ARLINGTON — To open the United Athletic Conference Media Day in Arlington on Tuesday, the UAC announced the results of its preseason polls, with Tarleton State earning some of the top honors heading into the 2024 campaign.
The Texans were picked to finish second out of nine teams in the UAC this upcoming season. Running back Kayvon Britten was named the UAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and he was one of five Texans to earn a spot on the Preseason All-Conference teams. Wide receiver Darius Cooper and center Tuli Teuhema joined Britten on the Preseason All-Conference Offensive Team, defensive lineman Brandon Tolvert made the Preseason All-Conference Defensive Team, and return specialist Deangelo Rosemond was voted on the Preseason All-Conference Specialist Team.
Britten, Cooper and Rosemond were unanimous selections.
The preseason coaches poll and preseason all-conference players poll were voted on by head coaches across the United Athletic Conference. All nine UAC head coaches submitted votes on who they think the top players are entering the 2024 campaign, and they were not allowed to vote for their own players. They also ranked the teams in their opinion on how they’d finish this upcoming season. They were allowed to rank for their own teams.
The Texans slated narrowly behind the preseason favorite Central Arkansas. The Bears led the field with 77 points, earning five of nine first-place votes, while the Texans secured 74 points and three first-place votes. There was a large separation from the top-two teams and the rest of the field, with Southern Utah in third at 54 points. Austin Peay netted the other first-place vote, finishing fifth in the poll. Last season, the Texans were slated sixth in the preseason poll, but they proved the rest of the league wrong and took second at 8-3 overall, 4-2 in conference play.
Britten was a UAC First Team All-Conference running back a season ago, also logging 2023 FCS Football Central All-American Third Team and Phil Steele FCS 2023 All-American Fourth Team accolades. He was one of the best running backs in the nation, finishing with 1,150 yards on 183 carries (6.3 yards per rush) and 16 rushing touchdowns. Britten scored in 10 of Tarleton’s 11 games, averaging 104.6 rushing yards per contest, plus he added 106 receiving yards and a touchdown on 11 catches, finishing with 17 total touchdowns on the season. Conference-wise, Britten was first in rushing touchdowns (third in the FCS) and total touchdowns (tied-fifth in FCS), second in total rushing yards (ninth in FCS), second in rushing yards per game (tied-11th FCS) and second in yards per rush (21st in FCS). Across Texan Football program history, he had the sixth most rushing yards in a single-season and the eighth most rushing yards per game in a single-season. Since 1977, he finished with the tied-third most rushing touchdowns in a single-season in program history, tied with Gaylon Bowser’s 16 rushing scores in 1987, only behind Xavier Turner’s 22 touchdowns in 2018 and Derrick Ross’ 22 touchdowns in 2004.
This marks the second straight season that Cooper has earned a spot on the Preseason UAC All-Conference team. Last year, despite missing four games due to injury, he was a UAC Second Team All-Conference wide receiver, as he finished with the tied-most receiving touchdowns on the team (five), the second most receiving yards (622) and the second most receptions (28). His 88.9 receiving yards per game was best on the Texans, the best in the United Athletic Conference, and the 11th most in the FCS.
Teuhema earns the Preseason UAC All-Conference spot at center after UAC First Team All-Conference accolades in 2023. Last year, he started all 11 games, helping lead the No. 1 rushing offense in the UAC, with the Texans posting 201.7 rushing yards per game, 12th most in the FCS. The team also rushed for 25 touchdowns (most in UAC, 16th in FCS) and averaged 5.2 yards per rush (second in UAC, 17th in FCS). Overall, the Texans averaged 33.3 points per game (second in UAC, 13th FCS), 430.5 yards per game (second UAC, 14th FCS) and 6.4 yards per play (first UAC, 11th FCS). Teuhema and the Texan offensive line allowed just 14 sacks all season, the tied-third fewest in the UAC and the tied-18th fewest in the FCS. The team allowed just 3.91 tackles for loss per game, second fewest in the UAC, 10th fewest in the FCS.
Tolvert had a solid comeback season in 2023, as he led all Texan defensive linemen in total tackles with 36, 18 solo stops. He was third on the team in tackles for loss with six, with two sacks and seven quarterback hurries (second most on the team).
Running back Rosemond was a UAC Second Team All-Conference player last year at returner, and receives the preseason nod this season. He served as Tarleton’s primary kick returner all season, averaging 25.7 yards across 18 returns (462 total yards). Rosemond had three returns go for 50-plus yards, two for 60-plus yards, with a season-long kick return of 65 yards against North Alabama on Sept. 9. He had the most total kickoff return yardage in the UAC and averaged the second most. Besides Rosemond, only one other player in the UAC had a kickoff return go for 60-plus yards, and Rosemond posted two of them.
This is the first time that Tarleton State has had a player voted for preseason offensive player of the year in their NCAA Division I era, and their five total honorees matches the most they’ve had the D1 level (2022, Western Athletic Conference).
There were 27 players honored across all preseason awards. Tarleton State had the tied-second most honorees with five behind Central Arkansas (six), tied with Abilene Christian.
The full results of the preseason UAC polls can be found below:
2024 UAC Football Preseason Coaches Poll
- Central Arkansas (5), 77 points
- Tarleton State (3), 74 points
- Southern Utah, 54 points
- EKU, 53 points
- Austin Peay (1), 46 points
- Abilene Christian, 43 points
- North Alabama, 26 points
- Utah Tech, 19 points
- West Georgia, 13 points
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
*Kayvon Britten (Tarleton State)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Edwin White Schultz (North Alabama)
Preseason All-Conference Offensive Team
QB *Will McElvain (Central Arkansas)
RB *ShunDerrick Powell (Central Arkansas)
RB *Kayvon Britten (Tarleton State)
WR *Takairee Kenebrew (North Alabama)
WR *Darius Cooper (Tarleton State)
TE Hunter Brown (EKU)
OL Alan Hatten (Abilene Christian)
OL Chandler Kirton (Austin Peay)
OL Will Diggins (Central Arkansas)
OL Payton Collins (EKU)
C Tuli Teuhema (Tarleton State)
Preseason All-Conference Defensive Team
DL Hosea Knifeley Jr. (Austin Peay)
DL *David Walker (Central Arkansas)
DL Rylen Sua-Filo (Southern Utah)
DL Brandon Tolvert (Tarleton State)
LB Cirby Coheley (Abilene Christian)
LB Darius Moore (Abilene Christian)
LB Demetrias Charles (Central Arkansas)
LB Kohner Cullimore (Southern Utah)
DB Elijah Moffett (Abilene Christian)
DB TaMuarion Wilson (Central Arkansas)
DB Mike Smith Jr. (EKU)
DB Edwin White Schultz (North Alabama)
Preseason All-Conference Specialist Team
K Patrick Nations (EKU)
P Grant Nickel (Abilene Christian)
RS Deangelo Rosemond (Tarleton State)
LS Ryan Kean (Utah Tech)
*-Denotes unanimous selection
NOTE – Ties in voting resulted in 12-member Defensive Team
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