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Rocky Mountain College Athletics

Rocky Mountain College Battlin' Bears

Events and Results

Events and Results

2023 © Janell Summer Photography
© Janell Summer Photography

Football Brandon Stinson | Sports Information & Media Coordinator

Junior Kaysan Barnett Named AFCA NAIA First Team All-American

KANSAS CITY, Mo.- The American Football Coaches Association, in partnership with the NAIA, announced its 2023 NAIA Football All-America Teams, in which Kaysan Barnett was named a First Team All-American. 

Barnett, a junior defensive back from Phoenix, Arizona, was honored as an AFCA NAIA First Team All-American selection. He was named an honorable mention by the AFCA a season ago. The junior was a First Team All-Frontier Conference Selection as both a defensive back and a punt returner this season.

"I'm very proud and happy for Kaysan," Head Coach Chris Stutzriem said following the announcement Wednesday. "He's not only an All-American on the field, but an All-American person as well. He is a great leader on our team and will continue to be so next year."

Defensively, Barnett led the Battlin' Bears with four interceptions and 11 pass breakups this season. His four interceptions tied for the second most in the Frontier this season, while his 11 pass breakups were tied for the most in the conference during the regular season.  He also added 29 total tackles and two tackles for loss. 

As a punt returner, he tallied 28 returns for 10.9 yards per return, both marks led the Frontier Conference. Barnett returned a punt for a touchdown against MSU-Northern in Havre this season and also returned 10 kicks for an average of 19.8 yards per return.

Barnett becomes the first Battlin' Bear to make the AFCA All-American First Team since defensive back Keenan Fagan did so in 2017. He was one of four Frontier Conference student-athletes to earn First Team Honors, with seven total athletes from the Frontier Conference being selected on the first, second, and third teams. 

The AFCA has selected an All-America team since 1945 and currently selects teams in all five of its divisions. The AFCA's NAIA All-America Selection Committee is made up of two head coaches from each of the AFCA's seven districts, one of whom serves as a district chairman, along with another head coach who serves as the chairman of the selection committee. The coaches in each district are responsible for ranking the top players in their respective districts before a conference call between the district chairmen and the committee chairman on which the team is chosen.
 
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Players Mentioned

Kaysan Barnett

#7 Kaysan Barnett

DB
5' 8"
Junior

Players Mentioned

Kaysan Barnett

#7 Kaysan Barnett

5' 8"
Junior
DB