Big South Announces 2020-21 Football Annual Award Winners
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (www.BigSouthSports.com) – Monmouth redshirt-sophomore running back Juwon Farri has been voted the 2020-21 Big South Football Offensive Player of the Year, while Kennesaw State redshirt-senior linebacker Bryson Armstrong has been voted the Defensive Player of the Year by the conference’s head coaches and media panel, it was announced today. In addition, Monmouth quarterback Tony Muskett is the Offensive Freshman of the Year, while Gardner-Webb defensive lineman Ty French is the Defensive Freshman of the Year honoree. GWU return specialist Devron Harper was voted Special Teams Player of the Year and Monmouth head coach Kevin Callahan was selected Coach of the Year. North Alabama strong safety K.J. Smith was voted the football Scholar-Athlete of the Year by the league’s sports information directors.
Farri was a three-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week honoree during the spring season in which he ranked first in the nation in scoring with 18.0 points scored, as well as first in the Big South with nine touchdowns. Farris rushed for a league-best 422 yards on 79 carries (5.3 per carry) and averaged 140.7 yards per game, which ranked third in all of FCS. He gained a season-high 179 yards against Kennesaw State, rushed for 124 at Gardner-Webb, and opened the year with 119 yards vs. Charleston Southern. Farri tallied multiple rushing TDs in all three games, highlighted by four against GWU, and had three scoring runs of 20+ yards.
Armstrong started all five games this spring for the Owls, and recorded a team-high 36 tackles -- including 24 solo. He added 5.5 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks. Armstrong had a 75-yard interception return for a touchdown against Robert Morris, the longest in program history, and earned Big South Defensive Player of the Week honors three times during the spring campaign. He had nine stops against Dixie State and eight vs. Charleston Southern, and posted a TFL in three of his five appearances -- 1.0 vs. Shorter, 2.5 vs. Charleston Southern and 2.0 against Robert Morris.
Muskett was 51-of-82 passing for 742 yards and eight touchdowns with no interceptions as Monmouth’s starting quarterback. He finished the three-game slate with a 170.4 efficiency rating (second in FCS), 247.3 passing yards per game, and a 62.2 completion percentage. Muskett was the FCS National Freshman of the Week after the Kennesaw State victory, as well as a two-time Big South Freshman of the Week honoree. His 12.79 yards per completion rank sixth in FCS. In the Hawks’ conference-clinching victory over Kennesaw State, Muskett was 19-of-23 passing (82.6 percent) for 290 yards and four touchdowns.
French finished the spring season with a team-high 35 tackles (14 solo, 21 assisted) with 8.0 tackles-for-loss (-38), 4.0 sacks (-32 yards) with a pass break-up, 10 quarterback hurries, one forced fumble, one fumble recovery and one blocked kick. He was the FCS National Freshman of the Week after 4.0 TFL and 1.5 sacks in the season-opening win over nationally-ranked Elon. French was a two-time Big South Freshman of the Week selection and honorable mention National Freshman of the Week. He ranked among the national leaders, regardless of class, in sacks, TFL and tackles.
Harper led the nation with two punt return touchdowns and was among the national leaders with 18.2 yards per punt return and 28.8 yards per kickoff return. He had punt return touchdowns of 41 yards (vs. Elon) and a Big South- and GWU-record 93 yards against Monmouth. Harper had two kickoff returns longer than 40 yards this season. In all, he totaled 290 return yards (146 punt returns, 144 kickoff returns) on 13 returns (22.3 average).
Callahan directed Monmouth to the Big South spring football championship and automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, as the Hawks averaged a league-high 41.7 points in their three games, while holding foes to a conference-best 17.7 points. Monmouth scored at least 35 points in all three outings, including a season-high 48 vs. Gardner-Webb. The Hawks generated 456.3 yards of total offense, averaged 6.7 yards per play, had the most offensive touchdowns (18), passing touchdowns (8), rushed for 209.0 yards and allowed the fewest rushing yards per game (91.0). The Hawks enter the FCS Playoffs ranked No. 10 nationally.
Smith is a 4.00 student in Interdisciplinary Studies with an emphasis on Health, and was a CoSIDA Academic All-American in 2019. A three-year starter at UNA, Smith finished the fall season with 20 tackles in four games, along with one interception and 1.5 tackles-for-loss.
The Big South also announced its All-Conference first and second teams on Tuesday. The squads are comprised of 12 offensive and defensive players and five special teams players, plus any ties. The list of 2020-21 All-Conference members and award winners, as well as the All-Academic Team, appears below.
2020-21 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS AND ANNUAL AWARD WINNERS
FIRST-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Tony Muskett, Monmouth
RB - Juwon Farri, Monmouth
RB - Narii Gaither, Gardner-Webb
WR - Terrance Greene Jr., Monmouth
WR - Izaiah Gathings, Gardner-Webb
WR - Lonnie Moore IV, Monmouth
TE - Gene Scott, Monmouth
OL - AJ Farris, Monmouth
OL - Justin Szuba, Monmouth
OL - Mahmoud Shabana, Monmouth
OL - Jake Lassiter, Kennesaw State
OL - Daviyon McDaniel, Charleston Southern
DEFENSE
DL - Shaundre Mims, Charleston Southern
DL - Erik Massey, Monmouth
DL - Ty French, Gardner-Webb
DL - Kahari Scarlett, Monmouth
LB - Bryson Armstrong, Kennesaw State
LB - Da’Quan Grimes, Monmouth
LB - Aniello Buzzacco, Robert Morris
LB - Eddie Hahn, Monmouth
DB - Cody Cline, Charleston Southern
DB - Anthony Budd, Monmouth
DB - Eddie Morales III, Monmouth
DB - Justin Terry, Monmouth
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Nathan Robertson, Kennesaw State
P - Joe Gurley, North Alabama
LS - Kent Vines, Monmouth
KR - Devron Harper, Gardner-Webb
PR - Devron Harper, Gardner-Webb
SECOND-TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
OFFENSE
QB - Jack Chambers, Charleston Southern
RB - Isaac Foster, Kennesaw State
RB - Kyle Glover, Kennesaw State
WR - Cayden Jordan, Charleston Southern
WR - Dexter Boykin, North Alabama
WR - Devron Harper, Gardner-Webb
TE - Julian Hill, Campbell
OL - Chris Dye, Kennesaw State
OL - Zion Katina, Kennesaw State
OL - William Nana Fabu, Kennesaw State
OL - Clayton Frady, Gardner-Webb
OL - Tyler McLellan, Campbell
DEFENSE
DL - Nick Salley, Charleston Southern
DL - Anton Williams, Charleston Southern
DL - Brevin Allen, Campbell
DL - Peyton Moore, Kennesaw State
LB - Will Evans, North Alabama
LB - Chance Bates, Kennesaw State
LB - Justin McIntire, Charleston Southern
LB - Kareem Taylor, Kennesaw State
DB - Markeith Montgomery, Kennesaw State
DB - Darion Slade, Campbell
DB - K.J. Smith, North Alabama
DB - A.J. Thomas, Gardner-Webb
SPECIAL TEAMS
P - Ryan Kost, Monmouth
LS - Jacob Potter, Kennesaw State
KR - Isaac Foster, Kennesaw State
PR - Isaac Foster, Kennesaw State
ALL-ACADEMIC TEAM
Levi Wiggins, Campbell
Justin McIntire, Charleston Southern
Will Mullins, Gardner-Webb
Robert Prunty Jr., Hampton
William Nana Fabu, Kennesaw State
Justin Szuba, Monmouth
K.J. Smith, North Alabama
Trevor Hicks, Robert Morris
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Juwon Farri, RB, Monmouth
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Bryson Armstrong, LB, Kennesaw State
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Devron Harper, PR/KR, Gardner-Webb
OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Tony Muskett, QB, Monmouth
DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR
Ty French, DL, Gardner-Webb
COACH OF THE YEAR
Kevin Callahan, Monmouth
SCHOLAR-ATHLETE OF THE YEAR
K.J. Smith, North Alabama