The USA South Conference defensive player of the year also is a North Carolina Football News D3 Stat Champion for 2024. Brevard Tornados defensive lineman Robert Dorsey led the Old North State’s Division III ranks in a pair of key defensive statistical categories.
The junior, a native of Charlotte and transfer from Union, recorded 14.0 tackles-for-loss during the 2024 season, tops among our D3 players. He also earned 11.5 sacks for 71 negative yards, most in the state and tied for most in a single season at Brevard.
Dorsey only had two games where he didn’t make some sort of stop in an opposing backfield. He made 3.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks against Belhaven in September and 3.5 TFLs – all sack yardage – at Kentucky Christian in the season finale. His season resume also includes forcing three fumbles.
Dorsey became the first ever Tornado player to make first-team All-Region 3 in football. He was the second to be named the USA South’s top defender, joining 2021 pick Steffon Canady.
North Carolina Wesleyan’s Andrew Brown led Division III in total tackles with 85. His average of 8.5 stops per game were second to teammate Eric Cooper, who averaged 8.7 tackles per contest. Methodist’s Omar Goodwin (83) and Greensboro’s Max Steele (80) rounded out the top three in the state in tackles.
Only NC Wesleyan’s Aiden Seagroves joined Dorsey in double-digit tackles-for-loss. Seagroves finished with 11.5 over 10 games. Seagroves also was second in sacks with 5.5.
Guilford’s Tristan Bailey led D3 in interceptions with five. Brevard’s James Woods made four picks.
Four players shared D3 Stat Champion honors for most tackles in a game – Goodwin, Cooper, Guilford’s Malik Hargrove and Brevard’s Baylee Ramey. Goodwin collected a season’s best four tackles-for-loss in week eight against Southern Virginia. Dorsey’s 3.5 sacks against Kentucky Christian was unmatched in D3 football in 2024.
2024 D3 Stat Champions | Defense
Total Tackles | Season Leaders
| TOTAL | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | GAMES | SOLO | ASSIST | T/GAME |
| 85 | Andrew Brown (NC Wesleyan) | 10 | 40 | 45 | 8.5 |
| 83 | Omar Goodwin (Methodist) | 10 | 34 | 49 | 8.3 |
| 80 | Max Steele (Greensboro) | 10 | 41 | 39 | 8.0 |
| 79 | JaJuan Givens (Greensboro) | 10 | 55 | 24 | 7.9 |
| 78 | Eric Cooper (NC Wesleyan) | 9 | 40 | 38 | 8.7 |
| 65 | Botise Manuel (NC Wesleyan) | 10 | 32 | 33 | 6.5 |
| 63 | Baylee Ramey (Brevard) | 9 | 22 | 41 | 7.0 |
Tackles-For-Loss | Season Leaders
| TFL | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | GAMES | YARDS |
| 14.0 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | 9 | 76 |
| 11.5 | Aiden Seagroves (NC Wesleyan) | 10 | 59 |
| 9.0 | Malik Hargrove (Guilford) | 8 | 50 |
| 8.5 | Omar Goodwin (Methodist) | 10 | 36 |
| 8.0 | Jayden Law (Greensboro) | 8 | 27 |
| 8.0 | Baylee Ramey (Brevard) | 9 | 31 |
| 7.5 | Christian Ellington (Methodist) | 8 | 33 |
| 7.5 | Dejuan Robinson (Greensboro) | 9 | 24 |
| 7.5 | Ernest Smith II (Brevard) | 9 | 17 |
| 7.0 | Damian Harris (Methodist) | 8 | 16 |
| 7.0 | Frank Walker (Greensboro) | 10 | 42 |
| 6.5 | Ayden Carpenter (Guilford) | 10 | 29 |
| 6.5 | Eli Davis (Guilford) | 10 | 27 |
| 6.0 | Trey Williams (Brevard) | 9 | 41 |
Sacks | Season Leaders
| SACKS | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | GAMES | YARDS |
| 11.5 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | 9 | 71 |
| 5.5 | Aiden Seagroves (NC Wesleyan) | 10 | 48 |
| 4.5 | Trey Williams (Brevard) | 9 | 39 |
| 4.0 | Travis Burton (Guilford) | 10 | 22 |
Interceptions | Season Leaders
| PLAYER (SCHOOL) | GAMES | INT |
| Tristan Bailey (Guilford) | 10 | 5 |
| James Woods (Brevard) | 7 | 4 |
| Dacarris Jacobs (Methodist) | 9 | 3 |
| Jeremiah Young (NC Wesleyan) | 10 | 3 |
Total Tackles | Single-Game Leaders
| TOTAL | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | SOLO | ASST | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT |
| 13 | Eric Cooper (North Carolina Wesleyan) | 11 | 2 | Week 5 | at Belhaven | L, 12-30 |
| 13 | Omar Goodwin (Methodist) | 9 | 4 | Week 8 | Southern Virginia | L, 17-21 |
| 13 | Malik Hargrove (Guilford) | 7 | 6 | Week 10 | Ferrum | L, 7-20 |
| 13 | Baylee Ramey (Brevard) | 5 | 8 | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
| 11 | Frank Walker (Greensboro) | 5 | 6 | Week 12 | at Huntingdon | L, 7-38 |
| 10 | Eli Davis (Guilford) | 10 | 0 | Week 7 | at Randolph-Macon | L, 0-63 |
| 10 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | 3 | 7 | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
Tackles-For-Loss | Single-Game Leaders
| TFL/YDS | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT |
| 4.0/17 | Omar Goodwin (Methodist) | Week 8 | Southern Virginia | L, 17-21 |
| 3.5/4 | Noah Atkinson (Methodist) | Week 2 | Shenandoah | L, 14-33 |
| 3.5/22 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 4 | Belhaven | W, 42-26 |
| 3.5/20 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 12 | at Kentucky Christian | W, 41-25 |
| 3.5/17 | Malik Hargrove (Guilford) | Week 10 | Ferrum | L, 7-20 |
| 3.0/19 | Malik Hargrove (Guilford) | Week 3 | Methodist | W, 14-12 |
| 3.0/18 | Frank Walker (Greensboro) | Week 12 | at Huntingdon | L, 7-38 |
| 3.0/13 | Hot Rod Fitten (Brevard) | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
| 2.5/9 | Eli Davis (Guilford) | Week 3 | Methodist | W, 14-12 |
| 2.5/17 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
Sacks | Single-Game Leaders
| SACK/YDS | PLAYER (SCHOOL) | DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT |
| 3.5/20 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 12 | at Kentucky Christian | W, 41-25 |
| 3.0/21 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 4 | Belhaven | W, 42-26 |
| 2.0/17 | Frank Walker (Greensboro) | Week 12 | at Huntingdon | L, 7-38 |
| 2.0/16 | Robert Dorsey (Brevard) | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
| 2.0/13 | Omar Goodwin (Methodist) | Week 8 | Southern Virginia | L, 17-21 |
| 1.5/8 | Eli Davis (Guilford) | Week 3 | Methodist | W, 14-12 |
| 1.5/12 | Hot Rod Fitten (Brevard) | Week 3 | Hampden-Sydney | L, 30-51 |
