#20 Khalil Baker, Defensive Back School: NC Central Eagles Class: Senior Measurables: 6-0/185 pounds Hometown: Winston-Salem, NC High School: East Forsyth NC Central DB Khalil Baker (Photo courtesy NCCU Athletics) Notes: Wracked up numerous individual awards after a stellar 2022 season, which saw NC Central win 10 games and claim the HBCU national championship with a Celebration Bowl victory over Jackson State. Among the 2022 awards with Baker's name on them: First-Team FCS All-American from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA); First-Team FCS All-American from the Associated Press. It was the first time an NCCU player has ever been named first-team to either of those prestigious lists. Winner of the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award, presented to the nation's top defensive back in HBCU Division I football. Williams played at Southern University before a Hall of Fame NFL career with the Cardinals and Rams in the 1990s and early 2000s. Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year Cricket Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP (after recording 10 tackles in the overtime win). Naturally, with Baker coming back for another season, he has received plenty of preseason ink as well. Here are the early honors he has picked up so this spring and summer, with conference media days yet to come: First-team preseason FCS All-American and preseason MEAC Defensive Player of the Year by Lindy's Sports First-team preseason FCS All-American by Athlon Sports First-team FCS Preseason All-America by The Bluebloods Baker got his first career start on the last day of the 2021 regular season and hasn't looked back. In 2022, he finished second in the MEAC in interceptions with four. He brought one pick back for a touchdown in a game against New Hampshire on the road. He led the Eagles in tackles with 61 (including 43 solo stops). He also had five pass break-ups, two tackles for loss and a forced fumble ... Has worn No. 20 since his sophomore season, switching from No. 34. "We've got a lot of guys on the defensive side of the ball who've gotten a lot of reps," Central coach Trei Oliver said in an interview with syndicated radio host Donal Ware over the weekend in Durham. "We're very talented. A lot of those guys have played for three or four years now. But KB, Khalil Baker, is our leader back there ... " Related Reading (Click the links below): BEST IN STATE Power Rankings: NC Central Finishes First in Final 2022 List Preseason Watch List: WCU RB Desmond Reid Preseason Watch List: Elon RB Jalen Hampton Preseason Watch List: NC A&T DB Karon Prunty
