Nine Hampden-Sydney College (H-SC) football players received Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) honors for their 2018 performances, with four Tigers make All-ODAC first team and running back Kaleb Smith being named Rookie of the Year.

H-SC players making the first team included junior wide receiver Major Morgan, senior defensive lineman John Kline, junior linebacker Griffin Davis and senior defensive back Chad Vanlandingham.

“I was happy (that) defensively, in particular, we had three guys first team, which I thought with eight teams in the league, it’s hard — a lot of good players out there,” Tigers Head Coach Marty Favret said. “It kind of went the way I thought. Kaleb, Rookie of the Year — that’s a heck of an honor, and Major certainly was a candidate for Player of the Year, but he didn’t get it, but first team, and so, no, I was pleased. … All said, pretty good representation for a team that finished second in the league.”

The coach noted that Smith was clearly the best freshman in the ODAC this year.

“He almost ran unopposed,” Favret said. “He had a big impact, and (for) a freshman, just to start in our league, it doesn’t happen a lot, and it certainly hasn’t happened a lot for me, but to put up the kind of year he had, we’re going to build from that, and I told him last night, bigger awards ahead for him, hopefully.”

A press release from H-SC Athletics cited that Smith, also named an All-ODAC third-team selection, finished seventh in the ODAC with 602 rushing yards on 147 carries, good for 4.1 yards per rush. Officials noted that he posted seven rushing touchdowns and that as a receiver, he was second in the league with 71 catches for 661 yards and two more touchdowns.

The release indicated that he capped the season fourth in the ODAC with 1,263 all-purpose yards at 157.9 per game, which ranks third in the league.

Officials cited in the release that Morgan led the ODAC in receptions, with 81, receiving yards, with 1,143, and receiving yards per game, with 127.0, while placing second in receiving touchdowns, with 12.

Davis led the Tigers in tackles at 77 and ranked fourth in the league overall, the release stated, adding that he recorded six tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and two fumble recoveries.

The release highlighted Kline for ranking third in the league in sacks, with 6.5, second in sack yards, with 41, and third in fumble recoveries, with two, also noting that  recorded 34.0 tackles with 21 of them being solo.

Vanlandingham started out the year at linebacker before a defensive change saw him move to the secondary, official cited in the release. They added that he contributed 34 tackles, two sacks, six tackles for loss, one forced fumble and two pass breakups.

Tigers making the All-ODAC second team were senior quarterback Alec Cobb and junior offensive lineman Andrew Grage. H-SC players on the third team included sophomore kicker Rhett Andersen, sophomore linebacker Brendan Weinberg and Smith.