JACKSONVILLE – Jacksonville State junior Clay Webb was named the 2023 College Football Network National Offensive Guard of the Year and to the CFN All-America Team on Monday.
 
Webb's honor from CFN makes him Jax State's first All-American at the FBS level, while he also highlighted the Gamecocks on CFN's Conference USA Football Team by earning Offensive Player of the Year honors.
 
Webb, a native of nearby Oxford, Ala., started every game but one at left guard for the Gamecocks in 2023 and was a key piece in an offensive line that led the Gamecocks to fifth-best rushing offense in FBS through the regular season. He helped pave the way for an offense that is averaging 232.2 yards per game on the ground and has run for at least 140 in every game but one in 2023, including seven games with more than 200 yards and a CUSA-record 522 rushing yards against LA Tech.
 
His honor was one of many on CFN list of CUSA honors. Junior Sean Brown was named the CUSA  Tight End of the Year, while Webb was also listed as the FFN Offensive Lineman and Offensive Guard of the Year. Junior Chris Hardie was named the CFN Defensive Lineman of the Year and EDGE Defender of the Year, while junior Jack Dawson was selected as the CUSA Punter of the Year.
 
Brown, a native of Rome, Ga., is on the watch list for the John Mackey Award and one of the Gamecocks' top offensive players. He appeared in every game for the Gamecocks as a redshirt-junior, serving as a top blocker in the run game as well as a top target in the passing game. He blocked for the fifth-best rushing offense in FBS, while catching 18 passes for 292 yards and a team-high five touchdowns. He was named the Mackey Award National Tight end of the Week after five catches for 103 yards and a score against Middle Tennessee.
 
Hardie, a native of Vincent, Ala., quickly solidified himself as one of the top defenders in Conference USA. The top pass rusher on one of the best pass rushing defenses in the nation, he started every game on the defensive front. Hardie led a team that leads CUSA and is 10th nationally in sacks and is the team leader in sacks with 8.5, which also ranks 18th nationally. He is CUSA's individual leader in total sacks with 8.5 and in sacks per game with 0.71 and the Gamecocks' leader in tackles for a loss with 16.0, pacing a defense that leads CUSA and ranks 13th nationally in total tackles for a loss.
 
A native of Sylvania Waters, Australia, Dawson is the Gamecocks' punter for the third-straight season and one of the top legs in CUSA. He is third in CUSA in punting average with 42.62 yards per punt and leads Conference USA in Net Yards Per Punt with 40.09. He is second among all CUSA punters in punts of over 50 yards with 10, while he leads the conference with 22 punts pinned inside the 20. He was named the CUSA Special Teams Player of the Week twice – on Aug. 26 vs UTEP, when he punted five times for an average of 45.8 yards with two over 50 yards and three inside the 20, and on Sept. 23 against Eastern Michigan, when he punted five times for an average of 41.0 yards with one over 50 yards and two inside the 20.
 
Gamecocks honored on CFN's All-CUSA squads:
 
Tight End of the Year
Sean Brown, Jacksonville State
 
Offensive Guard of the Year
Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
 
Offensive Lineman of the Year
Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
 
Punter of the Year
Jack Dawson, Jacksonville State
 
Defensive Lineman of the Year
Chris Hardie, Jacksonville State
 
EDGE Defender of the Year
Chris Hardie, Jacksonville State
 
2023 First-Team All-Conference USA Offense
RB: Malik Jackson, Jacksonville State
TE: Sean Brown, Jacksonville State
OG: Clay Webb, Jacksonville State
OT: Xavier Bausley, Jacksonville State
 
2023 Third-Team All-Conference USA Offense
WR: Perry Carter, Jacksonville State
OC: Treylen Brown, Jacksonville State
 
2023 Honorable Mention All-Conference USA Offense
OT: Will O'Steen, Jacksonville State
 
2023 First-Team All-Conference USA Defense
EDGE: Chris Hardie, Jacksonville State
CB: Kolbi Fuqua, Jacksonville State
 
2023 Second-Team All-Conference USA Defense
LB: Quae Drake, Jacksonville State
S: Larry Worth, Jacksonville State
 
2023 Honorable Mention All-Conference USA Defense
DT: Devin Baldwin, Jacksonville State
EDGE: Jaylen Swain, Jacksonville State
CB: Kekoura Tarnue, Jacksonville State
S: Jeremiah Harris, Jacksonville State
S: Fred Perry, Jacksonville State
 
2023 First-Team All-Conference USA Specialists
P: Jack Dawson, Jacksonville State