• Complete Stats Peform FCS All-American Team (PDF) | Stats Perform Website
Nine players who competed in the OVC football season this season have been named to the 2020-21 Stats Perform FCS All-American Team.
That included four first-team and five second-team selections. The first-team picks were Jacksonville State senior tight end
Trae Barry and sophomore safety
Nicario Harper, Austin Peay senior nickelback
Kordell Jackson and Tennessee State junior kicker
Antonio Zita. The second-team picks were Austin Peay senior wide receiver
DeAngelo Wilson, UT Martin junior tight end
Rodney Williams II, Jacksonville State sophomore offensive lineman
Tylan Grable and Jacksonville State junior defensive end
DJ Coleman and Murray State sophomore defensive back
Marcis Floyd.
In addition Eastern Kentucky linebacker
Matthew Jackson, who did not compete during the Conference season, was also named to the second-team, giving the OVC a total of 10 selections.
JSU's four selections were tied for the most nationally (with Delaware, James Madison and Sam Houston).
Barry was named first-team All-America for the first time in his career after earning Freshman All-America and Sophomore All-America in 2017 and 2018. He earned his third All-OVC honor this season after hauling in 33 catches for 534 yards and a touchdown. He also became the school's career receiving yards leader among tight ends (100 catches for 1,610 yards).
Harper earned his first All-America honor after a stellar first season at JSU. He was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS each season, after being named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year. In his first season after transferring to JSU, Harper led the OVC's top defense with 92 tackles and with four takeaways. He intercepted three passes and returned a fumble 64 yards for a touchdown.
A consensus First Team All-America choice in 2019, Jackson did not see the ball thrown his way as much in 2020-21. Instead, he wreaked havoc in the opposing offense's backfields. Jackson led all OVC tacklers with 10.5 tackles for loss – seven of those coming in OVC play, where he also had five passes defended. Jackson recorded a tackle for loss in seven of the Govs' nine games, including two TFL at Pittsburgh in the fall and three TFL at Tennessee Tech to open the spring. Jackson finished 13th in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award.
Zita converted 14 field goals this season, leading the OVC and finishing fourth in the country with 2.0 per game. The junior impressed this season with eight field goals from beyond 40 yards, including five from 50-yards or more. He was the only kicker in the nation to have more than two field goals made from 50-plus and recorded the longest kick at all levels of the NCAA this season with a 62-yard blast against Eastern Illinois.
Wilson followed up a record-breaking 2019 campaign with 619 yards – sixth among FCS receivers – in a shortened and disjointed 2020-21 season. He did the bulk of his damage in OVC play, where he recorded 100 yards in four of the five games he played and averaged 112.4 yards per game with three touchdowns. Wilson also posted consecutive 10-reception games in the Govs' upset wins against nationally-ranked Jacksonville State and Murray State to end the regular season. Wilson finished 15th in voting for the Walter Payton Award.
After transitioning from wide receiver to tight end this season, Williams performed nicely en route to All-American honors in an abbreviated seven-game season while also receiving All-OVC second team recognitions. The 6-4 senior tallied 30 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.3 receptions per game and 10.9 yards per reception. He ranked first amongst league tight ends in all offensive categories while sitting amongst the OVC leaders in receptions (fifth), touchdowns (fifth), receptions per game (sixth) and receiving yards (seventh). His best game came against Eastern Illinois (March 7) where he posted career-highs with eight receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
A first-team All-OVC selection, Grable started all nine games in the spring for JSU at left tackle, less than two years after moving to the offensive line from tight end. He graded out at a team-high 88 percent and recorded 32 knockdowns on the season. Grable helped pave the way for a JSU offense that was as balanced as any in the FCS, averaging 189 yards per game on the ground and 195 yards through the air.
Coleman earned his second All-America honor after being named a third-team selection by HERO Sports in 2019. He was one of the OVC's top defensive players in 2020-21, leading a defense that was atop the OVC in yards allowed and pressuring opposing quarterbacks. Coleman had 55 tackles with 12 for a loss and a team-high nine sacks. He was first in the OVC in sacks per game and second in the nation with 12.0 total sacks. He had 14 quarterback hurries, three pass breakups, forced a fumble and recovered a fumble.
Floyd was part of an amazing first season in the Coach Dean Hood era at MSU. The Racers started the season 5-0, their best start in 26 years, and finished second in the OVC race with a 5-2 record. Murray State broke into the Top-25 nationally for the first time in 10 years. Playing cornerback, Floyd racked up 32 tackles, three interceptions, nine pass breakups and two forced fumbles. He returned one of his interceptions for a touchdown in the Racers' 24-21 win at Southeast Missouri (March 7).
Jackson led his team with 79 tackles, including 8.0 tackles for a loss and 2.5 sacks. He had two fumble recoveries and two pass deflections. He led the nation in the fall in fumbles recovered, ranked ninth in tackles per game (9.9) and was 15th in tackles for a loss per game (1.0).
OVC Players on 2020-21 Stats Perform All-American Team
TE - Trae Barry, Jacksonville State (1st Team)
DB - Nicario Harper, Jacksonville State (1st)
DB - Kordell Jackson, Austin Peay (1st)
K - Antonio Zita, Tennessee State (1st)
WR - DeAngelo Wilson, Austin Peay (2nd)
TE - Rodney Williams II, UT Martin (2nd)
OL - Tylan Grable, Jacksonville State (2nd)
DL - DJ Coleman, Jacksonville State (2nd)
DB - Marcis Floyd, Murray State (2nd)
LB - Matthew Jackson, Eastern Kentucky (2nd)