Cohen, Leonard Highlight 2016 MEAC Preseason Football Teams

NORFOLK, Virginia – North Carolina A&T State running back Tarik Cohen was selected as the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while South Carolina State linebacker Darius Leonard was selected as preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

All votes are submitted by the MEAC’s head football coaches and sports information directors/football contacts.

Cohen, the two-time defending Player of the Year, led the MEAC in rushing with 977 total yards in 2015. A two-time MEAC Offensive Player of the Week, Cohen led the conference with 122.1 rushing yards per game, carrying the ball 183 times, with nine touchdowns in eight games. He finished first in the MEAC in touchdowns and all-purpose yards (141.1 avg./g). He helped lead the Aggies to a share of the conference title and a win at the inaugural Air Force Reserve Celebration Bowl. Cohen rushed for 295 yards for three touchdowns during the nationally televised win over Alcorn State.

Leonard was named to the 2015 All-MEAC First Team, as a linebacker. A one-time MEAC Defensive Player of the Week, Leonard finished the season recording 70 total tackles, one forced fumble, one recovered fumble, two quarterback hurries, four passes deflected and two breakups. He notched two interceptions, one for a touchdown, and 13.5 tackles for a loss. Leonard was second on the team in sacks (5.0) and interceptions.



Listed below are the 2016 Preseason All-MEAC teams:

2016 MEAC Football All-Conference Preseason Teams

First Team Offense
First Team Defense
Second Team Offense
Second Team Defense
Third Team Offense
Third Team Defense

Offensive Player of the Year: Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T State
Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Leonard, South Carolina State

First-Team Offense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Malcolm Bell	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Richmond, Va.
RB	Tarik Cohen	Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Bunn, N.C.
RB	Michael Jones	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sarasota, Fla.
WR	Twarn Mixson	r-Sr.	Hampton	Charlotte, N.C.
WR	Jawill Davis	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Miami, Fla.
TE	Ja-Quan Lumas	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Orlando, Fla.
C	Carl Jones	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Nashville, Tenn.
OL	Brandon Parker	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Kannapolis, N.C.
OL*	Javarius Leamon	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Woodruff, S.C.
OL*	Trevin Huff	r-Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Tallahassee, Fla.
OL	Desmond Cooper	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Stafford, Va.

First-Team Defense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Marquis Ragland	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Fayetteville, N.C.
DL	Angelo Keyes	r-Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Kinston, N.C.
DL	Curtis Alexander	Sr.	Florida A&M	Quincy, Fla.
DL	Kevin Thompson	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Baltimore, Md.
LB	Darius Leonard	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Lake View, S.C.
LB	Dayshawn Taylor	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Lincolnton, Ga.
LB	Jeremy Miles (Thompson)	r-Sr.	North Carolina Central	Durham, N.C.
DB	Jacques Bryant	Sr.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
DB	Diquan Richardson	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Alvin, S.C.
DB	Phillip Henry	r-Sr.	South Carolina State	Manning, S.C.
DB	Delonta Hall	r-Sr.	Morgan State	Fort Washington, Md.
PK	Cody Jones	Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Gastonia, N.C.
P*	Jonathan Cagle	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Pensacola, Fla.
P*	Christian Faber-Kinney	r-Sr.	Hampton	Williamsburg, Va.
RS	Khris Gardin	Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Morganton, N.C.

Second-Team Offense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Greg Hankerson	Sr.	Norfolk State	Lauderdale Lakes, Fla.
RB	Dorrel McClain	r-So.	North Carolina Central	Cary, N.C.
RB	Orlando Johnson	Sr.	Morgan State	Memphis, Tenn.
WR	Denzel Keyes	Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Kinston, N.C.
WR	Montavious Williams	r-So.	Florida A&M	Tallahassee, Fla.
TE	Justin Chaney	Jr.	Howard	Hammond, La.
C	Phillip Norman	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sebastian, Fla.
OL	Toree Boyd	Sr.	Howard	Miami, Fla.
OL	Marcus Pettiford	So.	North Carolina A&T State	Durham, N.C.
OL*	Tarrance Wells	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Oxon Hill, Md.
OL*	Keonte Cash	So.	Florida A&M	Miami, Fla.

Second-Team Defense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Antonio Brown	r-Jr.	North Carolina Central	Jacksonville, Fla.
DL	Gregtavious Newell	r-Jr.	South Carolina State	Columbia, S.C.
DL	Chris Lee	Jr.	Norfolk State	Woodbridge, Va.
DL*	Todney Evans	r-So.	Bethune-Cookman	Delray Beach, Fla.
DL*	DeMarcus Womack	Sr.	Bethune-Cookman	Orlando, Fla.
LB*	Jalen Day	r-Sr.	Howard	Winston Salem, N.C.
LB*	Marcus Albert	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	College Park, Ga.
LB	Malik Harris	Jr.	Delaware State	Washington, D.C.
DB*	William Burton	Sr.	Delaware State	Washington Township, N.J.
DB*	Zerius Lockhart	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Auburn, Ala.
DB	Craig Johnson	Sr.	Howard	Brooklyn, N.Y.
DB*	Davanta Reynolds	r-So.	North Carolina Central	Tucker, Ga.
DB*	Sandy Chapman	Sr.	Norfolk State	Raleigh, N.C.
PK	Cameron Marouf	Sr.	Norfolk State	Woodbridge, Va.
P*	Jerome Pettiway	Jr.	South Carolina State	York, S.C.
P*	Colby Blanton	r-So.	Florida A&M	Jacksonville, Fla.
RS	LaVontis Smith	Sr.	North Carolina Central	Maben, Miss.

Third-Team Offense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
QB	Larry Brihm, Jr.	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Delray Beach, Fla.
RB	Dondre Brown	Jr.	South Carolina State	Varnville, S.C.
RB*	Gerard Johnson	Sr.	Norfolk State	Richmond, Va.
RB*	Dwayne Garrett	r-Sr.	Hampton	Phoenix, Ariz.
WR	Frank Brown	r-Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
WR	Aris Scott	Sr.	Delaware State	Harrisburg, Pa.
TE	Willie Gillus	r-Jr.	Morgan State	Suffolk, Va.
C	Darriel Mack	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Cilo, S.C.
OL	Donovan Johnson	Sr.	Hampton	Clifton, Md.
OL	Joshua Miles	Jr.	Morgan State	Baltimore, Md.
OL	Ryan Gould	Jr.	Hampton	Clemmons, S.C.
OL	Chuka Ezeuzoh	So.	Delaware State	Wilmington, Del.

 Third-Team Defense

Pos.	Name	Cl.	School	Hometown
DL	Malik Hampton-Prioleau	Sr.	North Carolina A&T State	Bossier City, La.
DL	Jai Franklin	Jr.	Morgan State	Clinton, Md.
DL*	Walter Brantley	So.	Norfolk State	Hampton, Va.
DL*	Ja’Quan Smith	r-Jr.	North Carolina Central	Miramar, Fla.
LB	Marquis Smith	Sr.	Savannah State	Prince Georges County, Md.
LB*	Rashawn Barrett	Sr.	Delaware State	Montclair, N.J.
LB*	Trenton Bridges	r-So.	Bethune-Cookman	Deland, Fla.
DB	Tard McCoy	r-Jr.	North Carolina A&T State	Delray Beach, Fla.
DB	Myles Morris	r-Sr.	Hampton	Greensboro, N.C.
DB	Arthur Williams	Jr.	Bethune-Cookman	Sebring, Fla.
DB	Devondre Powell	Jr.	South Carolina State	Miami, Fla.
PK*	Uriel Hernandez	So.	Bethune-Cookman	Homestead, Fla.
PK*	Tyler Scandrett	Jr.	South Carolina State	Barnesville, Ga.
P	John Barron	Sr.	Savannah State	Marietta, Ga.
RS	Marcus Taylor	So.	Norfolk State	Highland Springs, Va.

*denotes tie

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