Alcorn Puts 13 on Phil Steele All-Conference Squad

LORMAN, Miss. – Jarveon Howard and Jason Longcor highlighted a list of 13 total Alcorn Football players named to this year's Phil Steele All-SWAC Team announced Saturday morning. One of the most respected names in college football, Phil Steele names four all-conference teams.
 
Redshirt senior running back Jarveon Howard was selected to the Phil Steele All-SWAC First Team alongside Kayvon Britten (Arkansas-Pine Bluff) at the running back position. Howard, a native of Columbia, Mississippi, transferred into the Braves program during the spring of 2022, where he arrived from Syracuse. The Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) Newcomer of the Year and First Team performer led the league in rushing yards (1,273) while ranking fourth in scoring (78 points). He finished the season tied for 20th in the FCS with 12 rushing touchdowns. Howard rushed for a season-high 299 yards and four touchdowns against UAPB. Howard contributed five (5) games of 100 yards or more throughout the 2022 campaign.
 
Long snapper and All-SWAC First Team performer Jason Longcor of Harrisonburg, Virginia, served as the primary long snapper for Alcorn in all punting and extra-point/field goal duties across the 2022 campaign. He snapped for punter and placekicker Noah Kiani who finished the year with 65 punts for an average of 33.6 yards per kick. In punting, Kiani had 15 kicks pinned inside the 20 for the Purple and Gold, as well as two kicks over 50 yards. On snapping for PAT & field goals, Longcor had a perfect rating while Kiani finished the year seventh in the SWAC in scoring with 66 points, and he was second overall in the conference for field goals – connecting on 14 of the 17 in which he attempted across the season.
 
Second team performers for Alcorn on this year's Phil Steele all-conference team include Steve Carter on offense, as well as Malachi Bailey and Claudin Cherelus on the defensive side of the ball.
 
Steve Carter, a 6-foot-3, 300-pound junior from Cedar Hill, Texas, played primarily at the center position along the offensive line for the Braves in 2022. The Cedar Hill High product shared duties at the offensive center position, but it was Carter seeing a majority of the snaps on the ball. He ended the year grading out at 90 percent on all assignments, playing on 91 percent of the snaps on the year as well. He was responsible for a perfect 100 percent rating on snaps from center to quarterback. He was also key in blocking for quarterbacks Aaron Allen and Tre Lawrence, as well as the league's best running back in terms of yards in the form of Jarveon Howard. The Alcorn offensive line anchored the way for the Braves to have the fourth-best rushing attack in the league on the season.
 
An All-SWAC First Team performer in 2022, Malachi Bailey served the Purple and Gold along the defensive line. The Atlanta, Georgia native ended his 2022 campaign ranked 21st in the SWAC in tackles for loss, tallying 11.5 stops behind the line for a loss of 66 yards to the opposition. Additionally, he was fourth in the conference in quarterback sacks, recording 9.5 sacks for a loss of 62 yards, while going on to end the season with 36 tackles overall (20 solo / 16 assisted). Bailed registered one fumble recovery for the Braves. The Miller Grove High alum posted six stops with 2.5 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage (both quarterback sacks) against No. 5 Jackson State.
 
Claudin Cherelus, a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker from Golden Gate, Florida, played middle linebacker for the Braves across his time in Lorman after transferring in from Massachusetts. Cherelus concluded the 2022 season ranked eighth in the SWAC for tackles for loss, despite missing a pair of games with an injury. Additionally, he was 10th overall in the league for total tackles. The Golden Gate High alum registered 67 tackles across the 2022 season, including a team-leading 13.5 tackles behind the line of scrimmage. He went on to add a team second-most six quarterback sacks for a loss of 39 yards to the opposition. He tallied double-figure tackles in games against Prairie View (15) and No. 5 Jackson State (12), respectfully.
 
Making their way onto the third team in this year's Phil Steele All-SWAC Team announcement were offensive linemen Will Ready and T.J. Yarbrough, while Noah Kiani earned a spot on the special teams list.
 
Ready, a 6-foot-3, 325-pound redshirt junior from Mansfield, Texas, was a big part of the Alcorn offensive line as a guard on the 2022 season. He ended the year grading out at 85 percent on all assignments, playing on 82 percent of the snaps on the year as well for the Purple and Gold. The Lake Ridge High product achieved three downfield blocks to go along with four pancake blocks on the campaign. He was responsible for blocking for quarterbacks Aaron Allen and Tre Lawrence, as well as the league's top running back in terms of yards – and SWAC Newcomer of the Year – in the form of Jarveon Howard.
 
As for Yarbrough, a 6-foot-3, 275-pound tackle from Louisville, Mississippi, he was a mainstay along the offensive line at the tackle position for the Braves across the 2022 season. He ended the year grading out at 89 percent on all assignments, playing on 94 percent of the snaps on the year as well. In addition to posting double-figure downfield blocks, the Louisville High alum amassed double-figure pancake blocks on the campaign for the Purple and Gold.
 
Kiani, a 5-foot-11, sophomore from New Brighton, Minnesota, served as the primary placekicker on extra-points and field goals, in addition to being the punter in all 11 games for the Braves across the 2022 campaign. The Irondale High alum completed the year seventh in the SWAC in scoring with 66 points. He was second overall in the conference for field goals, connecting on 14 of the 17 he attempted on the season, while going on to register 24 extra point conversions in 27 attempts. Kiani connected true on his final seven field goal attempts of the season, including kicks of 46 (at Prairie View) and 43 (vs. No. 5 Jackson State), respectfully. He would convert three successful field goals attempts while being key in Alcorn's first-ever win over Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) opponent McNeese State, in addition to three positive first half field goals against Prairie View in a SWAC West road win.
 
Four Braves made their way into this year's Phil Steele Fourth Team Offense in the form of wide receivers Monterio Hunt and Malik Rodgers, as well as tight end Tavarious Griffin and offensive lineman Braxton Spells. Terreance Ellis was included on the fourth team defense at the linebacker position.
 
Monterio Hunt enjoyed a breakout year for the Braves at the wide receiver position, with the Walnut, Mississippi graduate student cementing himself as a "go-to" receiver for quarterback Aaron Allen midway through the campaign. Hunt picked up a team third-best 23 receptions for a team-high 489 yards (12th-best in the SWAC), while also leading the Purple and Gold with three receiving touchdowns. He averaged 44.5 yards per game receiving across the campaign with his first touchdown grab of the year being an 89-yard strike in a victory at FCS foe McNeese State. He would tally four catches for 98 yards and a score on an Alcorn Homecoming weekend against Texas Southern, while going on to post four receptions for 109 yards against one of the best pass defenses in the form of Jackson State to close the campaign.
 
Malik Rodgers, a 5-foot-10, 170-pound redshirt junior from Pearland, Texas, was yet another part of a "tag team threat" at receiver for quarterbacks Aaron Allen and Tre Lawrence midway through the season. He registered a season-high six catches for 111 yards, including a 53-yard catch to setup a score at Mississippi Valley State, while later racking up another six-reception game at Southern the following week for 83 yards and a touchdown just before halftime. The Shadow Creek High product produced also returned four kickoffs for a total of 45 yards, averaging 15 yards per return.
 
Commonly referred to as "Truck", Tavarious Griffin was a mainstay at the tight end spot for Head Coach Fred McNair across each of the 2021 and 2022 seasons, respectively. One of the best blocking and receiving tight ends in the SWAC, Griffin played and started all 11 games for the Braves as a junior this past campaign. He helped block on the outside for the league's best running back in the form of Jarveon Howard, while going on to haul in five passes from Aaron Allen for 87 yards and a touchdown on an Alcorn Homecoming weekend against Texas Southern.
 
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Braxton Spells helped anchor one of the two guard positions for the Braves across the 2022 season. The Terry, Mississippi native ended the year grading out at 87 percent on all assignments, playing on 91 percent of the snaps on the year as well. In addition to posting five downfield blocks, Spells amassed eight pancake blocks on the year as well. The Alcorn offensive line anchored the way for the Braves to have the fourth-best rushing attack in the league on the season.
 
The fourth team performer on the defensive side of the ball for the Braves was linebacker Terreance Ellis. The 6-foot-2, 211-pound sophomore from Pearland, Texas completed the 2022 season ranked ninth in the SWAC with 79 tackles. Ellis stepped into the opposition offensive backfield for 9.5 tackles behind the line on the season for a loss of 48 yards. He also had 3.5 quarterback sacks for a loss of 27 yards on the season. He would register a team-high 41 solo stops to go along with 38 assisted tackles. Ellis forced a fumble against FBS opponent Tulane, while also having a key fumble recovery on a play in a come-from-behind conference win over Bethune-Cookman at home.
 
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