CLEVELAND, Ohio | Phil Steele Publications released their Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) teams Wednesday afternoon with seven different student-athletes from Alabama State named to one of the three teams.

Senior punter Anthony Craven, a first team All-SWAC selection and honorable mention All-American, was named to the First Team as a punter and was named the Special Teams Player of the Year by the publication. The FCS Punter of the Year finalist led the conference in punting and was in the top 10 in the nation for most of the year. The senior led the conference with a 43.8-yard average, more than two yards longer than the closest punter. He punted the ball 59 times for 2,586 yards and finished the season with 22 punts of 50-plus yards. He also finished with 22 punts inside the 20 and recorded a season-long of 64.

Meanwhile, five different Hornets were named Second Team All-Conference including Ezra Gray who got the nod at kick returner and all-purpose. He earned the mark after returning 14 kicks for 338 yards. He averaged 24.14 yards per return, with a long of 56. Gray led the conference in returns with the fewest number of returns for those in the top seven. He also ran the ball 157 times for 654 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while also hauling in 10 passes for 104 yards. He was joined on the second team special teams by Luke Barnes who handled all the snapping duties for Alabama State on punts, field goals and extra points.

Michael Jefferson earned the nod for second team wide receiver after a sophomore year that saw him finish inside the top 10 single season record book with 49 receptions for 767 yards. He also finished the year with 12 touchdowns to tie the single season mark at the school and launched him into the top 11 in the country. The Mobile native recorded a pair of games in which he had three touchdown receptions.

Christian Clark and Nicholas Terry were each selected second team as a defensive lineman and linebacker, respectively. Clark led an Alabama State defense that finished fourth in the conference in scoring defense, finishing the season fifth on the team in tackles from his nose guard position. Clark finished with 50 tackles, including 26 solo stops on the season; while also record 3.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He also recovered one fumble. Meanwhile, Terry finished the year with 34 tackles including 24 solo stops. He also recorded seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks on the season, while recording three pass breakups and two quarterback hurries.

Naytron Culpepper earned the other honor for the Hornets as a third team defensive back, leading a pass defense that is fourth in the nation in passing yards allowed per game. The sophomore finished fourth in the conference in passes defended with 13 and was third in the conference in pass breakups with 10. He also intercepted three passes which tied him for fourth among the other defensive backs in the SWAC. Culpepper finished the year with 35 total tackles, including 28 solo stops, while recording 4.5 tackles for loss and one sack on the season.

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