PHILSTEELE.com – Indiana State's Elijah Owens added to his postseason accolades this week as the redshirt freshman quarterback was named to the 2024 Phil Steele FCS Freshman All-American Second Team.
 
It marks his third All-American nod of the postseason after previously being recognized on the FCS Football Central Freshman All-American Team and the Stats Perform Freshman All-American squad earlier this month. In addition to his trio of All-American nods, the Jacksonville, Ill. native also finished ninth overall in the 2024 Jerry Rice Award voting honoring the FCS National Freshman Player of the Year. He posted the most votes and points overall by an Indiana State player in program history.
 
Owens earned MVFC All-Newcomer honors after leading Indiana State's passing and rushing efforts over the course of the 2024 season. He set a Sycamore quarterback rushing record with 645 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns over the course of the season, while adding 1,717 passing yards and 12 more scores through the air. Owens finished fifth in the MVFC in total offense per game (222.88).
 
Owens posted three 100-yard rushing games and three 200-yard passing efforts over the course of 2024. He added three games with multiple passing touchdowns including a 30-for-37 game with 260 yards and three touchdowns against Eastern Illinois. Owens added a career-high 25 carries for 127 rushing yards and one touchdown against Youngstown State, while wrapping up the 2024 season with 168 passing yards, 107 rushing yards, and a touchdown at Northern Iowa.
 
In addition to Owens earning All-American honors, eight Sycamores were named to the Phil Steele MVFC All-Conference Team as announced by the organization. Geoffrey Brown and Garret Ollendieck picked up Second Team recognition, while Joey Shew was honored on the Third Team. Griffin Comer, Gianini Belizaire, and Maddix Blackwell were all recognized on the Fourth Team. Rashad Rochelle and Jude McCoskey both picked up Fifth Team honors.
 
Brown was the only player in the conference to eclipse 100 tackles over the course of the regular season with 112 (10.2 per game) on the year. He averaged 10.5 tackles per game in conference play including double-digit tackles in four of the last five games of the season, including a career-high 19 tackles against North Dakota.
 
Ollendieck was second in the MVFC in tackles per game (10.0) and was inside the FCS Top 10 in both tackles per game and solo tackles prior to injury. He wrapped up the year second on the Sycamores with 7.0 TFL, while recording a scoop-and-score on a fumble against Dayton in Indiana State's win over the Flyers. He finished the year with four double-digit tackle games.
 
Shew led the Sycamores in both tackles-for-loss (9.5) and sacks (4.5), among his 46 tackles on the field. He added four quarterback hurries, a forced fumble, and a blocked kick to his tallies over the years. Shew highlighted his year with 3.0 tackles-for-loss, 2.0 sacks, and a pick-six 20-yard interception return for a touchdown against North Dakota in the Sycamores' win over the Fighting Hawks.
 
Comer spent the majority of Indiana State's season as the starting center on the offensive line. His ability inside allowed the Sycamores to post five games with 150-plus rushing yards and six games with 150-plus passing yards over the course of the season.
 
Belizaire finished among the Sycamores' tackle-for-loss leaders (7.0) on the season and was fourth on the team in sacks (3.0) while playing on the interior of the defensive line. He posted a season-high six tackles three separate times over the course of the season, while adding a three-tackle, 1.5 TFL, one sack, and one forced fumble game in the Sycamores' win over Dayton.
 
Blackwell was seventh in the MVFC in tackles per game (7.5) with 90 overall on the season over 12 games. He posted three double-digit tackling games in 2024 coming against Purdue, Dayton, and North Dakota. Blackwell added a forced fumble against Purdue and an interception early in the season at Eastern Illinois.
 
Rochelle was third in the MVFC in all-purpose yards (112.63) in conference play while finishing third in the Valley in receptions and receptions per game. He highlighted his first season with the Sycamores with a 10-catch, 105-yard, one-touchdown game against Illinois State, while posting 11 games with three or more receptions. He added five games with 50-plus receiving yards on the season, while also showcasing his speed and open field vision in finishing sixth in the NCAA FCS in combined kick return yards (751).
 
McCoskey spent the majority of Indiana State's season as the starting left tackle on the offensive line. The 2023 HERO Sports Freshman All-American led to the line helping the offense post five games with 150-plus rushing yards and six games with 150-plus passing yards over the course of the season.
 
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