Former Coosa standout among ALL-ASUN picks
♦ Brown earns conference honors after stellar season at Jacksonville State
ATLANTA — Seven Jacksonville State student-athletes found themselves on the inaugural ALL-ASUN Conference Football Team on Wednesday afternoon.
Following the ASUN’S first year of competition between JSU, Central Arkansas and Eastern Kentucky, a oneteam all-conference squad was selected. The ALL-ASUN offense featured wide receiver PJ Wells, tight end Sean Brown and offensive lineman Tylan Grable, while the defense included defensive end DJ Coleman, outside linebacker Jaylen Swain, linebacker Stevonte Tullis and safety Nicario Harper.
The former Coosa High standout Brown was a key contributor for the Gamecocks in his first season at JSU. The freshman from Rome, Ga., and transfer from Tennessee, led all ASUN tight ends with 13 receptions for 192 yards and a pair of touchdowns. He averaged 14.8 yards per catch and caught two touchdown passes in the Gamecocks’ Nov. 13 win over Abilene Christian.
Wells had a breakout campaign as a freshman in 2021, finished third in the ASUN in receiving yards with 576, an average of 52.4 yards per game. The Rainbow City, Ala., native averaged 15.6 yards per catch and hauled in three touchdown catches after starting every game for JSU at wideout in his first full season on the field.
Grable, a junior offensive tackle from Gordon, Ga., grabbed his first ALL-ASUN honor this fall after being named to the All-ohio Valley Conference squad in an All-american campaign in the spring of 2020. In a season that saw injury force him to miss most of the last three games of the year, Grable still led the JSU offensive line to an Asun-best 1,665 rushing yards.
Coleman, a junior from Atlanta, adds to his all-conference trophy case with his third-straight honor. He was an ALL-OVC selection and an All-america pick in each of the last two years before earning his first ALL-ASUN honor this season. Coleman was the Gamecocks’ third-leading tackler and first among players on the defensive line. He also had three sacks and five tackles for a loss as one of the top pass rush threats in the ASUN.
Swain was also an ALL-OVC player and a Freshman All-american in the spring season and adds his first ALL-ASUN honor in the fall. The Oxford, Ala., native has a knack for getting the football on defense, recording two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries and an interception. He scored two defensive touchdowns, tying him with Harper for the team lead and among the FCS leaders.
Tullis grabs his first career all-conference honor after a stellar season for eth Gamecocks. The Dothan, Ala., native played every linebacker position in 2021 and ended up second on the team in tackles with 68 and tied for the team lead with 6.5 tackles for a loss. Tullis also had a fumble recovery, a sack and three pass break-ups.
Harper was another player that missed time due to injury but still produced enough to earn his second-straight all-conference nod. The Atlanta native was a consensus First-team All-american in the spring, when he was named the top defensive back in the FCS. He missed two games in the fall season and was limited in others, but still finished third on the team with 54 tackles, while adding 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and a fumble recovery. His two defensive scores tied Swain for the team lead and ranked him among the FCS leaders.