Red Wolves dominate All-Sun Belt football team

JONESBORO — Despite falling short in its quest for a sixth conference championship in the last seven years, Arkansas State was well represented on the All-Sun Belt football teams released Wednesday.

Headlining a school-record 19 selections, senior defensive end Ja’Von Rolland-Jones was named the conference player of the year for the second consecutive season, while junior quarterback Justice Hansen was honored as the offensive player of the year.

A four-time all-conference selection, Rolland-Jones accounted for 13 sacks, 18.5 tackles for loss and three forced fumbles this season. He finished his career with 43.5 sacks, one shy of the all-time NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision record set by former Arizona State and current Baltimore Ravens linebacker Terrell Suggs.

Rolland-Jones joins Arkansas State quarterback Ryan Aplin (2011-12) and North Texas defensive tackle Brandon Kennedy (2002-03) as the only twotime player of the year winners.

Triggering an offense that scored 38.5 points per game, Hansen passed for 3,630 yards and a single-season conference-record 34 touchdowns, adding 387 yards and six touchdowns on the ground.

Hansen joins Danny Smith (2002) as the only Arkansas State players to be named Sun Belt offensive player of the year.

Hansen and Rolland-Jones were joined on the All-Sun Belt first team by junior offensive lineman Lanard Bonner, senior tight end Blake Mack and senior defensive back Blaise Taylor.

Mack finished the season with a team-high 46 receptions for 609 yards and seven touchdowns, while Taylor recorded 31 tackles, 13 pass deflections and two interceptions.

Taylor was also named third-team return specialist, averaging 13.4 yards per punt return, including a 63-yard touchdown in the season opener at Nebraska.

Junior defensive end Ronheen Bingham (20 tackles, 5 sacks), junior defensive back Justin Clifton (59 tackles, 13 pass deflections), senior wide receiver Chris Murray (621 yards, 9 touchdowns) and senior linebacker Kyle Wilson (85 tackles, 8 tackles for loss) were named to the All-Sun Belt second team.

Senior defensive end Caleb Caston, sophomore punter Cody Grace, junior wide receiver Justin McInnis, senior offensive lineman Jaypee Philbert and sophomore kicker Sawyer Williams joined Taylor on the All-Sun Belt third team.

Sophomore wide receiver Omar Bayless, sophomore defensive back BJ Edmonds, senior defensive lineman Dee Liner and freshman offensive lineman Jacob Still were named to the All-Sun Belt honorable mention team.

The Red Wolves finished the regular season with a record of 7-4 and will face Middle Tennessee in the Camellia Bowl on Dec. 16 in Montgomery, Ala.