The lead-up to the Kennesaw State football team’s 2019 season got brighter as three players have earned spots on Phil Steele’s 2019 FCS Preseason All-America lists, as announced on Friday, Aug. 9.
Steele’s list covers all teams in the FCS, ranking every position based on each player’s individual performance from 2018 and expectations for the upcoming season.
KSU’s Dorian Walker, Bryson Armstrong, and Isaac Foster were all chosen as part of Steele’s Preseason All-America lists.
After earning a spot on the All-Big South First Team as a junior, Walker grabbed a spot on the Preseason All-American Fourth Team going into his senior season.
The accolades for the senior defensive back did not stop there, as he earned spots on the Big South Preseason First-Team Defense, as well as the STATS FCS All-American List.
Walker’s junior season showcased him in his new position as the starting free safety for the Owls, as he had played primarily cornerback during his sophomore year.
He finished the past season accumulating 38 tackles and three interceptions, while also being one of only three players to record multiple interceptions each of the past two seasons for the Owls. Walker’s five career interceptions are third best in program history.
Armstrong also earned a position on the Fourth Team, after joining the STATS FCS All-American List as well as being awarded with the Big South Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
After a breakout freshman season that ended with Armstrong being awarded the Jerry Rice National Freshman of the Year, he took the momentum right into his sophomore season.
The junior linebacker finished his sophomore season with 75 total tackles, including 56 solo stops, with both statistics finishing second on the team. Armstrong is entering his third season with the Owls with 13.5 total sacks, a program best.
Armstrong secured the game-ending interception last November against Jacksonville State University in the overtime thriller at SunTrust Park to advance the Owls further into the playoffs.
Walker and Armstrong both earned spots on Steele’s list, representing a Kennesaw State defense that finished second in total defense in the FCS in 2018.
Foster joins Walker and Armstrong, grabbing a spot on the Fourth Team after a career breakout freshman season on special teams for the Owls.
The sophomore running back and kick returner is coming off of a freshman season in which he earned a spot on the All-Big South Special Teams First Team, as well as being awarded the 2018 Big South Special Teams Player of the Year.
Foster was the only player in either the FCS and FBS to have two kick returns for touchdowns of 100 yards or more last season. He was also one of only 15 players in both the FCS and FBS to record two touchdown returns and one of the only two players to do it on fewer than ten attempts.
The Owls open their season on Saturday, Aug. 31, at Fifth Third Bank Stadium, as they take on Point University to begin their 2019 campaign.
