Seven Bobcats named on Phil Steele’s 2021 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference Teams

SAN MARCOS, Texas- Phil Steele Publications announced Wednesday seven Texas State football players are on its 2021 Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference teams.

Wide receiver Marcell Barbee and offensive tackle Dalton Cooper are on the second-team offense, while defensive lineman Nico Ezidore is on the second-team defense.

Running back Brock Sturges is on the third-team offense, while punter Seamus O’Kelly is on the third-team special teams. Defensive back DeJordan Mask is a nickel back on the fourth-team defense, and kicker Seth Keller is on the fourth-team special teams.

 Marcell Barbee

Barbee led the Bobcats with 40 receptions for 584 yards and 10 touchdowns. His 10 TD receptions ranked seventh nationally and second in the Sun Belt Conference. Barbee caught six passes for 76 yards and one touchdown against Arkansas State. He had two touchdown receptions at Boston College and 14th-ranked BYU.

 Dalton Cooper

Cooper was a starting left tackle for Texas State’s offense that averaged 369.7 total yards, 27.7 points, and 131 yards on the ground in 2020. He started all 12 games.

 Nico Ezidore

Nico Ezidore ranked fifth among Sun Belt leaders with 13.0 tackles for loss and 14th with a career-high 3.5 sacks. His 66 total tackles were the third-highest total on the team. He demonstrated his versatility after playing at both defensive tackle and defensive end during the 2020 season.

 Brock Sturges

Sturges led the Bobcats and ranked 16th in the Sun Belt Conference with 532 yards rushing and tied for the team lead with five touchdowns on 111 carries. He tied for Texas State’s longest run of the season with a 40-yard rush against Louisiana. Moreover, Sturges caught 11 passes for 116 yards and a TD.

 Seamus O’Kelly

Seamus O’Kelly ranked third among Sun Belt punting leaders with over 40 punts after averaging 41.0 yards on 57 punts. O’Kelly placed 17 punts inside the 20 yard-line and had six 50-yard punts throughout the season. His 65-yard punt at Troy was a career-long boot.

 DeJordan Mask

DeJordan Mask tallied 49 tackles, including 31 solo stops in 10 games for the Bobcats in 2020. He broke up five passes and assisted on a tackle for loss against Arkansas State. Mask had a season-high 12 tackles and two pass breakups at Troy. He returned one kickoff for 19 yards versus SMU.

 Seth Keller

Seth Keller led Texas State with 62 points after making 8-of-9 field-goal attempts and 32-of- 33 extra-point tries. Keller led the Sun Belt Conference in field goal percentage with 88.9 percent. He took over the field-goal kicking duties three games into the season and scored eight points in Texas State’s first win at ULM. The league named Keller the Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Week after tallying 10 points against Louisiana.

Texas State’s 2021 season kicks off September 4 against Baylor at Bobcat Stadium at 6 p.m. Other home games on the 2021 schedule include Incarnate Word (Sept. 18), South Alabama (Oct. 9), Troy (Oct. 16), ULM (Nov. 6), and Georgia Southern (Nov. 13).

Season tickets for Texas State’s six home games are on sale, with prices starting as low as $95 in general admission and $155 in priority seating sections.

Two half-season packages are also on sale and provide flexibility for fans who cannot attend all six home games.

One package includes Texas State’s season-opening home contest against the Baylor Bears on Sept. 4 and two additional home games for as low as $60 for general admission and $100 for west-side reserved seating.

The second half-season ticket package allows fans the opportunity to pick any three of the remaining five home games. This package starts at $50 for general admission and $80 for west-side reserved seating.

A Bobcat Club donation is required to access priority seats. Each seat donation goes toward Bobcat Club donations for the 2021 year and can lead to membership benefits such as parking and pre-game hospitality to round out your game day experience.

For those interested in purchasing a half-season or full-season ticket package for the upcoming football season, visit www.txstatebobcats.com/tickets, call 512-245-2272 or visit the Texas State Athletic Ticket Office located in the North End Zone Complex of Bobcat Stadium between 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. on Monday through Friday.