WASHINGTON – The Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) announced its 15th annual all-conference teams and Gallaudet University had 15 all-conference honors and took home three major awards.
Gallaudet's major award recipients include Co-Defensive Player of the Year Jacob Hartman (Petersburg, W.Va.) for the third consecutive year, Offensive Lineman of the Year went to senior John Scarboro (Austin, Texas) and Assistant Coach of the Year was bestowed to Todd Collins.
GU (5-4) was ECFC regular-season co-champions with Alfred State College and Anna Maria College as all three teams posted identical 2-1 conference records. The Bison won the conference's consolation game (Nov. 16) with a 37-15 home win over Dean College.
Gallaudet had seven players on the first team and eight on the second team as a total 56 different student-athletes representing four programs received recognition from the conference after completion of the 2024 regular season. Anna Maria College led the way with 20 honorees followed by Alfred State College (15), Gallaudet (15) and Dean College (six).
Nine of GU's honorees are repeat honorees while six other players are making their first appearance on the All-ECFC teams.
Hartman was named Defensive Player of the Year for the third straight year as he shares this year's award with Alfred State linebacker Silas Egenlauf. Hartman, a four-time all-conference first-team defender finished the season with a team-high 8.5 tackles for a loss of 46 yards, 2.5 sacks and was second with 57 tackles (34 solo), four quarterback hurries and one forced fumble in nine games played. Hartman finished his career with 267 tackles (158 solo), 53 tackles for a loss of 200 yards, 16 sacks for a loss 83 yards, six forced fumbles and two interceptions in 36 games.
Scarboro was honored as the Offensive Lineman of the Year after his standout senior campaign. Scarboro has been a four-year starter for the Bison and is earning his third selection to the ECFC All-Conference First Team. This year, Scarboro was a semifinalist for the prestigious William V. Campbell Trophy. He has also served as a three-year team captain. Scarboro anchored a Bison offense that ranked 11th in the nation in rushing yards per game.
Collins was selected as the 2024 ECFC Assistant Coach of the Year. Collins was a four-year starter at Gallaudet and a key member of the 2013 ECFC Championship team. Now in his fourth year coaching at his alma mater, he has been instrumental in GU's success running the ball, helping steer an offense that ranked 11th in the nation in rushing yards per game. Collins has transformed the culture of the offensive line, creating the program's tightest and most cohesive position group.
GU had three selections on the All-ECFC First Team Offense as all honorees have earned all-conference honors before. Scarboro makes a fourth appearance on an ECFC all-conference team including his third straight on the first team after being a honorable mention in 2021. Senior fullback Dre'Vaughn Mackall (Prince Frederick, Md.) makes a third straight appearance on the first team. Junior offensive lineman Kyle Albertson (Pierre, S.D.) repeats as a first team honoree.
Gallaudet's four All-ECFC First Team Defense honorees are familiar names in Hartman, junior defensive back Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.), junior defensive back Zefan Nathanson (Manor, Texas) and first-time honoree senior defensive lineman Devin Holmes (Southfield, Mich.). Hartman makes his fourth straight first-team appearance and Green picks up a third consecutive first-team honor. Nathanson was a honorable mention honoree last year and moves up to first team this season.
The Bison picked up six honors to the All-ECFC Second Team Offense led by return honorees; Green as a return specialist, sophomore running back Marcus Brown-Gabriel (Beeville, Texas) and senior offensive lineman Billy Haynes (Pasadena, Texas). New honorees include junior offensive lineman Christian Begani (Chesapeake, Va.), junior wide receiver Jaylen Johnson (Redlands, Calif.) and first-year kicker Adem Mahassini (Long Island City, N.Y.). Green earns his second offensive selection after being named to the first team last year. Brown-Gabriel, last year's ECFC Rookie of the Year, was an all-conference second team defender in 2023 and now a second team offense honoree in 2024. Haynes makes a second straight appearance on the second team.
Two first-year players in junior linebacker Jacob Hundley (McKee, Ky.) and junior defensive back Joshua Saaty (Ada, Okla.) show up on the All-ECFC Second Team Defense.
In 15 seasons, Gallaudet has accumulated 168 all-conference honors from the ECFC. GU has garnered six ECFC Rookie of the Year awards, four ECFC Defensive Player of the Year, two ECFC Special Teams Player of the Year, one ECFC Offensive Player of the Year, one ECFC Offensive Lineman of the Year, three ECFC Coach of the Year honors and two Assistant Coach of the Year. The Bison had a streak of one major ECFC award winner every year since the league began in 2009 until 2013.
The league's coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players, voted on the All-ECFC teams.
This is the last season of the ECFC as the conference is disbanding after 15 years.
Also see:
