#47 Ty French, defensive end
School: Gardner-Webb Runnin’ Bulldogs
Class: Senior
Measurables: 6-3/230 pounds
Hometown: Moultrie, Ga.
High School: Colquitt County HS
Notes: A dominant member of the Bulldogs since arriving on campus in 2020-21 … Enters the 2023 season on a number of FCS preseason All-America teams, including The Bluebloods, Lindy’s Sports and Athlon Sports. Named by Lindy’s as the Big South/OVC preseason Defensive MVP …
Recognized by HERO Sports as the fifth-best returning defensive linemen in FCS and the fourth-best defensive end … HERO also profiled French earlier this summer, honoring him as the best FCS player to wear the number 47 this season … Considered one of the top seven returning defensive players in FCS by TheAnalyst.com …
Finished a successful 2022 season by being named FCS All-America by the Associated Press and Stats Perform. Also nabbed Big South Conference Defensive MVP honors (earning first-team all-conference for the third time), finished sixth in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award and made the Ted Hendricks Award final watch list …
Tallied nearly a football field’s worth of minus yardage as a junior in 2022 (15 tackles-for-loss, 97 yards). Set the Big South Conference single-season record with 11.5 sacks. Also had 18 QB hurries …
Has this impressive career stat line on the defensive side (through 28 total games): 171 tackles, 38.5 tackles-for-loss (for 237 total yards), 25 sacks (for 171 yards), four forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries, one interception and one blocked kick.
Needs just five more sacks to tie the Gardner-Webb career mark, currently help by Gabe Wilkins, who went on to play for the Green Bay Packers and San Francisco 49ers in the NFL (appearing the Super Bowl in 1996 with the Packers) … Needs only one more quarterback sack to tie the Big South career mark …
Began his career by being named the Big South Defensive Freshman of the Year and a HERO Sports Freshman All-America selection during the Spring 2021 COVID-shortened season … Was named to the HERO Sports Sophomore All-America team in the Fall of ’21.
With French helping lead the way, Gardner-Webb will enter the 2023 season in the FCS Top 25 and a projected contender for the Big South/OVC championship. The Runnin’ Bulldogs open the ’23 campaign at Appalachian State on Saturday, Sept. 2. The home opener is the following Saturday when Elon visits for another in-state showdown.
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