Complete All-Ohio Athletic Conference Football Team (.pdf)
WESTERVEILLE, Ohio – Baldwin Wallace University senior defensive back Anthony Kendall (Port Richey, Fla./River Ridge) has been named the Ohio Athletic Conference Lee J. Tressel Defensive Back of the Year to lead seven football players selected to the All-OAC team.
The seven players selected were by Kendall as he was the lone BW first-team selection. Senior running back Jon Murray, Jr. (Cincinnati/Withrow), senior offensive lineman George Newcomb (West Seneca, N.Y.), junior linebacker Mason Levasseur (Panama City/Fla. South Walton) and junior defensive lineman Jordan Smith (Painesville/Riverside) were named to the second-team. Junior wide receiver Elijah Arnett (Akron/Woodridge) and senior linebacker Dillon O'Donoghue (Canonsburg, Pa./Cannon-McMillian) were tabbed as honorable mention.
Kendall earns his first Lee J. Tressel Award and his second overall All-OAC honor after being an honorable mention selection in the spring of 2021. This season, he started in all 10 games and led the OAC and tied for 13th in NCAA Division III with a career-high 12 pass breakups. Kendall was tied for third in the league with a career-best three interceptions. He was fourth on the team with a career-high 56 tackles. Kendall also recorded a career-best four tackles for loss, his first career forced fumble and first career sack at Capital on October 29. For his career, Kendall appeared in 31 games and recorded 127 tackles, including 10 for a loss, 20 pass breakups, six interceptions, one forced fumble and one sack. Off the field, he is an Academic All-OAC selection, Dean's List student, Jacket Scholar, and a member of the Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society.
Murray, Jr. garners his fifth overall accolade and his third second-team selection after being a first-team selection the fall of 2021, second-team pick in 2019 and 2018 and a honorable mention selection in spring of 2021. He led the team and was second in the OAC in carries with 193 and led the squad and was fourth in the league with 896 yards. Murray, Jr. was tied for eight in touchdowns with five. He also caught five passes for 36 yards. For his career, Murray, Jr. appeared in 42 games and ends his career as the school's all-time leader rusher in yards with 3,611, carries with 746 and touchdowns with 40. He also caught 29 passes for 246 yards with one touchdown. Murray, Jr. was a two-time BW Outstanding Offensive Back Award recipient and a D3football.com All-Region 4 first-team pick in the fall of 2021.
Newcomb earns his second straight honor and his first second-team selection after being an honorable mention pick in the fall of 2021. He started all 10 games and anchored an offensive unit that was third in the OAC with 363.3 total yards of offense per game, third with 172.1 yards rushing per contest and fifth with 191.1 yards passing per game. For his career, Newcomb has appeared in 20 games and was part of the offensive line that averaged 365.9 total yards of offense per contest, 205.8 yards rushing per game and 160.1 yards passing per contest. Off the field, he was Academic All-Ohio Athletic Conference selection, Dean's List student, Jacket Scholar, member of Chi Alpha Sigma Honor Society, Ratcliffe Fellowship recipient and the 2022 Stinger Superfan Award winner.
Levasseur garners his second straight honor and his first second-team selection after being an honorable mention pick in the fall of 2021. This season, he played and started in seven games. Levasseur led the team and was 11th in the OAC with a career-high 71 tackles and was third on the squad with a career-best 7.5 tackles for loss. He also tallied two pass break ups. In two seasons, Levasseur has appeared and started in 17 games. He has recorded 135 tackles, 13 tackles for loss, broken up five passes, recovered two fumbles, picked off one pass and has one quarterback sack.
Smith, who earns his first career accolade, appeared and started in all 10 games this season. He led the team and was 11th in the OAC with a career-high tying five sacks and was tied for 12th in the league with a career-best 9.5 tackles for loss. Smith was eighth on the team with a career-high 33 tackles. He forced a fumble and recovered his first career fumble on the same play at Mount St. Joseph in the season opener on September 3. Smith recovered his second career fumble a week later at Wilmington on September 10. He also had one pass break up. For his career, Smith has appeared in 20 games and has recorded 56 tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, forced four fumbles, broken up for passes and recovered two fumbles.
Arnett, who earns his first honor, appeared and started in all 10 games this season. He was tied for the team lead and tied for 14th in the OAC with a career-high 31 catches. Arnett was second on the squad and 16th in the league in yards with a career-best 401. He also was tied for the second on the team and tied for 16th in the conference with a career-high three touchdowns. For his career, Arnett has appeared in 22 games and has caught 46 passes for 532 yards with three touchdowns. Off the field, he is a student-assistant coach with the nationally ranked women's basketball team.
O'Donoghue, who earns his first accolade, appeared and started in all 10 games this season. He was third on the team and tied for 15th in the OAC with a career-high 68 tackles. He was fourth on the team with a career-best seven tackles for loss. O'Donoghue had a career-high tying five pass break ups. He also recovered his first career fumble versus Otterbein on October 22, forced his first career fumble a week later at Capital on October 29 and picked off his first career pass against Mount Union on November 12. For his career, O'Donoghue appeared in 21 games and recorded 128 tackles, 10.5 tackles for loss, broke up 11 passes, had two sacks, one fumble recovery, one forced fumble and one interception. He was a team captain, two-time BW Defensive Player of the Week Award winner and a War Daddy of the Week Award recipient
The Yellow Jackets finished the season with a 7-3 overall record and in third place in the OAC with a mark of 7-2.
