Bowling Green tight end Harold Fannin, Jr. runs with the ball through an opening in the line of scrimmage during the first half of a game against Toledo on November 14 at Doyt Perry Stadium. (Scott W. Grau/BGSU Athletics file)
Bowling Green State University placed 10 Falcons on the 2023 All-MAC team, as announced by Mid-American Conference commissioner Dr. Jon Steinbrecher.
Tight end Harold Fannin Jr. and cornerback Jalen Huskey headline BGSU’s selections by earning first-team honors. The All-MAC team and specialty award winners are voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Darren Anders (ILB), Jordan Oladokun (CB) and Terion Stewart (RB) were named to the second team. Jhaylin Embry (KR), Davon Ferguson (CB), Odieu Hiliare (WR), Cashius Howell (OLB) and Alex Wollschlaeger (OT) all were named to the third team.
It is the second career nods for Anders and Hiliare. Anders earned first-team accolades in 2021 after leading the league in tackles, while Hiliare brought home second-team honors last year.
The 10 Falcons named to the All-MAC team are the most since 11 received all-league honors in 2015.
Fannin (So., Canton, Ohio) finished the regular season No. 1 in the MAC and No. 11 in the nation among tight ends with 39 receptions. His 573 receiving yards rank No. 6 in the nation and No. 1 in the MAC among tight ends, while his six receiving touchdowns rank No. 5 nationally and No. 1 in the MAC in the same category.
Fannin gives BGSU the first-team All-MAC tight end for the third time in four seasons. He joins Quintin Morris in 2020 and Christian Sims in 2021. Sims earned second-team honors in 2022.
Huskey (So., Frederick, Md.) is tied for No. 2 in the MAC and No. 16 in the nation with four interceptions. He is third on the team with 52 tackles. He also broke up six passes, recovered a fumble and forced a fumble. Huskey is the first defensive back to earn first-team accolades since BooBoo Gates in 2013.
Anders (Sr., North Olmsted, Ohio) leads BGSU with 82 tackles, tied for the team lead with 10½ tackles for loss and has 4½ sacks. He also broke up two passes and recovered two fumbles.
He is No. 17 in the nation and No. 2 in the MAC with two fumbles recovered. The 10½ tackles for loss, 4½ sacks and two fumble recoveries are all career highs for a season. Anders has appeared in 53 career games which is tied for No. 3 all-time in program history.
Oladokun (Jr., Tampa, Fla.) is tied with Huskey for No. 2 in the MAC and No. 16 in the nation with four interceptions. He has posted 30 tackles, one tackle for loss and has broken up six passes.
Oladokun returned one of his interceptions 53 yards for a touchdown at Western Michigan, which has placed BGSU No. 24 in the nation in defensive touchdowns.
Stewart (So., Memphis, Tenn.) has been one of the hardest running backs to tackle in the nation. Despite missing the past three games with an injury, Stewart is No. 2 in the nation with 75 broken tackles.
His 4.81 yards after contact average is still No. 1 in the nation, while his 31 runs of 10-plus yards rank No. 22 in the nation. Stewart leads BGSU with 762 rushing yards and eight rushing touchdowns. His 6.1 yards per carry average ranks No. 26 nationally. Stewart’s 6.3 yards per carry for his career ranks No. 1 in the BGSU record book.
Embry (Jr., Jacksonville, Fla.) averages 20.8 yards per kick return and 6.5 yards per punt return, which is No. 2 in the MAC. Embry has only returned 12 kicks as most teams have kicked away from him in 2023.
Ferguson (Sr., Baltimore, Md.) has notched 47 tackles, 6½ tackles for loss, 2½ sacks, two interceptions, recovered one fumble and broken up six passes as a key defensive back for the Falcons. He was named MAC East Defensive Player of the Week after he recorded two key interceptions in a road win at Buffalo.
Hiliare (Sr., Belle Glade, Fla.) is one of BGSU’s key receiving targets. He has posted 35 receptions for 380 receiving yards and three touchdowns. In just his second season at BGSU, Hiliare became the 41st Falcon to reach 1,000 career receiving yards earlier this season and is just seven receptions away from 100 during his time at Bowling Green.
Howell (So., Kansas City, Mo.) is tied for No. 1 in the MAC and No. 10 in the nation with 9½ sacks. His 9½ sacks have him tied with Diyral Briggs (2008) for No. 4 all-time on BGSU’s single-season ledger.
Wollschlaeger (Aurora, Ill.) took part in 706 snaps at right tackle for the Falcons. He was part of an offensive line that helped block for Stewart as he became one of the more electrifying running back in the nation.
Wollschlaeger also helped block for Ta’ron Keith, who became the first Falcon in program history to record 100-plus rushing and 100-plus receiving yards in the same game when he did so at Kent State.
Bowling Green’s 10 All-MAC honorees are the third most behind Toledo’s 14 and 12 from Miami, the two teams playing for the MAC Championship on Saturday.
