Welcome to the 2022 FCS Jersey Countdown. Leading up to the start of weekly college football odds and Week 0 games on Aug. 27, HERO Sports will name the best returning FCS player by jersey number, 99-0. Due to rosters being updated at different times for teams across the country and to keep things consistent, jersey numbers are based on last season’s rosters.
The 99-0 countdown central page can be found here.
Note: Jersey numbers are based on 2021 rosters.
31: Isaiah Land, OLB (Sr.) — Florida A&M
Land is an unstoppable presence on the edge of FAMU’s defense that ranked No. 10 in FCS scoring defense last season (17.0 points per game). The 6-foot-4, 215-pounder is relentless, explosive, fast, and agile, a scary combination of size and skill.
The jump Land made from 2019 (23 tackles, five tackles for loss, and two sacks) to the 2021 fall season was remarkable. FAMU did not play during the spring season.
Last year, he racked up an incredible 43 tackles, 25.5 TFLs, 19 sacks, six quarterback hurries, and three forced fumbles. Land was named the SWAC Defensive Player of the Year and earned First Team All-American honors from HERO Sports, Stats Perform, Athlon, the AP, and the AFCA. He won the Buck Buchanan Award with 125 voting points. Montana State linebacker and 2022 second-round NFL Draft pick Troy Andersen was second with 103 points.
Land entered the transfer portal in May, drawing national headlines as he reportedly received offers from several FBS programs like LSU, Texas, Auburn, Kentucky, Georgia, UCF, and Memphis. But he withdrew his name days after entering and decided to stay with the Rattlers.
It was massive news for a FAMU team in the hunt for a Celebration Bowl win. The Rattlers went 9-2 last regular season and 7-1 in the SWAC, losing 7-6 to Jackson State. They received an at-large bid to the FCS playoffs, losing 38-13 to SLU in the first round. An even stronger year is expected for a team loaded with talent. Land leads that talented group, and we rank him the No. 1 FCS returner across the d-line. He looks to accomplish something that has only been done once in FCS history: be a back-to-back Buck Buchanan Award winner. Appalachian State linebacker Dexter Coakley did it in 1995 and 1996.
Land is already on the 2023 NFL Draft radar. Another dominant season could see him rise into an early-round draft pick. He is ranked No. 1 on Josh Buchanan’s 2023 Top 100 Small School Prospects.
