CLEVELAND — Seven football players from the University of North Alabama were selected for 10 preseason FCS awards by Phil Steele on Friday.
UNA was headlined on the list by Phil Steele Preseason Second Team All-American Takairee Kenebrew. The seventh-year senior wide receiver played in 10 games last season and led the team with 42 receptions for 669 yards and 10 touchdowns. The 10 scores matched the single-season school record and helped him break the all-time career record with 26 touchdown catches.
Kenebrew enters the season as the ninth-ranked wide receiver in all of FCS Football according to FCS Football Central. He was also selected to the United Athletic Conference Preseason Team in a vote of the league’s head coaches.
Kenebrew was also one of seven Lions to garner Phil Steele all-conference honors. Kenebrew joined returning defensive back Edwin White Schultz, incoming linebacker Jackson Bratton and incoming wide receiver and return specialist Logan Collier on the first team. Collier was listed as a first team punt returner, second team kick returner and second team all-purpose player.
White Schultz was voted the UAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year this season following first team all-conference honors last season. He finished with 87 tackles, including 49 solo, to lead the team. He added 6.0 tackles from loss at the safety position to go with two sacks, three pass breakups, a hurry, a forced fumble and one recovery.
Bratton enters his first season at UNA as a redshirt senior following two years at UAB and two years at Alabama. He recorded 101 tackles over his two seasons with the Blazers, including 70 last season to rank second on the team.
Collier also enters his first season with the Lions following a storied four-year career at Lindsey Wilson College in Kentucky. Collier led his team to the NAIA National Championship in 2020 and to three Mid-South Conference titles in 2019, 2020 and 2021. He was a 2023 AFCA NAIA All-American as a specialist and is the school’s all-time leader in kick return touchdowns. Collier finished with 1,090 all-purpose yards last season — the ninth-most in single season school history.
On the second team, Collier is joined by defensive lineman Kam’ron Green and defensive backs A.J. Seay and Gregory Reddick.
Green played in all 11 games last season, finishing with 26 tackles, two sacks and 5.0 tackles for loss. A leader on the defensive line, Green enters his third season at UNA with 48 career tackles and 9.5 career tackles for loss.
Seay was recently named the top cornerback to watch in the UAC by Hero Sports. The Presbyterian transfer played in and started all 11 games last season for UNA and recorded 25 tackles, including 12 solo. He was tied for the team lead with six pass breakups and two interceptions, one of which he took to the house against Tennessee Tech in a 20-7 victory.
Reddick played and started all 11 games at safety last season, landing second team all-conference honors from FCS Football Central. He was ranked second on the team with 71 tackles, including 47 solo. He added 6.0 tackles for loss and one interception against EKU. Reddick also made the game-winning play against Utah Tech, breaking up a two-point conversion in a 31-30 victory.
UNA opens the 2024 season at the FCS Kickoff on Week 0 against Southeast Missouri at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Ala. The game will be nationally televised on ESPN at 6 p.m. and will be the first primetime college football game on ESPN this season.
