THIBODAUX, La. — The Nicholls football program is using its strong finish to the 2021-22 season to lay the foundation for what could be a Southland Championship run this fall.
The Colonels started their previous campaign 2-4, but completely flipped the script for what would be a 6-5 finish capped off with a 45-42 win over rival Southeastern in the River Bell Classic.
“You’ve got to take the bad and learn from it and we take the good and build upon that. We won 4 out of the last 5 and we felt like if we win that game at home against UIW, we could be conference champs and in the playoffs. So, we had a lot of things going. I think they did carry it over. We had a lot of guys returning in spring ball. Kohen Granier took that leadership role into spring and did a great job with it all summer. So, we definitely built upon it,” says Nicholls head football coach Tim Rebowe.
Senior quarterback Kohen Granier and sophomore running back Collin Guggenheim were instrumental in Nicholls’ turnaround.
Granier and Guggenheim are two of ten Colonels named Preseason All-Conference selections.
* Automatic selection; returning all-conference player
First Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| QB | Lindsey Scott Jr. | UIW | Sr. | Zachary, La. |
| RB | Collin Guggenheim* | Nicholls | So. | Kenner, La. |
| RB | Deonta McMahon* | McNeese | Sr. | Frostploof, Fla. |
| TE/HB | Lee NeGrotto* | Nicholls | So. | Pass Christian, Miss. |
| WR | Taylor Grimes* | UIW | Sr. | Godly, Texas |
| WR | K.J. Franklin* | Nicholls | Jr. | Prairieville, La. |
| WR | Gage Larvadain* | Southeastern | So. | Donaldsonville, La. |
| OL | Caron Coleman* | McNeese | Sr. | St. Louis, Mo. |
| OL | Nash Jones* | UIW | Jr. | Nacogdoches, Texas |
| OL | John Allen* | Southeastern | Jr. | Jackson, Miss. |
| OL | Jalen Bell* | Southeastern | Sr. | Amory, Miss. |
| OL | Evan Roussel* | Nicholls | So. | Lutcher, La. |
| PK | Gavin Lasseigne* | Nicholls | Jr. | Raceland, La. |
| P | Brady Buell* | HBU | Sr. | Traverse City, Mich. |
First Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| DL | Perry Ganci* | Nicholls | Jr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DL | Mason Kinsey* | McNeese | Sr. | Mansfield, Texas |
| DL | Cameron Preston* | UIW | Gr. | Crowley, Texas |
| DL | Garrett Crawford* | Southeastern | Jr. | Slidell, La. |
| DL | Accord Green* | McNeese | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| LB | Kelechi Anyalebechi* | UIW | Gr. | Pearland, Texas |
| LB | Kordell Williams* | McNeese | R-Sr. | Carencro, La. |
| DB | Zy Alexander* | Southeastern | So. | Loreauville, La. |
| DB | Kaleb Culp* | UIW | Jr. | Dallas, Texas |
| DB | Shemar Bartholomew* | Northwestern State | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | Donniel Ward-McGee* | Southeastern | Sr. | New Orleans, La. |
| DB | PJ Herrington | Northwestern State | Sr. | Natchez, Miss. |
| KR | Gage Larvadain* | Southeastern | So. | Donaldsonville, La. |
| PR | Mason Pierce* | McNeese | R-So. | Pearland, Texas |
Second Team All-Conference Offense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| QB | Kohen Granier | Nicholls | Sr. | Destrehan, La. |
| RB | Taron Jones* | Southeastern | Sr. | Mandeville, La. |
| RB | Scooter Adams | Northwestern State | R-Jr. | Hallettsville, Texas |
| TE/HB | Roger McCuller | UIW | Gr. | Hallsville, Texas |
| WR | Darion Chafin | UIW | Gr. | Wichita Falls, Texas |
| WR | Mason Pierce | McNeese | R-So. | Pearland, Texas |
| WR | CJ Turner | Southeastern | R-Sr. | LaPlace, La. |
| OL | Mark Barthelemy | Nicholls | Sr. | Opelousas, La. |
| OL | Reid Francis | UIW | Sr. | College Station, Texas |
| OL | Caleb Johnson | UIW | Gr. | Mount Pleasant, Texas |
| OL | Calvin Barkat | McNeese | Sr. | Sachse, Texas |
| OL | Brennan Lanclos | Southeastern | R-Jr. | Mandeville, La. |
| PK | Carson Mohr | UIW | Sr. | The Woodlands, Texas |
| P | Keven Nguyen* | UIW | Gr. | Rohnert Park, Calif. |
Second Team All-Conference Defense
| Pos. | Name | School | Class | Hometown |
| DL | Isaiah Longino | Northwestern State | Sr. | Humble, Texas |
| DL | Jomard Valsin | Northwestern State | Sr. | Port Arthur, Texas |
| DL | Bryce Cage | Southeastern | So. | Baton Rouge, La. |
| LB | Rodney Dansby* | HBU | So. | Houston, Texas |
| LB | Isaiah Paul* | UIW | R-Jr. | San Antonio, Texas |
| LB | Hayden Shaheen* | Nicholls | So. | Baton Rouge, La. |
| LB | Brennan Young | HBU | Sr. | Conroe, Texas |
| DB | Elliott Davison | UIW | Jr. | Flint, Texas |
| DB | Jordan Jackson | Nicholls | Jr. | Prairieville, La. |
| DB | Isaiah Cash | HBU | So. | Austin, Texas |
| DB | Brandon Richard | UIW | Sr. | San Antonio, Texas |
| DB | Coi Miller | HBU | Sr. | Fort Worth, Texas |
| KR | Ce’Cori Tolds | UIW | Gr. | Houston, Texas |
| PR | Gage Larvadain | Southeastern | So. | Donaldsonville, La. |
{Courtesy: Southland Conference}
The Colonels will open the 2022 season with three consecutive away contests at South Alabama, UL-Monroe, and Southeast Missouri State.