MOREHEAD, Ky. -- Sixteen Morehead State football student-athletes have earned nods on the All-Pioneer League postseason teams, including six named to the first-team.

The awards are voted on by the coaching staffs in the PFL.

First-Teamers include senior wide receiver BJ Byrd, the only unanimous selection in the conference who also earned the Offensive Player of the Year accolade, and senior defensive end Vaughn Taylor, Jr., the league's Defensive Player of the Year. The four other Eagles named first-team were senior quarterback Mark Pappas, junior offensive lineman Cam Marriott, senior linebacker Vincent Winey and freshman long snapper Brady McKnight.

Second-Team awards were bestowed upon grad student tight end Matt DeBlaiso, freshman defensive back Cooper Krezek and grad student punter Andrew Foster.

Foster was also named Honorable Mention as a kicker as well as other honorable mentions: senior wide receiver DeVonte Adams, senior running back Issiah Aguero, senior defensive lineman Devon Connors, senior linebacker Cameron Barrett, junior defensive back Khiyree Keith, senior cornerback Tyler Noble and freshman offensive lineman Jaxsen Spears.

Byrd, of Richmond, Calif., ended the regular season as the FCS' top receiver. He led the subdivision with 1,313 receiving yards, 90 receptions, and 8.2 receptions per game in 2021. Byrd's yardage total, catches and his 13 touchdowns are all MSU single-season records. He also set the single-game record with four TDs against Stetson. Byrd ranked second along all FCS players in touchdown receptions and receiving yards per game (119.4 ypg) during the season. He had an FCS-best eight 100-yard receiving performances in 11 games, including his 223-yard, four-touchdown day against Stetson. Byrd is one of 25 finalists for the Stats Perform FCS Walter Payton Award. He also finished his two-year career ranked among the best receivers in program history. In just 18 games (seven spring games after transferring from Jacksonville), Byrd compiled 1,780 yards, 21 touchdowns, averaging 98.9 yards per game.

Taylor, from Washington, D.C., led all PFL defenders with 23 tackles for loss and his 2.09 tackles for loss per game, ranking second among all FCS athletes in 2021. He also finished the season with 10 sacks and was 14th in the PFL with 71 total tackles, ranking in the top 20 among FCS players in sacks per game. He recorded a sack in eight of 11 games in 2021, including all five games in October, and had a tackle for loss in all 11 games. Taylor is one of 25 finalists for the Stats Perform FCS Buck Buchanan Award. Taylor, Jr., became the Morehead State career record holder in tackles for loss during the year and wrapped up his career with 60 TFLs. He also had 190 career total tackles.

From Avon Lake, Ohio, Pappas ranked second in the league in passing with 3,446 yards, which ranked as the second-best single-season total in program history. Pappas also connected on 28 touchdowns, also ranked No. 2 on the MSU single-season TD chart now. He was named PFL Offensive Player of the Week three times, compiling five games with 300+ passing yards and five with at least three passing TDs. Pappas ranked among the FCS's top 10 in passing yards and yards per game. His 279 completions this season ranked fourth on the single-season program list. Pappas wrapped up his career with 7,346 career passing yards, which ranks fourth in program history. 

Marriott, who hails from Redlands, Calif., has been a four-year starter on the offensive line, where this season he helped the Eagles average 434 yards per game and rank among the FCS's top 20 in fewest sacks allowed. He has consistently graded as one the Eagles' most consistent linemen. 

Winey, a native of Lindenhurst , N.Y., led the PFL in total tackles this season and became the first Eagle with 100+ stops since 2016. He finished with 106 total stops, including 51 solo tackles, to go along with 12.5 tackles for loss. He also had three sacks, five pass break ups and an interception returned for a touchdown that was MSU's final score of the 2021 season at Valparaiso. Winey concluded his MSU career with 236 tackles, including 26 for losses.

McKnight, from Stephens City, Va., helped te Eagles lead the PFL in punting in 2021 with no bad snaps. His efforts helped punter Andrew Foster set a PFL record for punting average and also set and re-set the program record for consecutive PATs made. 

In his only season in the blue and gold, Seaford, N.Y., native DeBlaiso - a grad transfer after attending Southeastern Louisiana, had 18 catches for 208 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

From Kansas City, Mo., Krezek made an impression in the defensive backfield, ranking second on the team and among PFL leaders with 80 total tackles. He also had 10 passes defended. He compiled six games with at least eight tackles and ended with six tackles for loss.

Foster, a Knoxville, Tenn., native, ranked among the FCS leaders and set the PFL single-season record for punting average at 45.7. He also became the first Eagle punter in program history to average 40+ yards four consecutive seasons, coming up just 0.4 short of the career average record for the Eagles. He also made 12 field goals and was 40-of-42 on PATs, setting the record for consecutive extra point kicks during the year.

Adams, from Fishers, Ind., ended up with the ninth-highest career yardage total in program history with 1,470 after catching 49 passes for 542 yards this fall. He finished his career with a 169-yard, three-touchdown effort at Valparaiso.

Aguero, also from Knoxville, Tenn., led MSU with 554 rushing yards and scored eight times on the ground. He also caught 24 passes for 257 yards and an additional TD. Aguero wrapped up his career with 1,893 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns. His rushing total is the sixth highest career mark in MSU history.

Connors, from Tampa, Fla. who transferred from Purdue, made 27 total tackles in 2021, but a third (9) were in the opponent backfields. In just 18 games as an Eagle, he had 15 tackles for loss.  

Barrett, from Dayton, Ky., finished fifth on the squad with 61 total stops in 2021 and also had three interceptions. Tow of his pick-offs came in a win over Stetson, and he had 3.5 tackles for loss this season. He was also named CoSIDA Academic All-District for the second time in his career this fall.

Keith, another product of Washington, D.C., led the Eagles and ranked among the PFL leaders with four interceptions this season. He also ranked fourth on the team with 62 total tackles and had nine total pass break ups.

Noble, who came to MSU from Irvine, Calif., had three interceptions amo g his team-high 12 passes defended. He also totaled 43 tackles. In 30 career Eagle contests, he had 21 passes defended and five interceptions.

At center, the Plainfield, Ind, product Spears helped the Eagles average 434 yards per game and rank among the FCS's top 20 in fewest sacks allowed.