A total of seven Missouri State football players have been named to 2017 All-Missouri Valley Football Conference teams, including senior return specialist Deion Holliman, who was honored as a first-team All-MVFC choice for the third-straight year Monday.
Senior wide receiver Malik Earl, junior linebacker Angelo Garbutt and senior defensive lineman Colby Isbell joined Holliman on the Bears’ list of all-conference honorees, each picking up second-team laurels in a vote of the league’s coaches, media representatives and sports information directors. Additionally, sophomore quarterback Peyton Huslig, sophomore defensive back Darius Joseph and junior offensive lineman Marquis Prophete earned honorable mention recognition.
Holliman finished his MSU career as the MVFC’s all-time leader in kickoff return yardage (2,445) after totaling 493 yards on 22 returns this fall. The Camden, Ark., product averaged 109.4 all-purpose yards per outing and rated among the top 10 punt returners in the country with a Valley-best average of 12.4 yards on his 16 returns, including a career-long 63-yarder for a touchdown against South Dakota State.
The Bears’ second-leading receiver in MVFC play with 3.0 grabs per outing this fall, Holliman becomes the 16th player in school history to earn first-team all-conference honors in three different seasons. He also logged career highs for catches (28) and receiving yardage (290), while also rushing for 113 yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Earl, a 2016 honorable mention All-MVFC selection, started all 11 games at wide receiver, leading the Bears with 56 receptions—good for seventh all-time in a season at Missouri State—and 774 yards while hauling in three TD receptions this fall. The co-captain from Oklahoma City ranked third among all Valley receivers in catches and fourth in receiving yards during the regular season. Earl finished his MSU career second on the Bears’ all-time receptions (147) list and fourth on the school’s receiving yardage (1,962) chart.
In his first season with the Bears, Garbutt made eight starts at linebacker, ranking sixth overall in the MVFC with a team-leading 85 tackles. The Carrollton, Texas native recorded 2.0 sacks, 6.5 TFLs and a club-best five QB hurries. He also turned in three consecutive double-digit tackle performances (Oct. 28-Nov. 11), including a Bears season high 17 stops vs. UNI to earn MVFC Newcomer of the Week honors.
Isbell started all 11 games on the Bears’ defensive line, logging 26 total tackles and team highs of 5.0 sacks, 10.0 tackles for loss. The Rogers, Ark., product also registered an MVFC-best four forced fumbles—which ranked fourth among all FCS defenders during the regular season—two pass break ups and a pair of quarterback hurries. He ranked ninth in both TFLs and sacks among all MVFC defenders, capping his Bears career fourth on the program’s top 10 chart for TFLs.
Huslig drew all 11 starting assignments for the Bears in his first year with the program, passing for 1,981 yards and nine touchdowns, while amassing 2,602 yards of total offense to rank fifth in the MVFC. An Andover, Kan., product, he logged MSU all-time top 10 season figures for total offense and passing yards. He was named MVFC Newcomer of the Week on two occasions and turned in three 100-yard rushing games to finish as the Bears’ leading ground-gainer for the year. Additionally, his 174-yard day vs. Indiana State set a school record for rushing yards by a quarterback.
Joseph was a stalwart in the Bears’ secondary, making 10 starts at cornerback and totaling 54 tackles to lead all MSU defensive backs. He totaled 36 solo stops and broke up four passes to go along with an interception and a fumble recovery. The Oklahoma City product registered a career-best 12 tackles in the Bears’ road win over Southern Illinois, then made 10 more stops the next week vs. UNI.
Prophete will take a streak of 27 consecutive starts on the Bears’ offensive line into his senior campaign after helping engineer an offensive turnaround for MSU this fall. The Florissant, Mo., native was part of an O-line unit that paved the way for a 41-yard per game improvement in rushing production from a year ago. He also helped the Bears rank third in in the conference in rushing yards per game (185.1) during MVFC play.
The MVFC will announce its 2017 All-Newcomer Team on Tuesday (Nov. 28) and its All-Academic Team on Wednesday (Nov. 29).
