HAMMOND, La. –  The Southeastern Louisiana University football team placed a state-high and school record six student-athletes on the first team of the Louisiana Sports Writers Association (LSWA) All-Louisiana 2021 College Football Team, which was released by the LSWA on Saturday.
 
Southeastern claimed two of the top individual awards. Lion senior quarterback Cole Kelley was named the Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight season, while SLU senior tight end Nolan Givan earned Newcomer of the Year honors.
 
Southeastern's first team contingent included Kelley, Givan, senior wide receiver Austin Mitchell, senior offensive lineman Rendon Miles-Character, freshman defensive back Zy Alexander and freshman return specialist Gage Larvadain. The six first team choices tied LSU for the most in the state and topped the Lions' previous high of four in 2017.
 
Other top individual award winners included UL Lafayette head coach Billy Napier (Coach of the Year) and LSU senior linebacker Damon Clark (Defensive Player of the Year). Running backs Montrell Johnson of UL Lafayette and Collin Guggenheim of Nicholls shared state Freshman of the Year accolades.
 
Kelley is the first two-time Louisiana Offensive Player of the Year in program history, as he and SLU Athletics Hall of Famer Bryan Bennett (2013) are the only Lions to claim the award. Givan is the third Southeastern student-athlete to earn state Newcomer of the Year recognition, along with Bennett (2013) and former Lion running back Jay Lucas (2006).
 
Kelley, a consensus All-American, the Southland Conference Player of the Year and the runner up for the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award, was given the state's top honor after one of the most prolific seasons in the history of FCS football. The Lafayette, Louisiana native completed 73.6 percent (406-for-552) of his passes this fall for 5,124 yards and 44 touchdowns, while also rushing for 491 yards and a single-season school record 16 touchdowns.
 
Kelley's single-season totals for completions (1^st), passing yards (2^nd) and total offense (5,615, 3^rd) were among the best in FCS history. The FCS leader in completion percentage, passing yards, points responsible for and total offense, Kelley set a FCS career record for completion percentage and finished as the school's single-season and career leader in passing yards, passing touchdowns, total offense and rushing touchdowns.
 
Givan joined the Lions out of San Diego State and made an immediate impact. The first team All-Southland performer from Berkeley, Michigan hauled in 56 passes for 572 yards and six touchdowns in his only season in Hammond. Givan's receiving totals were all good for second on the team.
 
The leader in every receiving category for the Lions was Mitchell, a third team Phil Steele All-America and first team All-Southland Conference selection. The Plaquemine, Louisiana native finished the season with 78 catches, 1,184 yards and 10 receiving touchdowns, ranking sixth nationally in receiving yards.
 
Mitchell finished as the program's career leader in receiving yards and 100-yard receiving games, while also ranking second on the school career list in receptions and receiving touchdowns. His single-season totals for receptions (2^nd), receiving yards (2^nd) and receiving touchdowns (3^rd) all rank among the best in school history.
 
Miles-Character was a standout on a stalwart offensive line that helped clear the way for a SLU offense that led FCS in completion percentage (72.8), first downs (376) and scoring offense (45.1 ppg), while also sitting among the national leaders in third-down conversion percentage (52.1, 2^nd), passing offense (407.2 ypg, 2^nd), passing efficiency (173.35, 2^nd) and total offense (551.8 ypg, 2^nd). The New Orleans native started every game at right tackle on the way to earning first team All-Southland and Southland All-Academic accolades.
 
Alexander was the top defensive back for a Lion defense that finished eighth in the FCS with 17 interceptions. The Loreauville, Louisiana native was eighth nationally with a Southland-high six interceptions. Alexander earned first team All-Southland honors, while being named All-America by Associated Press, Stats Network and Phil Steele.
 
Rounding out SLU's All-Louisiana representatives was Larvadain, who averaged 26.6 yards per kick return on the way to being named the state's top returner. The New Orleans native also caught 37 passes for 521 yards and five touchdowns on the way to earning Southland Freshman of the Year, Phil Steele Freshman All-America and All-Southland (first team kick returner; second team wide receiver) notice.
 
A panel of LSWA and sports media relations personnel selected the All-Louisiana team and top individual honors. School media relations members could not vote for their own student-athletes.
 
SLU will open spring practice on March 8. The Lions will open the 2022 season at UL Lafayette on Sept. 3.
 
LSWA All-Louisiana 2021 College Football Team
 
Coach of the Year: Billy Napier, UL Lafayette
Offensive Player of the Year: Cole Kelley, Southeastern
Defensive Player of the Year: Damon Clark, LSU
Newcomer of the Year: Nolan Givan, Southeastern
Freshman of the Year: Montrell Johnson, UL Lafayette; Collin Guggenheim, Nicholls
 
First Team Offense
OL | Rendon Miles-Character | Southeastern | Sr. | New Orleans, La.
OL | P.J. Burkhalter | Nicholls | Sr. | Franklinton, La.
OL | Max Mitchell | UL Lafayette | Jr. | Monroe, La.
OL | Ed Ingram | LSU | Sr. | DeSoto, Texas
OL | Jair Joseph | Nicholls | Sr. | Belle Rose, La.
TE | Nolan Givan | Southeastern | Sr. | Berkeley, Mich.
WR | Austin Mitchell | Southeastern | Sr. | Plaquemine, La.
WR | Dai'Jean Dixon | Nicholls | Sr. | New Orleans, La.
RB | Ty Davis-Price | LSU | Jr. | Baton Rouge, La.
RB | Collin Guggenheim | Nicholls | Fr. | Kenner, La.
QB | Cole Kelley | Southeastern | Sr. | Lafayette, La.

First Team Defense
DL | Isaiah Chambers | McNeese | Gr. | Houston, Texas
DL | Neil Farrell | LSU | Sr. | Mobile, Ala.
DL | Zi'Yon Hill | UL Lafayette | Sr. | New Iberia, La.
DL | Mason Kinsey | McNeese | Jr. | Mansfield, Texas
LB | Damon Clark | LSU | Sr. | Baton Rouge, La.
LB | Chauncy Manac | UL Lafayette | Sr. | Homerville, Ga.
LB | Tyler Grubbs | Louisiana Tech | Fr. | New Orleans, La.
DB | Zy Alexander | Southeastern | Fr. | Loreauville, La.
DB | Macon Clark | Tulane | Jr. | St. Rose, La.
DB | Jay Ward | LSU | Jr. | Moultrie, Ga.
DB | Percy Butler | UL Lafayette | Jr. | Plaquemine, La.
 
First Team Special Teams
K | Cade York | LSU | Jr. | McKinney, Texas
P | Ryan Wright | Tulane | Sr. | San Ramon, Calif.
RS | Gage Larvadain | Southeastern | Fr. | New Orleans, La.
 
Second Team Offense
OL | O'Cyrus Torrence | UL Lafayette | So. | Greensburg, La.
OL | Caron Coleman | McNeese | Jr. | St. Louis, Mo.
OL | Austin Deculus | LSU | Gr. | Mamou, La.
OL | Johnathan Bishop | Southern | Sr. | Birmingham, Ala.
OL | Corey Dublin | Tulane | Sr. | New Orleans, La.
TE | Tyrick James | Tulane | Jr. | Waco, Texas
WR | Smoke Harris | Louisiana Tech | So. | St. Francisville, La.
WR | Kayshon Boutte | LSU | So. | New Iberia, La.
RB | Montrell Johnson | UL Lafayette | Fr. | New Orleans, La.
RB | Chris Smith | UL Lafayette | Jr. | Louisville, Miss.
RB | Tyjae Spears | Tulane | Fr. | Ponchatoula, La.
QB | Levi Lewis | UL Lafayette | Sr. | Baton Rouge, La.

Second Team Defense
DL | Andre Jones | UL Lafayette | Sr. | Varnado, La.
DL | Sundiata Anderson | Grambling | So. | College Park, Ga.
DL | Perry Ganci | Nicholls | So. | New Orleans, La.
DL | BJ Ojulari | LSU | So. | Marietta, Ga.
LB | Kordell Williams | McNeese | Jr. | Carencro, La.
LB | Micah Baskerville | LSU | Sr. | Shreveport, La.
LB | Lorenzo McCaskill | UL Lafayette | Sr. | Detroit, Mich.
DB | Beejay Williamson | Louisiana Tech | So. | Dallas, Texas
DB | Andre Sam | McNeese | Jr. | Iowa, La.
DB | Kevin Johnson | Nicholls | Sr. | New Orleans, La.
DB | Jarius Monroe | Nicholls | So. | LaPlace, La.
 
Second Team Special Teams
K | Calum Sutherland | ULM | Sr. | Keller, Texas
P | Rhys Byrns | UL Lafayette | Sr. | Rye, Australia
RS | Mason Pierce | McNeese | So. | Pearland, Texas
 
Honorable Mention: Darius Hodges, Tulane, DL, Fr., Montgomery, Ala.; Ty Shelby, ULM, DL, Gr., Houston, Texas; Eric Garror, UL Lafayette, DB, Jr., Mobile, Ala.; Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech, RS, So., St. Francisville, La.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.