Football | 11/23/2022 10:02:00 AM
EAST GREENSBORO – North Carolina A&T football finished its final season in the Big South Conference, getting rewarded for its 4-1 second-place finish in 2022.
The Big South released its postseason all-conference teams, and the A&T football was well represented. The Aggies had 13 players placed on first-team or second-team all-conference, including all five starting offensive linemen. Seven Aggies earned first-team honors, and six are on the second team.
That is an outstanding showing for a team that started the season 0-3 before winning seven straight to finish 7-4.
"It almost brings me to tears just the thought of it. To think about where we started and where we are now, and how those kids stuck together, believed, gave their all, and didn't miss a beat, you call that perseverance," said head coach Sam Washington. "One of the things you look for as a head coach is fortitude. We had that in this team. I'm very proud of them."
The Aggies also had a representative on the Big South's all-academic team in cornerback Nathaniel Spindle. Spindle is a 5-foot-11 redshirt freshman out of Charlotte, N.C., with a 3.20 grade-point average in criminal justice.
FIRST-TEAM ALL-BIG SOUTH AGGIES
DE Devin Harrell (6-foot-3, 235, graduate) – Harrell finished with 26 tackles, including 9 1/2 for loss and 17 unassisted. He also had six sacks. Harrell had two sacks against S.C. State in an A&T victory. A&T led the conference in tackles for loss, and they were second in sacks per game. Harrell ranks 34th nationally in sacks per game (0.67) and 66th in tackles for loss per game. A&T had the seventh-best defense in the nation.
ILB Tyquan King (6-3, 215, sophomore) – King led the Aggies with 94 tackles. Forty-seven of his tackles were unassisted, and he also had 5 1/2 tackles for loss. King also had an interception and two pass breakups. He had five double-figure tackle games on the season, ranking fifth in the conference tackles. He finished six tackles shy of becoming the first Aggie since 2013 to have 100 tackles in a season.
DE Jermaine McDaniel (6-4, 240, graduate) – McDaniel didn't play the first four games of the season, but once he stepped in, he made a tremendous impact on the Aggies pass rush. He finished the season with 19 tackles, including 15 unassisted and 12 1/2 for loss. He also finished with eight sacks. McDaniel had six tackles, including four unassisted, four for loss and four sacks in the Aggies win over Edward Waters. The Aggies ranked second in the conference in sacks with 2.55 per game, and nationally they ranked seventh.
CB Karon Prunty (6-2, 180, redshirt sophomore) – Prunty lived up to his preseason hype coming into the Big South Conference from Kansas and the Big 12. Prunty finished second in the conference in interceptions with four. He made 32 tackles, including 23 unassisted. Prunty also had seven passes defended. Prunty earned Big South defensive player of the week after earning two interceptions against Bryant.
RT Tairiq Stewart (6-6, 300, senior) – Stewart helped the Aggies have the best rushing attack in the Big South in 2022. He is a tenacious run blocker who had 40 domination blocks in 644 snaps played. In addition, Stewart had 452 positive plays during the season.
RB Bhayshul Tuten (5-11, 195, sophomore) – Tuten lost the battle for offensive player of the year to Gardner-Webb quarterback Bailey Fisher. Yet, the New Jersey native had a season to remember, and he is still on the Walter Payton Watch List for the best FCS offensive player in the nation. Tuten rushed for 1,363 yards and 13 touchdowns on 208 carries.
It is the fifth-best single-season rushing performance in school history. Tuten broke the school and conference records for consecutive 100-yard games in a season. In addition, he tied the conference record for consecutive 100-yard games regardless of the season and broke the school record for 100-yard games in a season. Tuten also caught 31 passes for 572 yards and four touchdowns, giving 1,705 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns on 239 touches.
Tuten had a career-high 256 yards rushing and two touchdowns in a come-from-behind win over Campbell on Oct. 29. He earned offensive player of the week twice. Tuten leads the conference in all-purpose yards per game (155.0), yards per carry (6.55), rushing touchdowns (13), rushing yards, rushing yards per game (123.9), scoring (9.3), and total touchdowns. He ranks in the top-10 nationally in total touchdowns, scoring, rushing yards per game, rushing yards, rushing touchdowns and all-purpose yards.
LG Dacquari Wilson (6-3, 280, graduate) – Wilson played the center position most of his career but played guard most of this season. He moved back to center after starting center Cesar Minarro sustained a season-ending injury on Oct. 29 against Campbell. Wilson is now a three-time all-conference selection earning honors in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) and the Big South. He played 688 of the Aggies 715 snaps this season, grading 83 percent with 34 domination blocks. Officials flagged Wilson only five times for penalties.
SECOND-TEAM ALL-BIG SOUTH AGGIES
KOR Taymon Cooke (6-0, 185, redshirt junior) – Cooke is a vital part of the Aggies offense, but he has proven to be one of the best returners in the league. He returned 13 kicks for 345 yards and a touchdown. Cooke returned a kick 95 yards for a touchdown against Charleston Southern on Nov. 12 for the Aggies only first-half score. He ranks third in the conference in combined returns, and Cooke ranks eighth nationally in TD kickoff returns.
LT Ricky Lee III (6-6, 305, graduate) – Lee kept A&T quarterbacks protected in 2022. The Aggies gave up the fewest sacks in the league. Lee played 640 of the Aggies 715 snaps this season, grading 81 percent. He had 17 domination blocks, was only whistled for six penalties and had 485 positive plays.
WR Zach Leslie (6-4, 210, graduate) – Leslie completed a remarkable career at A&T against Gardner-Webb on Nov. 19. He had his fourth 100-yard receiving game of the season, helping him secure his 10th career 100-yard receiving to break the program record held by Elijah Bell. Leslie made 37 receptions for 626 yards and five touchdowns in eight games played. He had a stretch during the season, with three straight 100-yard receiving games. He had a crucial 77-yard TD reception against Campbell on Oct. 29. He ranked third in the conference in yards per reception (16.92), sixth in receptions per game (4.1), third in receiving yards per game (69.6), fifth in receiving TDs and sixth in receiving yards.
C Cesar Minarro (6-4, 300, redshirt sophomore) – He showed in 2022 he is the future leader of the Aggies offensive line. It is an offensive line that led the conference in rushing with 2,042 yards. Unfortunately, Minarro's season was cut short by an injury, but he still played 436 snaps, graded out at 83 percent, missed only three assignments, and was never called for a penalty.
LB Jacob Roberts (6-1, 235, junior) – A second-team designation may be unpopular among the Aggie faithful. Roberts is such a dominant force whenever he is on the field, whether it is blocking kicks or making big hits. Roberts was a preseason all-conference selection. Roberts finished the season with 72 tackles, including 43 unassisted and 5 ½ tackles for loss. He returned two interceptions for touchdowns and blocked two kicks on special teams. He also had five passes defended and recovered two fumbles. Roberts ranked 11th in the nation in blocked kicks and earned conference defensive player of the week after recording 12 tackles and a pick-6 in the Aggies win over Campbell on Oct. 29.
RG Korion Sharpe (6-4, 315, sophomore) – The Aggies have the offensive line talent to compete in the CAA with linemen like Sharpe. He had a team-high 86 grade on the season in helping the Aggies lead the Big South in rushing. He had a whopping 37 domination blocks and missed only four assignments in 606 snaps played. In addition, he had 493 positive plays.
