SPOKANE, Wash. — Three members of the Sacramento State football team were named to the preseason all-Big Sky Conference team, it was announced today at the Big Sky Kickoff. The three, comprised of wide receiver Andre Lindsey, defensive end George Obinna and safety Mister Harriel, are the most the Hornets have had on the preseason all-conference team since the selections began.
Lindsey enjoyed his breakout season in 2017, tying for second on the team with 25 receptions and finishing the year with a team-high 756 receiving yards to earn second team all-Big Sky accolades. He led the FCS with 30.24 yards per reception and ranked eighth in the Big Sky with 68.7 yards per game. Lindsey broke one of the longest standing records in Sacramento State history with his yards per reception. The previous record was set by Kevin Fontes in 1982 with an average of 23.21. The Stockton, Calif., native led the team in receiving touchdowns with eight and had four games with at least 100 receiving yards. Lindsey was a big-play threat throughout the season with 13 receptions and two rushes for at least 25 yards. Following the year, Lindsey became the Big Sky champion in the 60-hurdles at the indoor championships, earned all-conference honors in the 110-hurdles at the outdoor championships and advanced to the second round of the NCAA West Preliminary in the event.
Obinna was named preseason FCS All-American earlier this summer by Athlon Sports. Last season, he helped spark a Hornet defense which set the school Div. I-era record with 43 sacks and finished the season tied for second in the FCS sacks and ranked third in third-down defense. Obinna recorded 8.5 sacks and 12.5 TFLs during the season while appearing in all 11 games. The Tracy, Calif., native has already moved into a tie for fourth place in the Hornet record book for career sacks and heads into next season needing just a half tackle-for-loss to crack the top 10.
Harriel is also a preseason All-American as he was placed on Street & Smith's team. He was a first team all-Big Sky selection a year ago after leading the team with a career high 87 stops. The hard-hitting safety had 5.0 TFLs, including a pair of sacks. He also did his part in pass coverage, recording three interceptions and a pair of pass breakups. The Antelope HS graduate had at least three tackles in every game and finished with 10 or more in three contests, including 11 in the Causeway Classic victory over UC Davis.
Sacramento State begins its 2018 season at home against St. Francis (Ill.) on Sept. 1. Season tickets can be purchased by calling (916) 278-2222.
2018 Big Sky Conference Preseason Team
Offensive MVP - Keelan Doss, Sr., WR, UC Davis
Defensive MVP - Josh Buss, Sr., LB, Montana
Offense | |||
QB | Gage Gubrud | Sr. | Eastern Washington |
RB | James Madison | Sr. | Idaho State |
RB | Antoine Custer | Jr. | Eastern Washington |
FB | Joe Protheroe | Sr. | Cal Poly |
OG | Noah Johnson | Jr. | Idaho |
OG | PJ Nu'usa | Jr. | Southern Utah |
C | Zach Larsen | Jr. | Southern Utah |
OT | Iosua Opeta | Sr. | Weber State |
OT | Marquez Tucker | Sr. | Southern Utah |
TE | Charlie Taumoepeau | Jr. | Portland State |
TE | Wes Preece | Jr. | UC Davis |
WR | Keelan Doss | Sr. | UC Davis |
WR | Emmanuel Butler | Sr. | Northern Arizona |
WR | Andre Lindsey | Sr. | Sacramento State |
WR | Alex Wesley | Sr. | Northern Colorado |
K | Trey Tuttle | So. | Weber State |
Ret. | Rashid Shaheed | So. | Weber State |
Defense |
|||
DE | George Obinna | Sr. | Sacramento State |
DE | Jonah Williams | Jr. | Weber State |
DT | Jay-Tee Tiuli | Sr. | Eastern Washington |
DT | Tucker Yates | Sr. | Montana State |
OLB | Josh Buss | Sr. | Montana |
OLB | Kaden Ellis | Sr. | Idaho |
ILB | LeGrand Toia | Sr. | Weber State |
ILB | Chinedu Ahanonu | Sr. | Southern Utah |
CB | Khalil Dorsey | Jr. | Northern Arizona |
CB | Jalen Russell | So. | Southern Utah |
S | Wes Sutton | Sr. | Northern Arizona |
S | Mister Harriel | Sr. | Sacramento State |
P | Cade Coffey | So. | Idaho |
ST | Brady May | Sr. | Weber State |