Tarleton State Football’s Britten, Cooper receive top honors from Dave Campbell’s Texas Football’s All-Texas Non-FBS Team

STEPHENVILLE, Texas – Tarleton State Football running back Kayvon Britten and wide receiver Darius Cooper earned top honors on Dave Campbell's Texas Football's All-Texas Non-FBS 2024 Team.

Britten received Dave Campbell's Texas Football's best award as the 2024 Player of the Year. Cooper was named the 2024 Best Wide Receiver.

This honor is one of many the dynamic duo has received after a historic 2024 season for Tarleton State. Britten and Cooper were each named to the 2024 FCS First Team All-America by the Associated Press, Stats Perform, FCS Football Central All-American First Team, and Phil Steele Britten was also named to the 2024 AFCA FCS Coaches All-America Second Team.

Both Britten and Cooper also grabbed First Team All-United Athletic Conference honors by both the league and Phil Steele. Academically, Cooper was named to the College Sports Communicators' Academic All-District Team.

Britten shattered most of Tarleton State's program rushing records in 2024 and finished as the leading rusher across the FCS, being the second-leading rusher across all of NCAA Division I football. Across 14 games, Britten rushed for 1,982 yards and 18 touchdowns, setting a new single-season program rushing record. He surpassed Derrick Ross' mark that had stood for 20 years (1,560 in 2004). He rushed for over 100 yards in 11 different games, and with 15 in his Tarleton State career, he had the most ever by a Texan.

The Cincinnati, Ohio, native is one of three players in program history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. Britten finished eighth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award (national offensive player of the year award). He was one of 35 finalists for the 2024 Walter Payton Award, being one of 15 running backs among the finalists.

Cooper finished as the leading receiver across all of NCAA Division I football, both FBS and FCS with 1,450 yards and 14 touchdowns on 76 receptions. The St. Louis, Missouri, native was a First Team All-American by both the Associated Press and Stats Perform in addition to being a unanimous First Team All-United Athletic Conference receiver. Cooper set new program records in playoff single-game receiving yards (190) and career receiving yards (3,185).

Conference-wise, Cooper was first in receiving yards, receiving touchdowns, receiving yards per game (103.6), and was tied-first in receptions. The St. Louis, Missouri, native set a new program playoff record in single-game receiving yards with 190 in Tarleton's first playoff game on Nov. 30, surpassing Jahmeel Hobson's 188 vs. Texas A&M-Kingsville on Nov. 14, 2009. He became the second player in program history to have multiple seasons with 1,000 receiving yards (Devin Guinn, 2007 and 2009), falling just 12 yards shy of the single-season receiving yard record of 1,462 set by Zimari Manning in 2019.
Tarleton Football won a Division I program record 10 games in 2024, earning an at-large bid to its first-ever FCS Playoffs. The Texans collected its first Division I playoff win against Drake in Stephenville before falling to No. 4 seed South Dakota in the second round. Finishing in the top-15 in the national rankings, Tarleton Football collected 10 All-UAC honors and won two All-American titles to complete 2024.

Player of the Year: Kayvon Britten, Tarleton State

Offensive Player of the Year: Zach Calzada, UIW

Defensive Player of the Year: Brandon Tucker Jr., East Texas A&M

Coach of the Year: Jarrail Jackson, Texas College

Best Quarterback: Maverick McIvor, Abilene Christian

Best Running Back: Ernest Ceasar III, Texas Wesleyan

Best Wide Receiver: Darius Cooper, Tarleton State

Best Tight End: Logan Compton, UIW

Best Offensive Lineman: Khalil Spivey, Hardin-Simmons

Best Defensive Lineman: Jerry Lawson, Abilene Christian

Best Linebacker: Charlie Patterson, Hardin-Simmons

Best Defensive Back: Andrew Pitts, Angelo State

Best Specialist: Cameron Welch, Texas Lutheran

2024 All-Texas Non-FBS Offense
QB, Braeden Fuller - Angelo State
RB, DeKalon Taylor - UIW
RB, Noah Garcia - Hardin-Simmons
WR, Jalen Walthall - UIW
WR, Kylon Harris - Stephen F. Austin
WR, Jasiah Barron -Wayland Baptist
WR, Tim Burns - Navarro
TE, Jed Castles - Abilene Christian
OL, Tay Yanta - Abilene Christian
OL, Noah Pisek - Angelo State
OL, Cedric Malone - Texas Wesleyan
OL, Julio Madero - Navarro
OL, Daniel Hernandez - Trinity Valley

2024 All-Texas Non-FBS Defense
DL, Demarcus Hendricks - Texas A&M-Kingsville
DL, Kane Strohman - McMurry
DL, Joseph Chavez - Nelson
DL, Justin Garza - Blinn
LB, Tristan Exline - UTPB
LB, Durand Hill - Mary Hardin-Baylor
LB, Cade Rabson - Trinity
LB, Darion White - Tyler
DB, Mason Chambers - UIW
DB, MJ Hinson - Texas Southern
DB, Timothy Leatherman - McMurry
DB, Jaylon Webb - Kilgore

2024 All-Texas Non-FBS Specialists
PK, Tyler Huettel - Trinity
P, Cade Fuller - Angelo State
KR, Sam Hicks - Abilene Christian
PR, Dameon Gomes - Hardin-Simmons

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Players Mentioned

#4 Kayvon Britten: RB; 5' 7"; Senior

#6 Darius Cooper: WR; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#4 Kayvon Britten
: 5' 7"; Senior
: RB

#6 Darius Cooper
: 6' 0"; Senior
: WR

Players Mentioned

#4 Kayvon Britten

#6 Darius Cooper

Players Mentioned

#4 Kayvon Britten

#6 Darius Cooper