at proper tackle. Kidwell was a Second Group All-Sun Belt honoree and took residence 1st Group All-State laurels. The group aided JMU in ranking 13th nationally and 1st in the Sun Belt in scoring, at 37. points per game. The Dukes ranked 29th in the FBS and third in the SBC in total offense (452.five). JMU also led the conference and ranked seventh nationally in yards per completion (14.52), when its passing typical (265.7) was third in the Sun Belt and its rushing typical (186.7) was fourth.
Hanson joined the system in the spring right after spending the prior 3 at SBC foe Arkansas State. Previously a Third Group All-Sun Belt punter in 2021, Hanson played in 35 profession games, averaging 43.1 yards per punt. Final season, he had 48 punts with an typical of 43.7 per try.
Jones was a Third-Group All-Sun Belt linebacker in his 1st season as a starter in 2022. Also named Second Group All-State, he led the Dukes with 82 tackles with ten.five for a loss, 1 sack, and a pair of forced fumbles and recoveries. Jones also had 5 passes defended, which integrated his 1st profession interception.
Brown is JMU’s top returner in the wide receiver space and is coming off his 1st season as a major starter. In eight games with 5 begins final fall, Brown created 24 receptions for 401 getting yards and 4 touchdowns. That integrated a profession-higher 136 yards at Georgia Southern.
Walker, an Honorable Mention All-Sun Belt choose in 2022, had a strong year in year 1 beginning at the linebacker position. He developed 63 tackles with 3 for a loss and a sack. He also led the group with 3 interceptions and two choose-sixes when also adding 5 pass breakups. Walker was also a Pro Football Network Honorable Mention Midseason All-American.
Black returned from a season-ending injury final year, appearing in nine games with a start out at operating back. Voted the VaSID University Division Offensive Rookie of the Year, Black had 69 carries for 333 rushing yards and 3 touchdowns, averaging four.eight per rush. He also added 17 catches and 177 getting yards with a pair of scores. His season was highlighted by a season-higher 108 all-goal yards at App State, exactly where he rushed for 85 yards and a touchdown and caught a 23-yard touchdown pass.
Horton is JMU’s top rated tight finish returner in 2023 right after appearing in all 11 games with 5 begins a season ago. In JMU’s 1st FBS campaign, he had 13 receptions for 159 yards and two touchdowns.
Sarratt played in all 11 games with ten begins at security when serving as JMU’s major punt returner in 2022. He created 40 tackles with four.five for a loss and a sack. On the return side, Sarratt averaged five.9 per return on 19 attempts, with 4 of ten yards or longer.
The official preseason all-conference group from the league will be unveiled top into Sun Belt Conference Media Days, which requires location July 25-26 in New Orleans.