Maxwell, Ellis Headline 2017 Preseason All-Conference Team
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Gardner-Webb senior quarterback Tyrell Maxwell (Cordova, S.C.) and Charleston Southern senior defensive lineman Anthony Ellis (Apopka, Fla) have been voted the Big South Conference’s 2017 Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, by the league’s head football coaches and media panel, it was announced today at the Big South Football Media Day Kickoff Luncheon at the Charlotte Marriott City Center hotel in Uptown Charlotte. Both individuals were last year’s postseason winners.
Maxwell is the first Gardner-Webb player to be voted the Big South’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He was a Walter Payton Award Finalist and a Hero Sports All-American in 2016 after becoming the first quarterback in Big South history to lead the league in rushing with 965 yards. Maxwell was a three-time Big South Player of the Week honoree last season and set the conference season record with five games of 100+ yards rushing & passing. He tallied 32 explosive plays (20+ yards) last year, which included the longest rush from scrimmage by a quarterback in league annals (87-yard TD run against Presbyterian, Oct. 8). Maxwell led the conference in total offense (2,622) and total offense per game (238.4), was 131-of-235 passing for 1,657 yards and nine touchdowns, and averaged 5.7 yards per rush with eight rushing scores. Maxwell directed Gardner-Webb to a win at then-No. 8/9 Charleston Southern on Nov. 5 with 360 yards of offense (165 rush, 195 pass) to snap the Bucs’ 11-game home Big South win streak. He scored a rushing TD in eight of 11 games last season, had a TD pass streak of six contests, and posted two TD runs of 50-plus yards as well as four pass plays of 60 yards or longer. In five Big South games, Maxwell averaged 302 yards of offense, rushed for 591 yards (6.5 per carry) and was 64-of-106 passing in leading the Runnin’ Bulldogs to their first winning conference season (3-2) since 2003.
Maxwell, who was the just the second GWU player to be voted Offensive Player of the Year in 2016, is the Big South’s all-time leading rusher among quarterbacks with 2,014 yards -- the only signal-caller above the 2,000-yard threshold. With 15 career rushing scores and 16 career scoring strikes, he is in position to become the first Big South QB with 20 career rushing and passing TDs. Maxwell received 10 first-place votes and 25 total points in the voting, ahead of Liberty quarterback Stephen Calvert (four first-place votes and 11 points) and Kennesaw State QB Chandler Burks (two first-place votes and 10 points).
Ellis is the third player to be voted the conference’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in consecutive seasons. A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award in 2016, Ellis earned All-America recognition from STATS, the Associated Press and Hero Sports last season, and was tabbed a 2017 preseason All-American by Athlon’s. He led the Big South with 16.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks -- the second player in Big South history to record two seven-sack seasons. He tallied 45 tackles (26 solo) with eight quarterback hurries and two forced fumbles. A dominant edge rusher who often commands double teams, Ellis recorded a tackle-for-loss in all but one game and had four multi-TFL efforts, including 3.5 in the Buccaneers’ win at No. 24/25 Liberty on Nov. 12. He recorded a sack in six of 10 appearances last season, including four in a three-game span. The Big South Defensive Player of the Week for his performance against the Flames, Ellis shined in league play as he totaled a league-best 9.5 TFL in five games (1.90 per game), and tied for the top spot with four sacks (one each against Monmouth, Presbyterian, Gardner-Webb and Liberty). He also had 24 stops against Big South foes, 15 of which were solo.
Ellis, who enters his final season tied for sixth all-time in Big South history in both TFL (35.5) and career sacks (15.0), is looking to become just the third player in the conference record book with 40 tackles-for-loss and 20 sacks. He collected 10 first-place votes and 27 points from the panel, ahead of Monmouth All-American safety Mike Basile (five first-place votes and 18 points).
Maxwell and Ellis were also voted to the preseason All-Conference team. The preseason team is comprised of 12 offensive and defensive positions, plus specialty positions. Kennesaw State and Liberty tied for the most preseason selections with eight, followed by Charleston Southern (6), Monmouth (4) and Gardner-Webb (2). The 2017 preseason All-Conference team appears below:
2017 Big South Football Preseason All-Conference Team
OFFENSE
QB - Tyrell Maxwell, Gardner-Webb, Sr.
RB - Carrington Mosley, Liberty, Sr.
RB - Darnell Holland , Kennesaw State, Jr.
WR - Reggie White Jr., Monmouth, R-Jr.
WR - Justin Sumpter, Kennesaw State, R-Jr.
WR - Kameron Brown, Charleston Southern, R-Soph.
TE - Jake Powell, Monmouth, Soph.
OL - Frank Cirone, Charleston Southern, Sr.
OL - Dontae Duff, Liberty, R-Soph.
OL - Will Millikan, Gardner-Webb, Jr.
OL - Zach Mitchler, Kennesaw State, R-Jr.
OL - Alex Thompson, Monmouth, Sr.
DEFENSE
DL - Anthony Ellis, Charleston Southern, Sr.
DL - Tonarius Portress, Kennesaw State, Sr.
DL - Desmond Johnson, Kennesaw State, R-Soph.
DL - Juwan Wells, Liberty, Jr.
LB - Solomon Brown, Charleston Southern, R-Jr.
LB - Zane Cruz, Charleston Southern, Sr.
LB - Anthony Gore Jr., Kennesaw State, R-Jr.
LB - Izzy Sam, Kennesaw State, R-Sr.
DB - Mike Basile, Monmouth, Sr.
DB - Taylor Henkle, Kennesaw State, R-Jr.
DB - Shadarius Hopkins, Charleston Southern, Jr.
DB - Chris Turner, Liberty, R-Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Alex Probert, Liberty, Soph.
P - Trey Turner, Liberty, Gr.
LS - Hunter Winstead, Liberty, Gr.
KR - Frankie Hickson, Liberty, R-Soph.
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Tyrell Maxwell, Sr., QB, Gardner-Webb (Cordova, S.C.)
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Anthony Ellis, Sr., DL, Charleston Southern (Apopka, Fla.)