FRISCO, Texas – Southeastern quarterback Cole Kelley is the Southland Football Player of the Year, the league announced Tuesday with the all-conference teams.
The Lions led the way with 14 total honorees on the two teams, followed by UIW and Nicholls each with 13. McNeese placed 10 Cowboys on the lists. HBU accounted for four spots, and Northwestern State rounded out the teams with two selections.
The defending Walter Payton Award winner and a finalist for this year’s honor, Kelley followed up with an even more impressive campaign as the FCS leader in completion percentage (74.2), efficiency (179.5), passing yards per game (398.4), points responsible for per game (29.6) and total offense per game (438.5). He also ranks second in completions per game (30.82) and yards per attempt (9.59) and third in passing touchdowns (38) and rushing touchdowns (16).
A four-time Offensive Player of the Week, Kelley currently ranks among the top-10 in single-season conference history in completion percentage (1st, 74.2), total offense (3rd, 4,824), passing yards (5th, 4,382), completions (6th, 339) and touchdown passes (7th, 38). In conference play, he completed 240-of-324 passes (74.1 percent) for 3,180 yards, 28 touchdowns and just three interceptions. Kelley also ran for 359 yards and 12 touchdowns against league foes.
Another Walter Payton Award finalist, UIW quarterback Cameron Ward is the Offensive Player of the Year after ranking among the top-10 FCS signal-callers in completions per game (27.82), passing touchdowns (38), passing yards per game (349), points responsible for per game (20.7) and total offense (355.1). In 17 career starts, he has surpassed 300 yards in 15 of them with UIW still coming out on top of the only two contests he failed to reach 300 yards.
Kelley and Ward put on a show in the teams’ only meeting on Nov. 6 – a thrilling, 55-52 Cardinal victory – in which the duo posted the most combined passing yards in a game in FCS history (1,257). Kelley’s 647 yards are the fourth-most in FCS history, and Ward’s tally of 610 stands as the ninth-most. Additionally, Kelley’s 50 completions tied for fourth on the single-game completions list.
One of the Southland’s two finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, McNeese defensive end Isaiah Chambers repeats as the league’s Defensive Player of the Year. He led the league in sacks (10.5), tackles for loss (15.5) and forced fumbles (5) while earning a pair of Defensive Player of the Week honors. After not tallying a sack in the opening three games of the season, Chambers recorded all 10.5 in the final eight games, including a career-high four against UIW.
Making an immediate impact in UIW’s high-octane offense, Illinois State transfer Taylor Grimes led the Cardinals in receptions (68), receiving yards (923) and receiving touchdowns (11) to garner Newcomer of the Year recognition. He set a program record with four receiving touchdowns in a win over Nicholls and also broke the school’s single-game marks in receptions (12) and yards (193) in the win over Southeastern.
The Freshman of the Year title goes to Southeastern wide receiver and return specialist Gage Larvadain, who finished sixth nationally in kickoff return average (29.4) in addition to snagging 32 passes for 484 yards and five touchdowns. He averaged 123.3 all-purpose yards per game over the final seven contests. Larvadain had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown in the win over Nicholls and caught the second-most passes in program history with 12 against UIW.
For the third-straight year, the league’s Offensive Lineman of the Year award goes to Nicholls’ PJ Burkhalter, who paved the way for the nation’s No. 5 rushing offense (246.7) and helped the Colonels allow the fewest tackles for loss (3.18). Nicholls ranked eighth nationally with just a sack allowed per game. Led by Burkhalter, who finished his career having started 57-straight games, the Colonels had 14 100-yard rushing performances by four different players.
A finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, UIW’s Eric Morris is tabbed the Southland Coach of the Year after leading the Cardinals to their first outright conference championship and FCS playoff automatic qualifier in program history. UIW (9-2, 7-1 SLC) ranked fourth in the country in scoring offense (39.6) and sixth in total offense (484.8). Morris and the Cardinals also have an FBS upset to their name after a 42-34 triumph over Texas State in September.
2021 Southland Conference Football Individual Superlative Winners
Player of the Year: Cole Kelley, Southeastern
Offensive Player of the Year: Cameron Ward, UIW
Defensive Player of the Year: Isaiah Chambers, MCN
Newcomer of the Year: Taylor Grimes, UIW
Freshman of the Year: Gage Larvadain, Southeastern
Offensive Lineman of the Year: PJ Burkhalter, Nicholls
Coach of the Year: Eric Morris, UIW
2021 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| QB | Cole Kelley2 | Southeastern | Sr. | Lafayette, La. |
| RB | Kevin Brown2 | UIW | Gr. | Mount Pleasant, S.C. |
| RB | Collin Guggenheim | Nicholls | Fr. | Kenner, La. |
| TE/HB | Nolan Givan | Southeastern | Sr. | Berkley, Mich. |
| WR | Dai’Jean Dixon4 | Nicholls | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| WR | Taylor Grimes | UIW | Jr. | Godly, Texas |
| WR | Austin Mitchell3 | Southeastern | R-Sr. | Plaquemine, La. |
| OL | PJ Burkhalter3 | Nicholls | Sr. | Franklinton, La. |
| OL | Caron Coleman | McNeese | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo. |
| OL | Nash Jones | UIW | So. | Nacogdoches, Texas |
| OL | Jair Joseph2 | Nicholls | Sr. | Belle Rose, La. |
| OL | Rendon Miles-Character2 | Southeastern | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| PK | Gino Garcia | HBU | Jr. | Richardson, Texas |
| P | Brady Buell | HBU | Jr. | Traverse City, Mich. |
2021 Southland Conference Football First Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| DL | Isaiah Chambers2 | McNeese | Gr. | Houston, Texas |
| DL | Perry Ganci | Nicholls | So. | New Orleans, La. |
| DL | Mason Kinsey2 | McNeese | Jr. | Mansfield, Texas |
| DL | Cameron Preston2 | UIW | Sr. | Crowley, Texas |
| LB | Kelechi Anyalebechi3 | UIW | Sr. | Pearland, Texas |
| LB | Alexis Ramos3 | Southeastern | Sr. | Salinas, Calif. |
| LB | Kordell Williams | McNeese | R-Jr. | Carencro, La. |
| DB | Zy Alexander | Southeastern | Fr. | Loreauville, La. |
| DB | Kaleb Culp | UIW | So. | Dallas, Texas |
| DB | Kevin Johnson | Nicholls | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Jarius Monroe | Nicholls | So. | LaPlace, La. |
| DB | Andre Sam2 | McNeese | Jr. | Iowa, La. |
| KR | Gage Larvadain | Southeastern | Fr. | New Orleans, La. |
| PR | Robert Ferrel2 | UIW | Sr. | Sparks, Nev. |
2021 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| QB | Cameron Ward | UIW | So. | West Columbia, Texas |
| RB | Deonta McMahon | McNeese | Jr. | Frostploof, Fla. |
| RB | Taron Jones | Southeastern | Jr. | Mandeville, La. |
| TE/HB | Lee Negrotto | Nicholls | Fr. | Pass Christian, Miss. |
| WR | Robert Ferrel2 | UIW | Sr. | Sparks, Nev. |
| WR | KJ Franklin | Nicholls | So. | Prairieville, La. |
| WR | Gage Larvadain | Southeastern | Fr. | New Orleans, La. |
| OL | John Allen | Southeastern | So. | Jackson, Miss. |
| OL | Jalen Bell2 | Southeastern | Jr. | Amory, Miss. |
| OL | Drew Jones2 | Southeastern | Sr. | Des Allemands, La. |
| OL | Evan Roussel2 | Nicholls | Fr. | Lutcher, La. |
| OL | Jakob Sell2 | Northwestern State | Jr. | Dallas, Texas |
| PK | Gavin Lasseigne | Nicholls | So. | Raceland, La. |
| P | Keven Nguyen | UIW | Sr. | Rohnert Park, Calif. |
2021 Southland Conference Football Second Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| DL | Brandon Bowen | UIW | Gr. | Trophy Club, Texas |
| DL | Garrett Crawford | Southeastern | So. | Slidell, La. |
| DL | Accord Green | McNeese | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DL | Jequaries Martin | Nicholls | Sr. | Chilton, Ala. |
| LB | Rodney Dansby | HBU | Fr. | Houston, Texas |
| LB | Isaiah Paul2 | UIW | R-So. | San Antonio, Texas |
| LB | Hayden Shaheen | Nicholls | Fr. | Baton Rouge, La. |
| DB | Shemar Bartholomew2 | Northwestern State | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Rashon Davis | UIW | Gr. | St. Louis, Mo. |
| DB | Corione Harris | McNeese | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Donniel Ward-McGee2 | Southeastern | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Jarrius Wallace | McNeese | Gr. | Villa, La. |
| KR | Tyson Thompson | HBU | R-Fr. | Spring, Texas |
| PR | Mason Pierce | McNeese | So. | Pearland, Texas |
2021 Southland Conference Football Honorable Mention:
QB Lindsey Scott Jr., NICH; RB Marcus Cooper, UIW; RB Stephon Huderson, MCN; TE Jamal Pettigrew, MCN; WR Darion Chafin, UIW; WR Jay Griffin IV, NSU; OL Reid Francis, UIW; OL Caleb Johnson, UIW; OL Dawson Kier, UIW; OL Ethan McMullan, SLU; PK Mateo Rengifo, SLU; P Austin Dunlap, SLU; P Scotty Roblow, NSU; DL John Graves III, SLU; DL Blaine Hoover, UIW; DL Isaiah Longino, NSU; DL Myles Vigne, NICH; LB Jared Pedraza, NSU; LB Jomard Valsin Jr., NSU; DB Elliott Davison, UIW; DB Jack Henderson, SLU; DB Moses Reynolds; UIW; DB Brandon Richard, UIW; DB Colby Richardson, MCN; KR Mason Pierce, MCN; PR Tyson Thompson, HBU.
2 – Two-time all-conference selection
3 – Three-time all-conference selection
4 – Four-time all-conference selection
{Courtesy: release from Southland Conference}