Champion Colonels dominate selections to All-Southland Conference football team

Southland Conference football champion Nicholls captured most of the major league awards, the SLC announced Wednesday.

Nicholls running back Jaylon Spears was named the 2023 Southland Football Player of the Year, while Tim Rebowe was named Coach of the Year.

Mark Barthelemy was selected as the Offensive Lineman of the Year, and defensive lineman Rasheed Lovelace was named Freshman of the Year.

Spears, a red-shirt sophomore, finished with 1,286 all-purpose yards, including 709 rushing and 256 receiving, and nine touchdowns. His 126.80 all-purpose yards average was first in the SLC and ranked 12th nationally.

He is the third player in Nicholls history to receive Player of the Year honors. Defensive lineman Sully Laiche won the award in 2019 and quarterback Chase Fourcade in 2018.

Rebowe, in his ninth season as coach of the Colonels and the winningest coach in school history, led Nicholls to an undefeated mark of 7-0 in conference play. It marked the first time in school history for Nicholls to capture the SLC title in an undefeated fashion.

He is the four Nicholls coach to receive the honor. Jay Thomas won the award in 2005, Daryl Day in 2002, and Darren Barbier in 1997.

Earlier in the week, Rebowe was announced as a finalist for the Eddie Robinson Award, which goes to the top coach on the Football Championship Subdivision level.

Barthelemy, a senior, was a key cog along a Nicholls offensive line that averaged 162.4 yards per game over the course of the 2023 season. In Southland games, the Colonels rushed for an average of 219.7 yards per contest.

Lovelace, a red-shirt freshman, recorded 25 tackles including two-and-a-half for loss, and a half sack.

Earlier this week, Lovelace was named a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, which goes to the top freshman in the nation on the FCS level.

Nicholls placed six players on the All-SLC first team and 10 on the second-team squad.

Joining Lovelace in the All-SLC first team offense is junior running back teammate Collin Guggenheim. Guggenheim is a two-time All-Conference selection.

Along with Barthelemy, his Colonel offensive line mate, junior Evan Roussel, was selected to the first-team offense. He is a four-time selection.

Nicholls has a pair of junior defensive backs selected the first-team All-Conference, Tyler Morton and Kendarius Smith.

Colonel players selected second-team All-Conference on offense were sophomore quarterback Pat McQuaide, junior tight end Lee Negrotto, senior receiver David Robinson, senior kicker Gavin Lasseigne, and sophomore punter Kylan Dupre.

Joining Lovelace on the second-team defense from Nicholls were fellow defensive linemen Perry Ganci and junior Kershawn Fisher. Ganci, a senior, is a three-time selection.

Also named to the second-team defense from Nicholls were red-shirt sophomore linebacker Hayden Shaheen, and senior defensive back Jordan Jackson. Jackson is a two-time selection.