BATON ROUGE (WGNO) – LSU linebacker Damone Clark was named the Defensive Player of the Year and joined five other Tigers who were named on the first team of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association’s All-Louisiana college football team announced this weekend.
A panel of LSWA and sports media relations personnel voted on nominations submitted by the schools at each of the positions through the regular season. School media relations members could not vote for their own players.
Also earning special honors were Southeastern quarterback Cole Kelley who was the offensive POY and former University of Louisiana-Lafayette head coach Billy Napier. Nolan Givan of Southeastern was the newcomer of the year for a first-year Louisiana non-freshman player and running backs Montrell Johnson of UL-Lafayette and Collin Guggenheim of Nicholls tied for freshman of the year.
Clark on defense was named a second team All-American and led the Southeastern Conference and was ranked No. 2 in the nation in tackles with 135. That number is also No. 4 in LSU history. He posted 15.5 tackles for loss which is the highest total for a linebacker ever at LSU. Among his seven 10+ tackle games was a career-best 19 tackles, 2.5 TFL and a sack versus Ole Miss.
Earning first-team honors from LSU on offense were lineman Ed Ingram and running back Ty Davis-Price. On defense, besides Clark was lineman Neil Farrell and defensive back Jay Ward. On special teams, LSU’s outstanding kicker Cade York was chosen.
Ingram, a senior from DeSoto, Texas, was second team All-SEC, while Price, a Baton Rouge junior, rushed for 1,003 yards and four 100-yard games during the season.
Farrell, a senior from Mobile, Alabama, had 45 tackles including 9.5 for loss. Ward, a junior from Moultrie, Georgia, had two interceptions to go with his 62 tackles.
Kicker York, a junior from McKinney, Texas, earned second team All-SEC honors and made 15-of-18 field goals on the season with five field goals of 50 yards or more.
LSU players on the second team include offensive lineman Austin Deculus and wide receiver Kayshon Boutte with B. J. Ojulari (line) and Micah Baskerville (LB) earning honors on defense.
LSWA All-LOUISIANA 2021 COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
Pos/Name, School/Class/Hometown/Notes
OL/P.J. Burkhalter, Nicholls/Sr./Franklinton, La./3-time SLC Off. Lineman of Year
OL/Max Mitchell, UL/Jr./Monroe, La./Walter Camp 2nd team A-A
OL/Rendon Miles-Character, Southeastern/Sr./New Orleans, La./First Team All-SLC
OL/Ed Ingram, LSU/Sr./DeSoto, Texas/Second Team All-SEC
OL/Jair Joseph, Nicholls/Sr./Belle Rose, La./2-time First Team All-SLC
TE/Nolan Givan, Southeastern/Sr./Berkeley, Mich./First Team All-SLC, 5 TDs
WR/Austin Mitchell, Southeastern/Sr./Plaquemine, La./First Team All-SLC, 9 TDs, 4th FCS Yards (1,035)
WR/Dai’Jean Dixon, Nicholls/Sr./New Orleans, La./FCS Walter Payton Finalist, 8 TDs, 1,002 Yards
RB/Ty Davis-Price, LSU/Jr./Baton Rouge, La./1,003 yds, 4 100-yard games
RB/Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls/Fr./Kenner, La./FCS Jerry Rice Finalist, 10 TD, 930 yds
QB/Cole Kelley, Southeastern/Sr./Lafayette, La./SLC POY, FCS Walter Payton Finalist, 4,382 yds, 38 TD
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
Pos/Name, School/Class/Hometown/Notes
DL/Isaiah Chambers, McNeese/Gr/Houston, Texas/2-time SLC Def. POY, 10.5 sacks, 59 tackles
DL/Neil Farrell, LSU/Sr./Mobile, Ala./45 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks
DL/Zi’Yon Hill, UL/Sr./New Iberia, La./2nd team All-SBC, 56 tackles, 9.5 TFL, 6.5 sacks
DL/Mason Kinsey, McNeese/Jr./Mansfield, Texas/First Team All-SLC, 41 tackles, 6.5 sacks
LB/Damon Clark, LSU/Sr./Baton Rouge, La./2nd Team A-A, 2nd nation 135 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 5.5 sacks
LB/Chauncy Manac, UL/Sr./Homerville, Ga./2nd team All-SBC, 55 tackles, 14.5 TFL, 10.5 sacks
LB/Tyler Grubbs, LA Tech/Fr./New Orleans, La./2nd team All-C-USA, 97 tackles, 10.0 TFL
DB/Macon Clark, Tulane/Jr./St. Rose, La./First Team All-AAC, 74 tackles, 4 interceptions
DB/Zy Alexander, Southeastern/Fr./Loreauville, La./First-Team All-SLC, 36 tackles, 6 interceptions
DB/Jay Ward, LSU/Jr./Moultrie, Ga./62 tackles, 2 interceptions
DB/Percy Butler, UL/Jr./Plaquemine, La./2nd team All-SBC, 60 tackles, 1 interception
FIRST TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
Pos/Name, School/Class/Hometown/Notes
K/Cade York, LSU/Jr./McKinney, Texas/2nd team All-SEC, 15-18 FGs, 39 PATs, 5 FGs 50 or more
P/Ryan Wright, Tulane/Sr./San Ramon, California/AAC Punter of Year, 47.5 average, 7th nationally
RS/Gage Larvadain, Southeastern/Fr./New Orleans, La./SLC FOY, 29.4 KO Return, 1 TD
Coach of the Year – Billy Napier, UL
Voting – Napier 19, Frank Scelfo (Southeastern) 3
Offensive Player of the Year – Cole Kelley, Southeastern
Voting – Kelley 20, Lewis (UL) 2
Defensive Player of the Year – Damone Clark, LSU
Voting – Clark 16, Chambers (McN) 3, Manac (UL) 1, Alexander (SE) 1, Grubbs (LA Tech) 1
Freshman of the Year – (TIE) – Montrell Johnson, UL; Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls
Voting – Johnson 7, Guggenheim 7, Jack Bech (LSU) 5, Larvadain (SE) 3
Newcomer of the Year – Nolan Givan, Southeastern
Voting – Givan 11, Marcus Williams (LA Tech) 8, Michael Jefferson (UL) 2, Jay Griffin IV (NW) 1
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE –
OL – O’Cyrus Torrence, UL – So., Greensburg, La.; Caron Coleman, McNeese – Jr., St. Louis, Mo; Austin Deculus, LSU – Sr., Grad, Mamou, La.; Johnathan Bishop, Southern – Sr., Birmingham, Ala.; Corey Dublin, Tulane – Sr., New Orleans, La.
TE – Tyrick James, Tulane – Jr. Waco, Texas
WR – Smoke Harris, LA Tech – So., St. Francisville, La.; Kayshon Boutte, LSU – So., New Iberia, La.
RB – Montrell Johnson, UL – Fr., New Orleans, La.; Chris Smith, UL – Jr., Louisville, Miss.; Tyjae Spears – Tulane – Fr., Ponchatoula., La.
QB – Levi Lewis, UL – Sr, Baton Rouge, La.
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DL – Andre Jones, UL – Sr., Varnado, La.; Sundiata Anderson, Grambling – So., College Park, Ga.; Perry Ganci, Nicholls – So., New Orleans, La; BJ Ojulari, LSU – So. Marietta, Ga.
LB – Kordell Williams, McNeese – Jr., Carencro, La.; Micah Baskerville, LSU – Sr., Shreveport, La.; Lorenzo McCaskill, UL – Sr., Detroit, Mich.
DB – Beejay Williamson, LA Tech – So., Dallas, Texas; Andre Sam, McNeese – Jr., Iowa, La.; Kevin Johnson, Nicholls – Sr., New Orleans, La.; Jarius Monroe, Nicholls – So., LaPlace, La.
SECOND TEAM SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Calum Suthlerland, ULM – Sr., Keller, Texas; P – Rhys Byrns, UL – Sr., Rye Australia; RS – Mason Pierce, McNeese – So., Pearland, Texas.
HONORABLE MENTION
DL –Darius Hodges, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.; Ty Shelby, ULM – Gr., Houston, Texas DB – Eric Garror, UL – Mobile, Ala. RS – Smoke Harris, LA Tech – So., St. Francisville, La.
(Press Release provided by LSU Athletics)