Announcing our preseason D2 All-North Carolina Team

For the second year in a row, North Carolina Football News has assembled a preseason Division II “All-North Carolina” team — our version of an Old North State all-conference list.

The group features the top projected players from our 13 (!) D2 programs — Barton, Catawba, Chowan, Elizabeth City State, Fayetteville State, Johnson C. Smith, Lenoir-Rhyne, Livingstone, Mars Hill, Shaw, UNC Pembroke, Wingate and Winston-Salem State

We’ve tabbed a preseason Offensive MVP, Defensive MVP and Special Teams MVP, along with a first-team unit by position and an honorable mention list.

What matters most, of course, is how teams and players finish. But this group represents the ones we think could have the biggest impact as the 2024 season kicks off this week.

Offensive MVP

Bo Pryor (Catawba) | WR

With many worthy candidates, we opted to go with the experienced senior from Cherryville (Burns HS). Pryor has earned all-conference recognition the past two seasons as a receiver (2023 first team, 2022 second-team all-division) and a return specialist (2023 and 2022 all-division). Pryor was second in the South Atlantic in receiving yards a year ago, making 73 catches for 885 yards and seven TDs. Counting returns, he finished with 1,146 all-purpose yards.

Defensive MVP

Marquise Fleming (Wingate) | DE

The deepest position group by far among our state’s D2 teams provides our preseason top player. Fleming, from Charlotte (Olympic HS), has generated regional and national headlines since leading the nation (D2) in sacks a year ago (13) and placing fifth in tackles-for-loss (22.5). Both the Associated Press and the Conference Commissioners Associate voted Fleming first-team All-American in 2023. He was the All-Super Region 2 Defensive Player of the Year and a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award, given to the nation’s top defensive lineman.

Special Teams MVP

DeAree Rogers (Lenoir-Rhyne) | RS

Whether Lenoir-Rhyne’s new staff chooses to use Rogers as a kick returner has yet to be decided — he’s also a starting all-conference wide receiver. But Rogers, from Lexington, S.C. (Irmo HS), proved deadly in the return game for the Bears a year ago. He earned D2 All-America honors after returning three punts for touchdowns and amassing 357 punt-return yards throughout the season. He had two return touchdowns in the same game against Erskine. He’ll be exciting to watch no matter how Lenoir-Rhyne decides to get him the ball.

First-Team Offense

QB – JR Martin (Mars Hill)

RB – Sincere Baines (UNC Pembroke)

RB – Zechariah Adams-Duckson (Elizabeth City State)

RB – Jon Gullette (Mars Hill)

WR – Bo Pryor (Catawba)

WR – Songa Yates (Lenoir-Rhyne)

WR – DeAree Rogers (Lenoir-Rhyne)

TE – Beau DeBerry (Mars Hill)

OL – Michael Todd (Fayetteville State)

OL – Porfirio Acosta (Wingate)

OL – Chris Russell (UNC Pembroke)

OL – Darius McDuffie (Winston-Salem State)

OL – Blake Martin (Wingate)

First-Team Defense

DL – Marquise Fleming (Wingate)

DL – Jamae Blank (UNC Pembroke)

DL – Andre Jefferson (Lenoir-Rhyne)

DL – Camar Kyle (Winston-Salem State)

LB – Benari Black (Johnson C. Smith)

LB – Jaden Echols (Livingstone)

LB – Dexter Fitzpatrick (Mars Hill)

LB – Matt Smith (Barton)

DB – Kolby Merritt (Fayetteville State)

DB – Justin Fleming (Winston-Salem State)

DB – Deno Wardlow (Catawba)

DB – Tristan Rankin (Mars Hill)

First-Team Special Teams

P – Josiah Boyd (Fayetteville State)

PK – Caleb Bonesteel (Wingate)

LS – Carson Keaton (Lenoir-Rhyne)

RS – DeAree Rogers (Lenoir-Rhyne)

Honorable Mention Offense

QB – Colin Johnson (UNC Pembroke)

QB – Brooks Bentley (Wingate)

QB – Preston Brown (Catawba)

RB – Marquece Williams (Catawba)

RB – Zayvion Turner-Knox (Lenoir-Rhyne)

WR – Ah’shaan Belcher (Shaw)

WR – Malik Laurent (Mars Hill)

TE – Jayden Smith (UNC Pembroke)

TE – John Godwin (Lenoir-Rhyne)

OL – Jacob Perry (UNC Pembroke)

OL – Noah Horton (Chowan)

OL – Erwil Anthony (Wingate)

Honorable Mention Defense

DL – Daniel Morrison (Wingate)

DL – Bryan Bordeaux (Wingate)

DL – Saevion Gibbs (Shaw)

DL – Jaylyn Norris (Winston-Salem State)

DL – Boris Lewis (Mars Hill)

LB – Dontorian Best (Wingate)

LB – Evan Simons (Catawba)

DB – Jakarri Martin II (Catawba)

DB – James Ussery (Lenoir-Rhyne)

Honorable Mention Special Teams

PK – Jake Brown (Lenoir-Rhyne)

RS – Bo Pryor (Catawba)