SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Five Southern Conference football players earned preseason All-America accolades from the Sports Network Tuesday.  Chattanooga defensive end Davis Tull garnered first team honors for the second consecutive season.  Samford defensive back Jaquiski Tartt was named to the second team, while his teammate Warren Handrahan was tabbed as the third team place-kicker.  Chattanooga’s Derrick Lott (DL) and Faysal Shafaat (TE) were also named to the third team. 

Tull is the first Moc to win two league player of the year honors and the first to repeat as SoCon Defensive Player of the Year since Appalachian State’s Dexter Coakley took the award three times from 1994-96. He is UTC’s all-time leader with 26.5 career sacks and is the active leader in the FCS for career sacks and career forced fumbles (8).  He is also the first Capital One Academic All-American in the history of the Mocs football program. 

Tartt ranked second in the Southern Conference in total passes defended (10) during the 2013 season. He ranked third on the team in tackles with 98, including a team-high 69 solo stops.

At the conclusion of his junior season, Tartt was named All-American by the Sports Network for the second year in a row. He was also named first team All-Conference by the SoCon for the second-straight year.

Handrahan ranked third in the conference in scoring and first in the league in scoring by kick, averaging 7.5 points per game last season. Handrahan made 19-of-24 field goals, including a long kick of 48 yards. He was also good on 40-of-41 extra-point attempts.

Handrahan also garnered some accolades at the conclusion of the 2013 season. He was named second team All-Conference, as well as All-Freshman by the Southern Conference.

Shafaat made the third team for his second preseason All-American recognition.  He is a two-time first team All-SoCon selection and has been one of the top weapons in the passing game for the Mocs the last two seasons. Shafaat had 322 receiving yards and six touchdowns on 35 catches last season.  His 13 career receiving TDs ranks No. 6 on the Mocs all-time list. 

After earning second team All-SoCon honors in 2012, big things were expected from Lott last season.  The transfer from Georgia had his 2013 campaign cut short with an elbow injury at Georgia Southern early in the year.  He was granted a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA and is again expected to be a major part of the Mocs defensive front.