FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (July 27, 2020) – Three Lumberjacks earned spots on the 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-American teams while eight total members of the NAU football team were named to the 2020 Phil Steele Preseason All-Big Sky Teams. The all-conference honorees, spread across the three teams, include all three of the team's starting specialists, four members of the offense and one on the defensive side.
Coming off of All-American seasons in 2019,
Luis Aguilar,
DJ Arnson and
Brandon Porter landed on Phil Steele's Preseason All-Big Sky First Team as well as on the outlet's All-American lists. Aguilar, an All-American first team selection, earned many accolades during a well-documented 2019 season where he set the school's record for kicking points in a season at 118, hit a 57-yard field goal against Northern Colorado and led the nation with 61 touchbacks.
Arnson, named to the All-American second team, finished third in the FCS with a career-high 45.8 yards per punt and dropped 19 of his 57 punts inside the 20-yard line with 16 going for 50 or more yards. Meanwhile, Porter finished with 85 catches, 1,198 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2019, with the reception total breaking the school's single-season record leading to an All-American third team honor.
All three players were previously named to the Hero Sports 2020 Preseason All-American team in May while Aguilar and Arnson earned preseason All-Big Sky honors from the conference last week.
Stacy Chukwumezie,
Justin Hathoot,
Donovan Outlaw,
Luke Rudolph and
Carson Taylor all earned All-Big Sky third team honors from Phil Steele as they enter their senior seasons.
Chukwumezie's 19.3 yards per catch in 2019 tied for 6th on NAU's all-time single season rankings as he finished the season with 963 yards, 50 receptions and eight touchdowns. Hathoot enters his third season as NAU's long snapper, with his performance in 2019 helping Aguilar and Arnson achieve national recognition from multiple outlets.
Outlaw and Rudolph each started all 12 games for the Lumberjacks in 2019, playing left tackle and left guard respectively, and blocked for the top passing offense in the FCS as well as for running back
Joe Logan's 14 touchdowns on the ground.
On the defensive side of the ball, Taylor's senior season begins with the defensive end at 21.5 career tackles for loss. The total ranks inside the program's top 10 since 2000, and Taylor's 10 tackles for loss in 2019 is the ninth-most among returners in the Big Sky. Additionally, his 5.5 sacks ranks fourth among conference returners.
Arnson, Aguilar, Porter, Chukwumezie and Hathoot all earned honors on Phil Steele's 2019 Postseason All-Big Sky Team at the end of last season.
The complete list of Phil Steele's Preseason All-Americans and All-Big Sky selections.
