Elon, N.C. – One of the most respected names in college football, Phil Steele, has named Elon safety
Caleb Curtain and wide receiver/specialist
Chandler Brayboy among his FCS All-American teams, as announced today. Steele also named Curtain as the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Brayboy to all-conference status at three different positions. In total, 11 different Elon players were recognized on Phil Steele's all-conference teams.
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Curtain earned first team preseason All-America honors as a defensive back, the second time he has been named a first team All-American heading into the 2024 season. Brayboy was named a second team All-American as an all-purpose specialist.
For Curtain, the honor comes following a 2023 season that included recognition as a second team All-American by Stats Perform, the AFCA, the Associate Press and Phil Steele. He had a team-high 80 tackles and a CAA-best four interceptions a year ago and has also been named a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team and to the Buck Buchanan preseason watch list, given to the best defensive player in FCS Football.
Brayboy earned his first All-America nod as an all-purpose special teamer. Brayboy's impact on special teams is extensive, as he averaged 26.9 yards per kick return a year ago and also serves as a gunner who has consistently made big plays on coverage units. Asa wide receiver, he averaged 19.6 yards per reception a year ago and was named CAA Preseason All-Conference. He was also named the fourth-most explosive player in FCS Football earlier this summer by Stats Perform/The Analyst.
Elon also earned recognition among the Phil Steele's Preseason All-CAA teams. Curtain was named CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and First Team All-Conference. Brayboy was named first team All-CAA as an all-purpose specialist as well, but also earned second team all-conference honors at both wide receiver and kick returner.
Cazeem Moore,
Marco Patierno,
Khalil Baker and
Jack Berkowitz were also named to Phil Steele's second team.
Moore started all 11 games a year ago as a defensive end, finishing with 31 tackles, including 4.0 for loss and three sacks. Patierno was named a Freshman All-American by Stats Perform, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele after his debut season at linebacker. He finished with 68 tackles, 5.0 for loss and two fumble recoveries, including a defensive touchdown against Hampton.
Baker is a redshirt senior transfer safety from North Carolina Central. He was a 2022 AFCA All-American and Associated Press First Team All-American, earning the 2022 Aeneas Williams Award, given to the nation's best defensive back in HBCU Division I college football. Berkowitz was a freshman All-American kicker a year ago, making 12-of-15 field goals and closing the year with six consecutive field goals made.
Matthew Downing,
Jabril Williams,
Brandon Tyson and
Jeff Yurk were named third team preseason all-conference by Phil Steele as well.
Downing is a redshirt senior quarterback who started nine games a year ago after transferring from Louisiana Tech. He ranked No. 4 nationally in yards per completion, No. 8 in yards per pass attempt, No. 9 in passing efficiency and No. 25 in passing touchdowns. Williams is a former third team All-CAA player on the offensive line and started 10 games at center a year ago. He has 36 career starts along a veteran offensive line for the Phoenix.
Tyson was a second team Freshman All-American by Phil Steele in 2023 after starting all 11 games at linebacker for Elon. He has 73 tackles, 9.0 for loss and 1.5 sacks to go with two forced fumbles. Yurk returns to Elon as a redshirt junior punter after having an all-conference season in 2022. He broke the school record with 44.1 yards per punt, ranking fifth nationally in punting average.
Finally, redshirt senior offensive lineman
Zane Gilbert was named fourth team all-conference by Phil Steele. He has started 37 games during his career, including all 34 over the past three seasons. One of the most durable offensive linemen in the country, Gilbert played the seventh-most snaps in the country at left tackle in 2022.
-- ELON --
