Jan. 28, 2015
TonySoftli.com Freshman All-America Team | Signing Day Party Information
ST. LOUIS - College football analyst Tony Softli has released his NCAA Division I FCS Freshman All-America Team, and four Missouri State standouts were part of the unique national honor roll.
Bears' defensive linemen Colby Isbell (Rogers, Ark.) and Cecil Bratton (St. Joseph, Mo.) were second-teamers on the TonySoftli.com Freshman All-American Team, while receiver Malik Earl (Oklahoma City, Okla.) and offensive lineman Sam Ellifrits (Nevada, Mo.) made the third team.
Bratton, a redshirt freshman nose tackle from St. Joseph Central High, started all 12 games and registered an overall grade of 88 percent with 3 quarterback hurries. He tallied 42 total tackles with a sack and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. Bratton was a two-time MSU Defensive Player of the Week and logged five or more tackles in four ball games in addition to MVFC All-Newcomer honors.
Isbell, posted an 80 percent overall grade for the season, including 3 quarterback hurries. He earned FCS National All-Star, MVFC Newcomer of the Week and CFPA Defensive Lineman of the Week honors in his collegiate debut at Northwestern State. In that game, he paced MSU's 34-27 come-from-behind victory with a forced (and recovered) fumble at the goal line and later a critical blocked field goal. He started 4 games with 30 tackles, 3 sacks for 18 yards and 4 tackles for loss.
Ellifrits, started each of the last eight games at right tackle in 2014 and was named MSU's Offensive Lineman of the Week two times (Sept. 20 and Oct. 25). He carried out 79 percent of his assignments and graded out at 82 percent overall for the season with 59 knockdown blocks. He was also named to the MVFC All-Newcomer Team in 2014.
Earl started nine games at receiver, totaling 302 yards on 19 catches - both of which were second on the squad. He Recorded 15 receptions in MVFC play and was named MSU Special Teams Player of the Week for his performance at Oklahoma State (Sept. 6). Earl also hauled in a 53-yard TD reception to help the Bears defeat South Dakota (Oct. 18) and later logged a season-high 3 catches for 42 yards in MSU's season finale at UNI (Nov. 22).
Fellow Missouri State freshmen, Calan Crowder (RB, Bartlesville, Okla.) and Eric Phillips (DB, Kirkwood, Mo.) were named to the Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team at the end of the season, along with Ellifrits and Bratton.
New Missouri State head football coach Dave Steckel and his staff will be hosting a National Signing Day Party in the PRIME Overtime Club at JQH Arena this Wednesday (Feb. 4), starting at 5 p.m.
