Draft Scout Arkansas State Player News, College Football: Arkansas State

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Draft Scout College Football Player News: Arkansas State

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08/03/22 - Kivon Bennett, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

Arkansas State's Kivon Bennett was long aware he'd be changing positions this offseason. It was a move he and Red Wolves Coach Butch Jones had planned upon his arrival in Jonesboro last spring. But knowing he would transition from defensive end to outside linebacker didn't necessarily make the shift easy for Bennett. He acknowledged throughout spring camp that he was still making mistakes and trying to "not bash [himself] too much" for them.

Fast forward a few months and the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference selection said he believes he's in a much better place. "I'm where I need to be," Bennett told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette when asked about his position change. "I felt way more confident over the summer, even though we haven't had pads on...I know it's going to be different when the game comes. It's probably going to take me maybe the first game or so [to adjust], but I'm not too worried about it." Going into his final collegiate season, Bennett said he is hoping to cement himself as an NFL prospect, and there's a consensus both inside and outside the program that playing linebacker will give Bennett the best chance to reach that level. - Northwest Arkansas Times

rSr/2023

OLB Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State
News Source: Northwest Arkansas Times
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07/28/22 - Kivon Bennett, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

Arkansas State football is picked to finish 6th in the Sun Belt Preseason Coaches Poll, released Monday afternoon. Louisiana is picked to repeat as West Division Champions with 12 out of 14 first-place votes, followed by South Alabama (2 first-place votes), Troy, Texas State, Southern Miss, Arkansas State and ULM rounding out the list. The Red Wolves finished fifth in the Sun Belt West last year, going 1-7 in SBC play.

A-State had three players represented in the All-Sun Belt Preseason teams: Linebacker Kivon Bennett (First Team Defense), return specialist Johnnie Lang (First Team Special Teams) and wide receiver Te'Vailance Hunt (Second Team Offense). Bennett had a monster year at defensive end for the Red Wolves, ranking second in the Sun Belt with 16.5 tackles for a loss and fourth with 8 sacks. He'll change positions to linebacker for the upcoming season. - Kait8.com

rSr/2023

OLB Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State
News Source: Kait8.com
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07/27/22 - Micah Bland, rSr/2024, Arkansas State + More +

2022 PRESEASON ASUN FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM: DL Micah Bland, North Alabama, Jr., Louisville, Ky.,...Started all 11 games on the defensive line for the Lions in 2021...Finished sixth on the team in tackles with 42 total (16 solo, 26 assists)…Added 1.5 tackles for loss of seven yards, a sack for five yards, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and three blocked kicks. - North Alabama Football

rSr/2024

DT Micah Bland, Arkansas State
News Source: North Alabama Football
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07/24/22 - Johnnie Lang, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

2022 PRESEASON DOAK WALKER AWARD CANDIDATE: Johnnie Lang, Jr. (Sr.), Arkansas State,...Running back Johnnie Lang Jr. (5-8, 186) played four seasons at Iowa State before transferring to Arkansas State. Was named a Phil Steele and PFF First Team All-Sun Belt punt returner … Played in all 12 games with three starts at running back for Arkansas State … Led the Red Wolves with 124 punt return yards on 15 attempts, including a 63-yard return for a touchdown against Tulsa … Finished first in the Sun Belt Conference with a punt return average of 8.3 yards per return … Finished the year ranked second on the team with 263 rushing yards on 65 carries …At East Lake High School (Salt Lake City, Utah), Lange led the team to a Class 4A state championship as a senior. He played quarterback in a triple option offense, rushed for 1,788 yards, averaging 12. 7 yards per carry, and 23 touchdowns. - Arkansas State Football

rSr/2023

RB Johnnie Lang, Arkansas State
News Source: Arkansas State Football
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07/22/22 - TeVailance Hunt, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

2022 PRESEASON BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST: Te'Vailance Hunt, Arkansas State,...Hunt was a Third Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection last season, as well as a Phil Steele and PFF all-conference choice after hauling in 51 receptions for 740 yards and six touchdowns. His 67.3 receiving yards per game ranked sixth in the Sun Belt, while his six receiving touchdowns were the seventh most in the league. He has been named 2022 preseason all-conference by publications such as Phil Steele's and Athlon Sports. - Arkansas State Football

rSr/2023

WR TeVailance Hunt, Arkansas State
News Source: Arkansas State Football
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07/22/22 - Corey Rucker, rJr/2026, Arkansas State + More +

2022 PRESEASON BILETNIKOFF AWARD WATCH LIST: Corey Rucker, South Carolina,...Rucker comes to South Carolina after spending two seasons at Arkansas State University. He appeared in 20 games over the past two seasons, collecting 75 receptions for 1,279 years (17.1 per catch) and 14 touchdowns for the Red Wolves. Rucker has four career 100-yard receiving games, including a career-best nine-catch, 310-yard, four touchdown performance against ULM in 2020. Rucker was an FWAA Freshman All-America honoree in 2021 as Arkansas State listed him as a frosh due to COVID-19 in 2020. He led the team and ranked fifth in the Sun Belt with 826 receiving yards on 59 catches last year. - South Carolina

rJr/2026

WR Corey Rucker, Arkansas State
News Source: South Carolina
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07/21/22 - Zak Wallace, rSr/2025, Arkansas State + More +

2022 PRESEASON ALL-OHIO VALLEY FOOTBALL (COACHES): RB Zak Wallace, UT Martin,...Wallace is coming off a breakout season in which he earned All-OVC first team honors and was named to a pair of freshman All-American lists by both HERO Sports and Phil Steele. The tailback tallied 148 carries for 807 yards but racked up 15 touchdowns which led the OVC and ranked sixth nationally. Along with leading the OVC in scoring with 90 points on the season, the Benton, Ark. native recorded multiple touchdowns in four contests while reaching the endzone a career-high three times against Murray State. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry to rank second in the league while eclipsing the 100-yard plateau in three contests. Additionally, he earned a pair of OVC Newcomer of the Week honors while picking up one OVC Offensive Player of the Week selection. - Tennessee-Martin Football

rSr/2025

RB Zak Wallace, Arkansas State
News Source: Tennessee-Martin Football
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07/20/22 - Emmanual Stevenson, Sr/2025, Arkansas State + More +

Arkansas State football looks set to be a part of EA Sports' world-renowned College Football video game series for the first time since 2013. Arkansas State confirmed to Region 8 Sports the school was contacted by EA, and the school "sent assets to EA in order to help replicate the various elements in the game." A-State wouldn't say which assets were sent, but sources say EA Sports have already been out to Centennial Bank Stadium, taking pictures of the venue. Other assets could include logos and uniforms. Extra Points reports several schools have been sending audio assets, including fight songs, to EA.

According to a memo sent out by College Licensing Company (CLC) in February, obtained by Matt Brown with Extra Points, "nearly 120 institutions, athletic conferences and bowl games" have "conceptually approved participation," with an industry expectation being that every FBS institution will be in the game when the game launches, which is reportedly Summer of 2023. The last college football video game released was NCAA Football 14, the last game Arkansas State, licensed by CLC, was included in. - Kait8.com

Sr/2025

TE Emmanual Stevenson, Arkansas State
News Source: Kait8.com
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07/19/22 - Kivon Bennett, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

We're just a couple of weeks away from Sun Belt Media Days in New Orleans. The Red Wolves revealed their speaking lineup Sunday morning. Linebacker Kivon Bennett and quarterback James Blackman will head to the Big Easy, they'll represent the Red Wolves along with head coach Butch Jones. Bennett recorded 16 and a half tackles for a loss in 2021, leading the conference with 8 sacks. The defensive end/linebacker had 58 stops plus a scoop and score. Blackman's 2022 was cut short due to injury, playing in the first six games of the season. He completed 59.5 percent of his passes, throwing for 1,344 yards with 8 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. - Kait8.com

rSr/2023

OLB Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State
News Source: Kait8.com
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07/07/22 - Leon Jones, Sr/2024, Arkansas State + More +

A busy and productive spring for the Arkansas State football team has carried over into the summer, but not just on the fields, in campus classrooms or the many student-athlete enhancement areas comprising Centennial Bank Athletics Operations Center. The Red Wolves have been extremely active in community-service projects as part of their new "Champions in the Community" program established this past spring by head coach Butch Jones and his A-State coaching and support staff. Like Jones' "4th and 1" program, the "Champions in the Community" initiative provides an opportunity for student-athletes to gain rewarding growth as individuals in A-State's football program. At the same time, it goes hand-in-hand with Jones' conviction that the football program and community are inherently linked together as integral parts necessary to develop a winning culture.

The Red Wolves community-service efforts are backing up something Jones has been vocal about since his arrival in Northeast Arkansas - the support the football program and community provide each other are extremely important, so giving back is going to be a priority for A-State's football program. "I'm proud of the way our players and the community have both embraced this outreach, service and involvement," said Jones. "We're doing things weekly in Jonesboro and the surrounding areas, so we're excited our players are getting out there and embedding themselves in our community." - Arkansas State Football

Sr/2024

CB Leon Jones, Arkansas State
News Source: Arkansas State Football
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07/07/22 - Jordan Rhodes, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

Ole Miss offensive lineman Jordan Rhodes has entered the NCAA transfer portal according to On3. Rhodes, a former South Carolina transfer, joined the Rebels last year. He played in 12 games for Ole Miss last season and made one start. He'll be a graduate transfer. Rhodes, a Georgia native, was a three-star recruit in the 2017 recruiting class. - On3.com

rSr/2023

OT Jordan Rhodes, Arkansas State
News Source: On3.com
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06/23/22 - Chris Odom, Sr/2017, Arkansas State + More +

Former Arkansas State football standout defensive end and First Team All-Sun Belt Conference selection Chris Odom was announced Wednesday as the United States Football League's (USFL) Defensive Player of the Year. Playing for the Houston Gamblers, Odom racked up a USFL-best 12.5 sacks to go along with 8.0 tackles for loss, 43 tackles and six forced fumbles during the league's inaugural season. Additionally, A-State's second all-time leader in career blocks (5) posted four blocked field goals on the year for Houston.

Odom, who has also spent time in the National Football League (NFL), Canadian Football League (CFL) and Alliance of American Football (AAF), led a Gamblers' defense that ranked first in the league in forced fumbles (14), tied for first in interceptions (13) and second in sacks (26). The Arlington, Texas, native finished his career at Arkansas State in 2016 and is currently ranked 10th in career sacks (16.5) and second in blocked kicks (5) in school history. - Arkansas State football

Sr/2017

DE Chris Odom, Arkansas State
News Source: Arkansas State football
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05/28/22 - King Mwikuta, rJr/2025, Arkansas State + More +

With the 2022 Arkansas State football season set begin Sept. 3rd with a home game against Grambling State, kickoff times and television designations were announced Thursday for the Red Wolves' first three contests of the year. The Red Wolves will begin their second season under head coach Butch Jones with three consecutive non-conference games to begin September, including Ohio State and Memphis in addition to Grambling State. Playing its season and home opener at Centennial Bank Stadium for the seventh time over the last 10 years, A-State's game against Grambling State will kickoff at 6:00 p.m. and appear on ESPN3.

One week later, A-State will travel to Columbus to face eight-time national champion Ohio State for the first time in school history on Sept. 10th. The game is slated to start at 11:00 a.m. CT, and will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Arkansas State will remain on the road the next week as well to play its 61st all-time game versus Memphis on Sept. 17th. The contest at Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium will kickoff at 6:00 p.m. and be broadcast on ESPN+. - Kait8.com

rJr/2025

OLB King Mwikuta, Arkansas State
News Source: Kait8.com
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05/19/22 - James Blackman, rSr/2023, Arkansas State + More +

Quarterback James Blackman started 24 games at Florida State over four seasons and is tied for 10th in Seminoles history with 43 touchdown passes. That's not the kind of resume you usually find with Sun Belt quarterbacks. Blackman took over as the FSU starter as a true freshman in 2017 after Deondre Francois was lost for the season in the opener. He threw for 186 yards per game with 19 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Then Florida State started to fall apart.

Jimbo Fisher quit at the end of 2017 to take the Texas A&M job. Willie Taggart went 9-12 and was fired at the end of his second year. And then Mike Norvell went 3-6 in his first season and Blackman's last in Tallahassee. Blackman never had a chance to get settled after getting thrown in freshman year, and then he was in a quarterback battle at Arkansas State last year, making five starts. Now in his sixth college season, he's finally locked in as the starter as a 6-foot-5, 190-pound veteran who's been through a lot. That's a ton of experience for a former top-400 national recruit. He might bring a little something to this game. - Cleveland Plain Dealer

rSr/2023

QB James Blackman, Arkansas State
News Source: Cleveland Plain Dealer
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05/18/22 - Corey Rucker, rJr/2026, Arkansas State + More +

Incoming South Carolina receiver Corey Rucker needs a new ice cream shop. It's not that he's trying to fight off the hellish midsummer Columbia heat, though that will come. He's not even really hankering for sweets. It's simply part of a routine that dates back to his time at Arkansas State and a tradition borne out of a relationship between quarterback and receiver he hopes will translate to South Carolina. "I was always a big fan of throwing at night," former Arkansas State quarterback Layne Hatcher told The State. "That's when I liked to throw and (Rucker) was always willing to come, and sometimes I just had to buy him some ice cream afterwards." "I didn't understand what those late nights in the indoor (facility) running routes and throwing meant (then)," Rucker added. "It comes to those situations where we've repped this so much and he's throwing the ball so much, we have so much connection and such a relationship, that it just happens. He just throws the ball and I know how it's gonna come." That the ex-Arkansas State star landed in the Southeastern Conference is a long time coming.

It wasn't that long ago that he and his coaches couldn't convince in-state schools to take a swing on him out of high school and he seemed destined for junior college. Three years later, Rucker profiles as an immediate impact piece this year and a receiver the Gamecocks can build around heading into 2022 and beyond. Had he stayed at Arkansas State, he was on pace to see his name scattered around the school's record books. After a coaching change from Anderson to former Tennessee coach Butch Jones, Rucker felt he had a chance to parlay his second season at ASU that included 59 receptions for 826 yards and nine touchdowns into the SEC chance he sought out of high school. - Rock Hill Herald

rJr/2026