D3football.com Release

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - Senior defensive lineman Mike Murphy (Orland Park, Ill.-Carl Sandburg) of the Illinois Wesleyan University football team was named to the D3football.com Preseason All-America First Team the publication announced Thursday, Sept. 3. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic's impact on the football season, the publication decided to "recognize the top players at each position who were projected to return when the fall football season was canceled" as it would in a normal year.

Murphy, who was one of 11 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin players to earn a selection, is the first Titan to garner the preseason accolade since Trevor Staley in 2018. Overall, he is just the third IWU player to be recognized on the D3football.com preseason team since 2005.

Murphy turned in one of the best defensive seasons in the country en route to First Team All-CCIW honors in 2019. A two-time D3football.com Team of the Week awardwinner, he put together a season for the record books. Murphy, who was named the CCIW's Defensive Player of the Week Nov. 18, registered 19.5 tackles for loss and 16 sacks on the year, the most of any player in the conference. His 16 sacks were the most since the 2000 season and are the second-most in Illinois Wesleyan history, while his 1.6 sacks per game led all NCAA Divisions. 

Overall, Murphy racked up 35 tackles, seven quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles, and a pass breakup as the leader of an IWU defense that led the country in team sacks at 4.5 QB takedowns per game.

Full D3football.com Preseason All-America Teams
 

First team offense
Position	Player	School	Hometown
QB	Gavin Zimbelman	Aurora	Menteno, Ill.
RB	Robert Shufford	Birmingham-Southern	McKenzie, Ala.
RB	Ethan Greenfield	North Central	Lindenhurst, Ill.
WR	Andrew Kamienski	North Central	Pingree Grove, Ill.
WR	Colt Morgan	Case Western Reserve	Wooster, Ohio
TE	Cole Hissong	Wooster	Shreve, Ohio
T	Tim Driscoll	Union	Pleasantville, N.Y.
G	Sharmore Clarke	North Central	Oak Park, Ill.
C	Mike Olsen	UW-Oshkosh	Hartland, Wis.
G	Quinn Meinerz	UW-Whitewater	Hartford, Wis.
T	Kyle Gannon	UW-Whitewater	Waukesha, Wis.
First team defense
DE	Michael Nobile	Delaware Valley	Brick, N.J.
DT	Dallas McRae	Wheaton	Crown Point, Ind.
DT	Mike Murphy	Illinois Wesleyan	Orland Park, Ill.
DE	Mackenzie Balanganayi	UW-Whitewater	Palatine, Ill.
LB	Dillon Keefe	Chapman	Orange, Calif.
LB	Emmett Forde	Hobart	South Boston, Mass.
LB	Kaleb Kaminski	UW-Whitewater	Tomahawk, Wis.
CB	Spencer Rowland	Wheaton	Greenville, Mich.
S	Jefferson Fritz	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Kaufman, Texas
S	Raeqwon Greer	Alfred	Buffalo, N.Y.
CB	Justin Harris	Delaware Valley	Philadelphia, Pa.
First team specialists
K	Jaydon Haag	UW-Oshkosh	Sparta, Wis.
P	Joey Annee	Wabash	Indianapolis, Ind.
RET	A.J. Jackson	Lake Forest	Peoria, Ariz.
ST	Michael Edmonson	Trinity (Texas)	Holly Lake Ranch, Texas
Second team offense
QB	Wyatt Smith	Linfield	McMinnville, Ore.
RB	Ike Irabor	Union	Braintree, Mass.
RB	Christiaan Williams	Ohio Northern	Sidney, Ohio
WR	Ravi Alston	St. John's	Lake Elsinore, Calif.
WR	Harrison Wellman	Johns Hopkins	College Station, Texas
TE	Mike Benning	Birmingham-Southern	Chattanooga, Tenn.
T	Max Warden	St. Lawrence	Potsdam, N.Y.
G	DoRion Dreighton	Mary Hardin-Baylor	San Antonio, Texas
C	Jake Hibben	Wheaton	Littleton, Colo.
G	Luke Lodini	Brockport	Stony Point, N.Y.
T	Brandon Bradford	Wesley	New Castle, Del.
Second team defense
DE	Liam Vincifora	Millsaps	Covington, La.
DT	Chase Lydig	Linfield	Buckley, Wash.
DT	Jake Holaday	Wheaton	Brandon, Miss.
DE	Danny Pietruszewski	St. John's	South St. Paul, Minn.
LB	Ryan Schwartz	Wheaton	Burbank, Ohio
LB	Dante Capozzoli	Kean	Caldwell, N.J.
LB	Erich Keutmann	Western New England	Washingtonville, N.Y.
CB	Jake Beesley	North Central	Champaign, Ill.
S	Mark McGrath	UW-Whitewater	Lisle, Ill.
S	James Bell	Texas Lutheran	Houston, Texas
CB	Keith Gipson	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Killeen, Texas
Second team specialists
K	Anthony Avila	Mary Hardin-Baylor	Troy, Texas
P	Grayson Harvey	Ferrum	Lynchburg, Va.
RET	Tahmir Barksdale	Delaware Valley	Philadelphia, Pa.
ST	Logan Grauer	Lebanon Valley	Mohrsville, Pa.
Third team offense
QB	Michael Hnatkowski	Muhlenberg	Philadelphia, Pa.
RB	Josh Petruccelli	Mount Union	Perry, Ohio
RB	Alex Minton	Denison	Bethel Park, Pa.
WR	Noah Thomas	Rose-Hulman	Indianapolis, Ind.
WR	Manni Romero	Norwich	Phillipsburg, N.J.
TE	Nick Cofer	Heidelberg	Willard, Ohio
T	Jack Fiedler	Bethel	St. Michael, Minn.
G	Gabriel McGill	Wheaton	Plano, Texas
C	Joey Presutti	Mount Union	Houston, Texas
G	Matt Metcalf	Linfield	Eugene, Ore.
T	Corey Schriver	Delaware Valley	Warminster, Pa.
Third team defense
DE	Cameron Chang	Lewis & Clark	Honolulu, Hawaii
DT	Blade Durbala	Central	Blairstown, Iowa
DT	Jackson Ross	Chicago	Norman, Okla.
DE	Joshua Onujiogu	Framingham State	Wareham, Mass.
LB	Dante Daniel	Wesley	Pleasantville, N.J.
LB	Mal Cadwell	Huntingdon	Greenville, Ala.
LB	Jack Pistorius	Middlebury	Park Ridge, Ill.
CB	JoJo McNair	Wartburg	Joliet, Ill.
S	Kordell Ford	Mount Union	Massillon, Ohio
S	Sean Carroll	Salisbury	Wilmington, Del.
CB	Raylens Boutin	Brockport	Nyack, N.Y.
Third team specialists
K	Maki Medici	Utica	Watervliet, N.Y.
P	Ben Garbarini	Christopher Newport	Bedford, Va.
RET	Joey Koroly	Washington & Jefferson	Washington, Pa.
ST	Travis Alvarez	Cortland	Keyport, N.J.