A total of ten black college players, half (five) from 2017 BCSP national champion North Carolina A&T, have been named to the preseason Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) all-American team by Phil Steele’s 2018 College Football Preview magazine.
There is only one HBCU player on the first team, two are on the second team, four on the third team and three on the fourth team. NC A&T placed one player on each of the first three teams and two on the fourth team.
The lone HBCU player on the first team is NC A&T junior defensive end Darryl Johnson. Johnson, at 6-2, 232, was recently named to the Watch List for the 2018 Junious ‘Buck’ Buchanan Award, the postseason prize named after the late former Grambling, SWAC and NFLHall of Famer that is given to the top defensive player in the FCS (see related story). Johnson’s stock is on the rise after a standout 2017 campaign that saw him post 40 tackles, 25 unassisted, with 15.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks.
Record-setting defensive back Franklin “Mac” McCain is the Aggie named to the second team and is joined on that squad by Grambling State linebacker De’Arius Christmas. As a freshman in 2017, McCain tied for the MEAC lead as he picked off six passes and returned three for scores.
Christmas, the 2017 SWAC defensive player of the year 2018 preseason defensive player of the year, posted 87 tackles a year ago to lead the Tigers.
The third team selectees include A&T 1,000-yard rusher, senior tail-back Marquell Cartwright, Morgan State junior linebacker Rico Kennedy, North Carolina Central senior defensive back Davanta Reynoldsand NCCU senior long snapper Erik Schlecker. Kennedy posted 70 tack-les a year ago with 7.5 sacks, 19.5 tackles for losses and four forced fum-bles. Reynolds had 54 tackles with an MEAC leading six interceptions.
A&T senior quarterback Lamar Raynard and offensive lineman Marcus Pettiford are fourth team selectees along with Delaware State junior punter Fidel Romo-Martinez. Raynard was recently added to the Walter Payton Award Watch List, the postseason prize named after the former Jackson State, SWAC and NFL Hall of Famer that is given to the top offensive player in the FCS (see related story). He passed for just under 3,000 yards last season with 27 TD passes and only seven interceptions.
Pettiford will move over this season to take over at left tackle for A&T from departed all-American Brandon Parker. Romo-Martinez led the MEAC in punting a year ago averaging 44.8 yards per punt.