McCall Tabbed Preseason SBC Player of the Year; Six Chants Garner Preseason All-Sun Belt Honors

CONWAY, S.C. (CCU) Three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year Grayson McCall was named the 2023 Preseason Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year to headline a group of six Preseason All-Sun Belt honorees for the Chanticleers in McCall, Sam Pinckney, Jared Brown, JT Killen, Will McDonald, and Matthew McDoom. 

McCall, Pinckney, Brown, and Killen all landed on the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, while McDonald and McDoom were named to the second team, with McDoom’s nod coming as a return specialist. 

The Chants’ six preseason honorees were tied with Marshall for the third-most by any team behind only South Alabama with nine selections and Troy with eight picks. 

In addition to the preseason honors, the Chanticleers were picked to finish third overall in the East Division with three first-place votes and a total of 71 points in the 2023 Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. 

The Chanticleers were picked to finish behind James Madison (78 points) and App State (75 points), with both teams garnering four first-place votes. 

Behind the Chanticleers were Marshall (68 points), Georgia Southern (52 points), Georgia State (31 points), and Old Dominion (17 points). Marshall added two first-place votes, while Georgia Southern picked up one. 

In the West Division, 2022 Sun Belt Conference Champions Troy was picked to finish first with 92 points and 10 first-place votes, finishing ahead of South Alabama with 85 points and four first-place votes. 

Rounding out the West Division was Louisiana (64 points), Southern Miss (62 points), Texas State (36 points), Arkansas State (33 points), and ULM (20 points). 

Grayson McCall – 2023 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year / Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

McCall was once again named the 2023 Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and earned a spot on the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, adding to his preseason accolades which include 2023 HERO Sports’ Group of Five All-American second team, 2023 College Football News (CFN) All-American honorable mention, 2023 College Football News (CFN) Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, 2023 College Football News (CFN) All-Sun Belt Preseason team, 2023 Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference first team, 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, and earned a spot on the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Preseason List.

Named the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year, marking the first-ever Sun Belt Conference football player to win the award three straight years, McCall also earned a spot on the 2022 All-Sun Belt first team.

McCall also earned a spot on the Davey O’Brien QB Class of 2022 list, the 2022 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 25 list, and the 2022 CFPA National Performer of the Year Trophy watch list. He was also named The Draft Network Sun Belt Conference Offensive Player of the Year and picked up Pro Football Focus (PFF) All-Sun Belt first-team honors as well. 

Last season, McCall’s 24 touchdowns to two interceptions ratio was among the leaders in all of FBS, while he also threw a touchdown pass in 23-straight games dating back two years. He also threw for over 245 yards in eight of 11 games played this year and had three touchdown tosses in six different games on the season. 

In 11 games in 2022, McCall completed nearly 70 percent of his passes (207-of-297) for 2,700 yards, 24 touchdowns, and just two interceptions. He also rushed 91 times for 195 yards and six scores. 

McCall ranked in the top 40 in all of NCAA Division I FBS in several offensive categories. He was third in passing efficiency (171.4), third in completion percentage (69.7 percent), fifth in yards per pass attempt (9.09), 18th in points responsible for per game (16.4), 29th in passing touchdowns (24), 30th in passing yards per completion (13.04), 32nd in points responsible for (180), and 40th in total offense (263.2 yards per game).

Sam Pinckney – Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

Named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, Pinckney continues to bring in preseason accolades including the 2023 HERO Sports’ Group of Five All-American second team, 2023 College Football News (CFN) All-Sun Belt Preseason team, 2023 Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference first team, 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt first team, and also earning a spot on the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Preseason List. 

In his first year at CCU in 2022, Pinckney picked up All-Sun Belt Conference honors from the league’s coaches for the second time in his career with his third-team recognition. He earned second-team honors in 2020 while at Georgia State. 

The graduate transfer, who was also named to the CFN All-Sun Belt second team and the Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Conference third team, led the Chants with 71 receptions, 996 receiving yards, and an average of 76.6 yards per game. He also had three receiving touchdowns on the year. 

Named to the 2022 Biletnikoff Award watch list, Pinckney had at least one catch in all 13 games on the season and totaled 100-plus receiving yards in wins over Buffalo (Sept. 17), ULM (Oct. 8), Old Dominion (Oct. 15), and Southern Miss (Nov. 12). 

Jared Brown – Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

Joining both McCall and Pinckney on the first team was Brown, who picked up his fourth preseason honor having already been named to the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference first team, the 2023 Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Preseason All-Sun Belt second team, and the 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt third team. 

Brown had a standout redshirt freshman season last year, in which he was named to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) 2022 Freshman All-America Team and the 2022 College Football (CFN) News Freshman All-American second team. 

Tabbed the 2022 Sun Belt Conference Freshman of the Year, Brown also earned a spot on the 2022 Phil Steele Sun Belt Conference All-Conference fourth team. 

Brown was second on the team in receptions with 49, receiving yards with 789, and receiving yards per game at 60.69. He led the team with six receiving touchdowns and also had a team-high seven total touchdowns adding a rushing score on the year. 

Brown was also fourth on the team in rushing yards with 187 on just 20 carries and averaged a team-high 9.4 yards per rush on the year. Brown, who became the first freshman in Coastal Carolina history to post back-to-back 100-yard receiving games in wins over Georgia State (Sept. 22) and Georgia Southern (Oct. 1), caught at least one pass in all 13 games on the season. Each one of his seven touchdowns on the season was 30 yards or more on the year. 

JT Killen – Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team

CCU’s leading tackler from last season, Killen was the lone Chant defender named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team. This preseason, the redshirt senior linebacker has also been named to the 2023 HERO Sports’ Group of Five All-American third team, the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference first team, the 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt second team, and also earned a spot on the 2024 East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Preseason List. 

Named to the All-Sun Belt third team and earning a spot on the Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Conference second team, Killen led the CCU defense with a team-high 96 total tackles and ranked in the top six on the team in tackles-for-loss (8.0), sacks (3.5), and pass breakups (4) while also adding two quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and a team-high three fumble recoveries.

Will McDonald – Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team

One of three starters returning on the offensive line, McDonald earned a spot on the preseason second team. 

McDonald, who started in all 13 games for the Chanticleers last year at guard, has also been named to the 2023 Pro Football Focus (PFF) College Preseason All-Sun Belt, 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference, and 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt third teams this preseason. 

He helped block for three-time Sun Belt Conference Player of the Year in quarterback McCall and was part of the offensive line that led the way for an offense that ranked second in the Sun Belt in completion percentage (65.7 percent), third in both third-down conversion percentage (42.8 percent) and first down offense (284), fourth in rushing offense (159.3 ypg), fifth in passing offense (246.2 ypg), and fifth in total offense (405.5 ypg). 

Matthew McDoom – Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team 

Earning a spot on the preseason second team as a return specialist was McDoom, as the second-year Chant has also been named to the 2023 Preseason All-Sun Belt second team, the 2023 Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Conference All-Conference second team, and the 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Sun Belt second team as a kick return specialist. 

Named to the Phil Steele All-Sun Belt Conference third team and a CFN All-Sun Belt honorable mention specialist, McDoom was named the Sun Belt Conference Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Sept. 12. McDoom led the Chants’ return game with 20 kickoff returns for 451 yards and a touchdown. He averaged 22.6 yards per kickoff return on the season, which included a 95-yard touchdown return in the week two win over Gardner-Webb on Sept. 10. 

McDoom, who was one of just 27 student-athletes to return a kickoff for a touchdown this season, recorded the first kickoff return for a touchdown for the Chanticleers since Ky’Jon Tyler returned one for a touchdown versus Hampton in 2016. It was also the longest kick return for the Chanticleers since Tyler had a 50-yard kickoff return versus Troy in 2017 and was tied for the fifth-longest scoring play in Coastal Carolina program history.

2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense

QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

RB – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama (Sr., RB – Opelika, Ala.)

RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., RB – Miami, Fla.) 

OL – Isaiah Helms, App State (Sr., OL – Hudson, N.C.) 

OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., OL – Carrollton, Ga.) 

OL – Travis Glover, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Vienna, Ga.) 

OL – Nick Kidwell, James Madison (RS Sr., OL – Knoxville, Md.) 

OL – Logan Osburn, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Ona, W.Va.) 

TE – Neal Johnson, Louisiana (Sr., TE – Mesquite, Texas) 

WR – Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina (RS So., WR – Lilburn, Ga.) 

WR – Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., WR – Greenwood, S.C.)

WR – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern (5th Yr., WR – McDonough, Ga.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense

DL – James Carpenter, James Madison (RS Jr., DL – Roanoke, Va.) 

DL – Owen Porter, Marshall (RS Sr., DL – Huntington, W.Va.)

DL – TJ Jackson, Troy (Jr., DL – Millbrook, Ala.) 

DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy (Sr., DL – Delta State, Nigeria) 

LB – JT Killen, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., LB – Lake Wylie, S.C.)

LB – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., LB – Beaver Falls, Pa.) 

LB – Eli Neal, Marshall (Sr., LB – Memphis, Tenn.) 

LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)

DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Tampa, Fla.)

DB – Yam Banks, South Alabama (Jr., DB – Ridgeland, Miss.)

DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Sr., DB – Greenwood, Miss.) 

DB – Reddy Steward, Troy (Sr., DB – Decatur, Ala.) 

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams

K – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler, Ariz.) 

P – Ryan Hanson, James Madison (RS Jr., P – Elgin, Texas)

 RS – Milan Tucker, App State (RS Jr., RS – Lehigh Acres, Fla.)

 AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., AP – Miami, Fla.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense

QB – Carter Bradley, South Alabama (Sr., QB – Jacksonville, Fla.) 

RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (RS So., RB – Cleveland, Ohio) 

RB – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., RB – Marietta, Ga.) 

OL – Damion Daley, App State (RS Sr., OL – Columbia, S.C.)  

OL – Will McDonald, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., OL – Matthews, N.C.)

OL – AJ Gillie, Louisiana (RS Jr., OL – Natchitoches, La.) 

OL – Ethan Driskell, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Louisville, Ky.)

OL – Daniel King, Troy (Jr., OL – Cairo, Ga.) 

TE – Jjay Mcafee, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., TE – Charleston, S.C.) 

WR – Tyrone Howell, ULM (6th Yr., WR – Idabel, Okla.) 

WR – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.) 

WR – Devin Voisin, South Alabama (Sr., WR – Crestview, Fla.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense

DL – Javon Denis, Georgia State (RS Sr., DL – Deerfield Beach, Fla.)

DL – Wy’Kevious Thomas, South Alabama (RS Jr., DL – Riverdale, Ga.) 

DL – Jalen Williams, Southern Miss (Sr., DL – Tylertown, Miss.) 

DL – Jordan Revels, Texas State (Sr., DL – Houston, Texas)

DL – Javon Solomon, Troy (Jr., DL – Tallahassee, Fla.)

LB – Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State (RS Sr., LB – Tampa, Fla.)

LB – Jordan Veneziale, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Dallas, Ga.) 

LB – Taurus Jones, James Madison (RS Jr., LB – Portsmouth, Va.)

DB – Bryquice Brown, Georgia State (RS Sr., DB – Dorchester, Mass.) 

DB – Keith Gallmon Jr., South Alabama (RS Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)

DB – Jaden Voisin, South Alabama (RS Jr., DB – Crestview, Fla.)

DB – Dell Pettus, Troy (Sr., DB – Harvest, Ala.)  

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams

K – Diego Guajardo, South Alabama (Sr., K – Spanish Fort, Ala.) 

P – Ethan Duane, Old Dominion (Jr., P – Melbourne, Australia) 

RS – Matthew McDoom, Coastal Carolina (So., RS – Winter Garden, Fla.) 

AP – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., AP – Marietta, Ga.)  

2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL

East Division

1. James Madison – 78 Points (4)

2. App State – 75 Points (4)

3. Coastal Carolina – 71 Points (3)

4. Marshall – 68 Points (2)

5. Georgia Southern – 52 Points (1)

6. Georgia State – 31 Points

7. Old Dominion – 17 Points 

West Division

1. Troy – 92 Points (10)

2. South Alabama – 85 Points (4)

3. Louisiana – 64 Points

4. Southern Miss – 62 Points

5. Texas State – 36 Points

6. Arkansas State – 33 Points

7. ULM – 20 Points

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