BROOKFIELD, Ill. – Four Bison were named to the 2021 Don Hansen NCAA Division II All-America Team for the first time in Oklahoma Baptist football history, the Don Hansen Football Committee announced on Monday.
Preston Haire, Tyler Stuever, Keilahn Harris, and Josh Cornell earned All-America Honorable Mention honors after steering OBU to its most successful season in program history.
Prior to today's selections, only one Bison, Kimes Gilbert, had garnered such a recognition. Gilbert was tabbed an NAIA All-American in 2013 after setting several school records, including 16.0 sacks that season.
Now, there is a new era.
Thanks to these individuals, the Bison finished with an 8-4 overall record, the most wins since the school joined Division II. The offense broke 16 team program records en route to leading the Great American Conference in passing touchdowns (41) and passing yards (3,435).
Individually, the four accounted for a combined 31 broken school records. Haire was responsible for 16 of those after finishing the season with 44 total touchdowns and 3,817 yards of offense. In Division II, he ranked third in passing touchdowns (41) and 12th for passing yards (3,356). The signal-caller recorded six passing touchdowns in a single game three times (NWOSU, ECU, SNU) and threw for over 300 yards in six contests this season.
Haire was named the GAC Player of the Year for the second consecutive year, earned All-GAC First-Team honors, and garnered the conference Offensive Player of the Week recognition twice this season. Furthermore, the Trophy Club native was tabbed a D2CCA All-Super Region 3 Second-Team member.
Stuever finished the season with 1,424 total yards, including 1,247 rushing, a school record. He became the second Bison running back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in a season as he closed out his career with a program-best 35 total touchdowns.
The running back reached 100 yards six times this season and was five yards shy of besting his career-high of rushing yards in a game with 180 against Northwestern Oklahoma State. He earned All-GAC First Team honors for the first time in his career and was named the week four Conference Co-Offensive Player of the Week.
Cornell and Harris were the best receiving duo in the nation, as told by their mind-boggling numbers. Each eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark and combined for 32 receiving touchdowns.
Cornell's 1,090 receiving yards ranked third in the GAC as he reached the century mark for the second consecutive season. His 16 touchdowns tied for third in Division II, which set a new single-season school record, while his 84 receptions ranked sixth.
The second part of the tandem, Harris, charted 1,546 all-purpose yards and 17 touchdowns. He broke the school record for receptions in a season with 92, which ranked fourth in Division II and broke the OBU mark for kick return yards (447) in a single season.
Outside of the 16 he caught, Harris' lone touchdown was an 87-yard kick-return against Northwestern Oklahoma State. He earned GAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors after the feat.
Cornell was named to the All-GAC First Team for the second time in his career, while Harris earned the same, plus a selection to the D2CCA All-Super Region 3 First-Team.
