RB Mason Blakemore of Illinois State has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year, and LB Tye Niekamp has been tabbed the league's Freshman of the Year.  They head a list of 26 student-athletes named to the 2023 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team.  League coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team.

2023 Missouri Valley Football All-Newcomer Team (PDF)




In 10 games, Blakemore led the team with 983 and 14 rushing touchdowns on 150 carries. He led the MVFC with 14 touchdowns and 98.3 yards per game, while averaging 6.6 yards per carry which ranked him in the top 10 in the FCS. Blakemore had five games with over 100 yards rushing, including a season-high 170 with three touchdowns in a win over Western Illinois.



Niekamp started all 11 games at middle linebacker as a redshirt freshman, tying for second on the team with 74 tackles (42 solo). He's the only league player on the Jerry Rice Award finalist list announced last week. Niekamp was fourth on the team with 9.0 TFLs on the season and was also credited with 1.5 sacks, seven pass breakups and seven QB hurries.

 

OFFENSE	Yr.	Hometown (Previous Schools)
RB Mason Blakemore, ILS	Jr.	Centralia, Ill. / Centralia HS / Northern Illinois
OL Cade Borud, UND	R-Fr.	Pleasant Hill, Iowa / Southeast Polk HS
OL Joe Cotton, USD	R-Fr.	Sioux Falls, S.D. / Roosevelt HS
WR Vinson Davis III, SIU	So.	Miramar, Fla. / American Heritage Plantation / Chas. Southern
RB Tye Edwards, UNI	Sr.	Palatka, Fla. / Menendez HS / Hutchinson CC / UTSA
TE Cam Grandy, ILS	Sr.	Benson, Ill. / Fieldcrest HS / Missouri Western
RB Tyshon King, YSU	Sr.	Kankakee, Ill. / Bishop McNamara / Northern Michigan
RB Plez Lawrence, INS	R-Fr.	Kokomo, Ind. / Kokomo HS
QB Jordan Pachot, MOST	Jr.	Highland, Calif. / San Gorgonio JS / Ventura (Calif.) College
RB Charles Pierre Jr., USD	R-Fr.	Orlando, Fla. / Ocoee HS
TE Cole Rusk, MUR	So.	Rock Island, Ill. / Rock Island HS / Eastern Michigan
WR Griffin Wilde, SDSU	Fr.	Sioux Falls, S.D. / Jefferson HS
DEFENSE	Yr.	Hometown (Previous Schools)
LB Amir Abdullah, ILS	Jr.	Chicago, Ill. / Whitney Young HS / Nebraska-Kearney
LB Colin Bohanek, SIU	Jr.	Chicago, Ill. / Marist / Eastern Illinois
DE Devin Cowan, SIU	Sr.	Fayetteville, N.C. / Gray's Creek / Fayetteville State
LB Parker Fryar, USD	Jr.	Waukee, Iowa / Van Meter HS
LB Jahsiah Galvan, UNI	R-Fr.	West Liberty, Iowa / West Liberty HS
LB Marcus Gulley, NDSU	Jr.	West Fargo, N.D. / West Fargo HS / Minnesota St. Moorhead
DT Mosai Newsom, USD	Jr.	Waverly, Iowa / Waverly-Shell Rock HS
LB Tye Niekamp, ILS	R-Fr.	Normal, Ill. / Normal Community HS
P Orion Phillips, MUR	Fr.	Sandringham, Australia / Sandringham College School
CB Avery Powell, MOST	R-Fr.	East Orange, N.J. / Saint Peter's Prep / Holy Cross
CB Marcus Sheppard, NDSU	Sr.	Novi, Mich. / Detroit Country Day HS / Bowling Green
DB Dalesean Staley, UNI	R-Fr.	Kansas City, Mo. / Blue Springs HS
S Ubayd Steed, SIU	Jr.	Philadelphia, Pa. / Neumann-Goretti / Towson State
DE Tim Varga, SIU	Sr.	Newton, N.C. / Elk Grove Village HS (IL) / Eastern Illinois