NASHVILLE, Tenn. – William McRainey was named Big South-OVC Scholar Athlete of the Year as ten Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs earned All-Conference honors, announced by the conference on Monday, Nov. 20.
 
This is the second straight year that McRainey has been named Scholar Athlete of the Year, as the linebacker earned the award from the Big South Conference last year. McRainey also earned a spot on the All-Academic Team for the second straight season. The Shallotte, N.C. native graduated with a 3.55 GPA in Economics & Finance in July, and currently holds a 4.0 GPA while pursuing his MBA. McRainey became the first ever Gardner-Webb football player to be named a semifinalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy, and was one of just 39 FCS players to do so.
 
On the field, McRainey was a First Team All-Conference selection for the third straight season. The senior led Gardner-Webb in the regular season with 90 tackles, picking up 11 tackles in back-to-back games against Austin Peay and Robert Morris, and 14 tackles, along with an interception, against Eastern Kentucky. McRainey now has 323 tackles for his career, just the 20^th player in GWU football history to do so and the 13th most for any Gardner-Webb player in program history. McRainey also had five pass break ups, including one on a two-point conversion to preserve a 45-44 win for GWU over Bryant.
 
Four other Gardner-Webb players earned First Team All-Conference honors. Ty French was a First Team All-Conference selection for the fourth straight year. A Buck Buchanan Award Finalist for the second straight year, French set a new school record for career sacks with 30.5. That mark passes GWU Hall of Famer and former Green Bay Packer Gabe Wilkinson (1990-93) who held the old mark of 28.5. French also set a new school record for career tackles-for-loss with 58. His 17.5 tackles-for-loss this season are tied with Jason Burns (1990) for the eighth-most in a single season and are the 10^th most in the FCS. French has also forced three fumbles this season, the seventh most in the FCS.
 
Ja'Kai Young picked up First Team All-Conference honors at defensive back. Young led the Runnin' Bulldogs in pass break ups with nine this season, including three against Tennessee Tech. In the Gardner-Webb 35-0 win over the Golden Eagles, Young also had a 23-yard pick-six. The Stamford, Conn. also had a pick-six in Gardner-Webb's 35-32 win over Eastern Kentucky. Young also had one forced fumble and recorded 38 tackles.
 
On special teams, AJ Covan earned First Team honors as a long snapper. Covan was part of a field goal unit that did not allow a single blocked kick during the regular season, one of just 20 teams in the FCS to do so. The Runnin' Bulldogs kick unit also went a perfect 40-for-40 on extra points, with zero muffed snaps. Covan also saw time on the punt unit in last week's 34-10 win over Charleston Southern, downing a pair of punts inside the 20-yard line.
 
Jayden Brown earned a spot on the First Team at the All-Purpose position. The sophomore is averaging 129.3 all-purpose yards per game, second in the Big South-OVC and 10^th in the FCS. Brown's 532 kick return yards are the fourth-most in the conference. On offense, Brown has had a pair of 100-yard rushing games this season, rushing for 142 yards on 15 carries and one touchdown against EKU and for 147 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown against Charleston Southern. Brown earned the first-ever Big South-OVC Offensive Player of the Week Award after his performance against App State to open the season, finishing with 45 rushing yards and 67 passing yards for 112 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns. The Lithonia, Ga. native's 5.87 yards per carry rank 25^th in the FCS.
 
Five Gardner-Webb Runnin' Bulldogs earned Second Team All-Conference accolades.
 
Narii Gaither picked up an All-Conference honor for the third straight season at running back. Gaither has broken multiple school records this season, as the Rock Hill, S.C. native now has 3,147 career rushing yards, becoming just the second player in program history to rush for at least 3,000 yards. Gaither also has 104 career receptions, passing Philip Keefe for the most career pass receptions by a running back in Gardner-Webb history, while his eleven receiving touchdowns are the most in program history. Gaither's 924 career receiving yards are also the most by a running back in program history. Gaither's biggest game of the season came against Tennessee Tech, as the senior recorded two catches for 82 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
 
Offensive Linemen JaQuan Adams and Gabriel Thompson earned All-Conference honors. The pair of linemen anchored a front that helped Gardner-Webb average 174.1 yards rushing per game in conference play, including 301 against Charleston Southern. In conference play, the Runnin' Bulldogs also averaged 4.8 yards per play. The offensive line was also a crucial part in helping GWU convert 24 fourth downs in the regular season, the third-most in the FCS. This is the second straight season Thompson has earned All-Conference honors, and the first career honors for Adams.
 
Linebacker Brendan Jackson earned his first career All-Conference accolade. Jackson finished the 2023 regular season with 66 tackles, the second-most on the team, with 11.5 tackles-for-loss, four sacks, and one interception. The Statesboro, Ga. native also flexed his muscle on the offensive side of the ball, recording two rushing touchdowns, including the first touchdown of the day, on just two carries against Charleston Southern. For the season, Jackson has scored four rushing touchdowns, the most offensive touchdowns in a season by a defensive player since defensive end Harold Wells scored eight rushing touchdowns in 2004. Jackson helped anchor a defense that has allowed less than 100 yards rushing in three straight games and tallied a school record 18 tackles-for-loss against Tennessee Tech.
 
Jamari Brown rounds out the All-Conference selections for Gardner-Webb, his second straight All-Conference award. Brown finished the regular season with 57 tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and two interceptions. The Miami, Fla. native also recorded two interceptions, including a pick-six on the third play from scrimmage at Tennessee Tech, giving Gardner-Webb an early 7-0 lead in a 35-0 win over the Golden Eagles. Brown also had an interception against #13 UT Martin, and set a career-high with 11 tackles at Tennessee State.
 
Gardner-Webb now prepares for the postseason, traveling to Macon, Ga. To face #17 Mercer in the first round of the FCS Playoffs. Kickoff is set for 3:00 P.M.

2023 BIG SOUTH-OVC AWARDS
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE        
QB    Zevi Eckhaus, Jr., Bryant
RB    Sam Franklin, R-Soph., UT Martin
RB    Geno Hess, Sr., Southeast Missouri
RB    MJ Flowers, R-Fr., Eastern Illinois
WR   Ryan Flournoy, Sr., Southeast Missouri
WR   Noah Robinson, R-Jr., Robert Morris
WR   Jeff Caldwell, Soph., Lindenwood
WR   Eli Mirza, Jr., Eastern Illinois
TE    Chaese Jackson, Gr., Robert Morris
OL    Gavin Olson, Gr., UT Martin
OL    Zack Gieg, Jr., Southeast Missouri
OL    Chad Strickland, Gr., Eastern Illinois
OL    Lamar Morgan, Sr., UT Martin
OL    Drake Carroll, Gr., UT Martin
OL    Ahmad Assad, Sr., Bryant
 
DEFENSE
DL    Terrell Allen, Sr., Tennessee State
DL    Dalyan Dotson, Jr., UT Martin
DL    Daniel Rickert, Jr., Tennessee Tech
DL    Ty French, Sr., Gardner-Webb
DL    Kenny Dyson, Sr., Bryant
LB    Bryce Norman, Jr., Southeast Missouri
LB    William McRainey, Gr., Gardner-Webb
LB    Monroe Beard III, Jr., Tennessee State
LB    Elijawah Tolbert, Jr., Eastern Illinois
LB    Malik Barnes, Sr., Charleston Southern
DB    Blake Ruffin, R-Soph., Eastern Illinois
DB    Timothy Coutras, Jr., Tennessee Tech
DB    Oshae Baker, Jr., UT Martin
DB    Russell Dandy, Gr., Eastern Illinois
DB    Ja'Kai Young, R-Soph., Gardner-Webb
 
SPECIALISTS
PK    James Lowery, R-Jr., Tennessee State
P       Aidan Laros, R-Soph., UT Martin
LS    AJ Covan, Gr., Gardner-Webb
KR    Spencer Redd, Sr., Lindenwood
PR    Dalyn McDonald, Sr., Southeast Missouri
AP    Jayden Brown, Soph., Gardner-Webb
 
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE        
QB    Pierce Holley, Gr., Eastern Illinois
RB    Narii Gaither, Sr., Gardner-Webb
RB    Jordan Gant, R-Fr., Tennessee State
RB    TJ Ruff, Soph., Charleston Southern
WR   Matt Prochaska, Sr., Bryant
WR   Anthony Frederick, Sr., Bryant
WR   DeVonte Tanksley, R-Jr., UT Martin
WR   Justin Thomas, Gr., Eastern Illinois
TE    Konor Lathrop, Sr., Bryant
OL    Gabriel Thompson, R-Sr., Gardner-Webb
OL    Jamichael Watts, Sr., Bryant
OL    Darius Meeks, Soph., Charleston Southern
OL    Sebastian Pares, Jr., Eastern Illinois
OL    Vance Van Every, Jr., UT Martin
OL    JaQuan Adams, R-Fr., Gardner-Webb
 
DEFENSE
DL    Giovanni Davis, Jr., UT Martin
DL    Michael Otty, Soph., Bryant
DL    Kobe McClendon, Soph., Lindenwood
DL    Joel Barrows, R-Jr., Eastern Illinois
DL    Hudson Tucker, Sr., Tennessee Tech
LB    Jaylon Sharpe, R-Jr., UT Martin
LB    Jacquez McGowan, Soph., Tennessee Tech
LB    Aaron Swafford, Jr., Tennessee Tech
LB    Ethan Stuhlsatz, Soph., Lindenwood
LB    Brendan Jackson, Jr., Gardner-Webb
DB    Lawrence Johnson, Sr., Southeast Missouri
DB    Lake Ellis, Sr., Bryant
DB    Jamari Brown, Gr., Gardner-Webb
DB    JaMichael McGoy, R-Soph., UT Martin
DB    Jeremiah Josephs, Gr., Tennessee State
 
SPECIALISTS
PK    DC Pippin, Jr., Southeast Missouri
P       Jackson Foster, Jr., Tennessee State
LS    Carson Buchanan, Jr., Tennessee State
KR    Narkel LeFlore, Jr., UT Martin
AP    Anthony Frederick, Sr., Bryant
 
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Darnel Shillingford, DL, Gr., Bryant
Jacob Tylski, OL, Gr., Charleston Southern
Chad Strickland, OL, Gr., Eastern Illinois
William McRainey, LB, Gr., Gardner-Webb
Gareth Warren, OL, Jr., Lindenwood
Luke Beltavski, OL, Jr., Robert Morris
Paxton DeLaurent, QB, Jr., Southeast Missouri
Deveon Bryant, QB, Gr., Tennessee State
Hayden Olsen, K, Sr., Tennessee Tech
Gavin Olson, OL, Sr., UT Martin
 
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Zevi Eckhaus, QB, Jr., Bryant
 
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Terrell Allen, DL, Sr., Tennessee State
 
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Aidan Laros, PK/P, R-Soph, UT Martin
 
OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
MJ Flowers, RB, R-Fr., Eastern Illinois
 
CO-DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Eriq George, DL, Fr., Tennessee State
Jermarian Jackson, DB, R-Fr., Robert Morris
 
COACH OF THE YEAR
Chris Wilkerson, Eastern Illinois
 
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
William McRainey, LB, Gr., Gardner-Webb