BETHLEHEM, Pa. – Seven Patriot League football student-athletes received 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America honors when it was announced, with three making the first team, three on the second team and one on the third. The League also boasted one student-athletes on the Freshman All-America squad.
Holy Cross senior wide receiver Jalen Coker earned a spot on the Stats Perform FCS All-America First-Team Offense after leading the nation and tying the Patriot League single-season record with 15 touchdown receptions. Teammate Jacob Dobbs (5th, LB) was named to the first-team defense after being named Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year for the second time during a historic career that saw him break the League’s career tackles record (432).
Lafayette senior linebacker Billy Shaeffer also received first-team defense honors after leading the Patriot League and finishing fourth in the FCS in tackles for loss (TFLs) per game (1.8) and ninth in sacks per game (0.83). Shaeffer was also third in the FCS in forced fumbles per game (0.42) and is one of three finalists for the Buck Buchanan Award, presented annually to the FCS Defensive Player of the Year.
Crusaders’ senior quarterback Matthew Sluka highlights three Patriot League student-athletes to earn Second Team All-America honors. The Patriot League Offensive Player of the Year passed for 1,728 yards and 20 touchdowns in addition to rushing for 1,247 yards and nine touchdowns. Sluka is joined on the second team by teammate Luke Newman (Sr., OL), who helped pave the way for a unit that finished fourth in the FCS in total offense (466.6).
Leopards’ sophomore running back Jamar Curtis also received Second Team All-America accolades after finishing second in the FCS in rushing yards per game (132.7) and fifth with 15 rushing touchdowns.
Holy Cross fifth-year senior offensive lineman C.J. Hanson earned Third Team All-America honors after helping the Crusaders finish third in the FCS in rushing offense (264.2) and seventh in scoring offense (36.9).
Lafayette freshman defensive lineman Jaylon Joseph earned a spot on the Stats Perform Freshman All-America squad after earning Patriot League Rookie of the Year honors. Joseph finishsed with 28 tackles (13 solo) with 5.5 TFLs and 4.0 sacks in his first season in Easton, Pa.
Patriot League Football’s 2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America Honorees
STATS PERFORM RELEASE
2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America First Team
WR – Jalen Coker, Holy Cross, Sr.
LB – Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, 5th
LB – Billy Shaeffer, Lafayette, Sr.
2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America Second Team
QB – Matthew Sluka, Holy Cross, Sr.
RB – Jamar Curtis, Lafayette, So.
OL – Luke Newman, Holy Cross, Sr.
2023 Stats Perform FCS All-America Third Team
OL – C.J. Hanson, Holy Cross, 5th
2023 Stats Perform FCS Freshman All-America Team
DL – Jaylon Joseph, Lafayette, Fr.
ABOUT THE PATRIOT LEAGUE
The Patriot League is in its fourth decade of academic and athletic achievement, continually demonstrating that student-athletes can excel at both academics and athletics without sacrificing high standards. The Patriot League’s athletic success is achieved while its member institutions remain committed to its founding principle of admitting and graduating student-athletes that are academically representative of their class. Participation in athletics at Patriot League institutions is viewed as an important component of a well-rounded education.