Albany State lands 11 players on All-SIAC team

ATLANTA – As Albany State prepares for Saturday’s SIAC Championship showdown, the Golden Rams are already collecting hardware. The conference released its 2025 football awards Tuesday, and ASU dominated the list with 11 All-SIAC selections — five on the first team and six on the second.

Graduate quarterback Isaiah Knowles was once again named Offensive Player of the Year, repeating the honor despite missing three games due to injury. The Tampa native has thrown for 2,001 yards and 19 touchdowns, steering an offense that averaged more than 30 points a game.

“Isaiah’s leadership and poise have been everything you could want in a quarterback,” head coach Quinn Gray said earlier this season. “He’s the heartbeat of our offense.”

The Rams’ offensive line — one of the league’s most dominant units — cleared the way for much of that success. Noah Stovall of Warner Robins, Leon Wesley of Powder Springs, and O’Shea Stroman of Lithonia were each named first-team All-SIAC, giving Albany State three of the five top offensive line spots in the conference.

On the defensive side, Derrick Drayton of College Park earned first-team honors after leading the “Dirty Blue” defense that has suffocated opponents all season. The Rams rank among the league’s best in sacks, total defense, and scoring defense.

Second-team honors went to running back Tiant Wyche (Jacksonville), defensive lineman Isiaih Morrison (Daytona Beach), defensive backs Jonavan Carr (Lakeland, Fla.) and Tyrell Gainey (Orlando), and kick returner Cameron Watts (Tyrone), who sparked several key field-position shifts this season.

Around the conference, Kentucky State’s Felton Higgins Jr. was named Coach of the Year, Allen’s Fabian Duncan earned MVP, Central State’s Dominique Davis II took Defensive Player of the Year, and Clark Atlanta’s Xzavier Jackson swept Freshman and Newcomer of the Year.

For Albany State, the recognition reflects more than just individual excellence. It underscores the foundation of a program chasing its first SIAC title under Gray — and perhaps another chapter in the Golden Rams’ storied legacy.