I love learning about other teams, particularly those that Penn State plays in OOC. I thought it would be good to give a breakdown of PSU's projected starters and other key players while an App State fan could do the same for your team. I am including their 247 rating as a recruit and height/weight.

Offense

QB - RS SR Trace McSorley (3 star, 88 rating) - 6'0", 203lbs
-3rd year starter who threw for 3570 yards (66.5%) and 28/10 TD/INT. He added 491 yards on the ground and 11 rushing TDs. Short QB with an average arm, but his accuracy improved dramatically over 2017 and he is a winner. 3 time VA state champ (large school) in 4 championship game appearances. A true dual threat QB who wants to throw first but can make plays with his feet. Receives comparisons to Baker Mayfield and has an outside shot at the Heisman. Due to his height, most FBS schools that offered him wanted him as a safety, not a QB.

RB - JR Miles Sanders (4 star, 97 rating [#1 RB in 2016 class]) - 5'11", 207 lbs
-1st year starter who had to wait his turn behind Saquon Barkley. Number 1 RB recruit coming out of the 2016 class. 191 yards last season (6.2 ypc) and 6 catches for 30 yards. Very talented back with a balanced skillset. Has had some fumbling problems in his first two seasons that kept him off the field a bit. Good speed and acceleration, but not a blazer. Very good vision. Good power. Has shown that blocking is a weakness that needs to be worked on. This is Miles' opportunity to step out of Barkley's shadow and make a name for himself.

TE - RS JR Jon Holland (3 star, 86 rating [rated as a DE]) - 6'4" 252 lbs
-My best guess as to who will start at TE this year. Just 3 rec for 16 yards in his career. Good size for a TE, good athleticism. Consistency is the biggest issue for Jon, both on and off the field. Is very capable in as a receiver, but needs to work on his blocking. Will likely split time with other TEs as this is definitely our weakest unit on offense.

WR - RS JR Juwan Johnson (4 star, 95 rating) - 6'4", 231 lbs
-The most physically imposing WR on our team. 2nd year starter. Plus speed, plus strength and huge size makes him a serious threat. Underwhelmed a bit last year with 54 catches, 701 yards and just one TD. Good hands but needs to work on route running. With TE being weaker and Barkley leaving, Juwan is being looked at to fill the gap.

WR - RS SR DeAndre Tompkins (4 star, 94 rating) - 5'11", 188 lbs
-A partial starter ;ast year who had 28 catches for 443 yards and 3 TDs. Speed is his biggest asset but needs to be more polished as a WR. Not overly physical and is an average route runner. Can play in the slot or our wide and will likely move around a lot this year. Doubles as a PR and has been highly effective with 13.3 yards per return and added a TD. His 15.8 yards per reception shows his deep threat ability.

WR - RS FR KJ Hamler (3 star, 88 rating) - 5'9", 176 lbs
-Several options are available for WR3, but I think that Hamler will get that role. He may be the fastest player on the team... a true homerun threat who has been described as "special" with the ball in his hands. Consistency with catching appears to be an issue and he is not the biggest guy out there. IMO, he will be in the slot.

LT - RS JR - Ryan Bates (4 star, 94 rating) - 6'4", 301 lbs
-3rd year starter. Bates is the best OL on the team when healthy (he is now). He is built more like a guard, but is a great technician with some nasty moves and a great feel for the position. Could play all five OL spots and still be one of the top linemen in the Big Ten. Uses his hands really, really well.

LG - RS JR - Steven Gonzalez (4 star, 92 rating) - 6'4", 341 lbs
-2nd year starter. Big kid who carries his weight relatively well. Very good run blocker. Average pass blocker. Can be beat with speed inside. Very stout in the run game. Kind of gets lost with downfield blocking.

C - RS SO - Michael Menet (5 star, 98 rating) 6'4", 306 lbs
-1st year starter. Played in 12 games last year, but mostly on special teams. All his weight is in his trunk. Most athletic OL on the roster and it probably isn't particularly close. Prototypical C size and skill set. Should excel at pulling. Came into PSU well under 300 lbs which made him a clear RS. Still undersized last year but is finally ready to go. I'm excited to see how Menet does. Very high ceiling.

RG - JR - Connor McGovern (4 star, 90 rating) - 6'5", 326 lbs
-3 year starter who could enter the draft after this year. Was thrust into a starter role as a true freshman, and handled it very well. Played C all last year, but will be moved out to RG to get the best five players on the field. Stoudt build. Very good all around player.

RT - RS SR - Chasz Wright (3 star, 87 rating) - 6'7", 348 lbs
-Partial starter in 2016 and 2017. Has progress very well over the past two years and seems to have held off some of the younger talent for this year's starting job. Massive OT who can engulf DEs at times. Has some issues with the outside speed rush.

Defense

DE - RS JR Shareef Miller (3 star, 88 rating) - 6'5", 259 lbs
-2nd year starter who had 5 sacks and 11 TFL last year. Has shown good pass rushing ability. Was a liability against the run early in his career, but that has improved with his added weight. Big things are expected from Miller this year, and with the early retirement to Buchholz, he will have to put more on his own shoulders.

DT - RS JR Robert Windsor (3 star, 84 rating) 6'4", 304 lbs
-1st year starter, but played in all 13 games last year. More of a space eater that likely will be subbed out on passing downs. Good strength and ability to clog holes, but lacks a burst. The DT position will get rotated a lot this year.

DT - RS JR Kevin Givens (3 star, 87 rating [as a DE]) - 6'1", 283 lbs
-1st year starter who played a bunch last season as part of the DT rotation. Givens was originally a DE who grew quickly and was moved to DT. Will never be a 300 lbs guy (285 is probably a good weight for him). Is very quick and stronger than you would think. Can be moved outside in certain situations to play DE. Had 3.5 sacks last year in a limited role.

DE - SO Yetur Gross-Matos (4 star, 92 rating) - 6'5", 262 lbs
-1st year starter, but played in all 13 games as a true freshman last year. Great size/athleticism combination. Progressed well as the season went on. Will be thrown into a starting role a year ahead of time with the retirement of Buchholz.

WLB - RS SR Koa Farmer (4 star, 93 rating [as a S]) = 6'1", 236 lbs
-2nd year starter who played SAM LB last season (48 tackles, 5.5 TFL and 1 sack). Very athletic for his size. Good blitzer who has a nice feel for jumping the count and can use his speed to get around OTs. Not a natural LB and it shows at time. Average tackler, below average instincts. Carries out his assignment well and is disciplined.

MLB - RS JR Jan Johnson (2 star, 75 rating [walk-on]) - 6'2", 231 lbs
-1st year starter. Walk-on who appeared in 6 games last year (12 tackles). Was PSU's heavyweight on the wrestling team in 2016-17 (was vastly undersized). Smart kid, solid player for a walk-on. Probably will not finish the season as a starter if Micah Parsons or Jesse Luketa (2 highly touted freshmen) play well and show some consistency.

SLB - JR Cam Brown (3 star, 89 rating) - 6'5", 225 lbs
-1st year starter. Played in 12 games last year and had 31 tackles, 1.5 TFL and 0.5 sack. Looks thin for a LB (and is). Rangy, long player. Stronger than you would think and hits well. Very athletic. Lack of consistency is a concern. Often finds himself out of position due to freelancing. Heard more positive things in camp this year, so hopefully he is more disciplined.

CB - RS JR John Reid (4 star, 94 rating) - 5'10, 185 lbs
-2nd year starter. Did not play last season due to ACL injury. Was our best DB in 2016 and word in camp is that he is playing at a similar level thus far. A "coaches dream"... can't get him out of the film room. Good athleticism, but it is his preparation that sets him apart from the rest. Returned punts in 2016 but likely will not do that this year.

S - RS SR Nick Scott (3 star, 88 rating) - 5'11, 199 lbs
-1st year starter. Team captain. Started as a RB at PSU but was moved to safety in his RS SO year. Has been a special teams ace the past few years. Is the leader of the team. Had 33 tackles and 1.5 TFL last year in a special teams and reserve S role. Great athlete, but transition to safety took time.

S - RS JR Garrett Taylor (4 star, 96 rating [rated as a CB]) - 6'0", 206 lbs
-My guess for starter... 1st year. No one has been able to firmly grab this starting spot, but Taylor seems to be the most consistent. Great size for a safety... played in every game last season, but does not have more PT at safety. One of the unknowns regarding how he would play.

CB - RS SR Amani Oruwariye (3 star, 89 rating) - 6'1", 201 lbs
-1st year starter. Earned 2nd team all Big Ten honors despite only playing situationally as the 3rd CB. Had 4 INTs last season along with 8 PBUs. Tall, physical corner who has proven to be a ball hawk. Needs to play more consistently, but has all the tools to be really, really good.

Special Teams

K - ?????
-We still don't know who our kicker will be, but it will likely be a freshman. All three freshman (Checa, Hilling and Pinegar) have strong legs. They have kicked better than expected as a group, but you just never know what you will get until they kick in front of a crowd. Pinegar is the scholarship player, so you would guess that he would have a leg up.

P - JR Blake Gillikin (3 star, 80 rating) - 6'2", 193
-3rd year starter. Blake is one of the top punters both in the Big Ten and nationally. He averaged 43 yards per punt, and does really well with pining the opponent deep in their own end of the field (had 18 punts last year downed inside the 10). Was going to possibly be the kicker as well this year, but the freshmen are doing well enough where he has just concentrated on punting in camp.

OK, info overload. GetMy, you did a great job here. Penn State is a great football team.

Nobody in the black & gold has that much info on our guys.

Just saying.

So, not sure how to reciprocate.

I will say that our players might not have as many stars as your guys, but we are going to play the entire game, start to finish. We will give it our absolute best shot.

I think Penn State will pack the box with 8, and dare us to throw. We will do our best to oblige. If we can also run the ball, things could go our way. On defense, I think your QB is something else. I am just delighted that we also don't have to deal with your RB from last year. He looked like Bo Jackson to me.

I have heard Penn State fans are great too. Hope to find out for myself in a couple weeks.

Go Apps!

Stars don’t mean everything. We have lesser ranked players starting ahead of blue chippers, so I don’t take it as an end-all thing. I agree with Phil Steele in that experience means A LOT in college football. IMO, most guys do not start playing close to their potential until year 3, and some even later than that. Teams that do a good job with roster management are able to keep cycling starters that are third year or higher guys (like Wisconsin). That is a winning formula for any team.

Getmy, We are on average 30-50 lbs lighter on both sides of the ball up front. Our offense and defense will try to stay quick for most of the game. What conference are the Refs from...BIG10? Are they willing to throw the penalty flags for holding on your big guys in the trenches if we get the edge? Anyway, Hope they call it fair for both sides. Looking forward to meeting and tailgating with some great Penn State fans in a two weeks.

Appstate88 wrote: ↑

Sun Aug 19, 2018 5:37 pm

Getmy, We are on average 30-50 lbs lighter on both sides of the ball up front. Our offense and defense will try to stay quick for most of the game. What conference are the Refs from...BIG10? Are they willing to throw the penalty flags for holding on your big guys in the trenches if we get the edge? Anyway, Hope they call it fair for both sides. Looking forward to meeting and tailgating with some great Penn State fans in a two weeks.

If it is a Big Ten crew, don’t expect many holding calls. Every single game there are a number of holds that don’t get called. Some are straight up muggings. A couple of years ago, OSU infamously got through a whole season without a single holding penalty called against them. It’s a bit of a joke, and I think it hurts Big Ten teams during bowl games... they just are used to being able to hold.

Usually the visiting teams conference supplies the referees for an OOC game. It should be a Sun Belt crew. Interesting that you are that much smaller up front. While PSU's O-Line is fairly massive, I believe our D-Line is a bit undersized.

OFFENSE

QB - RS SO Zac Thomas (2 star, .7843 rating) - 6'1", 205 lbs
Athlon Sports preseason All-Sun Belt third team

2017: Appeared in four games as the No. 2 quarterback … Was 6 of 10 passing for 33 yards after going 3 for 5 against both Georgia and Savannah State in the opening two games … Also appeared in the final two games against Louisiana and Toledo … Rushed eight times for 45 yards on the year, with five carries for 19 yards coming vs. Savannah State … His longest completion of 14 yards came against Savannah State. Also had an 18-yard run in that game.

RB - SR Jalin Moore (1 star, .6997) - 5'11", 205 lbs
Set to be one of six FBS players entering 2018 with back-to-back seasons of 1,000 rushing yards ... The only active FBS back who’s rushed for at least 235 yards in four career games ... 3,170 career rushing yards are second-most among returning FBS players (Myles Gaskin of Washington has 4,055) ... Ranked as the No. 18 running back in the country by the Sporting News and one of the top 150 college football players to watch (No. 62 overall, 11th among running backs) by NFL.com ... Preseason All-Sun Belt first team from the league's coaches and media ... Ranked by Athlon as the No. 19 running back in the country and No. 2 among running backs in G5 leagues ... Street and Smith labeled Moore as the Sun Belt's "Top NFL Prospect" and its "Best Under Pressure" performer ... Ranked No. 9 overall and No. 1 among running backs on NFL.com’s 18-player list of “college football’s most freakish athletes.” ... On preseason watch lists for the Maxwell and Doak Walker awards.

2017: Gained a Sun Belt-leading 1,037 yards and rushed for 12 touchdowns in 11 official games. Missed two full games (UMass, Georgia Southern) with injuries, the entire second half against Coastal Carolina and almost the entire second half (one carry) against Texas State … All-Sun Belt first team ... Officially averaged 94.3 yards per game, but taking the absences into account, essentially averaged 103.7 rushing yards for every four quarters of play … Rushed for 241 yards (with two TDs on 19 carries) against New Mexico State and 239 yards (with one TD on 32 carries) against Georgia State … MVP of the Dollar General Bowl after rushing for three touchdowns (career high) and 125 yards on 22 carries … Rushed for at least 110 yards in each of his final four games and had five games with at least 100 yards … After missing a late-October loss at UMass, came off the bench to amass 208 all-purpose yards at ULM despite being quarantined at the team hotel with a pregame illness. Rushed for 114 yards and two TDs on 21 carries while also catching two passes for 84 yards, including a 75-yard touchdown … Had 12 catches for 163 yards after totaling five catches for 32 yards in his first two seasons.

LT - RS JR Vic Johnson (2 star, .7936) - 6'5" 290 lbs
Started all 13 games at left tackle, making it 26 consecutive starts for his career … Named All-Sun Belt first team, joining right tackle Beau Nunn and right guard Colby Gossett to make App State the first Sun Belt squad with three first-team selections … Helped the Mountaineers rank No. 2 nationally with only eight sacks allowed and 22nd nationally by rushing for 223.6 yards per game. App State rushed for more than 300 yards in each of its last three games, including 327 in the bowl win against Toledo … In 12 regular season games, led App State’s line with 813 snaps. Had a grade of 78 percent (637 plus plays) from the coaches with 26 knockdown blocks and six pancakes. The PFF College Football site gave him an 80.8 grade with one sack in 375 pass block snaps.

LG - RS SO Ryan Neuzil (2 star, .7581) - 6'3" 280 lbs
Appeared in seven games, beginning the season as a reserve center and starting the last five games at left guard … App State averaged 286.4 rushing yards per game in his five starts, going for 169 in his starting debut at ULM, 256 against Georgia Southern, 323 at Georgia State, 357 against Louisiana and 327 in the bowl win against Toledo. The Mountaineers won their final four games by a combined score of 155-30 … Appeared as a reserve against Georgia and Savannah State … Committed one penalty and allowed no sacks in 291 regular season snaps, receiving a grade of 81 from App State’s coaches (236 plus plays) and 80.5 from the PFF College Football site. Had 20 knockdown blocks in those 12 games.

C - SO Noah Hannon (3 star, .8086) - 6'1" 270 lbs
Started all 13 games at center as a true freshman and had no bad snaps in 871 plays … Received a regular season grade of 77 from App State’s coaches (with 615 plus plays). Had 24 knockdown blocks and 15 pancake blocks in those 12 games … Helped the Mountaineers rank No. 2 nationally with only eight sacks allowed and 22nd nationally by rushing for 223.6 yards per game. App State rushed for more than 300 yards in each of its last three games, including 327 in the bowl win against Toledo.

RG - RS SO John Hunter (2 star, .7581) - 6'2" 285 lbs (recruited as DE/DT)
Moved to the offensive line, playing primarily guard, during the 2018 spring.

RG - RS SO Cole Garrison (2 star, .7631) - 6'4" 285 lbs. --- taking 1st string snaps due to Hunter injury
2017: Appeared in 11 games and switched from defensive line to tight end in the Mountaineers’ final three games … Also contributed on special teams, notably in punt protection … Made his college debut at Georgia and had two tackles against Coastal Carolina … First appeared as a blocking tight end at Georgia State, where App State rushed for 323 yards. The Mountaineers rushed for 357 and 327 yards in their final two games.

RT - RS SO Matt Williams (3 star, .7972) - 6'5" 285 lbs
Played in one last season (Sav. St.)...Rated a three-star prospect by Scout.com and a two-star prospect by Rivals.com and 247Sports ... Earned second-team all-area recognition as a senior ... Selected to the 2015 Rotary South all-star team ... Ranked as the No. 9 recruit in southwest Florida by the Fort Myers News-Press ... Coached by James Chaney ... Chose Appalachian State over Louisville, Indiana, Iowa State, Marshall, Western Kentucky, USF and Tulane.

RT - RS SR Chandler Greer (2 star, .7616) - 6'4" 290 lbs --- taking 1st string snaps, potential starter
Appeared in nine games and started in four at left guard … Part of an early season rotation with Tobias Edge-Campbell, Greer started against Savannah State, Texas State, Coastal Carolina and UMass … Had 12 knockdown blocks and five pancake blocks in 267 snaps during the regular season.

TE - RS JR Collin Reed (2 star, .7716) 6'3" 245 lbs
Preseason All-Sun Belt first team by the league's coaches and media ... Preseason John Mackey Award Watch List, with only two players on the list having caught more touchdown passes than Reed in 2017.

2017: Appeared in all 13 games, making two starts (Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern) in sets with two tight ends … Caught nine passes for 157 yards and five TDs (second place among Sun Belt tight ends) … Had three catches for 106 yards and two TDs vs. Savannah State, scoring on receptions covering 68 and 16 yards … His 6-yard TD reception early in the fourth quarter at Idaho helped cut App State’s deficit to 20-13 as the Mountaineers went from trailing 20-0 to winning 23-20 … Had a 23-yard touchdown in the second quarter against Georgia Southern and a 6-yard TD in the third quarter against Georgia State.

X - Thomas Hennigan (3 star, .8288) - 6'1" 205 lbs
Athlon Sports preseason All-Sun Belt third team

2017: Started all 13 games as a true freshman … Hauled in 45 catches for 585 yards and seven touchdowns, all good for second on the team. The seven touchdown catches ranked second place nationally among the nation’s true freshman wide receivers, one behind the eight from TCU’s Jalen Reagor, who broke the tie with a TD in his bowl game … Had four TD catches as part of a five-catch, 99-yard performance against Louisiana in the regular season finale. The TDs covered 9, 33, 12 and 42 yards. App State went from leading 14-7 at the end of one quarter to being ahead 42-7 early in the third quarter thanks to the four TD receptions in a span of 15 minutes, 34 seconds … Scored his first career touchdown at Texas State, as his 6-yard TD catch with 29 seconds left in the first half cut into a 10-0 deficit and helped the Mountaineers win 20-13 … Other touchdown was a 27-yard reception on a wide receiver pass from Malik Williams with 5:45 left to break a 31-all tie in a 45-31 win against New Mexico State … Made a one-handed catch with his left hand to gain 35 yards in the fourth quarter of the Wake Forest game … Posted seven games with more than 50 receiving yards and five games with at least five receptions … Had a season-high gain of 51 yards on a third-quarter catch against Georgia Southern … Also returned 15 punts for 102 yards, averaging 6.8 yards. Had a 35-yard return against Wake Forest to match App State’s season high … Returned four kickoffs for 82 yards with a long of 28

M - Malik Williams (3 star, .8415) - 5'10" 180 lbs
Appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, starting the first four as a slot receiver … Caught 19 passes for 172 yards … Responsible for two TDs, including a 27-yard TD pass on a trick play to put App State ahead 38-31 late in the fourth quarter vs. New Mexico State … Rushed for 3-yard TD in the fourth quarter of the Dollar General Bowl … Had a season-high four receptions and 68 yards at Texas State. His 28-yard gain on a third-and-10 pass set up the go-ahead TD ... Had one kick return for 24 yards and one punt return for 16 yards

Z - Jalen Virgil (2 star, .7891) - 6'1" 210 lbs
Sun Belt’s “Fastest Receiver” according to Street and Smith and ranked No. 11, along with Jalin Moore, on the “Freaks List” from The Athletic ... Ran 100 meters in 10.29 seconds as a late addition to the track team in the spring of 2018.

2017: Saw action in all 13 games as a redshirt freshman and made one start at UMass … Finished the season with 364 receiving yards on 20 receptions and had at least one reception in all but two games. Led the team with 18.2 yards per reception … Had five catches for 186 yards and two touchdowns against Coastal Carolina, scoring on plays of 83 and 53 yards … The 186 receiving yards rank 10th in school history and were the most for an App State player since Sean Price had 231 receiving yards against Georgia Southern in 2012. … The nine single-game yardage totals higher than 186 all featured at least seven catches by that receiver. The highest receiving yardage total for an App State player with five catches or less before Virgil was 172 on four catches from Brian Quick against Wofford in 2008 … Scored his first career TD with a long, weaving run on a 56-yard reception against Savannah State.

DEFENSE

DE - SR Okon Godwin (3 star, .8058) - 6'2" 250 lbs
Appeared in all 13 games and made six starts at defensive end … Finished season with 20 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, three QB hurries and one fumble recovery … Started the final three games with Tee Sims sidelined by injury. Made his first career start against Savannah State and also started back-to-back games against Idaho and Coastal Carolina … Recorded a sack in the 34-0 bowl win against Toledo … Had five tackles off the bench in the season opener at Georgia … Recovered a fumble inside the Coastal Carolina 20 to set up a fourth-quarter touchdown … Posted four tackles for loss over the last five games, including 1.5 against Louisiana in the regular season finale.

DT - SR Myquon Stout (2 star, .7657) - 6'1" 275 lbs
Preseason All-Sun Belt second team from the league's coaches and media ... Named to the watch list for the 2018 Wuerffel Trophy, which is given to the FBS player who best combines exemplary community service with athletic and academic achievement.

2017: Captain started all 13 games at nose tackle and was named All-Sun Belt honorable mention … Finished season with 41 tackles to rank third among Sun Belt interior linemen, behind only Texas State’s Jordan Mittie (52) and Idaho’s Arie Anderson (43) … Anchored the line of a defense that ranked 21st nationally in points allowed per game (20.2) and led the Sun Belt in three-and-outs per game, three-and-out percentage, first downs allowed, passing yards allowed and defensive interceptions … Opened the season with six tackles at Georgia and had six more in the regular season finale against Louisiana ... Had 1.5 sacks, with one at Idaho and half of one at Texas State.

DE - SO Demetrius Taylor (2 star, .7731) - 6'2" 255 lbs
Appeared in the final 12 games as a true freshman at defensive end … Finished season with 13 tackles (eight solo), 3.0 sacks and 5.5 tackles for loss … Had sacks against Savannah State, Wake Forest and Georgia State … One of three true freshmen to play on defense.

OLB - SO Tim Frizzell (2 star, .7608) - 6'1" 220 lbs
Appeared in all 13 games as a true freshman, contributing as a linebacker and on special teams … Finished season with six tackles, including a sack for a 7-yard loss against Louisiana ... One of three true freshmen to play on defense.

ILB - JR Jordan Fehr (2 star, .7731) - 6'3" 225 lbs
Appeared in all 13 games as a reserve inside linebacker … Began the season with his first career interception at Georgia to set up a fourth-quarter score … Totaled 15 tackles and two tackles for loss on the season … Had a season-high four tackles and two tackles for loss against Savannah State.

ILB - SR Anthony Flory (2 star, .7531) - 6'2" 230 lbs
Preseason All-Sun Belt first team from the league's coaches and media.

2017: Started all 13 games at inside linebacker and ranked second on the team with 87 tackles (56 solo) … Also had 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, five QB hurries, one fumble recovery and three pass breakups … His 19-yard interception return set up App State’s first touchdown in a 34-0 bowl win against Toledo. Was named the Defensive MVP with eight tackles and one QB hurry … Named the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week after a nine-tackle, one-sack performance at Texas State … Posted a career-high 11 tackles against New Mexico State … Had six games with at least eight tackles, two more games with seven stops and a six-tackle debut at Georgia … Honorable mention All-Sun Belt selection.

OLB - RS JR Akeem Davis-Gaither (2 star, .7952) - 6'2" 200 lbs
Saw action in all 13 games as an outside linebacker and started in three straight when senior Devan Stringer was sidelined by injury … Started against Coastal Carolina, at UMass and at ULM, where he totaled 10 tackles (eight solo) … Finished the season with 33 tackles (24 solo) … Recorded at least one tackle in the final nine games of the season … Had one tackle for loss against Coastal Carolina.

CB - SR Tae Hayes (2 star, .7742) - 5'11" 185 lbs
Preseason All-Sun Belt second team from the league's coaches and media ... Named to the watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy.

2017: Started all 13 games at cornerback, earning All-Sun Belt first-team honors from the PFF College Football Site and second-team honors from the league … Had four interceptions (tied for fourth in Sun Belt, 29th nationally) and 16 passes defended (tied for second in Sun Belt, 18th nationally) to go along with 53 tackles (fourth on team), 1.5 sacks, 4.5 tackles for loss and one forced fumble … Matched the school record with three picks in a 45-31 win vs. New Mexico State. Hayes and Clifton Duck, who accounted for the other three of App State’s six picks, tied Mark LeGree (2008 against Wofford) and Larry McKenzie (1973 against Davidson) … Named to The Athletic’s All-Group of Five Midseason Team … Also had an interception at UMass, and a 48-yard TD return was erased by an away-from-the-play penalty … Had a season-high eight tackles and half a sack at Texas State … Had a sack and forced fumble vs. Coastal Carolina.

SS - RS JR Josh Thomas (2 star, .7965) - 6'0" 200 lbs
Started the first three games at free safety and played in the first four games but missed the last three months of the season due to injury and received a medical hardship … Finished the season with 13 tackles, including one tackle for loss … Recorded seven tackles, including one for loss, in a 20-13 win over Texas State in the league opener.

FS - JR Desmond Franklin (3 star, .8054) - 6'2" 200 lbs
Athlon Sports preseason All-Sun Belt fourth team

2017: Appeared in all 13 games, starting the final 10 at free safety following a season-ending injury to Josh Thomas ... Recorded 49 total tackles (31 solo) to rank seventh on the team while also posting three interceptions, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and 2.5 tackles for loss … Returned interception 26 yards to set up App State’s first touchdown in the opener at Georgia … Had four total tackles and one interception in the 34-0 bowl victory over Toledo … Posted a career-high nine tackles and intercepted a pass at ULM … Had a 28-yard fumble return in the regular season finale vs. Louisiana … Recorded five solo tackles in a 45-31 win over New Mexico State. Tallied two pass breakups and one forced fumble in the same game to help drive the team to a victory.

CB - JR Clifton Duck (2 star, .7531) - 5'10" 175 lbs
Street and Smith preseason second-team All-American ... Second-team preseason Dream Team from the College Football America Yearbook ... Preseason All-Sun Belt first team and Defensive Player of the Year in the Sun Belt, according to the league's coaches and media ... Duck and Troy’s Blace Brown lead the country with 11 picks since the start of the 2016 season ... According to the PFF College Football site, since the start of the 2016 season, Duck led FBS defensive backs by allowing a passer rating of just 50.4 when targeted with a throw. Alabama's Minkah Fitzpatrick, a top-15 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, ranked second with a 59.9 rating ... Named to the watch list for the Jim Thorpe Award.

2017: Started all 13 games at cornerback, making it two straight seasons he has started every game … Led the Sun Belt Conference in interceptions with six, tied for fourth most in the nation, and also contributed 50 tackles (sixth on the team) with one sack … Named All-Sun Belt first team for the second year in a row … Since 2000, Duck is one of eight FBS players with at least five picks in both his freshman and sophomore seasons … During the regular season, led Sun Belt cornerbacks by allowing a 43.6 passer rating when targeted, according to PFF College Football data ... Tied the school record with a three-interception game in a 45-31 win over New Mexico State, and he was named the Sun Belt’s Defensive Player of the Week after also posting seven tackles and one sack in the same game. Duck’s first two interception returns of 15 yards and 39 yards set up two touchdowns, including the go-ahead score with 5:45 remaining, and his third interception occurred inside the App State 25 with 1:16 left to seal the win. His first career sack resulted in a third-down loss of 11 yards to force a punt … Had one interception against Toledo to help keep the game scoreless in a 34-0 victory in the Dollar General Bowl … Also intercepted passes against Texas State (41-yard return in the fourth quarter of a 20-13 win) and Louisiana (8-yard return) … Returned nine punts for 85 yards, including a 35-yard return that matched App State’s season high.

2016: First-team All-Sun Belt Conference honoree … Named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year … Landed on USA Today’s Freshman All-America Team and the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) Freshman All-America Team … Started all 13 games as a true freshman at cornerback … Led the Mountaineers with five interceptions, which tied for second in the Sun Belt and 13th in the nation … Part of an App State secondary and defense that was sixth nationally with 20 interceptions in 2016 ... Led league with 13 passes defended and was tied for fourth on the team with 57 tackles … Had a 44-yard interception return for a touchdown versus Idaho to earn Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Week honors … Recorded a career-high 13 tackles at Akron, also a team-leading total … Notched 2.5 tackles for a loss on the season.