• Complete HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American Team
Five Ohio Valley Conference players have been named to the HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American Team.
The selections included Tennessee State running back
Devon Starling, Murray State running back
Damonta Witherspoon, Jacksonville State linebacker
Jaylen Swain, UT Martin kicker
Tyler Larco and Southeast Missouri punter
Zach Haynes.
Starling led all freshmen nationally and finished 13th overall in rushing, averaging 92.6 yards per game. The running back finished the season with 648 yards on 124 carries and three touchdowns. The 648 total yards was 17th in FCS play and second amongst freshman in all games played, including NCAA playoff games. The Antioch, Tenn., product's 5.23 yards per carry was 33rd best in the country and fifth amongst first year running backs.
Witherspoon earned All-OVC honors after carrying the ball 107 times for 513 yards and five touchdowns as a true freshman. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and 73.3 rushing yards per game. He ranked 28th nationally in rushing touchdowns and 32nd in total rushing yards. Among freshmen his 513 yards was the sixth-most nationally.
Swain earned first-team All-OVC honors as a true freshman after leading a dominant JSU defense that limited a school-record nine opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. He was first on the Gamecocks with 11.5 tackles for 59 yards. He also added three sacks and seven quarterback hurries and tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and also blocked a punt.
Larco opened the season as the team's place kicker as a redshirt-freshman and was nearly automatic en route to postseason honors. The All-OVC second team honoree and two-time OVC Specialist of the Week made 10-of-12 field goal attempts on the year – including a season-long 47-yard attempt. He also converted 17-of-18 point after attempts for a total of 47 points on the season to lead the team. Larco led the OVC by making 83.3 percent of his field goal attempts while sitting amongst league leaders in kick scoring (second), field goals made per game (second) and PAT kicking percentage (third). His most notable contest came against Austin Peay on March 21 when he made 3-of-3 field goal attempts – including a game-winning 46-yard field goal as time expired to earn STATS Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
A walk-on, Haynes led the OVC and ranked 15th in the FCS with 42.2 yards per punt. He punted 36 times for 1,521 yards and dropped 15 of his punts inside the 20-yard line. Haynes had a season-long 53-yard punt at Eastern Illinois (Feb. 28).
OVC Players on HERO Sports FCS Freshman All-American Team
RB - Devon Starling, Tennessee State
RB - Damonta Witherspoon, Murray State
LB - Jaylen Swain, Jacksonville State
K - Tyler Larco, UT Martin
P - Zach Haynes, Southeast Missouri