ST. LOUIS — LB Jabril Cox of North Dakota State has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer and MVFC Freshman of the Year.  He heads a list of 22 student-athletes named to the 2017 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team.  League coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team.

MVFC All-Newcomer Team (PDF)

Cox is the first North Dakota State student-athlete to win the league's Newcomer of the Year award and also the Bison's first Freshman of the Year winner.  Cox is the third in league history to sweep both honors, joining QB Sawyer Kollmorgen of UNI (2012) and RB Martin Ruiz of Youngstown State (2013).  It marks the first time since 2009 that a league Newcomer is a defensive player, while it's the second-straight year that a linebacker has been voted as the league's top freshman.

Cox, from Kansas City, Mo., is a finalist for the STATS FCS Jerry Rice Award presented to the FCS Freshman of the Year, and he is a two-time MVFC Newcomer of the Week.  Cox leads NDSU with 52 tackles and 9.0 tackles for loss and has 4.0 sacks, one interception, two breakups, three QB hurries, one forced fumble and one recovery.  He is NDSU's leading tackler on special teams.  Cox played all 11 games and made four of the last five starts after being thrust into the lineup for the second half at Youngstown State.  He was named STATS FCS National Freshman of the Week after making a season-high eight tackles including two sacks and a key TFL in overtime of the win at YSU.  His 32-yard interception return at Illinois State set up a four-play scoring drive.
 

OFFENSE
WR/RS Kody Case, USD		5-10	165	Fr.	Lake City (Iowa) S. Central Calhoun
OL Tyler Ciurej, USD		6-4	310	Fr.	Bellevue (Neb.) West High
OL Drew Himmelman, ILS		6-10	300	Fr.	Geneseo (Ill.) High
QB Peyton Huslig, MSU		6-3	205	So.	Andover (Kan.) Central High / Garden City (Kan.) CC
WR/RS Cade Johnson, SDSU	5-10	175	Fr.	Papillion (Neb.) Bellevue High
WR Raphael Leonard, SIU		6-2	194	Jr.	Starkville (Miss.) High / East Mississippi CC
RB Clint Ratkovich, WIU		6-1	210	Fr.	Crete (Ill.) Crete-Monee High
OL Mason Scheidegger, USD	6-5	310	Fr.	Fonda (Iowa) Newell Fonda High
RB Markel Smith, ILS		5-11	225	So.	St. Louis (Mo.) St. John Vianney High / Central Missouri 
TB Christian Turner, YSU	5-10	190	Fr.	Cincinnati (Ohio) LaSalle High
WR Isaiah Weston, UNI		6-4	207	Fr.	Albertville (Minn.) St. Michael-Albertville High

DEFENSE
LG Logan Backhaus, SDSU		6-4	205	Fr.	Spirit Lake (Iowa) High
LB Keelon Brookins, UNI		5-11	206	Sr.	St. Paul (Minn.) Tartan High / Wisconsin
LB Jabril Cox, NDSU		6-3	227	Fr.	Kansas City (Mo.) Raytown South High
LB Angelo Garbutt, MSU		6-2	235	So.	Carrollton (Texas) Hebron High / Iowa
CB Bryce Gibson, YSU		5-10	180	Fr.	Johnstown (Pa.) Johnstown Area High
DB Tyrin Holloway, WIU		6-0	200	Sr.	Humble (Texas) Atascocita High / Liberty
LB Tyree Horton, ILS		6-0	230	Jr.	Miami (Fla.) South Dade High / TCU
DL Anthony Knighton, SIU	6-2	246	Fr.	Fort Pierce (Fla.) Central High
DE Justus Reed, YSU		6-3	250	Jr.	Clearwater (Fla.) Central Catholic High / Florida
DL Nathan Schultz, USD		6-4	270	Fr.	Hartland (Wis.) Arrowhead Union High
P Brady Schutt, USD		6-1	205	Fr.	Orange City (Iowa) MOC/Floyd Valley High