10 Football Student-Athletes Earn SLC Preseason Honors - University of the Incarnate Word Athletics (2024)

Football 7/22/2024 8:34:00 AM

SAN ANTONIO – Ten University of the Incarnate Word Football Student-Athletes were named to the 2024 Southland Preseason All-Conference Teams announced the league office on Monday morning in conjunction with the 2024 Southland Football Opening Drive. Zach Calzada, Tylan Foster, Ronald Wilson, and Dekalon Taylor were named to the first team. Mason Pierce, Rasheed Jackson, Marcus Brown, Chase Carter, Mister Williams, and Mason Chambers all received second-team honors. The SLC Preseason Poll was also announced on Monday, picking UIW to finish No. 2 in the conference standings.

Zach Calzada – First Team Offense – QB

Calzada led the Cardinals with 19 passing touchdowns on the season for 2,598 yards and a 159.34 passing efficiency, the ninth-best in the nation. He averaged 288.67 yards in the air per game (No. 3 in the nation), while running for 57 yards and five touchdowns. Calzada was first in the Southland Conference for total offense, passing average per game, passing efficiency, passing completions, passing yards per attempt, and passing yards. He was named to the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watchlist, and the Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Team, and was named the Southland Conference Player of the Week and FCS Player of the Week Honorable Mention. He was also named Southland Conference Newcomer of the Year and earned a spot on the SLC First All-Conference Team. Dave Campbell named him to the 2023 All-Texas Non-FBS Offense Team and Phil Steele named Calzada to the Southland 2023 All-Conference First Team.

Tylan Foster – First Team Defense – LB

Foster led the Cardinals in tackles with 84 (32 solo, 52 assisted) on the season to go along with three tackles for loss, one sack, one interception, one pass breakup, and three quarterback hurries. He had a season-high 13 tackles and one interception against Texas A&M – Commerce. Foster notched double-digit tackles in five games this season for the Cardinals, earning him Southland Conference Defensive Player of the Week and FCS National Defensive Player of the Week Honorable Mention. He finished second in the Southland Conference for total tackles. He was named to the Southland All-Conference First Team. Phil Steele named Foster to the Southland 2023 All-Conference First Team.

Ronald Wilson – First Team Defense – DB

Wilson led the Cardinals in interceptions with four on the season, two of which were returned for touchdowns, contributing to UIW's four defensive touchdowns on the year, which ranked them fourth nationally. He finished the season with 35 tackles, 0.5 tackles for loss, and four pass breakups. Wilson had a season-high seven tackles at Southeastern Louisiana. He was named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Team. He finished second in the Southland Conference for interceptions during the 2023 season. He was named to the Southland All-Conference Second Team. Phil Steele named Wilson to the Southland 2023 All-Conference First Team.

Dekalon Taylor – First Team Defense – KR / Second Team Defense – PR

Taylor finished with 19 kick returns for 375 total yards and his longest run came in at 34 yards. He ran for 207 yards on punt returns and a season-high 29-yard run. He was named to the Southland 2023 Preseason All-Conference Second Team, the Bluebloods Preseason All-Southland Team, and the Phil Steele Preseason All-Southland Team. Taylor was the first in the Southland Conference for kick returns and second for kick return yards per game. He was named to the Southland All-Conference Second Team. Phil Steele named Taylor to the Southland 2023 All-Conference Second Team for PR and AP and the Third Team for KR.

Mason Pierce – Second Team Offense – WR

Pierce racked up SLC accolades during his four seasons at McNeese State University before grad-transferring to Marshall last season where he recorded 171 receiving yards on the season and five punt returns. He had a season-high 74 receiving yards against Old Dominion.

Rasheed Jackson – Second Team Offense – OL

Jackson stepped up for a Cardinal offensive line that suffered early injuries. He played in eight gamesfor the Cardinal offensive line that ran for 1,410 total yards and allowed only 14 sacks, all of which contributed to the second-best team in the nation for total offense (4, 802 yards) and the twelfth-best scoring offense in the nation.

Marcus Brown – Second Team Defense – DL

Brown played in all 11 games for the Cardinals, totaling 21 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and three quarterback hurries. He had a season-high six tackles at Northern Colorado, helping the Cardinals to the 10^th-ranked total defense.

Chase Carter – Second Team Defense – DL

Carter totaled 20 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, and three quarterback hurries during his redshirt freshman season, helping the Cardinals to the 10^th-ranked total defense. He had a season-high three tackles against Nicholls. Phil Steele named Carter to the FCS 2023 Freshman All-American Third Team and the Southland 2023 All-Conference Fourth Team.

Mister Williams – Second Team Defense – LB

Williams finished the season with 31 total tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one quarterback hurry, and one fumble recovery. He had a season-high five tackles against Texas A&M – Commerce.

Mason Chambers – Second Team Defense – DB

Chambers was the second leading tackler on the team with 68 total to go along with 0.5 tackles for loss, one interception, one pass breakup, one fumble recovery, and one forced fumble. Against Southeastern Louisiana, Chambers scooped the ball and ran for 60 yards to the house, contributing to UIW's four defensive touchdowns on the year, which ranked them fourth nationally.

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