A unanimous selection for the preseason honor, Maysonet was the 2011 Big South Offensive Player of the Year -- Stony Brook's first-ever Big South Offensive Player of the Year honoree, and was the first running back since Liberty's Rashad Jennings in 2008 to win the Conference's top offensive award. Mayonset rushed for a Big South single-season record 1,633 yards last season with 15 touchdowns, and he was eighth in the nation with 125.6 rushing yards per game. He finished with 16 total touchdowns and rushed for 100 yards in a game eight times last season -- second-most in a single-season in Conference annals. Maysonet scored four rushing touchdowns in a game twice last year, becoming the first player in Big South history to accomplish this feat. A two-time Big South Offensive Player of the Week honoree in 2011, Maysonet rushed for a career-best 194 yards against Lafayette before gaining 863 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns in six Big South games last season. He closed out the regular-season with five consecutive 100-yard rushing games and five-straight games with a touchdown, helping Stony Brook capture the outright Big South championship.
Maysonet, who has already been named one of 20 candidates for the 2012 Walter Payton Award and has been tabbed a preseason All-American by The Sports Network, is the only player in Big South history to score four touchdowns in a game three times and needs 873 yards to become the Big South's all-time leading rusher. He also is tied for fifth all-time with 27 career rushing touchdowns.
James, who has already been named a 2012 preseason All-American by The Sports Network, received eight of 18 first-place votes and 24 points to claim the defensive honor. Tabbed one of the 10 national defensive backs to watch by The Sports Network, James is also among College Football Performance Awards Watch List for Defensive Backs. His 10 career interceptions are tied for fifth in League history while his 143 career interception return yards rank fifth as well. Last season, James earned First-Team All-Conference honors after recording 66 tackles, including 40 solo stops, as well as two interceptions and seven pass break-ups. He had a season-high nine tackles vs. Coastal Carolina, had an interception at Florida State and returned it 39 yards to set-up a CSU touchdown, and had a 25-yard interception return at Jacksonville. James' career totals also include 19 pass break-ups and 29 passes defended, good for seventh all-time in Big South history.
Maysonet and James were also voted to the preseason All-Conference team. The preseason team is comprised of 12 offensive players, 12 defensive players and five special teams selections, plus any ties. Liberty placed a League-high eight players on the preseason squad, followed by Stony Brook (6), Coastal Carolina (6), Gardner-Webb (5), Charleston Southern (2) and Presbyterian College (2). The 2012 preseason All-Conference team is as follows:
2012 BIG SOUTH FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
OFFENSE
QB - Kyle Essington, Stony Brook, Sr. (Chino Hills, Calif.)
RB - Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook, Sr. (Riverhead, N.Y.)
RB - Kenny Little, Gardner-Webb, R-Sr. (Flanders, N.J.)
WR - Nathan Perera, Charleston Southern, Jr. (Orlando, Fla.)
WR - Matt Hazel, Coastal Carolina, Jr. (North Augusta, S.C.)
WR - Pat Kelly, Liberty, Sr. (New Orleans, La.)
TE - David Duran, Coastal Carolina, R-Sr. (Marietta, Ga.)
OL - Jamie Dunaway, Gardner-Webb, Sr. (Duncan, S.C.)
OL - Malcolm Boyd, Liberty, Sr. (Spartanburg, S.C.)
OL - Jamey Cheatwood, Coastal Carolina, R-Jr. (Boiling Springs, S.C.)
OL - Steve Demilio, Gardner-Webb, R-Sr. (Severna Park, Md.)
OL - Michael Bamiro, Stony Brook, R-Jr. (Tobyhanna, Pa.)
DEFENSE
DL - Preston Pemasa, Gardner-Webb, Jr. (Garden Grove, Calif.)
DL - Matt Goods, Gardner-Webb, R-Jr. (East Orange, N.J.)
DL - Francis Bah, Liberty, R-Jr. (Duisburg, Germany)
DL - Chris Thomas, Coastal Carolina, Sr. (Staten Island, N.Y.)
LB - Andrae Jacobs, Coastal Carolina, Sr. (Tabor City, N.C.)
LB - Jawara Dudley, Stony Brook, Jr. (Roosevelt, N.Y.)
LB - Nick Sigmon, Liberty, R-Soph. (Roanoke, Va.)
LB - Donelle Williams, Presbyterian, Soph. (Starke, Fla.)
DB - Charles James, Charleston Southern, R-Sr. (Jacksonville, Fla.)
DB - Walt Aikens, Liberty, R-Jr. (Charlotte, N.C.)
DB - Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Sr. (Raleigh, N.C.)
DB - Dominick Reyes, Stony Brook, R-Sr. (Hesperia, Calif.)
SPECIAL TEAMS
PK - Wesley Skiffington, Stony Brook, R-Sr. (Brandon, Fla.)
P - Patrick Morgano, Presbyterian College, Sr. (Greenville, S.C.)
LS - Richard Wright, Liberty, R-Jr. (Nathalie, Va.)
KR - Kevin Fogg, Liberty, Sr. (Raleigh, N.C.)
PR - Niccolo Mastromatteo, Coastal Carolina, Jr. (Ortonville, Mich.)
PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Miguel Maysonet, Sr., RB, Stony Brook
PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Charles James, R-Sr., DB, Charleston Southern
