BOXTOROW Announces 2024 HBCU Football Superlatives

The HBCU football national media voted on the BOXTOROW 2024 superlatives.

The HBCU college football regular season has ended. A bowl game will be played on Saturday which will help determine the HBCU national champion.

Time now to issue awards.

The HBCU college football All-America team was announced last Thursday. Now, Virginia Union Running back Jada Byers and Southern defensive lineman Ckelby Givens are just two that are part of the BOXTOROW HBCU Superlative Awards, announced on Tuesday. The awards are part of The HBCU college football All-America team.

Byers was voted Offensive Player of the Year, while Givens was selected Willie Davis Defensive Player of the Year. South Carolina State head coach Chennis Berry was voted Coach of the Year.

Fort Valley State’s DeJuan Bell was named Special Teams Player of the Year in a close vote, while Jackson State return specialist Travis Terrell was named Rookie of the Year.

Tennessee State quarterback Draylen Ellis and Clark Atlanta quarterback David Wright III have been named Impact Players of the Year, an award given by BOXTOROW.

Byers became one of two players to be named to the HBCU All-America team three times. The senior from Bridgeton, N.J. is second in the nation in rushing yards (2,056), eclipsing the 2000-yard rushing plateau in the NCAA D2 quarterfinal playoff game against Valdosta State (12/7). Only two players in all of college football have rushed for more yards: Heisman Trophy candidate Ashton Jeanty of Boise State and Chavon Wright of Charleston (WV). His 27 rushing touchdowns are behind just three other players in college football. He averaged 6.3 yards per carry and rushed for 100 or more yards in a game 10 times and rushed for 200 or more yards in a game three times.. On October 26, he became the Panthers’ all-time leading rusher, going for 324 yards against Bowie State, breaking the record held by Andre Braxton (5,008). Byers rushed for 6,076 yards in his Panthers career and ten times rushed for over 200 yards in a game.

Givens, a junior from Shreveport, La., was named SWAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year (Andrew Jones, Grambling). The Buck Buchanan Award Finalist leads FCS in tackles for loss (27.5), is tied for the lead in the SWAC and tied for third in FCS in sacks (12). He recorded 73 tackles (42 solo) and is tied for third in the SWAC and tied for 5th in FCS in forced fumbles (3).

Bell, a graduate student from North Augusta, S.C., is tied for the lead in college football in punt returns for touchdowns (3) and is third in college football in punt return average (21.7). He averaged 24.2 yards per kickoff return and returned a kickoff for a touchdown vs. Allen (10/12).

Terrell, a freshman from Atlanta, Ga., leads FCS with two kickoff returns for touchdowns (2), is fourth in FCS in yards per kickoff return (30.6), and leads SWAC and is third in FCS in punt return average (16.0).

Ellis, a graduate student from Olive Branch, Miss., had the best touchdown to interception ratio in the Big-South-OVC (24-8). He finished second in touchdown passes (24) and fourth in passing yards (3,029). He completed 61 percent of his passes and rushed for another three touchdowns. He was named HBCU National Player of the Week twice this year and helped lead the Tigers to the Big South-OVC championship and an FCS Playoff berth for the first time since 2013. Wright, a redshirt-junior from Tampa, Fla. was named the SIAC Most Valuable Player.

He is sixth in the nation in passing yards (3,186), was second in the SIAC and is tied for sixth in the nation in touchdown passes (31), led the SIAC and is fifth in the nation in total yards (300.8). He completed 62 percent of his passes and threw for 300 or more yards in a game four times. Perhaps in his best game of the season, he completed 74 percent of his passes for 423 yards with 7 touchdowns and no interceptions versus Fort Valley State (8/31). He also rushed for another three touchdowns and helped lead the Panthers to one of the great turnarounds in college football, leading the Panthers to a 7-3-1 record and berth in SIAC championship after CAU went 0-10 in 2023.

Berry is in his first season as head coach at South Carolina State. He has led the Bulldogs to a 9-2 record, the MEAC championship, and a berth in the Celebration Bowl. The Bulldogs are the No. 2 team in HBCU football and looking for their first HBCU National championship since 2021.

On Monday, BOXTOROW will release the final polls which will help determine the HBCU national champion.

The voters of the BOXTOROW Superlative Awards are comprised of media members from around the country that cover HBCU football.

OFFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

2024 Jada Byers, Virginia Union

2023 Davius Richard, North Carolina Central

2022 Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State

2021 Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M

2020-21 Aqeel Glass, Alabama A&M

2019 Ryan Stanley, Florida A&M

2018 Amir Hall, Bowie State

2017 Amir Hall, Bowie State

2016 Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T

2015 Johnathan Williams, Grambling State

2014 John Gibbs, Jr., Alcorn State

2013 Dray Joseph, Southern

2012 Kameron Smith, Winston-Salem State

2011 Casey Therriault, Jackson State

2010 Frank Warren, Grambling State

2009 Will Ford, South Carolina State

2008 Will Ford, South Carolina State

2007 Jacary Atkinson, Tuskegee

DEFENSIVE PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

2024 Ckelby Givens, Southern

2023 Terrell Allen, Tennessee State

2022 Aubrey Miller, Jackson State

2021 Isaiah Land, Florida A&M

2020-21 Jordan Lewis, Southern

2019 Darius Royster, North Carolina Central

2018 Darryl Johnson, North Carolina A&T

2017 Darius Leonard, South Carolina State

2016 Darius Leonard, South Carolina State

2015 Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State

2014 Javon Hargrave, South Carolina State

2013 Darnell Evans, Shaw

2012 Brandon Thurmond, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2011 Adrian Hamilton, Prairie View A&M

2010 Kenrick Ellis, Hampton

2009 Christian Anthony, Grambling

2008 Marcellus Speaks, Jackson State

2007 Zach East, Prairie View A&M

COACHES OF THE YEAR

2024 Chennis Berry, South Carolina State

2023 Willie Simmons, Florida A&M

2022 Deion Sanders, Jackson State

2021 Deion Sanders, Jackson State

2020-21 Doc Gamble, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2019 Buddy Pough, South Carolina State and Damon Wilson, Bowie State

2018 Sam Washington, North Carolina A&T

2017 Rod Broadway, North Carolina A&T

2016 Broderick Fobbs, Grambling State and Jerry Mack, North Carolina Central

2015 Broderick Fobbs, Grambling State

2014 Jay Hopson, Alcorn State

2013 Rod Reed, Tennessee State

2012 Connell Maynor, Winston-Salem State

2011 Connell Maynor, Winston-Salem State

2010 Brian Jenkins, Bethune-Cookman

2009 Henry Frazier, Prairie View A&M

2008 Rod Broadway, Grambling State

2007 Al Lavan, Delaware State

ROOKIES/NEWCOMERS OF THE YEAR

2024 Travis Terrell, Jackson State

2023 Jawarn Howell, South Carolina State

2022 Kevin Larkins, Livingstone

2021 Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State

2020-21 Devon Starling, Tennessee State

2019 Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, Alabama A&M

2018 Dejuan Miller, Arkansas Pine Bluff

2017 Caylin Newton, Howard

2016 Jordan Bentley, Alabama A&M

2015 Dorrel McClain, North Carolina Central and Hakeem Holland, Virginia Union

2014 Austin Howard, Southern

2013 Tarik Cohen, North Carolina A&T

2012 Damon Gresham Chisholm, Howard

2011 Greg McGhee, Howard

2010 Casey Therriault, Jackson State

2009 Ari Johnson, Grambling State

2008 Greg Dillon, Grambling State

2007 Frank Warren, Grambling State

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYERS OF THE YEAR

DeJuan Bell, Fort Valley State

2023 Taymon Cooke, North Carolina A&T

2022 Jose Romo-Martinez, Florida A&M

2021 Isaiah Bolden, Jackson State

2020-21 Tyrin Ralph, Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Antonio Zita, Tennessee State

2019 Noel Ruiz, North Carolina A&T

2018 Malik Wilson, North Carolina A&T

2017 Trenton Cannon, Virginia State

2016 Willie Quinn, Southern

2015 Willie Quinn, Southern

IMPACT AWARD

2024 Draylen Ellis, Tennessee State and David Wright III, Clark Atlanta

2023 Erick Hunter, Morgan State

2022 Davius Richard, North Carolina Central

2021 Shedeur Sanders, Jackson State

2020-21 Skyler Perry, Arkansas-Pine Bluff

2019 Felix Harper, Alcorn State

2018 De’Shawn Waller, Alcorn State

2017 Caylin Newton, Howard

2016 DeVante Kincade, Grambling

2015 Lenorris Footman, Alcorn State