Dozen Blue Devils Recognized On Phil Steele Preseason NEC Team

Central Connecticut State junior Kimal Clark has been tabbed the NEC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year with the announcement of the 2024 Phil Steele/Draftscout FCS Preseason All-Conference Teams Friday morning. Clark is one of eight Blue Devils named to that Preseason All-NEC Team First Team, while four were named to the second team.

Joining Clark on the first team are Jayden Anderson, Jack Barnum, Gavin Bryson, Isaiah DeLoatch, Cole Escoto, Elijah Howard and Malachi Wright. Delvin Attafah, Aidan Clark, Jonathan Kuhler and Michael Plaskon were selected to the second team.  Anderson, Barnum, Clark, DeLoatch and Howard were all selected Preseason All-NEC by the leagues head coaches as well.

Clark was named to the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List earlier this week. Coming off a sophomore campaign in which he was named All New-England and First-Team All-NEC he finished the 2023 season with 89 tackles. Clark's 8.9 tackles per game ranked second in the league and 32^nd in FCS rankings. Clark averaged 5.3 solo stops per game, 17^th nationally and tops among NEC players. He had a season-high 15 tackles, 10 solo, in the season-finale and finished the campaign with four double-digit tackle games.

Anderson returns for another season as one of the top linebackers in the NEC. He finished last season with 43 total tackles, including 5.0 TFL's in playing in all 11 games. Over his 33 career games he has 77 stops, 37 solo and two sacks.

Barnum was selected as the league's top kicker a season-ago. He tied the school's single-season record by booting 13 field goals over the course of the campaign. He was good on 72.2 percent of his attempts, which led the league, and he ranked second at 1.18 field goals per game. Barnum accounted for 6.3 points per game, tops in the NEC this season.

DeLoatch has played in 18 games over the past three years, with seven appearances in 2023. He returns to anchor an offensive line that was 10^th in the nation last season, first in the NEC, by allowing just 1.27 sacks per game. The Blue Devils averaged 186.8 yards per game on the ground in 2023, including a school-record 498 yards running versus Delaware State.

Howard made an immediate impact for the Blue Devils offense, accounting for 119.5 all-purpose yards per game, which is the 19th best number in FCS football this season. He averaged 90 yards per game on the ground, with four games over 100 yards that was highlighted by a 257-yard rushing effort against Delaware State. Howard carried the ball 170 times for 990 yards this fall, caught 15 passes for 165 yards and had eight returns for 159 yards.

Bryson, a defensive back, recorded 41 total tackles in playing all 11 games in 2023. HE recorded 26 solo tackles and led the squad with eight pass breakups.

Escoto was named to the team as the long snapper and was part of the special teams crew that helped Barnum tie the school record for made field goals.  The Blue Devils led the NEC in field goal percentage, where third in punt average and fourth in PAT percentage with Escoto snapping.

Wright, a linebacker finished fifth on the team with 49 tackles a season ago, with 28 of those being solo stops. He had an interception, 7.5 TFL and 3.5 sacks on the season.

Attafah is the reception leader amongst the returning wide receivers, making 19 catches for 240 yards during his first season with the Blue Devils.

Aiden Clark was second in the NEC a year ago with a 39.8 yard per punt average and placed 13 of his 48 punts inside the 20-yard line.

Kuhler played 10 games last season as part of the special teams and offensive line.

Plaskon, on the team as a returner, had nine punt returns last season and averaged 7.2 yard per return.

The Blue Devils open the 2024 season on August 29^th at Central Michigan, before hosting Fordham in the home opener, Saturday, September 7^th. Season tickets for the 2024 season are currently an sale by clicking here.