Monday, March 18, 2024

W&M Football Standouts Nate Lynn, Colby Sorsdal Earn HERO Sports Preseason FCS All-America Honors

William & Mary offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal (Tribe Athletics)

WILLIAMSBURG — William & Mary defensive end Nate Lynn and offensive lineman Colby Sorsdal earned national honors on Thursday, as both standouts garnered distinction as preseason All-Americans by HERO Sports.

Lynn earned second-team accolades, while Sorsdal was selected to the third team.

The award is Lynn’s third preseason All-America selection, as he garnered first-team honors by Stats Perform and Athlon Sports earlier this summer. Additionally, he was chosen as the 2022 Colonial Athletic Association Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and named to the Buck Buchanan Award Watch List.

In 2021, Lynn garnered postseason All-America accolades by five organizations and placed ninth in the final voting for the 2021 Buck Buchanan Award (FCS National Defensive Player of the Year) after ranking third nationally in sacks per game (1.2) and first in forced fumbles per game (0.6). Additionally, his 12 sacks, which he totaled in just 10 games, tied W&M’s single-season record set by former All-Americans Adrian Tracy (2009, 14 games) and Luke Cullinane (1996, 12 games).

A NFL prospect, the Charlotte, N.C., native was recently selected to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000, which recognizes the nation’s top 1,000 all-start game eligible players who will be considered for the 2023 NFL Draft class.

In addition to his impressive sack total and ability to create turnovers, Lynn recorded 52 tackles and a pair of pass breakups last season en route to earning All-CAA First Team accolades and being selected as the Touchdown Club of Richmond Division I Defensive Lineman of the Year, which honors the top defensive lineman in Virginia. He was also chosen as the 2021 VaSID (Virginia Sports Information Directors) Defensive Player of the Year.

A four-year starter at right tackle, Sorsdal earned All-CAA distinction last season after helping bookend the Tribe’s dominant offensive line. W&M led the CAA and ranked 16th nationally with 205.5 rushing yards per game, while it tied for the league’s top rushing touchdowns total (19). Additionally, the Tribe averaged 5.0 yards per carry – nearly matching the program’s single-season record (5.1) set in 1990. The offensive line was equally as effective in pass protection, as it ranked tied for eighth nationally in fewest sacks allowed per game (1.0) and 10th in fewest sacks allowed (11).

Sorsdal also garnered preseason All-CAA honors this summer and was selected as a team captain.

Ranked 23rd nationally in the Athlon Sports Preseason Poll, W&M is coming off a successful 2021 campaign in which it totaled the program’s most wins since 2015 and garnered a national ranking multiple weeks.

Information on how to secure Tribe Football tickets for the 2022 season is available at TribeAthletics.com.

The Tribe will open its 2022 slate at Charlotte on Friday, Sept. 2, with kickoff set for 7 p.m.

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