Marshall’s Logan Osburn (65) makes a line call during a Sun Belt Conference football game against Coastal Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Conway, S.C.
Marshall’s J.J. Roberts (11) returns an interception during an NCAA football game against N.C. State, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.
Marshall’s Logan Osburn (65) makes a line call during a Sun Belt Conference football game against Coastal Carolina, Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Conway, S.C.
Marshall’s J.J. Roberts (11) returns an interception during an NCAA football game against N.C. State, Saturday, Oct. 7, 2023, at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh, N.C.
Seven Marshall football players were named to the Athlon Sports 2024 preseason All-Sun Belt Conference teams this week, highlighted by first-team selections Logan Osburn and JJ Roberts.
Additionally, defensive linemen TyQaze Leggs and Mike Green were named to the second-team defense, wide receiver Elijah Metcalf and tight end Cade Conley landed on the third-team offense and Josh Moten rounded out the group by being named to the fourth-team defense.
Osburn opted to return to Marshall for his final season of eligibility after starting all 13 games on the offensive line in 2023. After losing both Ethan Driskell and Dalton Tucker, both of whom signed with NFL clubs as undrafted free agents, Osburn is one of the most experienced pieces up front for Marshall, entering the season with 26 consecutive starts.
Roberts wrapped up his first season at Marshall after transferring from Wake Forest by logging 73 tackles, good for second on the team, with two interceptions and a forced fumble. He played in 10 games, missing three due to injury.
Leggs and Green are two of the top five returning tacklers on the Herd from 2023, having recorded 41 and 43, respectively. Metcalf is new to Marshall after transferring from Middle Tennessee State but impressed coaches during the spring practice period.
Conley took on a bigger role in 2023 than he initially thought he might after Toby Payne’s preseason injury made a path for the Central Michigan transfer to become the starting tight end. He caught 23 passes for 215 yards and a touchdown in seven games before missing the final six due to injury.
Moten finished the year with 30 tackles, six pass break-ups, a quarterback hurry and one interception, which he returned for a touchdown in a loss to North Carolina State last season.
Texas State and Arkansas State headlined the selections, landing 16 on Athlon’s four preseason teams, followed by Louisiana (15) and Appalachian State (14).
Picks are based on how players are projected to perform in 2024. Career statistics and awards matter in the evaluation, but choosing players for the 2024 all-conference team is largely based on predicting and projecting the best for the upcoming year.
Luke Creasy is a reporter for HD Media. Follow him on Twitter @LukeCreasy or reach him by phone at 304-526-2800.
