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BATON ROUGE – Centenary’s first-year football program, thanks to freshman defensive back Jacob Wilson from Evangel, made the 2024 edition of the All-Louisiana College Football Team announced on Thursday by the Louisiana Sports Writers Association.
Wilson led Centenary’s official return to intercollegiate football with team-best totals of 53 tackles and five interceptions and added five pass breakups in 10 games for the Division III Gents (4-6).
Players from LSU, ULM and Tulane, along with Sun Belt Conference West Division championship coach Michael Desormeaux of UL Lafayette, earned top honors on the team..
LSU’s quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and linebacker Whit Weeks earned state offensive and defensive player of the year honors respectively, while running back Ahmad Hardy of ULM was named the freshman of the year. Tulane wide receiver Mario Williams, was named the newcomer of the year for first-year Louisiana players.
Desormeaux, who led the Ragin Cajuns to the Sun Belt Conference championship game, was named the state’s top coach in 2024.
The team was chosen by a group of voters from state media relations and communications office and selected media based on nominations made by each university. School media relations voters could not vote for players from their own school.
Louisiana Tech had two first-team picks, Shreveport native Tru Edwards at receiver and defensive lineman David Blay. Both are in the transfer portal but Edwards led both teams in receiving in the Independence Bowl.
Grambling linebacker Andrew Jones, the SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, represented the Tigers on the All-Louisiana first team.
Captain Shreve product Ckelby Givens, a junior for Southern’s Jaguars and the other SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year, was a first-team defensive line selection.
Northwestern was represented by second-team selection Blake Gotcher, an All-American linebacker who led FCS in tackles. He has transferred to Arizona.
Nussmeier, who finished his junior season Tuesday with an MVP performance in the Texas Bowl, through for 3,735 yards and 26 touchdowns during the regular season. His 312 completions ranked No. 2 in LSU history, while with his bowl game his over 4,000 yards passing also ranked second. He topped the 300-yard mark eight times, including a career best 409 yards versus South Alabama. The Lake Charles product had five games with three TDs or more.
Weeks, a sophomore linebacker from Watkinsville, Georgia, earned defensive honors after a first-team All-SEC season that saw him lead the Tigers in tackles with 119. He was ranked No. 3 in the SEC and No. 11 nationally in total tackles and tackles per game (9.92). He had a career best 18 tackles in the overtime win over Ole Miss and 17 tackles versus both Oklahoma and Alabama.
Headed to Oregon through the portal, Hardy, from Monticello, Mississippi, added state top freshman honors to go with Sun Belt freshman of the year honors after a season in which he rushed for 1,351 yards and scored 13 touchdowns for the Warhawks, His rushing total was the 10th highest in the country and fourth highest of all group of five running backs. He posted two 200-yard rushing games, finished T2 for touchdowns in a single ULM season.
Newcomer Williams came from USC to Tulane and earned second team All-AAC honors after the wide receiver caught 54 balls for 940 yards and five touchdowns. Williams, a native of Tampa, Florida, led the Green Wave in both catches and receiving yards and led the league in receiving yardage.
Desormeaux and the Cajuns finished the regular season 10-3 and 7-1 in the Sun Belt Conference, advancing to the league championship game after winning the SBC West Division. The team posted a power conference win at Wake Forest, the Cajuns’ first since 2020. The Cajuns were one of 18 FBS schools – one of five from the Group of Five – with 10 wins.
Two teams representing offense, defense and specialists were selected with ties allowed for position allowed on the second team as necessary. Shreveport native and Loyola product Kent Lowe of LSU’s athletic communications staff once again coordinated the selection process for the LSWA.
LSWA ALL-LOUISIANA TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
POS/NAME/SCHOOL/CL/HOMETOWN/NOTES
OL/Landon Burton/Louisiana/Sr./Lafayette, La./First Team All-SBC
OL/Will Campbell/LSU/Jr./Monroe, La./First-Team AP, Walter Camp, AFCA All-America
OL/AJ Gillie/Louisiana/Sr./Natchitoches, La./First Team All-SBC, HM All-America (CFN)
OL/Shadre Hurst/Tulane/So./Cartersville, Ga./First Team All-AAC, HM All-America (CFN)
OL/Evan Roussel/Nicholls/Sr./Lutcher, La./SLC OL of Year, Second Team AP FCS A-A
TE/Terrance Carter/Louisiana/So./Killeen, Texas/First Team All-SBC; 48 rec., 4 TDs
WR/Tru Edwards/Louisiana Tech/Sr./Shreveport, La./First Team All-CUSA; 77 rec., 897 yds, 6 TDs
WR/Kyren Lacy/LSU/Sr./Thibodaux, La./Second Team All-SEC; 58 rec., 866 yds, 9 TDs
RB/Ahmad Hardy/ULM/Fr./Monticello, Miss./SBC Freshman of Year; 1,351 rush yds, 13 TDs
RB/Makhi Hughes/Tulane/So./Birmingham, Ala./AAC RB of Year; HM A-A (CFN); 1,372 yds, 13 TDs
QB/Garrett Nussmeier/LSU/Jr./Lake Charles, La./3,735 pass yards; 26 TDs; 3 rushing TDs
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
POS/NAME/SCHOOL/CL/HOMETOWN/NOTES
DL/David Blay/LA Tech/Jr./Levittown, Pa./First Team All-CUSA; 46 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks
DL/Ckelby Givens/Southern/Jr./Shreveport, La./SWAC Co-Def. POY; Buchanan Award finalist; 28.5 TFL
DL/Patrick Jenkins/Tulane/Sr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-AAC; 30 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 4.5 sacks
DL/Jordan Lawson/Louisiana/Jr./Brandon, Miss./Second Team All-SBC; 38 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks
LB/Andrew Jones/Grambling/Jr./Marrero, La./SWAC Co-Def. POY; Buchanan Award finalist; 20.5 TFL
LB/K.C. Ossai/Louisiana/Sr./Conroe, Texas/First-Team All-SBC; 110 tackles, 2.5 TFL, 1 INT
LB/Whit Weeks/LSU/So./Watkinsville, Ga./First Team All-SEC; 119 tackles, 10.0 FGL, 3.5 sacks, 1 INT
DB/Keydrain Calligan/Southeastern/Sr./New Iberia, La./All-SLC; 39 tackles, 1 INT
DB/Tyrone Lewis/Louisiana/Sr./Hammond, La./Second Team All-SBC; 2.5 TFL, 0.5 sacks, 4 INT, 1 FR
DB/Keyon Martin/Louisiana/Sr./Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Second Team All-SBC; 50 tackles, 2 TFL, 2 INT
DB/Wydett Williams/ULM/Jr./Lake Providence, La./Third Team All-SBC; 100 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, 2 FR, 3 INT
FIRST TEAM SPECIALISTS
P/Finn Lappin/McNeese/Fr./Melbourne, Australia/All-SLC 1st Team; 46.1 avg; 21 punts 50+; long 60+
K/Kenneth Almendares/Louisiana/Sr./Clute, Texas/Lou Groza Winner, First-Team A-A; 1st FBS 27 FGs
RS (tie)/Darius Lewis/Southeastern/Sr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-SLC; FCS leader 18.5 yds per ret. RS (tie)/Rayshawn
Pleasant/Tulane/So./West Monroe, La./Second Team All-ACC specialist, 2 KR TDs
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Vote – Nussmeier 10.5; Ben Wooldridge (UL) 8.5; Makhi Hughes (TU) 8; Ahmad Hardy (ULM) 1; no vote 1
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Whit Weeks, LSU
Vote – Weeks 14, Andrew Jones (GSU) 5, Eli Ennis (Nich) 3, K.C. Ossai (UL) 3, Tyler Grubbs (TU) 2, Ckleby Givens (SU) 1, no vote 1
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Ahmad Hardy, ULM
Vote – Hardy 14, Darian Mensah (TU) 9, Caden Durham (LSU) 5; no vote 1
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – Mario Williams, Tulane
Vote – M. Williams 11; Wydett Williams (ULM) 9; Warren Peeples (SLU) 6; Vincent Paige (SU) 2; no vote 1
COACH OF THE YEAR – Michael Desormeaux, UL Lafayette
Vote – Desormeaux 14; Jon Sumrall (TU) 7; Terrance Graves (SU) 4; Bryant Vincent (ULM) 3; no vote 1
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
OL – Derrick Graham, Tulane (Jr., Lake Minneola, Fla.); Emery Jones, LSU (Jr., Baton Rouge, La.); Cole LeClair, McNeese (Sr., Middleburg, Fla.); Josh Remetich, Tulane (Sr., New Orleans, La.); Brockhim Wicks, Southeastern (Sr., Plaquemine, La.).
TE – Mason Taylor, LSU (Jr., Plantation, Fla.)
WR – Darius Lewis, Southeastern (Sr., New Orleans, La.); Mario Williams, Tulane (Sr., Tampa, Fla.)
RB – Joshon Barbie, McNeese (So., New Orleans, La.); Daylon Charles, La. Christian (Sr., Gueydan, La.); Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls (Sr., Kenner, La.)
QB – Ben Wooldridge, Louisiana (Sr., Pleasanton, Ca.)
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Logan Brimmer, La. Christian (Sr., Boutte, La.); Savion Jones, LSU (Sr., Vacherie, La.); Rasheed Lovelace, Nicholls (So., Pensacola, Fla.); Warren Peeples, Southeastern (Sr., Stone Mountain, Ga.)
LB – Eli Ennis, Nicholls (Jr. Ohatchee, Ala.); Blake Gotcher, Northwestern State (Sr., Little Elm, Texas); Bradyn Swinson, LSU (Sr., Douglasville, Ga.)
DB – Zy Alexander, LSU (Sr., Loreauville, La.); Bailey Despanie, Tulane (Jr., Lafayette, La.); Khamron Ford, Southeastern (Sr., Olive Branch, Miss.); Yusef Leak, McNeese (Sr., Orlando, Fla.); Tyree Skipper, Louisiana (Jr., New Orleans, La.); Jacob Wilson, Centenary (Fr., Shreveport, La.)
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
P – Alex Mahler, Southeastern (So., Vacherie, La.)
K — Damian Ramos, LSU (Jr., Baltimore, Md.)