DURHAM, N.C. – North Carolina Central University has four football student-athletes - senior defensive back Khalil Baker, senior quarterback Davius Richard, junior offensive lineman Torricelli Simpkins III, and senior kicker Adrian Olivo - represented on The Bluebloods 2023 FCS Preseason All-American Team.

Baker garnered First Team recognition, while Richard, Simpkins, and Olivo were named to the Third Team.

Baker (Winston-Salem, N.C.), the 2022 MEAC Defensive Player of the Year, became the first NCCU Eagle to earn First Team All-America honors from the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) or the Associated Press on the NCAA Division I-FCS level following his historic junior season. He was also selected as the recipient of the inaugural Aeneas Williams Award winner, presented to the nation's best defensive back in HBCU Division I college football on behalf of the award's namesake, Aeneas Williams, and Oklahoma Sports Hall of Fame. The safety ranked second in the MEAC with four interceptions, including a touchdown return in a road win over nationally-ranked New Hampshire, and placed fifth in the conference in passes defended with nine. Baker topped the team with 61 tackles (43 solo), including 2.0 stops for a loss, while also recording five pass break-ups and recovering a fumble. He capped his historic season by amassing 10 tackles in an overtime victory over Jackson State to earn the Cricket Celebration Bowl Defensive MVP award.

Richard (Belle Glade, Fla.), the 2022 MEAC Offensive Player of the Year and Cricket Celebration Bowl Offensive MVP, led the conference in passing yards (2,661), passing touchdowns (25), and rushing touchdowns (15). He also broke NCCU single-season records for pass completions (199), pass completion percentage (64.0%), and total offense (3,449), while ranking fifth in the nation (NCAA Division I-FCS) in points responsible for with 244 points. After three seasons (2019, 2021-22), Richard ranks second on NCCU's all-time career passing list with 6,814 passing yards and 52 passing touchdowns, and second in career total offense with 8,210 total yards.

Simpkins (Charlotte, N.C.) earned All-MEAC First Team honors last season as the starting center for the No. 1 scoring offense and total offense in the MEAC. A two-time MEAC Offensive Lineman of the Week, he topped NCCU with an astonishing 81 pancake blocks, an average of 6.8 per game, and ranked second on the squad with an average grade of 85.3%.

Olivo (Plant City, Fla.) claimed his second straight All-MEAC First Team citation after leading the league with 13 field goals, including a career-long boot of 43 yards, and ranked second in scoring with 90 points. The three-time MEAC Specialist of the Week converted 13-of-15 field goals and 51-of-54 extra-point kicks in 2022.

In 2022, NCCU won its first MEAC football championship since 2016, and defeated No. 5 Jackson State University, 41-34, in an overtime thriller in the Cricket Celebration Bowl at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The victory delivered the university's fourth HBCU national championship title, joining the company of those captured in 1954, 2005 and 2006. The 2022 NCCU Eagles became just the third team in school history to win 10 games in a season and earned the program's highest NCAA Division I-FCS national ranking at No. 17 in the final American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Coaches' Poll. Under the direction of 2022 MEAC Coach of the Year Trei Oliver, the Eagles celebrated non-conference FCS triumphs over North Carolina A&T, Tennessee Tech, No. 25 New Hampshire, and No. 5 Jackson State.

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