2022 FVSU SIAC Media Day Packet
SIAC Release
ATLANTA, Ga. – The fall countdown continues with the first preseason milestone reached on Wednesday. New head coach Shawn Gibbs turns to seven Fort Valley State 2022 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Football Preseason All-Conference players to lead his inaugural campaign in The Valley.
 
At the SIAC's kick-off to the 2022 season, Media Day, held at the College Football Hall of Fame in Atlanta, Gibbs will meet his counterparts from the other 12 league members as his first Wildcats squad is projected fifth in the SIAC East this fall.
 
With FVSU rated fifth, defending SIAC and East Division champion Albany State was selected to repeat in the East. Benedict College, Savannah State and Morehouse round out the four teams ahead of FVSU, while Edward Waters, Clark Atlanta and Allen sit sixth through eighth. In the West Division, Miles College leads the five teams followed by Lane College, Tuskegee, Kentucky State and Central State.
 
Gibbs will have seven All-SIAC Preseason players to lead his first club with four on the First Team of offensive linemen Emanuel Boone and Waylin Bell, running back Emanuel Wilson and defensive back Tyler Moore. The Wildcats have the defensive tandem of lineman Tim Alderman and defensive back Christian Maddox are Second Team honorees along with punt returner Hakeem Ellington.
 
Two-time All-SIAC First Team center Boone will anchor the FVSU offensive line again in his senior season. He will team with Bell, a 2021 Second Team selection, and two other returning linemen in Taj Faust and Aundre Turner to be the foundation of the attack.
 
The veteran line will block for the SIAC's top running back of 2021, Wilson. The redshirt junior rumbled for 119.3 yards per game, 835 yards on 147 attempts, in seven games at a 5.7-yard per carry clip and seven touchdowns. He rushed for over a 100-yards in five of those games – 27 rushes for 164 yards vs. Central State, 23 att. for 161 yards vs. Clark Atlanta, 17 att. for 130 yards vs. Savannah State, 27 carries for 122 yards vs. Benedict and finished the season as the lone 100-yard rusher of the regular season against Albany State with 108 yards on 26 rushes.
 
Backup running back Kentrelle Williams, who ran for 214 yards on 57 attempts, and a group of wide receivers will round out the FVSU offensive skill positions players with redshirt sophomore quarterback Kelvin Durham heading to camp with the starting edge over a group of others.
 
"We have high expectations for everyone, but we have to come together as a cohesive until and play efficient," explained Gibbs. "I am excited about it as we are going to focus on individual growth."
 
Returning All-SIAC Second Team, Moore, and Maddox will be joined by senior Deon Andrews as the basis for the defensive secondary. Moore led the Wildcats with 57 tackles (5.7 per game) a year ago to go with 7.5 tackles for loss, a sack, two interceptions, five breakups, a fumble recovery, two forced fumbles and three blocked kicks. Moore earned SIAC Defensive Player of the Week with his opening week performance versus Tuskegee and added SIAC Special Teams Player of the Week with a season-high 11 tackles and the key blocked punt at Allen University.
 
Maddox registered 26 tackles to go with three interceptions and six pass breakups in his first Wildcats season. Andrews added 21 stops, two pickoffs and four breakups.
 
True sophomore Alderman will be counted upon to become a bigger presence in his second year. He will be joined by sophomore Kamron Rutledge, junior Caleb Thomas and Lenoir-Rhyne transfer Solomon Riggin. Alderman produced 28 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four sacks and five quarterback hurries last fall. Rutledge had 16 tackles and six tackles for loss, while Thomas contributed 22 tackles and a sack. Riggin finished with two tackles for loss and a sack at Lenoir-Rhyne.
 
"I expect to play good defense. We have decent speed and I plan on building on the unit into the fall," said Gibbs of his defense.
 
Ellington adds a return threat in both punts and kick-offs for FVSU. The redshirt senior returned nine punts for 58 yards a year ago. He also ran back 26 kick-offs for 492 yards (18.9 yards per return).
 
Coming in February, Gibbs and his FVSU staff were able to work with the team's returners in the spring.
 
"I was excited to have a great (spring) camp as we came together and built chemistry," noted Gibbs. "We are learning how to play the right way, be aggressive on defense and win in the kicking game."
 
Gibbs will get a big dose of the SIAC with nine of FVSU's games against league competitors.
 
"I know it's a good conference. You have to bring it every week to win with a lot of good players, a lot of good coaches and a lot of parity," told Gibbs, who comes from the NCAA DI ranks at North Carolina A&T.
 
The new FVSU coach will also have his opening team be 'Road Wildcats.' FVSU has only two (Allen on Sept. 17 and Benedict College on Oct. 1) as true home games in Wildcat Stadium of the 10-game slate. The Valley will play half of its games at neutral sites – Week 1 vs. Tuskegee in Montgomery, Ala.; Week 2 vs. Kentucky State in Chattanooga, Tenn.; Week 7 vs. Morehouse College at Ohio State in Columbus, Ohio; Week 9 vs. Savannah State in Macon, Ga.; and Week 10 vs. Albany State at the Fountain City Classic in Columbus, Ga.
 
Football Preseason Rankings by Division
East Division

2022 Preseason Ranking	Last Season (2021) Finish
Albany State	1st
Benedict	5th
Savannah State	2nd
Morehouse	3rd
Fort Valley State	4th
Edward Waters^	n/a^
Clark Atlanta	6th
Allen^	n/a^

 
 
West Division

2022 Preseason Ranking	Last Season (2021) Finish
Miles	1st
Lane	3rd
Tuskegee	4th
Kentucky State	2nd
Central State	5th

 
 
^Not eligible for SIAC Championship game during NCAA membership transition.
 
2022 SIAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
 
Superlative Awards

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year	Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Dionte Bonneau, Albany State	Andrew Farmer, Lane

 
 
2022 SIAC Football Preseason Teams
First Team

Position	Name	School	Classification	Hometown
Offensive Lineman	Emmanuel Boone	Fort Valley State	Junior	Macon, Ga.
Offensive Lineman	Tyler Lowry	Miles	Junior	Evergreen, Ala.
Offensive Lineman	Terrence Jordan	Lane	Sophomore	New Orleans, LA
Offensive Lineman	Waylin Bell	Fort Valley State	Senior	Harlem, GA.
Offensive Lineman	KaTray Pringle	Albany State	Junior	St. George, S.C.
Tight End	Tyree Taylor	Albany State	Sophomore	Suwanne, Fla.
Wide Receiver	Anthony Evelyn	Lane	Senior	Atlantic Beach, Fla.
Wide Receiver	Marcus Lodge	Miles	R-Junior	Plantation, Fla.
Running Back	Ike Brown	Lane	Sophomore	Shreveport, La.
Running Back	Emanuel Wilson	Fort Valley State	Junior	Charlotte, N.C.
Quarterback	Dionte Bonneau	Albany State	Junior	Atlanta, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Malik Barnes	Albany State	Sophomore	Newton, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Andrew Farmer	Lane	Senior	Jacksonville, Fla.
Defensive Lineman	Makenly Newbill	Savannah State	Senior	Savannah, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Roosevelt Thompson	Miles	R-Sophomore	Dixon Mills, Ala.
Linebacker	Stephan Pierre	Albany State	Junior	Tallahassee, Fl.
Linebacker	Rodney Lewis	Clark Atlanta	Junior	Atlanta, Ga.
Linebacker	Daylon Land	Morehouse	Sophomore	Benton, AR
Defensive Back	Mitchell Smiley	Miles	Senior	Huntsville, Ala.
Defensive Back	Armani Maddox	Morehouse	Sophomore	Atlanta, Ga.
Defensive Back	Charles Crawford	Clark Atlanta	Graduate Student	Prichard, Ala.
Defensive Back	Tyler Moore	Fort Valley State	Senior	Ashburn, Ga.
Kicker	Kenneth Lockhart	Savannah State	Sophomore	Hinesville, Ga.
Punter	Kenneth Lockhart	Savannah State	Sophomore	Hinesville, Ga.
Punt Returner	Marqueiz Pride	Morehouse	Junior	Seabring, Fla.
Kick Returner	Anthony Evelyn	Lane	Senior	Atlantic Beach, Fla.

 
Second Team

Position	Name	School	Classification	Hometown
Offensive Lineman	Jajuan Gordon	Albany State	Sophomore	Orlando, Fla.
Offensive Lineman	Genesis Hartley	Central State	Senior	Montgomery, Ala.
Offensive Lineman	Josh Simon	Albany State	Junior	Atlanta, Ga.
Offensive Lineman	Kyle Frazier	Savannah State	Sophomore	Augusta, Ga.
Offensive Lineman	Nathan Harrison	Tuskegee	Senior	Tuskegee, Ala.
Tight End	Latrevien O'Neal	Tuskegee	Junior	Notasulga, Ala.
Wide Receiver	O'Joshua Bunton	Lane	R-Senior	Crawfordsville, AR
Wide Receiver	Joe'Vontae Shorter	Albany State	Senior	Vicksburg, MS
Running Back	Kamran Ward	Albany State	Sophomore	Oscilla, Ga.
Running Back	Shamarcus Poole	Savannah State	Sophomore	Sandersville, Ga.
Quarterback	Michael Huntley	Lane	Senior	Montgomery, Ala.
Quarterback	Eric Phoenix	Benedict	Senior	Savannah, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Anthony Harvey	Albany State	Sophomore	Leesburg, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Josh Hill	Albany State	Sophomore	Valdosta, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Tim Alderman	Fort Valley State	Sophomore	Fort Valley, Ga.
Defensive Lineman	Loobert Denelus	Benedict	Junior	Naples, Fla.
Linebacker	Mackenzie Howard	Lane	Graduate Student	Harvest, AL
Linebacker	Gary Bourrage	Allen	Junior	DeKalb, Ala.
Linebacker	Darrell Dorris Jr.	Kentucky State	Sophomore	Lancaster, CA
Defensive Back	James Hawkins	Albany State	Junior	Fayetteville, Ga.
Defensive Back	Brandarious Rawlings	Albany State	Senior	Wrightsville, Ga.
Defensive Back	Christian Maddox	Fort Valley State	Senior	North Augusta, S.C.
Defensive Back	Jeffery Johnson	Lane	R-Senior	Jacksonville, Fla.
Kicker	Jackson Spradlin	Miles	Senior	Dora, Ala.
Punter	Jose Chaires	Central State	Sophomore	Powder Springs, Ga.
Punt Returner	Hakeem Ellington	Fort Valley State	R-Junior	Summerville, S.C.
Kick Returner	Marqueiz Pride	Morehouse	Junior	Seabring, Fla.