The countdown to the 2018 college football season is on. Four FCS teams are in action Aug. 25 as Duquesne takes on UMass, Prairie View faces Rice and North Carolina A&T and Jacksonville State square off in ESPN’s FCS Kickoff.
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HERO Sports is going to count down each day by highlighting the best player in FCS football who wears the jersey number of the number of days to kickoff. You can find the running list of top players here.
*Note: Jersey numbers are from the 2017 season.
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11: Spencer Schnell, WR (Sr.) — Illinois State
Schnell didn't take the smoothest of routes to become a top playmaker in the MVFC. He began his career at Ohio and redshirted in 2014. Schnell decided to transfer to Illinois State as a walk-on but had to sit out a year in 2015 due to NCAA regulations. He hit the field for the first time in a Redbirds jersey in 2016 and lit it up.
Named to the Valley's All-Newcomer Team, Schnell ranked second in the conference with 10.4 yards per punt return and finished second on the team with 59 receptions to go with 479 yards and one touchdown. He turned into the team's No. 1 receiver last year, totaling 51 receptions for 679 yards and four scores. The junior was named to the MVFC Second Team.
At just 5-foot-9, Schnell has proven to be one of the more difficult guys to cover in the conference. Against South Dakota on Oct. 21, he had a career-high of 191 yards and two touchdowns to be named the Valley Offensive Player of the Week. Schnell enters 2018 on the preseason All-Conference First Team.
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FCS Kickoff Countdown: The Best Player in FCS Who Wears Each Number, 1-99
CFB Countdown: The Best Player in FBS Football, 1-99
