Jacks Land Four on Stats Perform Preseason All-America Teams
7/13/2026 10:29:00 AM | Football
Gray, Mortimer headline selections as first-teamers; Ennis and Williams represent defense
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – The first FCS preseason All-America football teams of the 2026 season have been released. Stats Perform announced its first, second and third-team honorees on Monday morning with four Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, the most in the Southland Conference, among the 101 student-athletes recognized.
Returning All-Americans Erik Gray (OL) and Bugs Mortimer (PR) headline the Jacks' contingent as first-team selections, while Nacogdoches newcomer Eli Ennis (LB) and second-year standout Malachi Williams (LB) represent the SFA defense as second and third-team selections, respectively.
Gray, a consensus pick as an All-American last fall, was named the 2025 Southland Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and an All-SLC first teamer. The Amarillo, Texas native became the first SFA offensive lineman to receive AA plaudits since 2011, and he enters the '26 campaign having played over 1,000 collegiate snaps. Last fall, Gray rated as PFF's top center in the Southland producing league-best metrics in offensive rating (73.7) and run blocking (72.9), while ranking fifth among all SLC linemen with 390+ snaps played in pass blocking.
Recognized as a single-digit honoree by his teammates prior to SFA's record-setting fall, Gray helped protect SFA quarterbacks to the tune of the league's fourth-best passing attack (235.9) and he was an integral part of a unit that allowed the fewest sacks per game in the SLC (1.42) in the regular season. His run blocking provided space for the SLC's fourth-best overall rushing attack (156.4), an FCS top 10 redzone offense (91.1%) and an FCS top 10 first downs offense (302).
Mortimer, an SLC first team selection as a punt returner, led all NCAA divisions with four punt return touchdowns and paced the FCS with 21.5 yards per return in 2025. His 537 punt return yards set a new program and SLC single season record, while his 159 punt return yards against Nicholls broke a 41-year-old single-game school record. A two-time SLC Special Teams Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National ST Player of the Week; Mortimer became the first SFA return man to receive AA honors since 2011.
Despite seeing the departure of 10 of its 11 starters from a record-setting defense a season ago, the Jacks reloaded defensively and will be led by second-level standouts Ennis and Williams, the lone Jack back in '26.
Ennis, no stranger to the Southland after having played 32 games for Nicholls, was named the 2022 SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American. He joins the linebacker room after spending the 2025 season at UAB. The Ohatchee, Alabama native has over 200 career tackles, including 105 solo and a collective 31 for loss. He has produced seven sacks, 11 passes defended with three interceptions, and four forced fumbles.
Williams enjoyed an impactful year one in the Piney Woods. The top returning tackler for the Jacks in 2026, the Brookhaven, Mississippi native delivered 91 stops last fall; one of a dozen Southland Conference defenders to reach 90. His 44 solo stops were fifth among that dozen. Williams' versatility saw him rank second on the team in passes defended with six including an interception return touchdown against Cal Poly. Last fall, Williams, who will don the #0 this season after being selected as the Ultimate Teammate by his peers this spring, became the first Jack since 2019 with a 17-tackle performance in the Week 2 loss at ACU.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
OL – Erik Gray
SPECIAL TEAMS
PR – Bugs Mortimer
SECOND TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Eli Ennis
THIRD TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Malachi Williams
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener, the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
Returning All-Americans Erik Gray (OL) and Bugs Mortimer (PR) headline the Jacks' contingent as first-team selections, while Nacogdoches newcomer Eli Ennis (LB) and second-year standout Malachi Williams (LB) represent the SFA defense as second and third-team selections, respectively.
Gray, a consensus pick as an All-American last fall, was named the 2025 Southland Conference Offensive Lineman of the Year and an All-SLC first teamer. The Amarillo, Texas native became the first SFA offensive lineman to receive AA plaudits since 2011, and he enters the '26 campaign having played over 1,000 collegiate snaps. Last fall, Gray rated as PFF's top center in the Southland producing league-best metrics in offensive rating (73.7) and run blocking (72.9), while ranking fifth among all SLC linemen with 390+ snaps played in pass blocking.
Recognized as a single-digit honoree by his teammates prior to SFA's record-setting fall, Gray helped protect SFA quarterbacks to the tune of the league's fourth-best passing attack (235.9) and he was an integral part of a unit that allowed the fewest sacks per game in the SLC (1.42) in the regular season. His run blocking provided space for the SLC's fourth-best overall rushing attack (156.4), an FCS top 10 redzone offense (91.1%) and an FCS top 10 first downs offense (302).
Mortimer, an SLC first team selection as a punt returner, led all NCAA divisions with four punt return touchdowns and paced the FCS with 21.5 yards per return in 2025. His 537 punt return yards set a new program and SLC single season record, while his 159 punt return yards against Nicholls broke a 41-year-old single-game school record. A two-time SLC Special Teams Player of the Week and Stats Perform FCS National ST Player of the Week; Mortimer became the first SFA return man to receive AA honors since 2011.
Despite seeing the departure of 10 of its 11 starters from a record-setting defense a season ago, the Jacks reloaded defensively and will be led by second-level standouts Ennis and Williams, the lone Jack back in '26.
Ennis, no stranger to the Southland after having played 32 games for Nicholls, was named the 2022 SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-American. He joins the linebacker room after spending the 2025 season at UAB. The Ohatchee, Alabama native has over 200 career tackles, including 105 solo and a collective 31 for loss. He has produced seven sacks, 11 passes defended with three interceptions, and four forced fumbles.
Williams enjoyed an impactful year one in the Piney Woods. The top returning tackler for the Jacks in 2026, the Brookhaven, Mississippi native delivered 91 stops last fall; one of a dozen Southland Conference defenders to reach 90. His 44 solo stops were fifth among that dozen. Williams' versatility saw him rank second on the team in passes defended with six including an interception return touchdown against Cal Poly. Last fall, Williams, who will don the #0 this season after being selected as the Ultimate Teammate by his peers this spring, became the first Jack since 2019 with a 17-tackle performance in the Week 2 loss at ACU.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
OL – Erik Gray
SPECIAL TEAMS
PR – Bugs Mortimer
SECOND TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Eli Ennis
THIRD TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Malachi Williams
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener, the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will be the eighth for head coach Colby Carthel as the SFA football program hits the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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