SportsNetwork.com | July 4, 2014 EWU QB Vernon Adams headlines 2014 FCS Preseason All-America Team Eastern Washington QB Vernon Adams was second in the FCS in total yards per game in 2013. Share PHILADELPHIA -- Eastern Washington quarterback Vernon Adams may seem like an easy choice for The Sports Network FCS Preseason All-America first team, but consider this: The FCS level is so deep in dual-threat signal callers that the 10th-place finisher for last year's national player of the year award failed to make any of the three teams on this year's preseason squad. Adams, a junior who was the Walter Payton Award runner-up, was one of 33 2013 All-Americans to be selected to the preseason team and one of five from Eastern Washington, which tied for the most selections by a school with Fordham, whose senior quarterback, Michael Nebrich, was the preseason second-team choice at the position. Southeastern Louisiana senior Bryan Bennett and Villanova junior John Robertson shared third-team honors at quarterback. 2014 FCS KICKOFF Eastern Washington will play host to Sam Houston State at 3:30 p.m. ET Aug. 23 to kickoff the college football season. 2014 FCS Schedule All four quarterbacks finished in the Top 10 of the Payton Award voting for the top individual FCS honor. Princeton's 10th-place finisher, Quinn Epplerly, the 2013 Ivy League offensive player of the year who led the FCS in points responsible for per game, fell just short of being named a Preseason All-American. Indeed, it was talent galore as the three preseason teams went 101 players deep, spread out among 59 schools and all 13 FCS conferences. Dual-threat quarterbacks are certainly in fashion in today's game. Adams finished second in the FCS in total yards per game (373.3) just behind the national leader Nebrich (376.4). Robertson (306.5) and Bennett (300.8) finished ninth and 11th, respectively, in total yards per game. All four QBs rushed for at least 500 yards, with Robertson leading the position nationally with 1,405 yards and 20 touchdowns on the ground. The 6-foot, 190-pound Adams electrified all season as the Big Sky Conference offensive player of the year and the second-team All-America quarterback behind Payton Award winner Jimmy Garoppolo of Eastern Illinois. Adams passed for 4,994 yards and 55 touchdowns, which both rank third all-time in an FCS season, and rushed for 605 yards and four touchdowns for the Eagles, who upset nationally ranked FBS member Oregon State, won their second consecutive conference title and reached the national semifinals for the third time in four years. Joining Adams on the preseason first team was his favorite target, Eastern Washington sophomore wide receiver Cooper Kupp, who hauled in 21 touchdowns as well as the 2013 Jerry Rice Award as the national freshman of the year. In addition, Eagles senior linebacker Ronnie Hamlin made the second team, and senior running back Quincy Forte and junior offensive lineman Clay DeBord landed on the third team. Fordham's five Preseason All-America players were Nebrich, first-team choices Sam Ajala, a wide receiver, and Stephen Hodge, a linebacker, second-team selection Mason Halter, an offensive lineman, and third-team pick Dan Light, a tight end. Each a senior, they return to a Rams squad that set a school record with 12 wins in 2013. The Missouri Valley Football Conference, home to three-time defending FCS champion North Dakota State, had the most first-team selections with eight, while its 13 overall selections tied with the Big Sky Conference for the second-highest total behind CAA Football's 15. Eastern Illinois and Southeastern Louisiana had four selections each, and eight other schools, including North Dakota State, collected three each. 2014 FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM FIRST TEAM OFFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT Vernon Adams Eastern Washington QB Jr. 6-0 190 David Johnson Northern Iowa RB Sr. 6-3 225 Zach Zenner South Dakota State RB Sr. 6-0 220 Emmanuel Holder Towson FB Jr. 5-11 255 Sam Ajala Fordham WR Sr. 6-0 194 R.J. Harris New Hampshire WR Sr. 6-0 200 Cooper Kupp Eastern Washington WR So. 6-2 195 MyCole Pruitt Southern Illinois TE Sr. 6-3 250 Robert Booker Missouri State OL Jr. 6-3 315 Antoine Everett McNeese State OL Sr. 6-3 304 Max Holcombe Jacksonville State OL Sr. 6-3 290 Jack Rummells Northern Iowa OL Sr. 6-5 301 Collin Seibert Eastern Illinois OL Sr. 6-4 277 Rob Hollomon Central Connecticut AP Sr. 5-8 170 Thomas Kinney Southern Illinois PK Sr. 5-8 174 Xavier Roberson SE Louisiana KR Jr. 5-9 170 FIRST TEAM DEFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT Zach Hodges Harvard DE Sr. 6-3 235 Davis Tull Chattanooga DE Sr. 6-3 240 O.J. Mau Gardner-Webb DT Jr. 6-2 302 Troy Moore Sacred Heart DT Sr. 6-3 285 Quinn Backus Coastal Carolina LB Sr. 5-10 215 Tony Bell Tennessee-Martin LB Sr. 6-1 200 Stephen Hodge Fordham LB Sr. 6-0 202 Lynden Trail Norfolk State LB Sr. 6-7 260 Harlan Miller SE Louisiana CB Jr. 6-0 170 Tye Smith Towson CB Sr. 6-0 170 Daniel Fitzpatrick Tennessee State S Sr. 6-2 210 Caleb Schaffitzel Missouri State S Sr. 6-0 214 Kyle Loomis Portland State P Sr. 6-2 210 Chris Highland Illinois State LS Sr. 6-2 215 Adrian Wilkins North Carolina Central PR Jr. 5-8 170 SSECOND TEAM OFFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT Michael Nebrich Fordham QB Sr. 6-1 205 DaMarcus James Jacksonville State RB Sr. 5-10 230 Keshaudas Spence Sacred Heart RB Sr. 5-10 230 Nick Butier Northern Arizona FB Jr. 6-1 240 Kenny Cook Gardner-Webb WR Sr. 6-4 210 Adam Drake Eastern Illinois WR Sr. 6-2 199 Tre McBride William & Mary WR Sr. 6-1 200 Jeff LePak Eastern Illinois TE Sr. 6-6 222 Mike Coccia New Hampshire OL Sr. 6-3 282 Nick Easton Harvard OL Sr. 6-3 300 Austin Gund Richmond OL Sr. 6-3 305 Mason Halter Fordham OL Sr. 6-6 282 Chad Hamilton Coastal Carolina OL Sr. 6-3 305 Ellis Henderson Montana AP Jr. 6-0 185 Ross Scheuerman Lafayette AP Sr. 6-1 202 Anthony Prevost Hampton PK So. 5-6 160 Shawn Johnson Montana State KR Sr. 5-9 175 SECOND TEAM DEFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT James Cowser Southern Utah DE Jr. 6-4 244 Mike Reilly William & Mary DE Sr. 6-4 265 Zack Wagenmann Montana DE Sr. 6-3 250 Rodney Gunter Delaware State DT Sr. 6-5 305 Xavier Williams Northern Iowa DT Sr. 6-4 311 Isiah Corbett SE Louisiana LB Sr. 6-2 245 Ronnie Hamlin Eastern Washington LB Sr. 6-2 235 Luke Rhodes William & Mary LB Jr. 6-2 242 Nick Sigmon Liberty LB Sr. 6-2 250 Anthony Gaffney Princeton CB Jr. 6-3 200 Darrin Marrow Norfolk State CB Sr. 6-1 180 Jacob Hagen Liberty S Sr. 6-3 205 Colten Heagle North Dakota State S Sr. 5-11 202 Jaquiski Tartt Samford S Sr. 6-1 218 Eric Enderson Delaware P So. 6-1 210 Phil Faccone Wagner LS Sr. 5-9 195 Antwan Eddie Robert Morris PR Sr. 5-10 180 THIRD TEAM OFFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT Bryan Bennett SE Louisiana QB Sr. 6-3 200 John Robertson Villanova QB Jr. 6-1 215 Quincy Forte Eastern Washington RB Sr. 5-11 185 Shepard Little Eastern Illinois RB Jr. 5-10 198 Dalton Turay UC Davis FB Sr. 5-10 220 Stephen Barnette Richmond WR Sr. 6-3 190 DeAndre Carter Sacramento State WR Sr. 5-9 185 Andrew Robustelli Jacksonville WR Sr. 6-3 210 Faysal Shafaat Chattanooga TE Sr. 6-5 250 Dan Light Fordham TE Sr. 6-5 250 Ned Daryoush Lehigh OL Sr. 6-4 290 Clay DeBord Eastern Washington OL Jr. 6-6 290 Donald Jackson III Sam Houston State OL Jr. 6-2 270 Jonathan Smith Jackson State OL Sr. 6-3 280 Domanic Wilson South Carolina State OL Jr. 6-5 300 Michael Johnson Delaware AP Sr. 6-2 210 Deon Randall Yale AP Sr. 5-8 175 Warren Handrahan Samford PK So. 5-10 181 Jatavious Wilson Central Arkansas KR So. 5-9 171 THIRD TEAM DEFENSE PLAYER SCHOOL POS. CLASS HEIGHT WEIGHT Anthony Bass Tennessee State DE Sr. 6-2 230 LaMichael Fanning Jacksonville State DE Jr. 6-7 270 Jonathan Woodard Central Arkansas DE Jr. 6-6 271 Evan Kelly Richmond DT Sr. 6-2 285 Derrick Lott Chattanooga DT Sr. 6-4 303 Tanner Burch Gardner-Webb LB Sr. 6-3 241 Evan Byers Bucknell LB Sr. 6-0 225 Daniel Davis Penn LB Sr. 6-3 245 Carlton Littlejohn North Dakota State LB Sr. 6-1 216 Avery Boykin Mississippi Valley State CB Sr. 6-0 190 Martinez Davis Western Illinos CB Sr. 5-10 180 Christian Carpenter Towson S Jr. 6-2 185 Julien David Howard S Sr. 5-11 205 Dean Marlowe James Madison S Sr. 6-2 205 Cory Carter Texas Southern P Jr. 5-10 185 Courtland Clavette Brown LS Sr. 6-3 235 Christian Dudzik North Dakota State PR Sr. 5-10 188 The NCAA tournament bracket picks to make if you feel like throwing caution to the wind Here's how to fill out your NCAA bracket if you're feeling bold and want to get an edge based on the trends we're seeing in picks so far. 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