The AFCA has announced its 2024 FCS Coaches' All-America Team.  A total of 10 student-athletes from Missouri Valley Football Conference schools represent the MVFC on the list, including three who earned first-team honors.
 
MVFC Honorees
FIRST TEAM
OL Gus Miller, Sr., South Dakota State
OL Grey Zabel, Sr., North Dakota State
LB Adam Bock, Sr., South Dakota State

SECOND TEAM
QB Cam Miller, Sr., North Dakota State
RB Travis Theis, Sr., South Dakota
WR Bo Belquist, Sr., North Dakota
OL Evan Beerntsen, Sr., South Dakota State
DL Mi’Quise Grace, R-So., South Dakota
LB Tye Niekamp, So., Illinois State
LS Caden Bolz, Sr., Missouri State


AFCA STORY & FULL TEAMS

WACO, TEX. — Montana State quarterback Tommy Mellott and Richmond defensive lineman Jeremiah Grant headline the 2024 FCS Coaches’ All-America Team announced today by the American Football Coaches Association. The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions.

Mellott, the Big Sky Offensive MVP and a top three finalist for the Walter Payton Award, leads the nation in points responsible for (246) and passing efficiency (183.21). He has thrown 259 passes, completing 182 for 2,430 yards and 28 touchdowns on just two interceptions. Mellott has also rushed for 790 yards with 14 rushing touchdowns. His 8.6 yards per carry would lead the nation if he qualified for that NCAA stat.

Grant is a top three finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award after he led the nation in sacks with 13.5. He recorded 53 tackles, 38 of them solo, 19.5 tackles for loss, forced two fumbles, recovered one, had eight quarterback hurries and broke up two passes. Grant finished the season second on Richmond’s all-time list for sacks in a season and fifth in career sacks with 21.5.
 
2024 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team - First Team
Offense

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
QB	Tommy Mellott	6-0	208	Sr.	Montana St.	Brent Vigen	Butte, Mont. (Butte)
RB	Lan Larison	6-0	215	Sr.	UC Davis	Tim Plough	Caldwell, Idaho (Vallivue)
RB	Targhee Lambson	5-9	200	Sr.	Southern Utah	DeLane Fitzgerald	Spanish Fork, Utah (Timpview)
WR	Efton Chism III	5-11	200	Sr.	Eastern Washington	Aaron Best	Monroe, Wash. (Monroe)
WR	Jalen Walthall	6-2	180	R-Jr.	UIW	Clint Killough	Missouri City, Tex. (Manvel)
WR	Javonnie Gibson	6-3	205	R-So.	Arkansas-Pine Bluff	Alonzo Hampton	Opelousas, La. (Opelousas)
TE	Chris Corbo	6-5	245	Jr.	Dartmouth	Sammy McCorkle	North Caldwell, N.J. (West Essex)
OL	Gus Miller	6-3	295	Sr.	South Dakota St.	Jimmy Rogers	Brookings, S.D. (Brookings)
OL	*Marcus Wehr	6-4	300	Sr.	Montana St.	Brent Vigen	Billings, Mont. (Central)
OL	*Charles Grant	6-4	300	Sr.	William & Mary	Mike London	Portsmouth, Va. (Churchland)
OL	Grey Zabel	6-6	305	Sr.	North Dakota St.	Tim Polasek	Pierre, S.D. (T.F. Riggs)
OL	Jackson Slater	6-4	326	Sr.	Sacramento St.	Andy Thompson	Bellevue, Wash. (Newport)

 
Defense

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
DL	Keyshawn James-Newby	6-2	240	Sr.	Idaho	Jason Eck	Helena, Mont. (Helena)
DL	Jeremiah Grant	6-2	245	R-Sr.	Richmond	Russ Huesman	South Orange, N.J. (Bergen Catholic)
DL	Josiah Silver	6-2	247	Sr.	New Hampshire	Rick Santos	Hampton, Va. (Phoebus)
DL	David Walker	6-2	260	Sr.	Central Arkansas	Nathan Brown	Stuttgart, Ark. (Stuttgart)
LB	Bryce Norman	6-0	215	Sr.	Southeast Missouri St.	Tom Matukewicz	Jackson, Mo. (Jackson)
LB	Adam Bock	6-1	225	Sr.	South Dakota St.	Jimmy Rogers	Solon, Iowa (Solon)
LB	Brandon Tucker	5-10	225	R-So.	East Texas A&M	Clint Dolezel	DeSoto, Tex. (DeSoto)
DB	Tommy McCormick	6-1	210	Sr.	Idaho	Jason Eck	Fallon, Nev. (Churchill County)
DB	Jalen Jones	6-0	190	Jr.	William & Mary	Mike London	Chesapeake, Va. (Deep Creek)
DB	TJ Moore	6-0	185	Sr.	Mercer	Mike Jacobs	Riverdale, Ga. (Riverdale)
DB	Mike Smith Jr.	6-1	206	Sr.	Eastern Kentucky	Walt Wells	Jacksonville, Fla. (First Coast)

 
Specialists

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
P	Jeff Yurk	6-2	224	R-Jr.	Elon	Tony Trisciani	Southern Pines, N.C. (Pinecrest)
PK	Gabe Panikowski	5-10	189	Jr.	Idaho St.	Cody Hawkins	San Diego, Calif. (Torrey Pines)
AP	Chandler Brayboy	6-1	199	R-Sr.	Elon	Tony Trisciani	Pembroke, N.C. (Purnell Swett)
LS	Tommy Sullivan	5-11	200	Sr.	Montana St.	Brent Vigen	Everett, Wash. (Archbishop Murphy)

 
2024 AFCA Football Championship Subdivision Coaches’ All-America Team - Second Team
Offense

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
QB	Cam Miller	6-1	212	Sr.	North Dakota St.	Tim Polasek	Solon, Iowa (Solon)
RB	Travis Theis	5-11	215	Sr.	South Dakota	Bob Nielson	Pratt, Kan. (Pratt)
RB	Kayvon Britten	5-7	195	Sr.	Tarleton St.	Todd Whitten	Cincinnati, Ohio (Western Hills University)
WR	Cooper Barkate	6-1	195	Jr.	Harvard	Andrew Aurich	Newport Beach, Calif. (Mater Dei)
WR	Bo Belquist	6-1	185	Sr.	North Dakota	Bubba Schweigert	New Rockford, N.D. (Sheyenne)
WR	Kylon Harris	5-11	160	Jr.	Stephen F. Austin	Colby Carthel	Reserve, La. (East St. John)
TE	Bryzai White	6-3	245	Sr.	Northern Arizona	Brian Wright	San Diego, Calif. (Morse)
OL	Conner Moore	6-5	310	So.	Montana St.	Brent Vigen	Millbury, Ohio (Lake)
OL	Brandon Casey	6-5	309	Sr.	Montana	Bobby Hauck	Sandpoint, Idaho (Sandpoint)
OL	Cam Johnson	6-4	300	Sr.	South Carolina St.	Chennis Berry	Irmo, S.C. (Dutch Fork)
OL	Evan Beerntsen	6-4	300	Sr.	South Dakota St.	Jimmy Rogers	De Pere, Wis. (Appleton North)
OL	Carson Vinson	6-6	305	Sr.	Alabama A&M	Connell Maynor	Morrisville, N.C. (Panther Creek)

 
Defense

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
DL	Brody Grebe	6-3	250	Sr.	Montana St.	Brent Vigen	Melstone, Mont. (Melstone/Roundup)
DL	Elijah Williams	6-3	270	Sr.	Morgan St.	Damon Wilson	Jersey City, N.J. (Lincoln)
DL	Mi’Quise Grace	6-4	255	R-So.	South Dakota	Bob Nielson	Cincinnati, Ohio (Princeton)
DL	Brayden Manley	6-2	245	So.	Mercer	Mike Jacobs	Vanceboro, N.C. (West Craven)
LB	David Meyer	6-1	230	R-Jr.	UC Davis	Tim Plough	Mission Viejo, Calif. (Mission Viejo)
LB	Tye Niekamp	6-3	240	So.	Illinois St.	Brock Spack	Normal, Ill. (Community)
LB	Andrew Jones	6-2	220	R-Jr.	Grambling St.	Mickey Joseph	Marrero, La. (John Ehret)
DB	Rex Connors	6-1	210	Jr.	UC Davis	Tim Plough	Pleasant Grove, Utah (Pleasant Grove)
DB	Hayden McDonald	5-9	180	Sr.	Columbia	Jon Poppe	Seattle, Wash. (O’Dea)
DB	Kenny Gallop Jr.	6-0	214	Gr.	Howard	Larry Scott	Portsmouth, Va. (Churchland)
DB	James Burgess	6-3	186	Sr.	Alabama St.	Eddie Robinson, Jr.	Center Point, Ala. (Huffman)

 
Specialists

Pos	Name	Ht.	Wt.	Cl.	School	Coach	Hometown (High School)
P	James Platte	6-0	210	Gr.	The Citadel	Maurice Drayton	Aiken, S.C. (South Aiken)
PK	Guillermo Garcia Rodriguez	6-1	200	Gr.	Prairie View A&M	Bubba McDowell	Dickinson, Tex. (Dickinson)
AP	Michael Wortham	5-9	177	Sr.	Eastern Washington	Aaron Best	North Highlands, Calif. (Center)
LS	Caden Bolz	6-0	200	Sr.	Missouri St.	Ryan Beard	Overland Park, Kan. (Blue Valley West)

 
*-2023 AFCA All-American       #-2022 AFCA All-American                             
 
Team Background: The five teams now chosen for each AFCA division evolved from a single 11-player squad. From 1945 until 1967, only one team was chosen. From 1967 through 1971, two teams, University Division and College Division, were selected. In 1972, the College Division was split into College I and College II. In 1979, the University Division was split into two teams — Division I-A and Division I-AA. In 1996, the College I and College II teams were renamed Division II and Division III, respectively. In 2006, the Division I-A and Division I-AA teams were renamed Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) and Football Championship Subdivision (FCS), respectively. In 2006, the AFCA started selecting an NAIA-only team. The AFCA added a second team in 2016.

From 1965-81, a 22-player (11 offensive, 11 defensive) team was chosen. In 1982, a punter and placekicker were added to the team. A return specialist was added in 1997. The return specialist position was replaced by an all-purpose player in 2006. AFCA added a third wide receiver in 2024.
 
The Award: Members of the AFCA Coaches’ All-America First Team will receive a plaque commemorating their selection to the team, while members of the Second Team will receive a certificate.
 
Long Time: Defensive back Hayden McDonald is the first player from Columbia to earn AFCA All-America honors since Bill Swiacki was named an end on the 1947 AFCA All-America Team.