• 2021 All-OVC Football Teams and Award Winners (PDF)
BRENTWOOD, Tenn. - Three different schools took home the four major 2021 Ohio Valley Conference football awards in voting conducted by league head coaches and communication directors and announced on Tuesday.
UT Martin graduate student quarterback
Keon Howard was named Offensive Player of the Year, while his coach,
Jason Simpson was honored as the OVC Coach of the Year after the duo guided the Skyhawks to the 2021 OVC Championship. Austin Peay junior safety
Koby Perry was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year while Murray State redshirt freshman quarterback
DJ Williams was named Freshman of the Year.
UT Martin led the way with 19 selections across the three teams, including nine first-team and eight second-team picks. Austin Peay had 16 selections while Southeast Missouri tallied 14. The All-OVC first-team included 13 graduate students, five seniors, nine juniors, five sophomores and two freshmen while the second-team included nine graduate students, six seniors, eight juniors, nine sophomores and six freshmen.
In his first year after transferring from Tulane, Howard guided UT Martin to its first OVC Championship and playoff berth since 2006, leading the Skyhawks to a 9-2 overall record (5-1 OVC mark). In 10 games (he missed the regular season finale with an injury), he accounted for 2,285 yards of total offense and 25 touchdowns. Howard, a finalist for the Walter Payton Award, completed 59.7 percent of his passes for 1,811 yard and 15 touchdowns and carried the ball 95 times for 474 yards (5.0 ypc) and 10 scores. He ran for multiple touchdowns in four games and threw for multiple scores in four contests. He was named OVC Offensive Player of the Week twice during the year and OVC Newcomer of the Week five times. Howard currently ranks 24th nationally in rushing touchdowns, 27th in points responsible for/game (13.6), 40th in passing touchdowns and 50th in total offense (207.7 yards/game). Howard is the second UTM player to earn Offensive Player of the Year honors since the Skyhawks joined the OVC in 1992, joining running back Don Chapman (2006).
Simpson, the current Dean of OVC coaches, has won 99 career games in his 16 years at UT Martin, tied for fourth-most in OVC history. He was named OVC Coach of the Year in 2006 (his inaugural year with the Skyhawks when the team also won the OVC Title) and this season guided the Skyhawks to a 9-2 overall and 5-1 OVC record and the program’s second OVC crown. Along the way the Skyhawks were ranked as high as No. 8 in the FCS Coaches Poll (matching the highest ranking in program history) and won a school record nine-straight games. The Skyhawks won the Sgt. York Championship (contested between the four OVC schools in the state of Tennessee), went undefeated at home and picked up four non-conference victories. Simpson has also been named a finalist for the Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year award, the fourth time in his career he has earned that honor. Entering the playoffs, where UTM will face Missouri State in the first round, UT Martin ranks sixth nationally in sacks allowed (0.91/game), eighth in rushing offense (231.3 yard/game) and 11th in passes intercepted (14). The OVC Coach of the Year award is named after legend Roy Kidd, a member of the College Football Hall of Fame, who won the award a record 10 times during his career (1964-2002) and retired with 314 victories, the second-most in I-AA/FCS history.
Perry was a leader of an Austin Peay defense that finished the regular season with 19 interceptions and 26 turnovers gained, both of which ranked first in the FCS. Perry led the team with 85 tackles (51 solo) including 8.0 tackles for loss and a sack. He had two interceptions (which he returned for 103 yards), three pass breakups, three quarterback hurries, forced a fumble and scored a defensive touchdown. Perry, a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, had three games with double-digit tackles, including a season-best 16 against nationally-ranked UT Martin (a game where he also returned an interception 75 yards for a touchdown). He added 11 tackles against each Tennessee Tech and FBS foe Ole Miss. Perry is the third APSU player to earn the Defensive Player of the Year award and first since Bob Bible and Mike Betts won back-to-back awards in 1977 and 1978. After not having a defensive back win the award from 2008 through 2019, Perry is the second-straight defensive back to take home the honor.
Williams started the season as Murray State’s backup quarterback by was forced into duty in the fifth game of the season due to an injury to the starter. In that game against nationally-ranked UT Martin, Williams had 210 yards of total offense and a touchdown off the bench. The following week he earned his first career start at Southeast Missouri and helped the Racers overcome a 15-point second half deficit to win 32-31 and earn OVC Offensive Player of the Week honors. Williams accounted for 321 yards of total offense and three touchdowns in that win. In the team’s second meeting of the season with SEMO (Nov. 13), Williams was named National Freshman of the Week by Stats Perform after tallying 296 yards of total offense and two touchdowns. In that game he scored on a 58-yard rush and added a 73-yard completion (the ninth-longest in program history). Williams finished the season with 1,020 passing yards and three touchdowns through the air while rushing for 532 yards (6.4 yards/carry) and six scores on the ground. Since the award was first bestowed in 2004, Williams is the second Murray State player to be named OVC Freshman of the Year, joining quarterback Jeff Ehrhardt (2007). He is the 12th quarterback to win the honor in 18 years.
The All-OVC first-team offense was highlighted by Howard, the Offensive Player of the Year. He was joined by five repeat first-team selections in Southeast Missouri senior running back
Geno Hess (1,116 yards, 14 TDs), Murray State redshirt junior wide receiver
LaMartez Brooks (33 catches, 447 yards, 1 TD), Murray State redshirt junior center
Levi Nelser and redshirt senior tackle
Jacob Vance and Austin Peay redshirt junior tackle
Bucky Williams. The offensive line was rounded out by a pair of UT Martin players in junior center
Matthan Hatchie and redshirt sophomore tackle
Michael Shanahan, Southeast Missouri junior center
Zack Gieg and Tennessee State junior guard
Robert Lacey. Hess was joined in the backfield by the UT Martin one-two punch of senior
Peyton Logan (982 yards, 3 rushing TDs, 3 TD catches) and redshirt freshman
Zak Wallace (745 yards, 14 TDs). Brooks was joined at the wide receiver spot by a trio of Austin Peay performers in graduate students
Baniko Harley (48 catches, 800 yards, 7 TDs) and
Eugene Minter (23 catches, 447 yards, 4 TDs) and freshman
Drae McCray (53 catches, 867 yards, 8 TDs). The first-team was rounded out by Tennessee State graduate tight end
Rodell Rahmaan (30 catches, 490 yards, 6 TDs).
The first-team defense was headlined by Perry, the OVC Defensive Player of the Year. Perry was joined by two other APSU defensive backs in graduate student cornerback
Johnathon Edwards (33 tackles, 7 INTs, 7 PBUs, 2 FR) and nickelback
Kordell Jackson (41 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 2 PBU). Jackson earned the third first-team All-OVC honor of his career and was one of six players who repeated as first-team selections from 2020-21. The other five players were Tennessee Tech graduate defensive end
Chris Tucker (29 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 9 QBH), Southeast Missouri senior tackle
Bryson Donnell (39 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 5 QBH, 1 FR), Eastern Illinois redshirt sophomore linebacker
Jason Johnson (111 tackles, 8.0 TFL, 1 FF, 4 FR), Murray State redshirt sophomore cornerback
Marcis Floyd (40 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 9 PBU) and UT Martin redshirt junior safety
Deven Sims (80 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 1 INT). The defensive line also included UT Martin graduate tackle
Austin Pickett (28 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 5 QBH, 1 FF) and end
David DuBose (29 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 3 QBH) and linebacker teammate
John Ford (74 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3 INT, 3 PBU). The team was rounded out by a trio of linebackers in Southeast Missouri graduate
Omardrick Douglas (59 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 2 FF, 1 FR) and senior
Brandon Mincey (57 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 FF, 2 FR) and Tennessee State redshirt junior
James Green (77 tackles, 7.0 TFL, 1 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR).
The first-team specialists included Southeast Missouri graduate kicker
Kenny Doak (13-of-19 FGs, 33-of-34 PATs) and junior punter
Zach Haynes (41.2 yards/punt, Long of 76, 9 of 50-plus yards), who earned first-team honors for the second-straight season. Tennessee State sophomore
Dayron Johnson was honored as the first-team selection as both a kick returner and a punt returner; he averaged 22.5 yards per kick return and 17.3 yards per punt return.
The All-OVC second-team offensive unit included a duo of quarterbacks in Austin Peay sophomore
Draylen Ellis (2,626 yards, 19 TDs) and Tennessee State graduate student
Geremy Hickbottom (1,847 passing yards, 12 passing TDs, 7 rushing TDs). The backfield also included a trio of running backs in Murray State second-year player
Damonta Witherspoon (912 yards, 8 rushing TDs, 1 receiving TD), Tennessee State sophomore
Devon Starling (800 yards, 3 TDs, 37 catches) and Tennessee Tech junior
David Gist (901 yards, 8 rushing TDs, 37 catches, 1 receiving TD). The receivers included UT Martin redshirt junior
Colton Dowell (22 catches, 398 yards, 2 TDs), Southeast Missouri senior
Johnny King (24 catches, 449 yards, 5 TDs), Eastern Illinois redshirt junior
Isaiah Hill (39 catches, 493 yards, 5 TDs), Tennessee State second-year player
Zaire Thornton (26 catches, 398 yards, 2 TDs) and Tennessee Tech redshirt sophomore
Quinton Cross (41 catches, 574 yards, 3 TDs) in addition to UT Martin graduate tight end
Rodney Williams II (25 catches, 333 yards, 3 TDs). The offensive line included three UT Martin selections in graduate student guard
Chris Jackson, sophomore guard
Gavin Olson and sophomore tackle
Lamar Morgan. Austin Peay had two linemen selections in graduate guard
Colby McKee and graduate tackle
Joe Ware, while Tennessee Tech graduate center
Kurt Huff and Southeast Missouri senior tackle
Nate Korte rounded out the line.
The second-team defense included Murray State redshirt junior
Ethan Edmondson (16 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 3 QBH), Tennessee State redshirt sophomore
Terray Jones (28 tackles, 4.5 TFL, 5 QBH, 2 FF), Austin Peay sophomore
Terrell Allen (36 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 5.0 sacks, 9 QBH) and the Eastern Illinois duo of redshirt freshman
Jordan Miles (38 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 11 QBH, 2 FF) and redshirt sophomore
Tim Varga (46 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 9 QBH) across the line. The linebacker selections included UT Martin senior
JaQuez Akins (33 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 3.0 sacks, 1 FF), Austin Peay graduate
Jack McDonald (71 tackles, 6.0 TFL, 2 INT, 6 QBH), Murray State redshirt junior
Eric Samuta (77 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2 PBU, 4 QBH, 3 FF) and redshirt junior
Darnel Victor (26 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 PBU) and Southeast Missouri freshman
Bryce Norman (66 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 4 QBH). The squad was rounded out by five defensive backs in UT Martin graduate
Jay Woods (28 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 2 INT, 9 PBU, 1 FF) and senior
Shawn Shamburger (29 tackles, 1 INT, 8 PBU), Tennessee State senior
Cory Rahman (65 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 2 INT, 2 PBU, 1 FR), Tennessee Tech redshirt junior
Josh Reliford (69 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 6 PBU, 1 QBH) and Eastern Illinois redshirt freshman
Jordan Vincent (60 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 3 PBU, 2 QBH, 2 FF).
The second-team specialists included Austin Peay freshman kicker
Maddux Trujillo (14-of-18 FGs, 36-of-38 PATs), Murray State redshirt junior kicker
Aaron Baum (12-of-18 FGs, Long of 58, 25-of-26 PATs), Austin Peay redshirt sophomore punter
Matt Rigney (40.7 yards/punt, Long of 60, 7 of 50-plus yards), Southeast Missouri senior kick returner
Shabari Davis (35.7 yards/return, 1 TD) and Murray State redshirt senior punt return specialist
Malik Honeycutt (10.4 yards/return, 1 TD).
Eleven (11) players were selected to the All-OVC Newcomer squad; to be selected to the team an individual had to be a first-year player (freshman, redshirt freshman who played in four or fewer games last season or undergraduate transfer) in the OVC. The team included Williams, the OVC Freshman of the Year, and five other players (McCray, Trujillo, Gieg, Norman and Morgan) who earned either first or second-team All-OVC honors. The other five selections included Eastern Illinois junior cornerback
Russell Dandy (31 tackles, 2 INT, 1 FF, 1 FR) and freshman running back
Harrison Bey-Buie (479 rushing yards, 4 TDs), Southeast Missouri junior quarterback
CJ Ogbonna (1521 passing yards, 12 passing TDs; 357 rushing yards, 3 TDs), Tennessee State freshman offensive center
Jeremiah Frazier and UT Martin redshirt sophomore linebacker
Eyabi Anoma (30 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, 3 QBH).
2021 All-OVC Teams and Award Winners
OVC Offensive Player of the Year: Keon Howard (QB), UT Martin
OVC Defensive Player of the Year: Koby Perry (SAF), Austin Peay
OVC Freshman of the Year: DJ Williams (QB), Murray State
OVC Coach of the Year: Jason Simpson, UT Martin
FIRST-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Keon Howard, UT Martin
RB - Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri
RB - Peyton Logan, UT Martin
RB - Zak Wallace, UT Martin
WR - Baniko Harley, Austin Peay
WR - Drae McCray, Austin Peay
WR - LaMartez Brooks, Murray State
WR - Eugene Minter, Austin Peay
TE - Rodell Rahmaan, Tennessee State
OC - Levi Nesler, Murray State
OC - Zack Gieg, Southeast Missouri
OC - Matthan Hatchie, UT Martin
OT - Michael Shanahan, UT Martin
OT - Jacob Vance, Murray State
OT - Bucky Williams, Austin Peay
OG - Robert Lacey, Tennessee State
FIRST-TEAM DEFENSE
DE - Chris Tucker, Tennessee Tech
DT - Bryson Donnell, Southeast Missouri
DT - Austin Pickett, UT Martin
DE - David DuBose, UT Martin
OLB - Omardrick Douglas, Southeast Missouri
ILB - John Ford, UT Martin
ILB - Jason Johnson, Eastern Illinois
ILB - Brandon Mincey, Southeast Missouri
OLB - James Green, Tennessee State
CB - Marcis Floyd, Murray State
SAF - Koby Perry, Austin Peay
SAF - Deven Sims, UT Martin
CB - Johnathon Edwards, Austin Peay
NICKEL - Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay
FIRST-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Kenny Doak, Southeast Missouri
P - Zach Haynes, Southeast Missouri
KR - Dayron Johnson, Tennessee State
PR - Dayron Johnson, Tennessee State
SECOND-TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Draylen Ellis, Austin Peay
QB - Geremy Hickbottom, Tennessee State
RB - Damonta Witherspoon, Murray State
RB - Devon Starling, Tennessee State
RB - David Gist, Tennessee Tech
WR - Colton Dowell, UT Martin
WR - Johnny King, Southeast Missouri
WR - Isaiah Hill, Eastern Illinois
WR - Zaire Thornton, Tennessee State
WR - Quinton Cross, Tennessee Tech
TE - Rodney Williams II, UT Martin
OT - Nate Korte, Southeast Missouri
OC - Kurt Huff, Tennessee Tech
OG - Chris Jackson, UT Martin
OG - Gavin Olson, UT Martin
OT - Lamar Morgan, UT Martin
OG - Colby McKee, Austin Peay
OT - Joe Ware, Austin Peay
SECOND-TEAM DEFENSE
DE - Ethan Edmondson, Murray State
DT - Terray Jones, Tennessee State
DT - Terrell Allen, Austin Peay
DE - Jordan Miles, Eastern Illinois
DE - Tim Varga, Eastern Illinois
OLB - JaQuez Akins, UT Martin
ILB - Jack McDonald, Austin Peay
ILB - Eric Samuta, Murray State
ILB - Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri
OLB - Darnel Victor, Murray State
CB - Jay Woods, UT Martin
SAF - Cory Rahman, Tennessee State
SAF - Josh Reliford, Tennessee Tech
CB - Shawn Shamburger, UT Martin
NICKEL - Jordan Vincent, Eastern Illinois
SECOND-TEAM SPECIALISTS
K - Maddux Trujillo, Austin Peay
K - Aaron Baum, Murray State
P - Matt Rigney, Austin Peay
KR - Shabari Davis, Southeast Missouri
PR - Malik Honeycutt, Murray State
ALL-NEWCOMER TEAM
WR - Drae McCray, Austin Peay
K - Maddux Trujillo, Austin Peay
CB - Russell Dandy, Eastern Illinois
RB - Harrison Bey-Buie, Eastern Illinois
QB - DJ Williams, Murray State
QB - CJ Ogbonna, Southeast Missouri
OG - Zack Gieg, Southeast Missouri
LB - Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri
OC - Jeremiah Frazier, Tennessee State
OLB - Eyabi Anoma, UT Martin
RT - Lamar Morgan, UT Martin
Notes: The All-Newcomer team is comprised of first-year players in the OVC - that can be either true freshmen, redshirt freshmen (four or less games played in 2020) or first-year transfers. The team consists of 11 total players and is not voted on by position. Graduate transfers are not permitted to be nominated for the All-Newcomer Team.
The Offensive Line is not voted on by specific position.
There were 18 players on the second-team offense (2 QB’s, 5 WR’s), 15 players on the second-team defense (3 DE’s) and 5 players on the second-team specialists (2 K’s) due to ties in voting.