Four Gamecocks Honored On HERO Sports All-America Teams
5/20/2021 9:56:00 AM | Football
JACKSONVILLE – HERO Sports released its 2020-21 FCS All-America Teams and four Jacksonville State student-athletes were represented.
The outlet included senior tight end Trae Barry and sophomore safety Nicario Harper on its All-America Team, while it listed Harper and offensive lineman Tylan Grable on the Sophomore All-America Team and outside linebacker Jaylen Swain on the Freshman All-America Team.
The quartet received the recognition after leading the Gamecocks to a 10-3 record and their sixth Ohio Valley Conference title in the last seven years. No. 7 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches' polls, the Gamecocks earned their highest final ranking since being ranked seventh by Stats and sixth by the coaches after the 2016 season. It comes after JSU tied national champion Sam Houston (10-0) for the most wins among all FCS schools.
Included in the 10-3 record, just the sixth 10-win season in JSU's Division I history, was a 6-1 mark in OVC play that led to the Gamecocks' ninth overall OVC championship. After receiving the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, JSU defeated Davidson 49-14 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.
Harper becomes a consensus first-team All-American after earning first-team nods from Stats Perform, Associated Press, AFCA Coaches, Athlon and FCS Athletic Directors Association (FCS ADA).
The honor is the sixth All-America mention for Harper, who had a stellar season for the Gamecocks after transferring from Southern Miss prior to the 2020 season. On May 13, the FCS ADA All-America Team named him the top defensive back in the FCS this season. He was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS each season, after being the first defensive back named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year since 2007. 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.
Barry was also honored by the FCS ADA as the top player in the nation at his position after being named First Team All-America for the first time in his career on May 10 by Stats Perform. He was also a first-team selection by Athlon Sports and got the second team nod by the Associated Press. He earned Freshman All-America and Sophomore All-America in 2017 and 2018. The Summerdale, Ala., native 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).
Grable's honor is his third All-America recognition after he was named a Second Team All-American by Stats Perform and the AFCA. The All-America recognitions come after he was named to the All-OVC First Team. 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.
Swain receives his first All-America nod after being named a First-Team All-OVC performer and a member of the OVC's All-Newcomer Team as a true freshman in 2020-21. The Oxford, Ala., native earned the honors after leading a dominant JSU defense that limited a school-record nine opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. He was second on the Gamecocks with 11.5 tackles for a loss for a second-best 59 yards and also added three sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. Swain tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and also blocked a punt.
The conference title came in JSU's 18th and final season in the OVC. Earlier in the year, the Gamecocks announced they will leave the league to be on the ground level of building football in the ASUN Conference. They will join fellow OVC member Eastern Kentucky, as well as Central Arkansas, North Alabama and Kennesaw State in the original five schools in the new league.
During the transition into the ASUN, the Gamecocks will compete for one season in the AQ7, joining forces with four programs leaving the Southland for the WAC to qualify for an automatic bid to the 2021 FCS Playoffs. Joining JSU, EKU and UCA will be national champ Sam Houston, Stephen F Austin, Lamar and Abilene Christian. JSU will play all six in its 2021 SCHEDULE.
The outlet included senior tight end Trae Barry and sophomore safety Nicario Harper on its All-America Team, while it listed Harper and offensive lineman Tylan Grable on the Sophomore All-America Team and outside linebacker Jaylen Swain on the Freshman All-America Team.
The quartet received the recognition after leading the Gamecocks to a 10-3 record and their sixth Ohio Valley Conference title in the last seven years. No. 7 in both the Stats Perform and AFCA Coaches' polls, the Gamecocks earned their highest final ranking since being ranked seventh by Stats and sixth by the coaches after the 2016 season. It comes after JSU tied national champion Sam Houston (10-0) for the most wins among all FCS schools.
Included in the 10-3 record, just the sixth 10-win season in JSU's Division I history, was a 6-1 mark in OVC play that led to the Gamecocks' ninth overall OVC championship. After receiving the league's automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, JSU defeated Davidson 49-14 to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time since 2016.
Harper becomes a consensus first-team All-American after earning first-team nods from Stats Perform, Associated Press, AFCA Coaches, Athlon and FCS Athletic Directors Association (FCS ADA).
The honor is the sixth All-America mention for Harper, who had a stellar season for the Gamecocks after transferring from Southern Miss prior to the 2020 season. On May 13, the FCS ADA All-America Team named him the top defensive back in the FCS this season. He was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the top defensive player in the FCS each season, after being the first defensive back named the OVC's Defensive Player of the Year since 2007. 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.
Barry was also honored by the FCS ADA as the top player in the nation at his position after being named First Team All-America for the first time in his career on May 10 by Stats Perform. He was also a first-team selection by Athlon Sports and got the second team nod by the Associated Press. He earned Freshman All-America and Sophomore All-America in 2017 and 2018. The Summerdale, Ala., native 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).
Grable's honor is his third All-America recognition after he was named a Second Team All-American by Stats Perform and the AFCA. The All-America recognitions come after he was named to the All-OVC First Team. 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.
Swain receives his first All-America nod after being named a First-Team All-OVC performer and a member of the OVC's All-Newcomer Team as a true freshman in 2020-21. The Oxford, Ala., native earned the honors after leading a dominant JSU defense that limited a school-record nine opponents to less than 100 yards rushing. He was second on the Gamecocks with 11.5 tackles for a loss for a second-best 59 yards and also added three sacks and 12 quarterback hurries. Swain tied for the team lead with two forced fumbles and also blocked a punt.
The conference title came in JSU's 18th and final season in the OVC. Earlier in the year, the Gamecocks announced they will leave the league to be on the ground level of building football in the ASUN Conference. They will join fellow OVC member Eastern Kentucky, as well as Central Arkansas, North Alabama and Kennesaw State in the original five schools in the new league.
During the transition into the ASUN, the Gamecocks will compete for one season in the AQ7, joining forces with four programs leaving the Southland for the WAC to qualify for an automatic bid to the 2021 FCS Playoffs. Joining JSU, EKU and UCA will be national champ Sam Houston, Stephen F Austin, Lamar and Abilene Christian. JSU will play all six in its 2021 SCHEDULE.
Players Mentioned
Friday, April 17
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Wednesday, December 03
Sunday, November 30
