Three Jacks Selected to FCS Football Central on SI Preseason All-America Teams
7/24/2026 2:30:00 PM | Football
Gray, Mortimer receive first-team status; Ennis lands on second team
NACOGDOCHES, Texas –FCS Football Central on SI released the outlet's first and second team preseason All-America honorees with three Stephen F. Austin Lumberjacks, the lone Southland Conference program with multiple selections, among the 83 players recognized.
Returning All-Americans Erik Gray (OL) and Bugs Mortimer (PR) were selected to the first team, while Eli Ennis (LB), a standout SLC linebacker entering his first season in the Piney Woods, earned second-team plaudits. All three players were previously named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America list in early July, while Mortimer and Ennis were tabbed to national FCS player of the year watchlists.
Gray and Mortimer recently represented the program at the league's annual Opening Drive Media Days in Houston. Consensus All-America picks last fall, both players earned first-team All-SLC recognition with Gray being named the SLC's Offensive Lineman of the Year and Mortimer leading the country in punt return touchdowns and return average. Each's representation among the nation's very best in 2025 marked the first time an offensive lineman (Gray) and a return specialist (Mortimer) received All-America honors since the 2011 campaign.
Ennis comes to Nacogdoches with 32 games of Southland Conference football experience under his belt after competing with Nicholls from 2022-2024. He spent the 2025 season at UAB and looks to put the finishing touches on an impressive collegiate career that has seen him earn SLC Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors. 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.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
OL – Erik Gray
SPECIAL TEAMS
PR – Bugs Mortimer
SECOND TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Eli Ennis
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 and 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) were selected to the first team, while Eli Ennis (LB), a standout SLC linebacker entering his first season in the Piney Woods, earned second-team plaudits. All three players were previously named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America list in early July, while Mortimer and Ennis were tabbed to national FCS player of the year watchlists.
Gray and Mortimer recently represented the program at the league's annual Opening Drive Media Days in Houston. Consensus All-America picks last fall, both players earned first-team All-SLC recognition with Gray being named the SLC's Offensive Lineman of the Year and Mortimer leading the country in punt return touchdowns and return average. Each's representation among the nation's very best in 2025 marked the first time an offensive lineman (Gray) and a return specialist (Mortimer) received All-America honors since the 2011 campaign.
Ennis comes to Nacogdoches with 32 games of Southland Conference football experience under his belt after competing with Nicholls from 2022-2024. He spent the 2025 season at UAB and looks to put the finishing touches on an impressive collegiate career that has seen him earn SLC Freshman of the Year and Freshman All-American honors. 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.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
OL – Erik Gray
SPECIAL TEAMS
PR – Bugs Mortimer
SECOND TEAM
DEFENSE
LB – Eli Ennis
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 and 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.
Players Mentioned
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