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Football: Dillon Named Freshman Of The Year; Five Cajuns On All-Louisiana Football Team

Peters, Coutts named to first team; McGuire, Dillon, Artigue second-team selections

BATON ROUGE – Redshirt freshman Joe Dillon earned Freshman of the Year honors to lead a list of five Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns named to the Louisiana Sports Writers Association All-Louisiana College Football team announced late Friday.
 
 Dillon, named to the second team as a defensive lineman, was joined by first-team selections Otha Peters and Steven Coutts, along with second-team selections Elijah McGuire and Stevie Artigue.
 
 The LSWA team is selected by a panel of LSWA members based on nominations from the sports information and communications directors of the state’s football player schools. The media relations representative from each school could vote, but could not vote for nominees from their own schools.
 
 For the Ragin’ Cajuns, Dillon earned freshman All-America honors from USA Today after posting 49 tackles, including 11.5 tackles for loss and 6.0 sacks.  He had a season high of 10 at New Mexico State and 2.5 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in the game at Tulane. Peters, a first-team All-Sun Belt Conference selection, finished second for the Ragin’ in tackles with 88 stops and added 11.0 tackles for loss, two sacks and a defensive touchdown.
 
 Coutts was named the state’s top punter after averaging 44.4 yards per attempt with a long of 68 yards. Artigue made 19 of 24 field goal attempts during the 2016 season, finishing second in school history in made field goals. The Lafayette native led the Ragin’ Cajuns with 83 points and ended the season with nine straight field goal conversions.
 
 McGuire finished third overall among Sun Belt Conference rushers with 1,127 yards and posted his third straight 1,000-yard season on the ground. He recorded five 100-yard rushing games on the season, including a season-high 223 yards and a touchdown against South Alabama. The Houma native finished a spectacular career for the Ragin’ Cajuns as the school-record holder in scoring (318), total touchdowns (52) and all-purpose yards (5,837)
 
 Broderick Fobbs, who led Grambling to the SWAC championship and the Celebration Bowl, was named the Coach of the Year, while Louisiana Tech quarterback Ryan Higgins was named the state’s Offensive Player of the Year after leading the Bulldogs to the Armed Forces Bowl. Linebacker Kendall Beckwith of LSU was named the Defensive Player of the Year.
 
 The Newcomer of the Year award for first-year Louisiana non-freshman was quarterback James Tabary of McNeese State.
 
 Fobbs took home his third straight SWAC Coach of the Year award after leading the Tigers to a second-straight unblemished record in the Southwestern Athletic Conference. Entering December play, Fobbs and Grambling State was the only team in the FCS with a top-5 scoring offense and defense.
 
 Higgins, who was also Conference USA’s MVP, led the productive Tech offense completing 68.5 percent of his passes for 4,208 passing yards and 37 passing TDs entering the bowl. He helped Tech captured the league’s Western Division title. His yardage was third nationally as well in passing yards per game (350.7).
 
 Beckwith was a finalist for the Butkus Award, earning second team All-America honors. He led LSU in tackles (91) and was ranked second in the league in tackles per game (9.1). He had double figure tackles in four games including 16 against Alabama and 15 versus Southern Miss.
 
 Tabary, who played at Arkansas State before transferring to McNeese, was named the Southland Conference’s Newcomer of the Year after setting single-season school records for most passing yards (3,036), pass attempts (415) and completions (249). He posted four 300-yard passing contests.
 
 Joining Higgins on the first team are offensive linemen Chandler Arceneaux (Nicholls), Darrel Brown (Louisiana Tech), Will Clapp and Ethan Pocic (LSU) and Taylor Gadbois (Southeastern Louisiana). The tight end of Juwaan Rogers of SLU with Higgins’ two Tech wide receivers both getting the honors – Carlos Henderson and Trent Taylor. Derrius Guice of LSU and Lenard Tillery of Southern were named the first-team running backs.
 
 On the first team defensive line are Jaylon Ferguson of Louisiana Tech, Sully Laiche of Nicholls, Donovan McCray of Grambling and Tanzel Smart of Tulane. Joining Beckwith at linebacker are Nico Marley of Tulane and Otha Peters of Louisiana and the defensive backs voted in are Jamal Adams and Tre’Davious White of LSU, Danny Johnson (Southern) and Xavier Woods (Louisiana Tech).
 
 Jonathan Barnes of Louisiana Tech was named the first-team place kicker with Louisiana’s Steven Coutts the punter. Henderson of Tech was also named the return specialist for the first team.
 
 —
 
LSWA All-LOUISIANA COLLEGE FOOTBALL TEAM
 FIRST TEAM
 OFFENSE
 POS/NAME, SCHOOL/CLASS/HOMETOWN/NOTES
 
 OL/Chandler Arceneaux, Nicholls/So./Bourg, La./All-SLC 1st Team; 11 starts RT
 OL/Darrell Brown, Louisiana Tech/Sr./Abilene, Texas/All-C-USA 1st Team; starter LT
 OL/Will Clapp, LSU/So./New Orleans, La./All-SEC 1st Team; 10 games LT
 OL/Taylor Gadbois, Southeastern/Sr./Dallas Georgia/All-SLC 1st Team; LT
 OL/Ethan Pocic, LSU/Sr./Lamont, Ill./First Team A-A, Rimington Finalist (center)
 TE/Juwaan Rogers, Southeastern/Sr./Amite, La./All-SLC 1st Team; 3 TDs, 15 receptions
 WR/Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech/Jr./New Orleans, La./C-USA POY, 1,406 yds, 17 TDs
 WR/Trent Taylor, Louisiana Tech/Sr./Shreveport, La./All-C-USA 1st Team; 1,570 yards, 10 TDs
 RB/Derrius Guice, LSU/So., Baton Rouge, La./All-SEC 1st Team; 1,249 yards, 12 TDs
 RB/Lenard Tillery, Southern/Sr., Baton Rouge, La./All-SWAC 1st team; 1,665 yards, 13 TDs
 QB/Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech/Sr., Hutto, Texas/C-USA POY; 4,208 yards, 37 TDs
 
DEFENSE
 POS/NAME, SCHOOL/CLASS/HOMETOWN/NOTES
 DL/Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech/So./St. Francisville, La./All-C-USA 1st Team, 14.5 sacks, 16 TFL
 DL/Sully Laiche, Nicholls/Fr./Gramercy, La./All-SLC 1st Team; 9.5 sacks, 13.0 TFL
 DL/Donovan McCray, Grambling/Sr./Baton Rouge, La./SWAC Def. POY, 5 sacks, 11.5 TFL
 DL/Tanzel Smart, Tulane/Sr./Baton Rouge, La./All-AAC 1st Team; 5.5 sacks, 18.5 TFL 1 int.
 LB/Kendell Beckwith, LSU/Sr./Clinton, La./Second Team A-A; 91 tackles, 6 TFL, 1 FR
 LB/Nico Marley, Tulane/Sr./Weston, Fla./All-AAC 1st Team; 88 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 14.0 TFL, 1 int.
LB/Otha Peters, Louisiana/Sr./Covington, La./All-SBC 1st Team; 88 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 1 TD FR
 DB/Jamal Adams, LSU/Jr./Lewisville, Texas/First Team A-A; 70 tackles, 6.5 TFL, I int.
 DB/Danny Johnson, Southern/Jr./East Feliciana, La./All-SWAC 1st Team; 7 ints (1TD), 57 tackles, 9 PBU
 DB/Tre’Davious White, LSU/Sr./Shreveport, La./First Team A-A; Thorpe Award finalist; 13 PBUs, 2 ints.
 DB/Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech/Sr./West Monroe, La./All-C-USA 1st Team; 81 Tackles, 6.5 TFL, 3 ints.
 
SPECIALISTS
 POS/NAME, SCHOOL/CLASS/HOMETOWN/NOTES
 K/Jonathan Barnes, Louisiana Tech/Jr./Baton Rouge, La./All-C-USA 2nd Team; 20-25 FG, 71-72 PATs
P/Steven Coutts, Louisiana/So./Brisbane, Australia/44.4 average, 68 long
 RS/Carlos Henderson, Louisiana Tech/Jr./New Orleans, La./30.4 KOR average, TDs of 90, 92 yards
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR – Kendell Beckwith, LSU
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR – Joe Dillon, Louisiana
NEWCOMER OF THE YEAR – James Tabary, McNeese
COACH OF THE YEAR – Broderick Fobbs, Grambling
 
SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
 OL – Josh Boutte, LSU (Sr., New Iberia, La.); Joseph Brunson, Louisiana Tech (Sr., Ruston, La.); O’Shea Dugas, Louisiana Tech (So. Lafayette, La.); Justin Miller, Grambling (Gr., Ruston, La.); Jeff Savage, ULM (Sr., Smackover, Ark.).  TE – Kam McKnight, Louisiana Tech (So., Ethel, La.). WR – Willie Quinn, Southern (Sr., Miami, Fla.); Chad Williams, Grambling (Sr., Baton Rouge, La.). RB – Leonard Fournette, LSU (Jr., New Orleans, La.); Elijah McGuire, Louisiana (Sr., Houma. La.). QB – Devante Kincaid, Grambling (Jr., Dallas, Texas).
 
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
 DL – Joe Dillon, Louisiana (Fr., Tylertown, Miss.); Devon Godchaux, LSU (Jr., Plaquemine, La.); Jammerio Gross, McNeese (Jr., Shreveport, La.); Aaron Tiller, Southern (Jr., Columbus, Ohio). LB – Arden Key, LSU (So., Atlanta, Ga.); Arkez Cooper, Grambling (Gr., Mansfield, La.); Allen Pittman, Nicholls (Fr., St. Rose, La.). DB – Jameel Jackson, Grambling (Gr., Pierce, Fla.); Parry Nickerson, Tulane (Jr., Algiers, La.); B. T. Sanders, Nicholls (Sr., Foley, Ala.); Javon Tillman, Southeastern (Jr., Oakland, Calif.).
 
SECOND TEAM SPECIALISTS
 K – Stevie Artigue, Louisiana (So., Lafayette, La.). P – Josh Growden, LSU (Fr., Sydney, Australia); RS – Khalil Thomas, McNeese (Sr., Baton Rouge, La.).