Bryan Allen, Arkansas Tech, RB, Sr.
Allen is a consistent force in the Wonder Boys’ backfield and has the potential to pick up many yards on a given Saturday. The senior rushed for nearly 1,000 yards last season and has led ATU in rushing yards in each of his previous three seasons.

Devyn Comer, Harding, DL, Sr.
Much is said about the option offense the Bison perennially run, but the defense does its part year-in and year-out as well. Comer takes up residence in opponents’ backfields. The senior posted 8.5 sacks and 14.5 tackles-for-loss and forced three fumbles in 2017. He even ran back an interception 68 yards for a TD.

Kierre Crossley, Central Arkansas, RB, So.
Crossley was one of the top rushers in the Southland and earned Freshman of the Year honors last season. He is capable of putting up huge numbers, as he rushed for more than 7,000 yards in three seasons at Everman High School in Texas.

Allie Freeman, Ouachita, WR, Jr.
Freeman is poised to be the next top receiver in the GAC. For the conference champion Tigers, he led the league in receptions (70) in 2017 and racked 928 receiving yards, nine TD receptions and averaged 13.3 yards per catch.

Justice Hansen, Arkansas State, QB, Sr.
One of the best passing quarterbacks in the country on any level. Hansen was the 2017 Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year and set A-State and Sun Belt records for passing touchdowns and total offense. When 2018 is done, there may not be any school or conference offensive records that don’t have his name on them.

De’Jon Harris, Arkansas, LB, Jr.
Harris led the Razorbacks in tackles with 115 and had 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 3.5 sacks. He’ll need to put up those numbers and more again in 2018 and get some help from his teammates as the performance of the defense will be big in how well Arkansas fares

Christian Jefferson, Arkansas-Monticello, S, Jr.
Jefferson is quick to the ball and knows what to do when he gets there. As a sophomore, he led the team in tackles, as well as interceptions, fumble recoveries and forced fumbles.

Titus Nelson, Lyon, RB, So.
Nelson was another freshman to set the pace for his team in rushing yards. The then-freshman also recorded 11 rushing TDs for the Scots, who are headed this year into a new league (SAC) and with a new head coach (Casey Creehan). Nelson could carry some momentum into 2018, having scored four rushing touchdowns in the season finale against Texas College.

Barrett Renner, Southern Arkansas, QB, Sr.
Renner has led the Muleriders to 23 wins and a bowl game in three seasons. He will most likely top the 10,000-yard passing mark in his first 2018 game, as he has thrown for 9,905 for his collegiate career. With some key targets from last season gone to graduation, Renner will be looking for new faces to try to get SAU a playoff berth in his senior campaign.

Miles Thompson, Hendrix, QB, Jr.
As a sophomore, Thompson obliterated the school’s single-season passing records. Of note, he threw for 3,472 yards, 37 touchdowns and completed 65.6 percent of his passes. A betting man would have taken the ‘over’ every time the Warriors took the field last year, so Thompson’s numbers were important.

Keyshawn Williams, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, RB, Sr.
Williams accounted for much of the offense last season as the leading rusher and leading scorer (non-kicking). The senior also had multiple receptions in every game in 2017 and topped the 100-yard rushing mark three times.

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Alyssa Arnold, John Brown, S, junior
Arnold recorded more than 1,300 assists in 2015, which was second in the SAC, and was also third on her team in digs. However, with the graduation of Libby Blasingame and All-American Audrey Dearien, Arnold will be directing her sets to a different group of hitters this year as the Golden Eagles try to earn double-digits in wins in the SAC for a fourth straight year.

Kori Bullard, Ouachita, MH, junior
Bullard fills the middle well and has averaged 72 blocks per season in her first two years at Ouachita. She is a two-sport star who also plays basketball for the Tigers, and may be called upon more in 2016 for her offense as well. Bullard was second on the team in kills last season at 2.92 per set – behind only Abby Pickett, the GAC Player of the Year – and she hit .292 on the year.

Ouachita’s Kori Bullard. Photo courtesy Ouachita Sports Info.

Kennedi Coleman, Arkansas-Fort Smith, OH, senior
With trips to the Elite Eight in 2015 and to the Final Four in 2014, this UAFS senior class has a lot of quality experience racked up. Coleman is one of those seniors who could make a big mark this season. She led the team in kills at 3.63 per set while hitting .217. Her defense was effective also as she had 71 blocks and 108 digs. Coleman was the only player to play in and start all 33 matches last year.

Lauren Corby, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, OH, junior
Points came at a premium last season for the Lions, but Corby along with Kayla Dowdell were key on offense during the wins. Dowdell has graduated and Corby should fill an even larger role this year. She had a near triple-double in the season finale, which was a win for UAPB. Can that be the springboard for a strong year in 2016?

Hunter Eshnaur, Arkansas Tech, OH, sophomore
As a freshman, Eshnaur led the GAC in points, earning 4.4 per set for her team. She was also third in the league with in kills (3.76 per set) and in service aces (.44 per set). Eshnaur was the 2015 GAC Freshman of the Year. She will be receiving passes from a new setter this year, with the departure of Sarita Stegall, but Arkansas Tech has become a factory under coach Kristy Bayer in developing setters in recent years and her scoring pace should continue unabated.

Zoe Hardin, Harding, MH, sophomore
Hardin is a force on the inside and could be big in bringing Harding back to the top of the GAC and beyond. She averaged 1.38 blocks per set, which was seventh in Division II in 2015, and had 159 total. Hardin also averaged 2.72 kills per set while hitting .315 on the year, third in the GAC. This is a team that should only get better over the next three seasons.

Adrianna Hartmann, Henderson State, MH, freshman
Offense was lacking for the Reddies in 2015, but coach Kristee Porter going into her second season on the job was able to sign a strong class in the winter. Hartmann could bring immediate help to the court. The incoming freshman recorded more than 500 kills in just her junior year at Fredericksburg (Texas) H.S. At 6-foot-2, Hartmann, along with 6-foot-3 sophomore Gabby Ginapp, may be able to shore up the HSU defense in the middle.

Serena LaDuff, Southern Arkansas, OH, senior
LaDuff, the GAC Newcomer of the year in 2015, led the league with 3.90 per set and recorded 499 on the season. She is a leader on a strong senior class that should help the transition for Brittany Davis from assistant into the position of head coach. LaDuff notched a league-high 26 kills in a five-set match against Southern Nazarene last season.

Audra Nailling, Williams Baptist, MH, sophomore
Nailling is the leading returner in blocks for the Eagles and has the second best hitting percentage returning. The sophomore brings height to the middle and is effective on offense. WBC has won 20 or more games in seven of the last nine seasons and are averaging 23 wins per season. Nailling will be key to keeping that streak going.

Hendrix’s M.C. Rogers. Photo courtesy HC Sports Info.

M.C. Rogers, Hendrix, OH, senior
Whoever takes over as head coach for the Warriors will inherit a roster that is heavy laden with seniors full of experience, led by Rogers. The 6-foot-2 outside hitter led the team in kills (3.17 per set) and was second in digs (3.35 per set) and second in service aces (35). Her presence can be felt all around the court and in the midst of the Warriors’ playoff run to the D-III national semifinals, Rogers had back-to-back games of at least 20 kills and at least 22 digs.

Markie Schaedig, Arkansas State, DS, senior
As a junior, Schaedig had 537 digs, which was 10th on the ASU list for a season and was second in the Sun Belt and 13th in Division I. She also owns the top spot on that list as well (762, 2014). Schaedig was the Sun Belt Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year in ’15 and an honorable mention All-American in ’14. She is one of five seniors and could help lead the team back to return trip to the NCAA Tournament.

Edina Selimovic, Little Rock, MH, senior
Selimovic is in Little Rock record books and in the top 10 in career block assists, aces and total blocks and her career hitting percentage of .318 is currently at the top of that list as well. In her time with the Trojans, Selimovic has started in all 63 matches and played in all 224 sets in which she has had an opportunity to play. One of four seniors on the roster, the team needs her offense and leadership to keep pace with Arkansas State in the Sun Belt this year.

Rachel Sharp, Central Arkansas, OH, senior
UCA signed a large class this spring, with some players that will compete on the new beach volleyball team. But Sharp will be the lone senior on the squad in ’16. At 6-foot-1, she brings height to the outside and is the leading returner in service aces. Sharp is an all-around player who hit .165 last year and contributed significantly with both blocks and digs.

Savannah Shelton, Philander Smith, DS, freshman
The future could be now for Shelton, who comes to Philander Smith from just down the road in Bryant. It’s a young roster and the freshman has a chance to hit the court right off the bat, as she can serve, set and plays solid on defense as well.

Arkansas-Monticello’s Kya Standford. Photo courtesy UAM Sports Info.

Kya Standford, Arkansas-Monticello, MH, senior
Standford played in only 99 sets last year, but recorded 82 total blocks. She also led the Cotton Blossoms with a hitting percentage of .209, fifth all-time for the program. Standford seemed to get stronger as the season went along and scored double figures in points in six of the last 11 games. Her presence in the middle will be important for UAM this year.

Madisson Williams, Lyon, L, sophomore
Williams averaged 3.4 digs per set as a freshman and had 22 aces while not afraid to be aggressive on the serve. A member of a big freshman class in 2015, Williams and the Scots had the most wins (17) for the program since 2008 and the Scots look to poised to build on that in 2016.

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Bryan Allen, Arkansas Tech, RB, sophomore
Allen’s freshman season was stellar. His 1,150 yards rushing for the season is the third most in ATU history and his 279 against Ouachita is the second-highest single game total. The backfield is full once again with junior Brayden Stringer and fellow sophomore Kristian Thompson, but there should be plenty of opportunity for Allen to shine this season.

Trevon Biglow, Harding, DL, senior
The senior can get into the backfield quickly. Biglow had 9.5 tackles-for-loss last year and all of them were sacks. He is now fourth on the HU list in sacks (17.0) since 2000 and at his current pace could be at the top of that list by midseason. One of three of last season’s starters on the defensive line returning for their senior campaigns, the Bisons’ front line of defense should be formidable.

Michael Bowles, Lyon, RB, senior
As a junior, Bowles racked up 1,431 yards (third in the NAIA) and averaged 4.9 yards per carry. He was also in the top 15 in the country in all-purpose yards. Bowles is one of a very small group of seniors on the squad and will definitely be one of the leaders on the team.

Harding’s Trevon Biglow wraps up the ball carrier. Photo courtesy HU Sports Info.

Jaquan Cole, Henderson State, RB, senior
The Reddies did not lose a single player on the two-deep of the offensive line to graduation. That means strength up from for Cole to run behind and then burst into the open field. The senior tallied 1,189 yards in 2015, fourth most in HSU history, and is poised to become the first Reddie back since Blake Christenson (2002, 2003) break the 1,000 yard barrier twice. He was last season’s Offensive Player of the Year in the GAC.

Josh Davis, Henderson State, LB, senior
Don’t forget about the Reddies’ defense, which was consistent throughout the season, holding nine of the 11 GAC opponents it faced to 17 points or less, and Davis is an anchor in the middle. In 2015, he was one of only two unanimously selected to the All-GAC First Team, recording 103 tackles, 15 tackles-for-loss, 1.5 sacks and he forced two fumbles.

Willie Duncan III, Arkansas-Pine Bluff, LB, junior
The Lions need a big performance from the defense and Duncan could be that leader in the middle, especially with the graduation of Jontrell Lockett. Duncan is solid against the passing game and led the team in tackles last season, averaging 10.7 per game.

Jeremy Jackson, Arkansas-Monticello, RB, junior
Jackson’s impact can be felt on any down. He was the team’s leading rusher in ’15 and picked up 5.2 yards per carry. He is also an able receiver and will get his offense good starting field position with consistency as he averaged 20.1 yards per return on kickoffs. Jackson’s role may increase in ’16 with a new signal-caller to work with as the Weevils to try improve offensive numbers this year.

Drew Morgan, Arkansas, WR, senior
The ground game will likely be a part of what is regularly a balanced offense in Fayetteville with Coach Bielema. But with graduations and injuries to the running back corps, the air attack shouldn’t go unnoticed and Morgan can be a big part of that. As a junior, Morgan led the team in receptions (63) and receiving yards per game (64.8) while hauling in 10 touchdown receptions as well.

Kris Oliver, Ouachita, RB, sophomore
The GAC was loaded with stellar freshman running backs in 2015, and Oliver may have been the best. He was named the Don Hansen National Freshman of the Year, running for 1,176 yards and 19 touchdowns (a school record for rushing TDs by a freshman) in 2015. Oliver is also a strong receiver out of the backfield and along with Pope (see below) make a solid one-two punch that goes beyond the numbers on their jerseys.

Park Parish, Harding, QB, senior
Parish is a versatile player, but then any quarterback in Coach Huckeba’s offensive scheme has to be. He rushed for 864 yards and 19 touchdowns last season, while passing for 783 yards and five more TDs, giving up only two interceptions. With two years as an understudy, Parish stepped seamlessly into the starting QB role in 2015 and was named to the First Team All-GAC as a utility player for his overall effectiveness.

Seth Peters, Hendrix, QB, senior
Peters has started in all but one of the games in which he has played during the last three years. He owns school records in pass attempts, completions, yards, touchdowns, completion percentage, efficiency and total offense yards. The Warriors have improved in each of those three years and Peters, along with 22 other seniors, would like to make a deep run in the playoffs. The potential and opportunity are there.

Ke’vontae Pope, Ouachita, KR, senior
Pope has been the ‘go-to’ guy for three years in Arkadelphia, leading the team in receptions and receiving yards in each of his seasons with the Tigers. Only Harding’s offense was more run-heavy (rushing to passing) in the GAC last season than Ouachita’s and with a focus on Oliver, Pope should be able to get free for catches and scores.

Hendrix running back Dayton Winn had the most rushing yards of any college back in Arkansas in 2015. Photo courtesy HC Sports Info.

Barrett Renner, Southern Arkansas, QB, sophomore
Renner was the All-GAC First Team quarterback as a freshman and named the league’s Freshman of the Year. With a strong arm and good decision-making ability he passed for an SAU single-season record 33 touchdowns and (in keeping with the ‘three is a magic number’ theme) 3,333 yards. Three starters on the O-line from 2015 have graduated, but there is strength coming up and four of the his top five receivers will be back this year.

Warren Wand, Arkansas State, RB, sophomore
Wand had a solid season in his freshman campaign, behind Michael Gordon, as the Red Wolves tore through the Sun Belt. But with the graduation of Gordon, the load of the ground game now falls to Wand and backfield mate Johnston White. Wand’s speed will be fun to watch and the running game could be big again to start the season as Arkansas State will have a new QB to lead the charge in 2016.

Jatavious Wilson, Central Arkansas, WR, junior
Wilson can catch, run and return and is useful to the Bears’ offense in multiple facets. He and Desmond Smith should see plenty of action. It was a balanced offensive attack in 2015, but with star running back Blake Veasley moving on, will the passing game play more of a role this year?

Dayton Winn, Hendrix, RB, senior
He topped the charts for college running backs in the state last season with 1,761 rushing yards, and topped the 100-yard mark in 10 of 11 games. That total was good enough for fifth in the nation in D-III. The 2,732 all-purpose yards was at the top of that list nationally. Throw in 22 touchdowns scored in various ways and Winn has to be one of the most difficult players for opposing defenses to plan for each week.

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