Athlon Sports' Spring 2021 FCS All-America Team
The players who are Athlon Spring 2021 FCS All-Americans can feel especially accomplished considering their efforts to be the best of the best were well over a year in the making.
After the pandemic began to cause uncertainty 15 months ago, FCS players worked through countless obstacles to get back to the playing field and be successful in this year's unprecedented spring season.
The 29-player All-America team is represented by 19 schools and 10 conferences, including Nicholls offensive lineman P.J. Burkhalter and Austin Peay nickel back Kordell Jackson repeating from the 2019 postseason squad. Schools with multiple selections are James Madison and North Dakota State with three each, and Delaware, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston, South Dakota State, VMI, and Weber State with two each.
Athlon Sports' 2021 Spring FCS All-America Team
Offense
QB Cole Kelley (6-7, 260, Sr.) Southeastern Louisiana
RB Julius Chestnut (6-1,215, Jr.) Sacred Heart
RB Otis Weah (5-9,195, So.) North Dakota
WR Avante Cox (5-10, 170, Jr.) Southern Illinois
WR Jakob Herres (6-4, 211, Jr.) VMI
TE Trae Barry (6-7, 245, Sr.) Jacksonville State
OL P.J. Burkhalter (6-3, 330, Sr.) Nicholls
OL Garret Greenfield (6-6, 295, So.) South Dakota State
OL David Kroll (6-7, 315, Sr.) Delaware
OL Cordell Volson (6-7, 310, Sr.) North Dakota State
OL Ty Whitworth (6-4, 300, Sr.) Weber State
Defense
DL Jared Brinkman (6-2, 290, Sr.) Northern Iowa
DL Mike Greene (6-3, 285, Sr.) James Madison
Recommended Articles
DL Jahari Kay (6-2, 255, Sr.) Sam Houston
DL Jordan Lewis (6-3, 195, Jr.) Southern
LB Logan Backhaus (6-4, 205, Sr.) South Dakota State
LB Colby Campbell (6-0, 230, Sr.) Presbyterian
LB Conner Mortensen (6-0, 215, Sr.) Weber State
LB Stone Snyder (6-3, 225, So.) VMI
DB Chris Edmonds (6-2, 205, So.) Samford
DB Nicario Harper (6-1, 205, So.) Jacksonville State
DB Kordell Jackson (5-9, 188, Sr.) Austin Peay
DB Kedrick Whitehead (5-11, 195, Jr.) Delaware
Special Teams
PK Ethan Ratke (5-10, 185, Sr.) James Madison
P Garret Wegner (6-0, 197, Sr.) North Dakota State
LS Kyle Davis (5-11, 210, Jr.) James Madison
KR Christian Watson (6-4, 200, Jr.) North Dakota State
PR Devron Harper (5-10, 165, Jr.) Gardner-Webb
AP Jequez Ezzard (5-9, 190, Grad.) Sam Houston
— Compiled by Craig Haley, who is part of the Athlon Contributor Network. Haley has covered the FCS level since 1999 and is the national writer for www.fcs.football. He appears frequently on radio shows and podcasts to discuss everything FCS. Follow him on Twitter @CraigHaley.
(Cole Kelley photo courtesy of Southeastern Louisiana Athletics)