Youngstown State running back Jaleel McLaughlin was named first-team All-Missouri Valley Football Conference for the 2021 season, the league announced on Monday.
The Penguins had three honorable-mention selections in offensive lineman Jaison Williams, linbacker Grant Dixon and place kicker Colt McFadden.
It marks the second time that McLaughlin has been named All-MVFC after he earned second-team honors in the spring.
In the fall, McLaughlin was one of two MVFC running backs to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark and he did it in 10 games. He rushed for 1,139 total yards on the season averaging 113.9 yards per contest, second-most in the league. In MVFC games, he had 893 yards on 133 carries, an average of 107.9 yards per contest. He scored 10 touchdowns on the season in league games
In his collegiate career, he has rushed for 6,578 yards which ranks him 14th in the NCAA history.
Dixon also earned all-league honors for the second time in his career. He was a first-team All-MFVC pick in the spring and earned honorable-mention laurels this fall. He led the Penguins with 67 total tackles, including 40 solo stops and was the team's leading tackler by 16 tackles. In MVFC games had 54 total tackles, 35 of which were solos. He had nine tackles against Southern Illinois, North Dakota and Indiana State and posted six-or-more tackles in eight of 10 games. Dixon also added two sacks and two interceptions during the season.
Williams consistently graded out as the Penguins' top lineman during the 2021 season. He helped pave the way for one of the best backs in the league in McLaughlin, who earned first-team all-league honors. Williams started all 10 games in the fall at guard (eight at right guard, two at left guard).
McFadden showed strong accuracy throughout the season making 8-of-9 field goals and 29-of-30 PAT attempts. His lone field-goal miss was a 56-yard try at UNI that had the distance, but was just wide. In the opener against UIW, he kicked a game-tying field goal at the end of regulation and the winning field goal in overtime. In league play he was 5-of-6 on field-goal tries and 21-of-22 on PATs. He handled kickoff duties for the Guins recording 22 touchbacks on 48 kickoffs.
