RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. - At the conclusion of the 2023 regular season, the Great American Conference announced its all-conference teams on Wednesday, November 15 and helping fill out the honorees were nine Southern Arkansas Football players including three first-team selections. The total number of honorees and the number of first-team selections are the most for the program since the 2019 season.
 
Headlining the Muleriders' representation as first-teamers are junior running back Jariq Scales who earned his third all-league accolade, junior cornerback Melvin Smith Jr. and junior offensive lineman Colton Grier. Smith and Grier earned All-GAC recognition for the first time in their respective careers.
 
Junior tight end Matthew Whitten landed on the league's second team, while five Muleriders earned honorable mention. Junior Cole Williams was one of three players named as an all-league utility player and freshman offensive lineman Connor Hagerty was one of four freshman named all-conference. Junior defensive end Dawson Scott, junior defensive tackle Elvin Calhoun and junior safety Hosea Singleton all represented the Mulerider defense on the honorable mention team.
 
For Southern Arkansas, all three members of the program's 8 (Calhoun)-7 (Whitten)-0 (Williams) were selected to all-conference teams.
 
MULERIDER OFFENSE
In the season finale, the 2023 Muleriders became just the second team in the program's NCAA history to rush for 2,500 yards and throw for 2,000 yards in the same season, joining the 2022 squad as the only two teams to reach those marks. SAU leads the Great American Conference in first downs (268; 6th DII), ranks second in the league in total offense (469.6; 9th DII) and is third in rushing offense (281.1; 4th DII) and scoring offense (38.2; 18th DII).
 
In the regular season, SAU rushed for 250 yards in five games including two at 400 or more yards rushing highlighted by a 477-yard ground output against Oklahoma Baptist. SAU nearly recorded a third game at 400 or more rushing yards after finishing with 395 against Arkansas Tech. Through the air, SAU topped 200 yards three times with a season-high of 304 coming against East Central, while three other games saw SAU reach 196, 198 and 198 yards passing.
 
Below are a few of the key pieces that helped deliver those numbers:
 
SKILL
 
Jariq Scales || Junior || Osceola, Ark.
All-GAC First Team (RB)
A D2Football.com Elite 100 honoree prior to the season starting, Scales once again showcased why he is one of the GAC's top offensive weapons.
 
In 11 regular season games, the Arkansas native rushed 169 times for 1,017 yards, the first player in program history to record three-consecutive 1,000-yard rushing seasons, at 6.0 yards per carry. He scored 14 touchdowns on the ground, currently the 12th most in DII, and averaged a team-leading 92.5 rushing yards per game.
 
Scales is currently tied for second on the team with 25 receptions for the third-most receiving yards at 225, a receiving touchdown and the team's longest reception this season of 72 yards. Scales produced three games of at least 115 yards rushing and caught three or more passes in a game five times.
 
Additionally, Scales flashed his throwing arm with a completion of 53 yards in his lone attempt this season on the first play from scrimmage against Henderson State. In that game, Scales became the first player in program history to record a rush, catch a pass, complete a pass and return a kick in the same game.
 
He finished the regular season ranked third in the GAC in all-purpose yards per game (114.91) which ranks inside the top 40 nationally. His 92 points scored ranks fifth in the GAC and is third among running backs. Scales' yards per carry (6.0), rushing touchdowns (14), rushing yards (1,017), rushing yards per game (92.5), scoring per game (8.4) and total touchdowns (15) all rank in the top six in the Great American Conference. Each of those statistics are currently inside the top 24 nationally.
 
Matthew Whitten || Junior || Princeton, La.
All-GAC Second Team (TE)
Whitten leads Southern Arkansas in receiving yards (368; 21st GAC), receiving yards per game (36.8) and touchdown receptions (3) and ranks second in catches (25; 21st GAC) with a team-high and the league's 11th-highest yards per catch (14.7) among pass catchers with at least twelve receptions.
 
Whitten hauled in at least three passes in four games during a ten-game regular season. He eclipsed 30 yards receiving five times, recorded four games with 46 or more receiving yards and posted back-to-back 80-yard campaigns in mid-September. Whitten caught touchdown passes against Ouachita, Southern Nazarene and Harding.
 
Cole Williams || Junior || Murchison, Texas
All-GAG Honorable Mention (UTL)
Named the program's "Ultimate Teammate" during fall camp, Williams has proven to be just that as a do-it-all all-league utility selection. Williams leads the team in catches with 30 marking the third-straight season that the Texan has reached the mark in receptions. His 276 receiving yards are second on the team behind Whitten.
 
On September 23, Williams crossed over the 1,000-yard receiving mark for his career as he caught three passes for 19 yards against Arkansas Tech. In the regular season finale, Williams hauled in the 100th pass of his career as part of a three-catch afternoon. Williams' impact expanded much further than as a receiver. He has registered nine special teams tackles this fall, most of which were delivered with a crushing blow. His best performance came against Oklahoma Baptist when he recorded a career-high three tackles.
 
OFFENSIVE LINE
 
Colton Grier || Junior || League City, Texas
All-GAC First Team (OL)
A leader up front for the Muleriders, Grier's presence provided not only protection, but helped power the Muleriders' offensive attack. In over 750 snaps of football, the junior graded out at an average of 81% for the season and produced 116 knockdowns with an impressive 71 MTXE snaps (Mental Toughness Extra Effort). Grier was named the unit's Bull of the Week six times.
 
Connor Hagerty || Freshman || Marshall, Texas
All-GAC Honorable Mention (OL)
It doesn't happen often, a true freshman impacting on the offensive line for one of the nation's most complete units, but when it does it's because of a special talent. Hagerty played in all 11 games totaling over 700 snaps for the Muleriders as a collegiate rookie and produced an average grade of 80%. He delivered 101 knockdowns and 59 MTXE plays (Mental Toughness Extra Effort). He was named the unit's Bull of the Week four times.
 
MULERIDER DEFENSE
A season after allowing opposing offenses to average 437.1 yards per game, 237.5 yards on the ground, 199.5 yards passing and 32.5 points per game, the Muleriders' defensive unit was much improved in 2023. In 11 regular season games this fall, Southern Arkansas allowed 91 fewer total yards per game behind a passing defense that improved by 11 yards and a rushing defense that was better by 77.7 yards in 2023. The Muleriders also allowed 8.4 fewer points per game.
 
The Muleriders held opponents to fewer than 125 rushing yards seven times which includes five games at 93 or fewer yards on the ground. No opponent passed for over 297 yards against the Muleriders and only four threw for more than 200. Last season, SAU registered 52.0 tackles for loss (222) and 20.0 sacks (129). A year later, the Muleriders recorded 71.0 tackles for loss (300) and 26.0 sacks (189).
 
The Muleriders have recorded 11 interceptions and 44 pass breakups this season. The 55 passes defended are the most for the unit since 2017 (57) as are the 44 PBU.
 
Below are a few of the key pieces that helped deliver that overall improvement to the unit:
 
SECONDARY
 
Melvin Smith Jr. || Junior || Bossier City, La.
All-GAC First Team (CB)
Lock. Down. That's Melvin Smith Jr. The Great American Conference's leader in passes defended per game (1.8), Smith ranks second in DII in pass breakups (17) and fourth in DII in passes defended (20) which is currently tied for the single-season program record (Randall Samuel, 1990; Don Unamba, 2012).
 
Smith picked off three passes including one in the endzone against Southwestern Oklahoma and he became the first player in program history to record a 100-yard interception return touchdown and just the second to score from 100 yards out.
 
Smith finished the regular season ranked second on the team in solo tackles with 28, while his 40.0 tackles, which includes 4.0 tackles for loss (17), are currently the sixth-most on the Mulerider defense.
 
Additionally, Smith averaged 20.4 yards per kick return on 13 returns totaling 265 yards; tenth-best through 11 games in the GAC. 
 
Hosea Singleton || Junior || Bay St. Louis, Miss.
All-GAC Honorable Mention (S)
Singleton was one of several key additions for a Mulerider defense that was greatly improved in 2023. His 45.0 tackles are currently the fifth-most on the team and he is one of six Muleriders with 20 or more solo stops. Singleton delivered four or more tackles in a game seven times which includes three games with six or more stops. He registered a dozen against Harding. The Mississippi native recorded 1.0 tackle for loss to go along with two pass breakups.
 
DEFENSIVE LINE
 
Dawson Scott || Junior || Mexia, Texas
All-GAC Honorable Mention (DE)
Dangerous Dawson Scott. In 11 regular season games, GAC quarterbacks were certainly in danger with #43 rushing the edge. Scott is one of four Muleriders to record 50.0 or more tackles this season, while posting team-leading numbers in tackles for loss (13.0, 74) and sacks (8.0, 62); both of which are career-highs for the Texan. His 0.73 sacks per game along with his 1.2 tackles for loss per game both rank fifth in the GAC with his sack average a top 30 mark in DII. Scott recorded one or more sacks in six games with 1.5 tackles for loss or more in four games. He delivered a career-high 4.0 TFL in the season-opening win over Southeastern Oklahoma.
 
Elvin Calhoun || Junior || Palestine, Texas
All-GAC Honorable Mention (DT)
A force up front, Calhoun's presence on the Mulerider defensive line created more than enough issues for opposing offenses and kept offensive coordinators up at night knowing they would have to scheme #8. In ten regular season games, Calhoun recorded 20.0 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (23) and 2.5 sacks (18) with one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery.