MOBILE, Ala. – University of South Alabama football student-athletes Jalen Tolbert (first team), Keith Gallmon (third team) and Devin Rockette (honorable mention) each earned preseason All-American honors Monday as the trio was selected by Pro Football Network.
For Tolbert, the national honor marks the second of the summer for the senior-to-be as he was also selected fourth-team All-American by Phil Steele Publications last month. In addition to garnering the two preseason All-America honors, Tolbert was also named first-team all-Sun Belt by the organization, while Gallmon and Rockette received third-team accolades.
Tolbert ranks as the top returning wide receiver in the nation ahead of the 2021 college football season as the 6-foot-3 receiver finished last season with 64 receptions, 1,085 receiving yards and eight touchdown catches, making him one of two 1,000-yard receivers in the Sun Belt and one of 11 in the country.
In addition, the first-team all-league selection set school records for catches and yards, and matched another for touchdown receptions in a season. Tolbert ended up second in the SBC in receptions and receiving yards per contest, while standing seventh in all-purpose yards per outing.
The Mobile, Ala., native set a school game record with 252 yards on a career-best 10 catches with three of those going for touchdowns in a November victory at Arkansas State — earning SBC Offensive Player-of-the-Week honors from both the conference and College Sports Madness for the performance — while also being selected the league's offensive and Maxwell Award Player of the Week following the Jaguars' season-opening win at Southern Miss in which Tolbert posted six receptions for 169 yards and two scores.
Gallmon was the only player in the Sun Belt to rank in the top 10 in both tackles and passes defensed per game after finishing with 84 and 11 — both career-high totals — respectively, a season ago. He also ranked seventh overall in the league in stops per contest.
After three years in the program, the 5-foot-9, 205-pound safety is already tied for fourth in school history with 14 total passes broken up and has recorded 145 stops including three behind the line. He's intercepted two passes, forced a pair of fumbles and recovered a fumble as well in 34 appearances.
Rockette played in all 11 games for the Jaguars during the 2020 season, recording 28 total tackles – 23 solo and five assisted, including a tackle for loss. The senior-to-be also intercepted a pair of passes, one of which he returned 95 yards for a touchdown against ULM, three passes defensed and a blocked kick.
For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/WeAreSouth_JAGS. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).
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