MOBILE, Ala. -- Missouri State kicker Yousef Obeid and linebacker Dallas Winner-Johnson were both named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-America Team on Tuesday (Dec. 10).
 
The Bears' tandem is part of a group of nine players from the Missouri Valley Football Conference on this year's team, which includes 69 total players from 52 different programs.
 
Obeid (RFr., Dearborn, Mich.) ranks third nationally and first in the MVFC in field goal percentage after converting 11-of-12 (.917) attempts this season. He also ranks seventh in the MVFC in scoring average (7.2) which ranks 37th-best among all FCS players. His 0.92 field goals per game is the fifth-best average in The Valley and 55th nationally. Obeid broke the Missouri State single-season record for extra points (53), while his 86 total points was the third-best season total in MSU history. He finished 53-of-54 on extra points on the season with 47 straight conversions to end the season along with 10 straight made field goals. He produced 11 points in road wins at Illinois State (Oct. 12) and Murray State (Nov. 9) with a season-long 50-yard field goal in the season finale against South Dakota State( Nov. 23).
 
Winner-Johnson (RFr., St. Louis, Mo.) earned a spot on the Jerry Rice Award Watch List for FCS National Freshman of the Year and earned Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team honors. He finished second on the squad with 62 total tackles, including 26 solo stops. He also recorded 6.5 tackles for loss on the season. His top performances included 10 total tackles with four solos and a tackle for loss in MSU's road win at UT Martin (Sept. 21) and nine total stops in the win over Youngstown State (Sept. 28) with a QB hurry. He also posted a sack and four solo tackles in the home opener against Lindenwood (Sept. 14) and logged eight tackles at Ball State (Sept. 7) with a tackle for loss.
 
Missouri State also announced Monday that 2025 SEASON TICKETS are on sale now as the program begins its transition to Conference USA and its first season at the FBS level in 2025.  
 
Coach Ryan Beard's Bears finished the 2024 season with an 8-4 overall record and a 6-2 ledger in MVFC play to finish one game behind the league's tri-champions. The Bears won eight straight games from Sept. 14 to Nov. 9 and eclipsed 5,000 total yards, 400 points and 3,600 passing yards in their final season in the Missouri Valley and the FCS ranks. The Bears landed 12 players on the All-MVFC teams announced earlier this month.