[Story, photo courtesy of HPUSports.com]
On Wednesday, D3Football.com released their 2023 All-Region selections and five Howard Payne Yellow Jackets were honored on the organization’s 19th annual list as All-Region 3.
Players were nominated for these awards by the Sports Information Directors at the various schools, and schools and conferences were contacted multiple times as the season wound down to remind them to make their players eligible. In total, 1,129 players were nominated.
Korey Kelley – 1st Team All-Region – Safety
As ASC Defensive Player of the Year, Kelley played one season with the Yellow Jackets as a graduate student after earning all-conference accolades with East Texas Baptist in his undergraduate. He would guide an improved defense that finished with 232 points allowed and 23.2 on average. Kelley highlighted a defense that led the ASC in interceptions with 14 and was the top individual with six himself. He was second in the ASC for total tackles with 93, 42 solo tackles. He was honored as the ASC Player of the Week and to the D3Football.com National Team of the Week once.
Jordan Carroll – 2nd Team All-Region – Wide Receiver
A 1st Team All-Conference Selection, graduate wide receiver Jordan Carroll appeared in all ten games leading HPU in receptions with 58. He totaled 871 yards and an ASC best 10 touchdowns including a season-high nine receptions for 138 yards and two touchdowns versus Austin College.
Casey Dufner – 2nd Team All-Region – Tight End
A 1st Team All-Conference selection, graduate tight end Casey Dufner played in all ten games for the Yellow Jackets averaging an ASC-best 19.9 yards per reception. Dufner totaled 338 receiving yards on just 17 receptions. He recorded a career-high 114 receiving yards and one touchdown versus Sul Ross State.
Chase Iverson – 2nd Team All-Region – Offensive Line
A 2nd Team All-Conference selection, senior offensive lineman Chase Iverson appeared in seven games for the Yellow Jackets. Iverson was a key piece to an offensive line that helped produce the top offense in the ASC. He helped lead a rushing attack that totaled 812 yards and 12 touchdowns
Landon McKinney – 3rd Team All-Region – Quarterback
As ASC Offensive Player of the Year, senior quarterback Landon McKinney, a three-time All-Conference selection that was also named First Team All-Conference as a quarterback, delivered league-leading numbers in passing with 248 completions on 405 attempts for a 61.2 percentage. He logged 3,214 yards total with 77 his longest throw of the season. He averaged 321.4 yards per game on passing and was 144.0 efficiency rating. He threw 7 interceptions and led the Yellow Jackets to the number one passing offense in the league with 377.9 yards on average and a league-most 33 touchdowns. He broke the HPU career passing completions record with 659 as well as career TD passes with 86. McKinney was a two-time ASC Player of the Week this fall.
The teams, selected in balloting by Region 3 sports information directors and D3football.com staff, were chosen from 151 nominations by full Division III member schools. A total of 77 players were chosen. Players nominated for All-Region are eligible to be considered for D3football.com All-America honors, which will be announced the evening of Dec. 15, in D3football.com’s pregame coverage for Stagg Bowl 50.
NCAA Division III realigned Division III football into six regions in 2021. Region 3 includes the American Southwest Conference, the Old Dominion Athletic Conference, the Southern Athletic Association and the USA South Athletic Conference.