Golden Flashes Land 11 on Phil Steele Preseason All-MAC Team
6/12/2019 10:37:00 AM | Football
CLEVELAND, Ohio – Kent State posted 11 members on the Phil Steele Preseason All-MAC Team, with kicker Matthew Trickett garnering first team recognition. Offensive lineman Julian Sams, defensive end Nick Faulkner, cornerback Jamal Parker and long snapper Joey Palumbo were named to the second team. Quarterback Woody Barrett, running back Jo-El Shaw, wide receiver Mike Carrigan, linebacker Matt Bahr, cornerback Elvis Hines and punter Derek Adams were tabbed to the third team. Parker was also named to the fourth team as a kick returner.
Trickett compiled one of the most impressive seasons by a freshman specialist in recent memory. He drilled 14-of-17 field goal attempts and his .824 field goal percentage was sixth best in the nation among freshmen. Against Ohio he was a perfect 4-for-4 including a 49-yard boot, which was the longest field goal by a freshman in school history. He also punted 35 times and had a career-long 52-yard bomb against Eastern Michigan.
Sams provided stability to the offensive line right away last year as true freshman who started all 12 games on the line.
Faulkner came back from an injury plagued 2017 campaign to play in all 12 games a season ago. He made 36 tackles with five tackles for loss and one sack. He was named a team captain and was a recipient of a single-digit jersey when camp broke. The Canton, Ohio native compiled his best game against Howard and made two tackles for loss.
Parker was third on the team a season ago with 83 tackles and a team-leading two interceptions and nine passes defensed. The Pennsauken, N.J. native was a team captain and a recipient of a single digit jersey and kept his No. 7. Parker made a career-high 12 stops at Ole Miss including an interception with a 20-yard return. He made a splash in the kick return game as well, totaling 164 return yards against Toledo and a career-long 64-yard return against Eastern Michigan.
Long snapper Joey Palumbo played in all 12 games last season and was a member of the Academic All-MAC Team.
Barrett was dynamic in his Kent State debut last season as a redshirt sophomore. He threw for 2,239 yards with 11 touchdowns and ran for 503 yards with seven scores. He ranked fifth in the Mid-American Conference in total offense (2,842) and broke the single-season school record with 229 completions. Barrett ranked fourth in school history in a single-season for completion percentage (58.7), fifth in passing yards and total offense. In his FBS debut at Illinois, he threw for 270 yards and two touchdowns while also rushing for 117 yards and a score. The Orlando, Fla. native initially attended Auburn and played a year of junior college football for Copiah-Lincoln C.C. in Mississippi before coming to Kent State.
Shaw was another junior college transfer that made an immediate impact. He led the team with 657 rushing yards and tied with Barrett for the team lead in rushing touchdowns (7). In his FBS debut, he rushed for 105 and three touchdowns in a win over Howard and registered four 100-plus performances on the season. He also caught two touchdown passes including an 18-yard grab at Ole Miss.
Carrigan led the squad with 597 receiving yards and was second on the team with 45 receptions. The Tallahassee, Fla. native made a grab in every game of the season and made eight in the season opener at Illinois. Carrigan also led the team in touchdown receptions (5) and made an impressive 47-yard touchdown reception at No. 10 Penn State, his longest of the season.
Bahr is back for his sixth year this season after totaling a career-best 91 tackles which tied for the team lead. The team captain who excels in the classroom as a two-time MAC Distinguished Scholar-Athlete and CoSIDA Academic All-District First Team selection, played in all 12 games with nine starts last year. He was in the backfield with regularity and made a team-leading 7.5 tackles for loss and tallied 3.0 sacks.
Hines was 10th in the MAC a season ago with eight passes defended, while registering 41 tackles with an interception. He posted a 26-yard interception return at No. 10 Penn State and made a career-best seven tackles at Ole Miss. He was also a recipient of a single-digit jersey in the spring and has been a consistent force in the secondary, appearing in 23 games in his first two seasons.
Adams took advantage of the NCAA's new redshirt rule and played in four games last year due to injury. The Manheim, Pa. product had a career-long 77-yard punt against Akron, which was the seventh longest in FBS last season. His 41.7 yard per punt average is the third best in Kent State history.
Kent State jumps back on the field for camp on July 31. The Flashes regular season will begin on Thursday, Aug. 29 in Tempe, Ariz. against Arizona State.
