Monmouth's Shirden, W&M's Pius Headline 2022 CAA Football All-Conference Awards
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (November 22, 2022) – CAA Football announced its 2022 post-season award winners on Tuesday, headlined by Monmouth sophomore running back
Jaden Shirden being recognized as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and William & Mary sophomore linebacker
John Pius receiving the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year award.
Other major award recipients included New Hampshire’s
Rick Santos as CAA Coach of the Year, Towson senior returner
D’Ago Hunter as Special Teams Player of the Year, UAlbany freshman quarterback
Reese Poffenbarger as Offensive Rookie of the Year and William & Mary freshman cornerback
Jalen Jones as Defensive Rookie of the Year. Richmond junior linebacker
Tristan Wheeler was honored with the Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award. CAA Football’s all-conference awards are voted on by the league’s head coaches.
Shirden was the leading rusher in FCS this season, piling up 1,722 yards and 13 touchdowns on 206 carries. The yardage total was the 2
nd-highest in school history and the most by a CAA player since 2013. He also led the nation in yards per game (156.5 ypg) and yards per carry (8.36) and his 13 rushing TD’s rank 8
th nationally. Shirden topped the 100-yard mark in nine of his 11 games and went over 200 yards four times, highlighted by a 299-yard effort against Fordham that was the 2
nd-most in FCS in 2022. He had nine scoring runs of 50 or more yards.
Pius was one of the top pass rushers in FCS this season, ranking third nationally with 11.5 sacks and fifth with 19.0 tackles for loss. The sophomore linebacker also led William & Mary with 69 total tackles and contributed 12 quarterback hurries and three pass breakups. He recorded at least one TFL in 10 of his 11 contests and registered a sack in seven games, including a career-high 3.5 sacks at Lafayette. Pius was part of a Tribe defense that allowed just 20.4 points per game.
Picked to finish ninth in the league’s preseason poll, Santos guided New Hampshire to an 8-3 overall record and a share of its first CAA Football title since 2014 with a 7-1 league mark. The Wildcats earned a berth in the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2017 and are currently ranked No. 15 in the Stats Perform Top 25 poll. The first-year coach led UNH to its most regular-season victories since 2014.
Hunter was one of the dynamic returners in FCS football. The senior led the CAA and ranked 2
nd in FCS in punt return average (16.2 avg), and topped the conference and was 18
th in FCS in kickoff return average (24.6 avg). He was one of seven players with at least two kickoff returns for touchdowns in 2022, breaking a 96-yarder at West Virginia and a 92-yarder at Monmouth. Hunter also had a 77-yard punt return for a score against Villanova.
Poffenbarger completed 227-of-369 passes for 2,999 yards and 24 touchdowns with only four interceptions. He threw for over 250 yards eight times and fired multiple touchdown passes in eight games. The freshman ranked 11
th nationally in passing yards, 12
th in passing TD’s and 22
nd in pass efficiency. Poffenbarger also picked up 128 yards and 2 TD’s on the ground.
Jones was tied for the CAA lead in interceptions with four and his seven pass breakups matched the most on the team. The freshman cornerback also contributed 19 tackles and a fumble recovery. He picked off three passes, including a pick six, in the Tribe’s win over Campbell and received FCS National Defensive Player of the Week honors for his performance.
Wheeler is the recipient of the prestigious Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award, an honor that embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, teamwork and sportsmanship in academics and athletics. The Richmond linebacker earned first-team All-CAA accolades for the third time this season after recording a team-best 97 tackles, 9.0 TFL’s and two interceptions. His 353 career tackles are the 4
th-most of any active player in FCS football. The Spiders’ team captain spearheaded a clothing drive for needy families in the Richmond area and organized and ran a youth football camp in his hometown of Bethlehem, Pa.
William & Mary had a league-high 13 players receive all-conference honors, while Richmond had 11 and Delaware and Elon each had 10.
2022 CAA Football First Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Reece Udinski, Richmond |
QB |
Gr. |
North Wales, Pa. |
| Jaden Shirden, Monmouth |
RB |
So. |
West Haven, Conn. |
| Bronson Yoder, William & Mary |
RB |
Sr. |
Nappanee, Ind. |
| Owen Wright, Monmouth |
FB/HB |
Gr. |
Bethesda, Md. |
| Jadakis Bonds, Hampton |
WR |
Sr. |
Williamston, N.C, |
| Jaaron Hayek, Villanova |
WR |
Sr. |
Wayne, N.J. |
| Jakob Herres, Richmond |
WR |
Gr. |
Easton, Pa. |
| Thomas Greaney, UAlbany |
TE |
Sr. |
Bedford, Mass. |
| Ryan Coll, Richmond |
OL |
Jr. |
Gainesville, Va. |
| A.J. Cornelius, Rhode Island |
OL |
So. |
Harlem, N.Y. |
| Nick Correia, Rhode Island |
OL |
Jr. |
Nantucket, Mass. |
| Charles Grant, William & Mary |
OL |
So. |
Portsmouth, Va. |
| Colby Sorsdal, William & Mary |
OL |
Sr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Skyler Davis, Elon |
PK |
Sr. |
Acworth, Ga. |
| D’Ago Hunter, Towson |
KR |
Sr. |
Culpeper, Va. |
| Dylan Laube, New Hampshire |
PR |
Jr. |
Westhampton, N.Y. |
2022 CAA Football First Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Marlem Louis, Richmond |
DL |
Jr. |
Venice, Fla. |
| Nate Lynn, William & Mary |
DL |
Jr. |
Charlotte, N.C. |
| Dylan Ruiz, New Hampshire |
DL |
So. |
Kissimmee, Fla. |
| Josiah Silver, New Hampshire |
DL |
So. |
Hampton, Va. |
| Johnny Buchanan, Delaware |
LB |
Gr. |
Brick, N.J. |
| Marcus Hillman, Elon |
LB |
Sr. |
Camden, N.J. |
| John Pius, William & Mary |
LB |
So. |
Arlington, Va. |
| Tristan Wheeler, Richmond |
LB |
Jr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Jordan Jones, Rhode Island |
CB |
Sr. |
Brooklyn, N.Y. |
| Ryan Poole, William & Mary |
CB |
Sr. |
Annapolis, Md. |
| Noah Plack, Delaware |
S |
Sr. |
Bridgeville, Pa. |
| Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware |
S |
Sr. |
Middletown, Del. |
| Ryan Kost, Monmouth |
P |
Gr. |
Newton, Conn. |
| Caylin Newton, William & Mary |
SPEC |
Sr. |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| 2022 Offensive Player of the Year: Jaden Shirden, Monmouth |
| 2022 Defensive Player of the Year: John Pius, William & Mary |
| 2022 Coach of the Year: Rick Santos, New Hampshire |
| 2022 Special Teams Player of the Year: D’Ago Hunter, Towson |
| 2022 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Reese Poffenbarger, UAlbany |
| 2022 Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jalen Jones, William & Mary |
2022 Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award: Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
|
2022 CAA Football Second Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Nolan Henderson, Delaware |
QB |
Gr. |
Smyrna, Del. |
| Marques DeShields, Rhode Island |
RB |
Sr. |
Clemonton, N.J. |
| Dylan Laube, New Hampshire |
RB |
Jr. |
Westhampton, N.Y. |
| Donavyn Lester, William & Mary |
FB/HB |
Sr. |
Plano, Texas |
| Ed Lee, Rhode Island |
WR |
Sr. |
Washington, D.C. |
| Dymere Miller, Monmouth |
WR |
Jr. |
Coatesville, Pa. |
| Jackson Parham, Elon |
WR |
Sr. |
Hillsborough, N.J. |
| Lachlan Pitts, William & Mary |
TE |
Sr. |
Great Falls, Va. |
| Michael Corbi, Villanova |
OL |
Gr. |
Annapolis, Md. |
| Patrick Flynn, New Hampshire |
OL |
Sr. |
Hanover, Mass. |
| Michael Gerace, Maine |
OL |
Gr. |
Bel Air, Md. |
| Joe More, Richmond |
OL |
Sr. |
Franklin, Tenn. |
| Mike Purcell, Elon |
OL |
Sr. |
Centerville, Ohio |
| Ethan Chang, William & Mary |
PK |
So. |
Falls Church, Va. |
| Dez Boykin, Villanova |
KR |
Gr. |
Whitehall, Pa. |
| D’Ago Hunter, Towson |
PR |
Sr. |
Culpeper, Va. |
2022 CAA Football Second Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Carl Fowler, William & Mary |
DL |
Sr. |
Durham, N.C. |
| Jesus Gibbs, Towson |
DL |
Sr. |
Dumfries, Va. |
| Artis Hemmingway, Delaware |
DL |
Sr. |
Hillside, N.J. |
| KeShaun Moore, Hampton |
DL |
Sr. |
Suffolk, Va. |
| Jake Fire, Rhode Island |
LB |
Sr. |
Stow, Mass. |
| Isaiah Jones, William & Mary |
LB |
Sr. |
Norristown, Pa. |
| Adrian Otero, Maine |
LB |
Sr. |
Hazelton, Pa. |
| Qwahsin Townsel, Hampton |
LB |
Gr. |
Egg Harbor, N.J. |
| Justis Henley, Delaware |
CB |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Jalen Jones, William & Mary |
CB |
Fr. |
Chesapeake, Va. |
| Aaron Banks, Richmond |
S |
Sr. |
Stephens City, Va. |
| Omar Rogers, Elon |
S |
So. |
Burlington, N.J. |
| Riley Williams, Towson |
P |
So. |
Victoria, Australia |
| AJ Mistler, UAlbany |
SPEC |
Gr. |
Staten Island, N.Y. |
2022 CAA Football Third Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Reese Poffenbarger, UAlbany |
QB |
Fr. |
Middletown, Md. |
| Jalen Hampton, Elon |
RB |
Fr. |
Frederick, Md. |
| Todd Sibley, UAlbany |
RB |
Gr. |
Akron, Ohio |
| Zavier Scott, Maine |
FB/HB |
Gr. |
Fort Hood, Texas |
| Leroy Henley, Richmond |
WR |
Gr. |
Pompano Beach, Fla. |
| Thyrick Pitts, Delaware |
WR |
Gr. |
Manassas, Va. |
| Jourdan Townsend, Delaware |
WR |
Sr. |
Farrell, Pa. |
| Shawn Bowman, Maine |
TE |
Sr. |
Bear, Del. |
| Greg Anderson, Monmouth |
OL |
Sr. |
Carlstadt, N.J. |
| Fintan Brose, Delaware |
OL |
Jr. |
Irwin, Pa. |
| Justin Szuba, Monmouth |
OL |
Gr. |
Brick, N.J. |
| Lorenzo Thompson, Rhode Island |
OL |
Jr. |
Syracuse, N.Y. |
| Jabril Williams, Elon |
OL |
So. |
Statesville, N.C. |
| Matthew Mercurio, Villanova |
PK |
Gr. |
Salinas, Calif. |
| Dylan Laube, New Hampshire |
KR |
Jr. |
Westhampton, N.Y. |
| Ed Lee, Rhode Island |
PR |
Sr. |
Washington, D.C. |
2022 CAA Football Third Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Ray Eldridge, Richmond |
DL |
Sr. |
McDonald, Pa. |
| Jeremiah Grant, Richmond |
DL |
So. |
South Orange, N.J. |
| Anton Juncaj, UAlbany |
DL |
Jr. |
Port Jervis, N.Y. |
| Chase McGowan, Delaware |
DL |
Sr. |
Stafford, Va. |
| Carthell Flowers-Lloyd, Stony Brook |
LB |
Gr. |
Syracuse, N.Y. |
| Dylan Kelly, UAlbany |
LB |
So. |
Amhurst, N.Y. |
| Phil O’Connor, Richmond |
LB |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Evan Stewart, Rhode Island |
LB |
So. |
Sparta, N.J. |
| Tre’Von Jones, Elon |
CB |
Jr. |
Warrenton, N.C. |
| Mike Reid, Monmouth |
CB |
Jr. |
Owings Mills, Md. |
| Pop Bush, New Hampshire |
S |
Gr. |
Nocatee, Fla. |
| Ali Shockley, Hampton |
S |
Sr. |
Rock Hill, S.C. |
| Jeff Yurk, Elon |
P |
So. |
Southern Pines, N.C. |
| Chandler Brayboy, Elon |
SPEC |
So. |
Pembroke, N.C. |