Football | 12/16/2025 12:00:00 PM

BALTIMORE, Md. (Dec. 16, 2025) – The country has taken notice of Erick "E40" Hunter. After delivering a season packed with impact plays and relentless dominance, the Morgan State defensive standout has earned a spot on the 2025 FCS Football Central All-American Team, solidifying his place among the elite defenders in the FCS.

The fourth annual FCS Football Central All-American Team was unveiled Monday, spotlighting 127 elite players from 59 programs across all 13 FCS conferences. Among that elite group is Hunter, whose relentless motor, explosive playmaking, and every-down dominance made him a constant headache for opposing offenses.

Hunter's All-American selection caps a wave of national recognition in recent weeks. He was named to the All-MEAC First Team, selected as a Buck Buchanan Award finalist, earned BOXTOROW HBCU All-American honors, and accepted an invitation to compete in The American Bowl—the inaugural college all-star game set to air on the NFL Network on January 22, 2026.

A native of Capitol Heights, Md., Hunter entered the season as the MEAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and more than delivered on the hype. Starting all 12 games, he led the conference with 102 tackles (53 solo), posted 14 tackles for loss, and added four sacks. He also recorded five quarterback hurries, forced four fumbles, intercepted a pass, and produced one of the year's signature plays with a 90-yard blocked-kick return for a touchdown against Norfolk State.

Hunter further etched his name into Morgan State history by finishing his career ranked second on the program's all-time tackles list with 298 stops—an enduring mark of consistency, leadership, and impact in Baltimore.

Hunter was one of four players representing the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) on the All-American Team, joining DB Jarod Washington (South Carolina State), RB Marquis Gillis (Delaware State), and DL Thomas Johnson (North Carolina Central).

North Dakota State leads all programs with eight selections, followed by Stephen F. Austin and Montana with six selections. Illinois State, Lehigh, Youngstown State, Montana State, Rhode Island, and Yale each have five selections.

The 2025 FCS Central All-America Team - here 

OFFENSE
QB - Beau Brungard (Youngstown State)
QB - Cole Payton (North Dakota State)
RB - Joshua Dye (Southern Utah)
RB - Eli Gillman (Montana)
RB - L.J. Phillips Jr. (South Dakota)
WR - Jared Richardson (Penn)
WR - Bryce Lance (North Dakota State)
WR - Marquis Buchanan (Rhode Island)
WR - Josh Derry (Monmouth)
TE - Chris Corbo (Dartmouth)
OL - Seth Anderson (North Dakota)
OL - Titan Fleischmann (Montana State)
OL - Trent Fraley (North Dakota State)
OL - JT Cornelius (Monmouth)
OL - Delby Lemieux (Dartmouth)
OL - Jake Pope (Illinois State)

First-Team Defense:
DL - Andrew Zock (Mercer)
DL - Lando Brown (Southern Utah)
DL - Kaleb Proctor (Southeastern Louisiana)
DL - Joshua Stoneking (Furman)
DL - Keyshawn Johnson (UT Martin)
DL - David Hoage (West Georgia) 
LB - James Conway (Fordham)
LB - A.J. Pena (Rhode Island)
LB - Theron Gaines (Tennessee Tech)
LB - Jaydon Southard (Stephen F. Austin)
LB - Tye Niekamp (Illinois State)
DB - Kaysus Kurns (Tarleton State)
DB - Abu Kamara (Yale)
DB - Caden Dowler (Montana State)
DB - Charles Demmings (Stephen F. Austin)
DB - Jarod Washington (South Carolina State)
DB - Jalen Jones (William & Mary) 

First-Team Special Teams:
K - Eli Ozick (North Dakota State) 
P - Jeff Yurk (Elon)
KR - Javon Ross (Bethune-Cookman)
PR - Bugs Mortimer (Stephen F. Austin)
AP - Michael Wortham (Montana) 

Second-Team Offense:
QB - Taron Dickens (Western Carolina)
QB - Keali'i Ah Yat (Montana)
RB - Rodney Nelson (Monmouth)
RB - Josh Pitsenberger (Yale) 
RB - Kente Edwards (Lafayette)
WR - Daniel Sobkowicz (Illinois State)
WR - Larenzo Fenner (South Dakota)
WR - Nico Brown (Yale) 
WR - Samuel Gbatu Jr. (UC Davis)
TE - Nathan Levicki (Presbyterian)
OL - Michael Bennett (Yale)
OL - Langston Jones (Lehigh)
OL - Hunter Smith (Tarleton State)
OL - Erik Gray (Stephen F. Austin)
OL - Griffin Empey (North Dakota State)
OL - Gavin Ortega (Weber State)
OL - Temi Ajirotutu (Villanova)
 
Second-Team Defense:
DL - Lance Rucker (North Dakota)
DL - Brandon Maina (Wofford)
DL - Keenan Wilson (North Dakota State)
DL - Jacob Psyk (UC Davis)
DL - Kenneth Eiden IV (Montana State)
DL - Kahmari Brown (Elon)
DL - James Stewart (Tennessee State)
LB - Shane Hartzell (Villanova)
LB - KK Reno (Southeastern Louisiana)
LB - Rashon Myles Jr. (Abilene Christian)
LB - Malachi McNeal (North Dakota)
LB - Tyler Ochojski (Lehigh)
LB - Peyton Wing (Montana)
DB - Mikey Munn (South Dakota) 
DB - Shadwel Nkuba II (Illinois State) 
DB - Maximus Pulley (Wofford)
DB - Ayinde Johnson (Rhode Island)
DB - Cam Chapa (Northern Colorado)
DB - Kimal Clark (Indiana State)
DB - Jalen Mayo (Stephen F. Austin)

Second-Team Special Teams:
K - Trajan Sinatra (Idaho State)
P - Adam Watford (North Alabama)
KR - Ja'briel Mace (Villanova) 
PR - Elijah Kennedy (North Carolina A&T)
AP - Kolbe Katsis (Northern Arizona)
AP - Rodney Hammond (Sacramento State)

Third-Team Offense:
QB - Chris Parson (Austin Peay)
QB - Devin Farrell (Rhode Island)
QB - DJ Williams (Southern Illinois)
RB - Luke Yoder (Lehigh)
RB - Marquis Gillis (Delaware State)
RB - Julius Davis (Montana State)
RB - Barika Kpeenu (North Dakota State)
WR - Jalen Jones (Alabama State)
WR - Kylon Harris (Stephen F. Austin)
WR - Javon Gipson (Abilene Christian)
WR - Geoffrey Jamiel (Lehigh)
WR - Max Tomczak (Youngstown State)
TE - Ryder Kurtz (Cornell)
OL - Cameron Smith (Alabama State)
OL - Desmeal Leigh (Youngstown State)
OL - Drew Wilder (Tennessee Tech)
OL - Xavier Jennings (Mercer)
OL - Quinten Christensen (South Dakota State)
OL - Cannon Panfiloff (Montana)
OL - Landon Woodard (Illinois State)
 
Third-Team Defense:
DL - Michael Wells (Youngstown State)
DL - Ezekiel Larry (Yale)
DL - Thomas Johnson (North Carolina Central)
DL - Jeremiah Williams (Jackson State)
DL - Paul Brott (Montana State)
DL - TJ Burke (Lehigh)
DL - Quincy Ivory (Jackson State)
LB - Rohan Davy (Rhode Island)
LB - Will Shaffer (Abilene Christian)
LB - Mikey D'Amato (Cal Poly)
LB - Erick Hunter (Morgan State)
LB - Logan Kopp (North Dakota State)|
LB - Sean Allison (Drake)
DB - Jeremiah McClendon (Southern Illinois)
DB - Jaheim Ward (Eastern Kentucky)
DB - Dorian Plumley (Abilene Christian)
DB - Quentin Moten (Northern Arizona)
DB - Ty Bartrum (Harvard)
DB - Mekhai Smith (Lehigh)
DB - Christopher Jean (Central Connecticut State)

Third-Team Special Teams:
K - Nick Reed (New Hampshire) 
P - James Platte (The Citadel)
KR - Brandon Hayes (Southeastern Louisiana)
PR - Drew Deck (Montana)
AP - Kylon Wilson (Youngstown State)
AP - Rashad Rochelle (Indiana State)


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ABOUT MORGAN
Morgan State University, founded in 1867, is a Carnegie-classified high research (R2) institution offering nearly 140 academic programs leading to degrees from the baccalaureate to the doctorate. As Maryland's Preeminent Public Urban Research University, and the only university to have its entire campus designated as a National Treasure by the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Morgan serves a multiethnic and multiracial student body and seeks to ensure that the doors of higher education are opened as wide as possible to as many as possible. For more information about Morgan State University, visit www.morgan.edu.