OBU’S Givens named AFCA All-american
WACO, Texas – The American Football Coaches Association has announced its 2023 All-america teams featuring Ouachita Baptist University junior running back Kendel Givens on the second team.
For most of the 2023 season, Givens led all of NCAA Division II in scoring and finished the year with a total of 150 points, which ranks second in the nation with two more rounds of playoffs still to go before the stat rankings will be final.
The junior from Little Rock Christian Academy finished the season with 208 rush attempts for 1,227 yards and 21 touchdowns.
He also had 15 receptions for 218 yards and four receiving touchdowns. He had seven games with at least two rushing touchdowns this season and three games with at least three. He had a career-high 199 yards and four rushing touchdowns in a win at home over Oklahoma Baptist in week 10.
With a full season remaining in his career, Givens has already set new Ouachita records in career rushing touchdowns (57) and career points scored (378).
With Givens’ selection this season, a running back from Ouachita has now earned All-america honors in three straight seasons.
He is the fourth Tiger to earn All-america honors from the AFCA. Cole Antley (2016, 2018) and TJ Cole (2021, 2022) were both two-time honorees.
The other was lineman Justin Gooseberry in 2018.
Givens was the only unanimous All-great American Conference First Team honoree this season. He was also selected to
the D2 Conference Commissioners Association All-region First Team. He is now
a three-time ALL-GAC selection, but this year marks the first time to earn regional and national
honors.
Givens helped Ouachita secure its 15th consecutive winning season this past year
with a final record of 9-2. The streak is the longest among all college football programs in the state of Arkansas.