Leading up to the FCS Kickoff game on Aug. 25, HERO Sports is going to name the best returning FCS football player by jersey number, 99-1. Starting with No. 99 on May 18 all the way to No. 1, every day will feature a new top player on our running countdown.
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Best FCS Players, 99-1
99: Ahmad Gooden, Samford
Not often will you find a defensive lineman being one of the top tacklers on his team, let alone the conference. But Gooden put up those kind of monster numbers in 2017 … READ MORE
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Samford Athletics[/credit]
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98: La'Allan Clark, Grambling
Grambling defensive lineman La’Allan Clark will be the best overall player to wear No. 98 this upcoming season….READ MORE
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Tim Warner / Houston Chronicle via AP[/credit]
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97: Chris Stewart, Sam Houston State
P.J. Hall received a ton of attention on the Bearkats defensive line in 2017. It was well deserved, seeing as he was selected by Oakland in the second round of the NFL Draft. While offenses focused on Hall, Stewart became one of the best FCS defensive linemen in his own right…READ MORE
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SHSU Athletics[/credit]
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96: Greg Menard, North Dakota State
Here’s a player we can all get excited for — a redshirt senior and model student-athlete, North Dakota State’s Greg Menard will return to the field in 2018 for his final collegiate season…READ MORE
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Charlie Neibergall / AP[/credit]
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95: Chris Terrell, Central Arkansas
As just a sophomore in 2017, Terrell was named a Second Team All-American by STATS and a Third Team All-American by the Associated Press and HERO Sports. Add in an All-Southland Conference First Team nod and a part of the HERO Sports All-Sophomore Team, the 6-foot-3, 270-pounder proved himself to be one of the best up-and-comers in the FCS…READ MORE
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UCA Athletics[/credit]
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94: Jonah Williams, Weber State
No, he isn't that Jonah Williams. But the rising junior at Weber State is nonetheless making some noise as one of the most capable playmakers on a defense that doesn't lack for talent…READ MORE
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Weber State Athletics[/credit]
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93: Randy Robinson, Jacksonville State
The Gamecocks knew they had a star in Robinson the first time he saw game action. As a freshman in 2015 against No. 6 Auburn, who JSU almost upset, he recorded two unassisted tackles and recovered a fumble. He's been in the starting lineup ever since, blowing up offensive lines at 6-foot-2, 305 pounds…READ MORE
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Jacksonville State Athletics[/credit]
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92: Nick Wheeler, Colgate
As a linebacker, Nick Wheeler's tackle numbers (38 in 2017) aren't going to blow you away. But Wheeler is a classic pass-rushing linebacker who has an instinctive feel for collapsing the pocket. Colgate was all the better for it during last season, too — as a team, the Raiders were one of the 25 best teams in FCS when it came to sitting the quarterback down…READ MORE
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Joy Ives/Colgate Athletics[/credit]
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91: Jae’Wuan Horton, New Hampshire
At 6-foot-2, 232 pounds, Horton totaled 55 tackles in 2017. He tied for the team lead with 13 tackles for loss and was second with 8.5 sacks. Horton has been that consistent factor for the Wildcats, starting the last 37 games…READ MORE
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UNH Athletics[/credit]
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90: Miles Brown, Wofford
Wofford has an intriguing senior at one end of the line in Miles Brown, a 310-pounder pegged as a third-team All-American by STATS in 2017. He's heavier than the average defensive end. While the extra weight (as well as Wofford's defensive alignment) does suppress his sack numbers, Brown's size and athleticism gives Wofford's 3-man D-Line some extra run-stuffing ability…READ MORE
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ROGELIO V. SOLIS / AP[/credit]
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89: Charlie Taumoepeau, Portland State
Taumoepeau showed he was ready for a breakout 2017 season in PSU's first two games. Against FBS foes BYU and Oregon State, he combined for 10 catches for 125 yards. The 6-foot-3, 240-pound tight end went on to finish the year with 45 receptions for 673 yards and three touchdowns. It was the most catches by a Viking tight end since 1988…READ MORE
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Portland State Athletics[/credit]
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88: JP Shohfi, junior wide receiver – Yale
Plenty of underrecruited high school stars go on to dominate the ranks of FCS football, but perhaps no one currently enrolled at an FCS school has the ability to make the FBS schools feel that twinge of "we could have had him" regret like like Yale's JP Shohfi…READ MORE
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Gregory Payan / AP[/credit]
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87: Wesley Preece, UC Davis
When talking about UC Davis' passing attack, Keelan Doss is understandably the first name typically brought up. The 2019 NFL Draft prospect had 115 catches for 1,499 yards and seven touchdowns. Preece delivered something special too in 2017 as a sophomore as another threat through the air, leading the team with nine touchdowns and finishing second with 568 yards off of 36 catches…READ MORE
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Wayne Tilcock, AggiePhoto.com[/credit]
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86: Briley Moore, Northern Iowa
Repeatedly described by head coach Mark Farley as a "true tight end," Briley Moore is a talented MVFC player who could be the next Dallas Goedert. A 6-foot-3-inch rising talent who can play in-line or go grab a first down, Moore is the rare talent who excels equally at both aspects of the tight end position…READ MORE
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UNI Athletics[/credit]
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85: JJ Jerman, East Tennessee State
Never underestimate the value of special teams. Having a solid kicker and punter can be the difference in tight games. And for the first time in our countdown, we give some love to a specialist…READ MORE
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ETSU Athletics[/credit]
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84: Stephen Carlson, Princeton
Thanks to a plethora of playmakers are over the field, Princeton's offense had a banner offensive year in 2017. Senior quarterback Chad Kanoff threw for almost 3,500 yards. Runningback Charles Volker piled up 600 yards on the ground, courtesy of 4.5 ypc. Receiver Jesper Horsted led the conference in receptions, receiving yards, and receiving touchdowns. The 2017 Tigers rewrote quite a few school records…READ MORE
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Princeton Athletics[/credit]
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83: Ian Berryman, Western Carolina
Another specialist makes the list. And this one is well-deserved as well. Berryman is one of the best punters in the country and has been honored as such. He's been voted on the All-Southern Conference First Team every season since his freshman year in 2015….READ MORE
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WCU Athletics[/credit]
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82: Neil O'Connor, New Hampshire
In recent memory, New Hampshire has never been shy about throwing the ball around. That's why a proven guy like Neil O'Connor is such a boon to the Wildcats' offense — his ability to make both routine and exceptional plays is what makes UNH yet another near-lock for the playoffs, even in the summer…READ MORE
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New Hampshire Athletics[/credit]
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81: Nathan Stewart, Sam Houston State
As just a sophomore in 2017, Stewart solidified himself as one of the best receivers in the FCS. He left defenders spinning in circles as he racked up 1,648 receiving yards, which led the FCS and was a SHSU record…READ MORE
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SHSU Athletics[/credit]
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80: Tamrick Pace, Stephen F. Austin
The Southland doesn't lack for talented offensive players, and the underappreciated Tamrick Pace certainly qualifies…READ MORE
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Stephen F. Austin Athletics[/credit]
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79: Dominic Lombard, Fordham
As most good running backs do, they give credit to their offensive line. And Lombard has been a key member up front for the Rams…READ MORE
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Fordham Athletics[/credit]
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78: Matt Kaskey, Dartmouth
A quintessential lineman, Matt Kaskey is the key component on a Dartmouth offensive line that averaged 4.4 yards per rush…READ MORE
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Dartmouth Athletics[/credit]
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77: Kyle Anderton, Austin Peay
The Governors were one of the top stories in the FCS last year, not only snapping a 29-game losing streak but finishing 8-4 and just short of a playoff bid. Inside that magical season was another great story. Anderton's path to a starting offensive lineman was an unorthodox one to say the least…READ MORE
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Austin Peay Athletics[/credit]
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76: Drew Forbes, Southeast Missouri State
Don't let the record fool you. Despite a 3-8 record and a middling finish in the OVC, Southeast Missoui State had a sneaky good offensive line in 2017…READ MORE
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Southeast Missouri State Athletics[/credit]
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75: Daniel Cooney, San Diego
Cooney is set to be the next success story for the Toreros by playing at a non-scholarship school and getting a chance in the NFL…READ MORE
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San Diego Athletics[/credit]
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74: Noah Johnson, Idaho
If Big Sky newcomer Idaho wants to contend in its first year, it'll need to keep pace with the rest of the offensively-minded league. That'll start with the big guys on the Vandals' offensive line. The best of them? Six-foot-four Noah Johnson…READ MORE
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Idaho Athletics[/credit]
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73: Ethan Greenidge, Villanova
There are just some guys you see out on the football field and go, "My goodness." Greenidge is one of those players at 6-foot-4, 335 pounds. And as a former basketball player in high school, he can move…READ MORE
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Villanova Athletics[/credit]
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