SACRAMENTO, Calif. — The preseason honors continued to roll in for Sacramento State football players as Marshel Martin IV, Armon Bailey and Jackson Slater each were named the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Team, presented by FedEx Ground. Along with the Preseason All-America honors, Martin was named to the Walter Payton Award watch list and Bailey was placed on the Buck Buchanan Award watch list.

Martin has been a fixture on every preseason All-America team this summer. The tight end has earned first team all-Big Sky honors the last two seasons and owns every career receiving record by a tight end in school history. Last year, Martin caught 65 passes for 879 and 12 touchdowns to lead the team in each category. His 12 touchdown receptions were tied for the fourth best in Sacramento State history. He also added a rushing touchdown and a kickoff return for a score.

Bailey had a breakout 2022 season which saw him earn first team all-Big Sky honors. The linebacker finished the year with a team-high 88 tackles, including 12.5 for loss and six sacks. He recorded at least four tackles in all 13 games and had five or more stops in 11 contests.

Slater started the first 11 games of last season at left guard and then moved to left tackle for the two FCS Playoff games. He was part of an offensive line which paved the way for a school record 3,163 rushing yards and 36 rushing touchdowns. Following the year he was named first team all-Big Sky, was a third team All-American by the Associated Press and a HERO Sports Sophomore All-American.

The Walter Payton Award and Buck Buchanan Award are presented to the top offensive and defensive players in the FCS, respectively. Martin is one of 35 players on the Payton Award list and the only tight end.

Sacramento State will open its 2023 season at Nicholls State on Thursday, Aug. 31. The team's first home game will come on Saturday, Sept. 7, against Texas A&M-Commerce at 7 p.m.


2023 STATS PERFORM FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
PRESENTED BY FEDEX GROUND

FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Michael Hiers, 6-1, 211, senior, Samford
QB – Matthew Sluka, 6-3, 215, senior, Holy Cross
RB – Isaiah Davis, 6-1, 220, senior, South Dakota State
RB – Jaden Shirden, 5-9, 185, junior, Monmouth
WR – Devron Harper, 5-9, 168, senior, Mercer
WR – Hayden Hatten, 6-2, 205, redshirt junior, Idaho
WR – Ty James, 6-2, 200, redshirt senior, Mercer
TE – Marshel Martin, 6-2, 210, senior, Sacramento State
OL – John Allen, 6-1, 310, senior, Southeastern Louisiana
OL – Zack Gieg, 6-1, 287, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
OL – Garret Greenfield, 6-6, 310, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Mason McCormick, 6-4, 305, redshirt senior, South Dakota State
OL – Luke Newman, 6-5, 301, senior, Holy Cross

DEFENSE
DL – Ty French, 6-3, 230, senior, Gardner-Webb
DL – Jay Person, 6-3, 224, senior, Chattanooga
DL – Josiah Silver, 6-2, 243, junior, New Hampshire
DL – David Walker, 6-3, 265, junior, Central Arkansas
LB – Adam Bock, 6-1, 215, senior, South Dakota State
LB – Jacob Dobbs, 6-0, 237, senior, Holy Cross
LB – John Pius, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, William & Mary
LB – Tristan Wheeler, 6-2, 228, redshirt senior, Richmond
DB – Maxwell Anderson, 5-11, 170, senior, Weber State
DB – Khalil Baker, 6-0, 185, senior, North Carolina Central
DB – Myles Harden, 6-0, 205, senior, South Dakota
DB – Lawrence Johnson, 6-0, 196, grad, Southeast Missouri

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Matthew Cook, 5-11, 199, grad, Northern Iowa
P – Ryan Kost, 6-2, 220, grad, Delaware
LS – Tommy Sullivan, 5-11, 220, junior, Montana State
KR – Abraham Williams, 6-1, 175, junior, Weber State
PR – Jarrod Barnes, 5-11, 180, senior, Central Arkansas
AP – Dylan Laube, 5-10, 204, senior, New Hampshire

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Mark Gronowski, 6-3, 220, junior South Dakota State
QB – Tommy Mellott, 6-0, 209, junior, Montana State
RB – Ailym Ford, 5-9, 213, redshirt senior, Chattanooga
RB – Geno Hess, 5-8, 222, redshirt senior, Southeast Missouri
RB – ShunDerrick Powell, 5-7, 168, junior, Central Arkansas
WR – Jalen Coker, 6-3, 207, senior, Holy Cross
WR – Jaxon Janke, 6-3, 210, senior, South Dakota State
WR – Chandler Smith, 5-10, 186, senior, Samford
TE – Zach Heins, 6-7, 260, senior, South Dakota State
OL – Kiran Amegadjie, 6-5, 321, senior, Yale
OL – Noah Atagi, 6-6, 335, senior, Weber State
OL – Mike Edwards, 6-7, 355, grad, Campbell
OL – Nick Correia, 6-6, 330, redshirt senior, Rhode Island
OL – Rush Reimer, 6-5, 302, junior, Montana State
OL – Jackson Slater, 6-4, 303, junior, Sacramento State

DEFENSE
DL – Daylan Dotson, 6-3, 280, junior, UT Martin
DL – Thor Griffith, 6-2, 305, senior, Harvard
DL – Nate Lynn, 6-3, 255, senior, William & Mary
DL – Eli Mostaert, 6-3, 286, senior, North Dakota State
DL – Sebastian Valdez, 6-3, 291, junior, Montana State
LB – Armon Bailey, 6-1, 228, senior, Sacramento State
LB – Rodney Dansby, 6-0, 225, junior, Houston Christian
LB – Bryce Norman, 6-0, 226, junior, Southeast Missouri
LB – Winston Reid, 6-1, 230, senior, Weber State
LB – Antoine Williams, 5-10, 200, redshirt junior, Western Carolina
DB – Kameron Brown, 5-9, 179, senior, Chattanooga
DB – Rex Connors, 6-1, 203, redshirt sophomore, UC Davis
DB – DyShawn Gales, 5-11, 190, senior, South Dakota State
DB – Devin Haskins, 6-3, 209, senior, Holy Cross
DB – TaMuarion Wilson, 6-2, 205, junior, Central Arkansas

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Ethan Gettman, 6-4, 190, senior, Bryant
P – Trey Wilhoit, 5-10, 175, junior, Florida A&M
LS – Hunter Brozio, 6-1, 231, senior, North Dakota State
KR – Anthony Frederick, 5-11, 180, redshirt senior, Bryant
PR – Junior Bergen, 5-11, 184, junior, Montana
AP – Davius Richard, 6-3, 215, senior, North Carolina Central
AP – Bronson Yoder, 5-11, 205, senior, William & Mary

THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Theo Day, 6-5, 231, redshirt senior, Northern Iowa
QB – Parker McKinney, 6-3, 208, redshirt senior, Eastern Kentucky
RB – Malik Grant, 5-9, 200, grad, Sacred Heart
RB – Jarveon Howard, 5-10, 200, senior, Alcorn State
RB – TaMerik Williams, 6-1, 227, senior, North Dakota State
WR – Ryan Flournoy, 6-3, 197, senior, Southeast Missouri
WR – Bryce Oliver, 6-1, 212, senior, Youngstown State
WR – MJ Wright, 6-0, 192, grad, Fordham
TE – Owen Glascoe, 6-4, 258, redshirt senior, LIU
OL – Ryan Coll, 6-5, 324, redshirt senior, Richmond
OL – Anin Dankwah, 6-8, 362, senior, Howard
OL – Jacob Johanning, 6-3, 276, senior, Furman
OL – Gavin Olson, 6-4, 290, senior, UT Martin
OL – Evan Roussel, 6-2, 290, junior, Nicholls
OL – Jalen Sundell, 6-5, 298, senior North Dakota State

DEFENSE
DL – Sundiata Anderson, 6-3 1/2, 232, senior, Grambling State
DL – Patrick Godbolt, 6-3, 235, senior, South Carolina State
DL – Alex Gubner, 6-3, 285, senior Montana
DL – Logan Jessup, 6-3, 255, senior, Central Arkansas
DL – Eric O'Neill, 6-3, 240, sophomore, LIU
LB – Colton Adams, 6-2, 230, redshirt junior, Alabama State
LB – James Conway, 6-2, 225, junior, Fordham
LB – Isaac Dowling, 5-10, 225, junior, Mercer
LB – David Hoage, 6-3, 245, senior, Northern Colorado
LB – Liam Johnson, 6-0, 220, senior, Princeton
LB – Brock Mogensen, 6-2, 230, redshirt senior, South Dakota
DB – Marcus Harris, 5-11, 185, junior, Idaho
DE – PJ Jules, 5-11, 203, senior, Southern Illinois
DB – Raequan Ousley, 5-11, 170, senior, Gardner-Webb
DB – Ryan Poole, 5-11, 185, senior, William & Mary
DB – Hugh Ryan, 6-1, 200, redshirt senior, Furman

SPECIAL TEAMS
PK – Chris Campos, 5-10, 220, junior, Stephen F. Austin
P – Grant Burkett, 6-1, 184, junior, Missouri State
LS – Nick Levy, 5-10, 210, sophomore, William & Mary
KR – D'Ago Hunter, 5-6, 160, senior, Towson
KR – Marqui Johnson, 5-8, 163, junior, Montana State
PR – Taco Dowler, 5-9, 168, sophomore, Montana State
AP – Narii Gaither, 5-10, 181, senior, Gardner-Webb
AP – Andrew McElroy, 6-3, 184, junior, St. Thomas