KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four Kansas Wesleyan football student-athletes have been selected to the 2021 AFCA-NAIA Coaches' All-America Teams announced Monday by the American Football Coaches Association.
Offensive lineman Jarren Hightower (JR/Oklahoma City, Okla.) headlined Wesleyan's selections earning a spot on the first-team, while quarterback Isaiah Randalle (JR/Sacramento, Calif.), receiver Stevie Williams (SR/Los Angeles, Calif.) and defensive lineman Cole Parker (JR/Orland, Calif.) were named to the honorable mention team.
Hightower was a huge part of Wesleyan's offensive successes at left guard for the Coyotes. He was instrumental in helping Wesleyan's offense rank sixth in the NAIA in total offense, averaging 490.9 yards per game, which included 301.6 yards passing and 188 yards rushing per contest. He was a first-team All-KCAC selection last month.
Randalle, who was named the KCAC Player of the Year and Co-Offensive Player of the Year last month led the KCAC in passing, averaging 256.3 yards per game though the air. His 36 touchdowns passing also led the KCAC. He helped the Coyote offense lead the KCAC in scoring and total offense, and KWU ranked second in the NAIA in total yards and sixth in total offense per game. Randalle ranks ninth in the NAIA in passing per game and 11th in completion percentage and second in touchdown passes.
Williams became the first KWU receiver to have two seasons over 1000 yards receiving, finishing with 1065 yards for the year. He had 59 catches on the season and 16 touchdown receptions on the year. He ranked fourth in the KCAC in receptions and first in yards and touchdown receptions.
Parker led the Coyotes with 8.5 sacks on the season to go along with 50 total tackles that included 14.5 for loss. He also had a forced fumble and a fumble recovery on the season. His 8.5 sacks on the season ranks second best in the KCAC and 14th in the NAIA.
Kansas Wesleyan went 11-2 on the season, capturing a share of the KCAC Conference Championship, and earning a berth in the NAIA Football Championship series, where the Coyotes reached the quarterfinal round for the third time in the last four seasons.
Arizona Christian wide receiver Jon Cole and Olivet Nazarene (Ill.) linebacker Jason Freeman headline the All-America teams announced today by the American Football Coaches Association.
The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. What makes these teams so special is that they are the only ones chosen exclusively by the men who know the players the best — the coaches themselves.
Cole, a two-time AFCA All-American, led the nation in receiving yards per game, averaging 135.4 yards. He caught 81 passes with 12 touchdown receptions and a long of 97 yards. Those 81 catches are a new school record. Another two-time AFCA All-American, Freeman led the nation in total tackles with 160 and tackles per game at 16.0. He had 66 solo tackles, two quarterback sacks, 15 tackles for loss and three interceptions. Freeman was also named Mid-States Football Association Midwest Division Defensive Player of the Year.
The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts prior to a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
Morningside has been represented a total of 31 times with 29 different players on AFCA Coaches' All-America Teams to lead all schools in NAIA. In second is Carroll (Mont.), which has had 21 different players selected as All-Americans on 23 different occasions.