2016 IndyStar All-Indiana College Football team

There are more than 200 players from Indiana playing for NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision teams.

As has been our annual tradition, we narrowed down those 200-plus players to find the state's top performers to fill out the All-Indiana College Football team. Keep in mind, these are players from Indiana, not just playing at Indiana colleges.

You can navigate our searchable database of all the FBS players from the state here.

OFFENSE

QB – Zach Terrell, Western Michigan (Homestead)

A third-team All-Mid-American Conference performer in 2015, Terrell finished the season with 3,526 passing yards and 32 total touchdowns. His passer efficiency of 162.3 was seventh-best in the country and he stepped up against bigger competition, throwing for 365 yards and two scores against Michigan State. Last year's All-Indiana QB pick Gunner Kiel, who has started 23 games for Cincinnati over the past two seasons, lost his starter's job ahead of his senior year.

RB – Markell Jones, Purdue (Columbus East)

Boilers fans should expect to see plenty of Jones this season. Coach Darrell Hazell says it wouldn't surprise him if the 2014 IndyStar Mr. Football gets 30 touches a game. Jones, who is on the preseason Doak Walker watch list, started six games as a freshman and ran for a team-high 875 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.

RB – Shaq Vann, Eastern Michigan (South Bend Adams)

Another back on the Doak Walker watch list, Vann rushed for 586 yards (5.9 yards per carry), five touchdowns as a redshirt freshman last season, and he added 37 catches for 269 yards. Already a captain for Eastern Michigan, Vann was named the Eagles' Offensive Newcomer of the Year a season ago.

WR – Gehrig Dieter, Alabama (South Bend Washington)

A graduate transfer from Bowling Green, Dieter has immediate eligibility for the Crimson Tide. Dieter's hands and route running have been a highlight in Alabama's offseason program, leading some to speculate he'll start for the national title contenders. Dieter, a second-team All-MAC selection, caught 94 passes for 1,038 yards and 10 scores last season for Bowling Green and enters this season on the Biletnikoff Award watch list.

WR – Mitchell Paige, Indiana (Guerin Catholic)

A walk-on return specialist turned go-to slot guy, Paige finished among the Big Ten receiving leaders last year with six touchdowns (tied for sixth) and 57 receptions (tied for 10th). An honorable mention All-Big Ten special teams performer, the former Guerin Catholic standout is Mr. Reliable among the Hoosiers' loaded receiving unit that also returns Simmie Cobbs (60 catches, 1,035 yards) and Ricky Jones (54 catches, 906 yards).

TE – Josiah Price, Michigan State (Eastern)

A third-team All-Big Ten selection a season ago, Price is Michigan State's all-time leader among tight ends with 16 career TD receptions. Price landed on preseason watch lists for the John Mackey Award (best tight end) as well as the Wuerffel Trophy, which combines community service with academic and athletic excellence.

OL – Jon Toth, Kentucky (Brebeuf Jesuit)

Arguably the Wildcats' best player, Toth has made 35 consecutive starts. He enters his senior season on the watch list for the Rimington Trophy and Outland Trophy, which go to college football’s best center and best interior lineman. “He’s a special person,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said at last month's SEC media day. “The more you’re around him and get to spend some time with him, he’s an incredible guy.”

OL – Deyshawn Bond, Cincinnati (Warren Central)

A second-team All-American Athletic Conference selection, Bond anchored an offensive line that allowed the Bearcats to put up the fifth-most yards in the nation last season (559.4 yards per game). For the second year in a row, Bond is on the preseason Rimington Trophy watch list.

OL – Colin Sandor, Air Force (Cathedral)

Last season, Sandor started all 14 games at left guard on a line that allowed the fewest sacks in the nation (three). Sandor and his line  mates also paved the way for the Falcons to rush for a Mountain West-best 319.1 yards per game. Since his arrival in 2013, Sandor has seen Air Force go from three wins to 10 wins to a division title last year.

OL – Lukayus McNeil, Louisville (Decatur Central)

A nine-game starter at guard a year ago as a redshirt freshman, McNeil will man the right tackle position this season for the Cardinals. At 6-6 and 313 pounds, McNeil has the prototypical frame to play tackle, and is athletic enough to neutralize pass rushers.

OL – Brandon Knight, Indiana (Noblesville)

Penciled in as the starter and heir apparent to Jason Spriggs at left tackle for the Hoosiers, Knight has been favorably compared to the high NFL draft pick he's tasked with replacing. Knight, who saw action as a tight end his freshman season – even scoring a TD in the Old Oaken Bucket game – battled through injury in fall camp and will likely split time with true freshman Coy Cronk in the season opener at FIU.

DEFENSE

DL – Joshua Posley, Ball State (Warren Central)

One of nine starters returning for the Cardinals defense, Posley was a first-team All-Mid-American Conference selection in 2015. The transfer from Cincinnati led the Cardinals with nine tackles for loss, six QB hurries and two forced fumbles.

DL – Terrance Bush, Bowling Green (South Bend Washington)

A former walk-on turned team captain, Bush started all 14 games for the Falcons a year ago, finishing with 68 tackles, including eight for loss and a team-high six sacks. Bush, an Academic All-MAC selection, is the only returning starter along Bowling Green's defensive front.

DL – Anthony Winbush, Ball State (Warren Central)

Sheldon Day and Darius Latham's departures to the NFL left us a little light on the defensive line. Indiana's Jacob Robinson (Westfield) will start for the Hoosiers, and could eventually take this spot. But for now, it's Winbush. Though he only made 15 tackles, the redshirt senior led the team with five sacks — four of which came in the first six games of the season.

LB – Darrin Kirkland Jr., Tennessee (Lawrence Central)

The Vols' quarterback on defense, Kirkland played in all 13 games, including 10 starts at middle linebacker as a true freshman. His 66 tackles were fourth on team and second in the Southeastern Conference by a freshman. He added 6.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and five quarterback hurries. Kirkland finished the season strong with 31 tackles in Tennessee's final five games and is poised for a breakout campaign.

LB – Alex Aukerman, Army (Center Grove)

Army's starting "SAM" linebacker, Aukerman played in every game a year ago  as a freshman, starting six times. He made 25 tackles last season and made a career-high five tackles against Penn State last October.

LB – Jimmy Herman, Purdue (Carmel)

Part of a veteran Boilers linebacking corps, Herman has made 15 starts while in West Lafayette, including seven last year despite battling injury. A three-time Academic All-Big Ten selection, Herman posted 41 tackles, including six for loss, last season. He's currently listed behind Danny Ezechukwu at the "buck" linebacker position.

LB – Rob Dury, UIndy (Bishop Chatard)

As is tradition on the All-Indiana College Football team, we stray off the Football Bowl Subdivision path to fill any holes on our roster. This year, with Tim Kimbrough's transfer from Georgia, we're a bit thin at linebacker. So step up, Rob Dury, UIndy's two-time reigning Linebacker of the Year.  A first-team All-Great Lakes Valley Conference selection, Dury ranked fifth in the GLVC with 100 total tackles last season, including 10 stops for loss.

DB – Drue Tranquill, Notre Dame (Fort Wayne Carroll)

After finishing the 2014 season as Notre Dame's Newcomer of the Year on defense, Tranquill was primed for a big 2015. Then, in the third game of the season he tore his ACL — celebrating a touchdown-saving play. It was the second major knee injury for the Fort Wayne product in less than 12 months. Now, back healthy, Tranquill is penciled in again as the Irish's starting strong safety.

DB – Chase Dutra, Indiana (Brownsburg)

A starter in seven of the eight games he appeared in last season, Dutra finished fifth on the team with 61 tackles and 38 solo stops. His season was cut short by injury, but he was a two-time IU defensive player of the week in 2015. Listed as the Hoosiers' starter for Week 1, Dutra will provide experience in an increasingly youthful secondary.

DB – Alfonso Mack, Bowling Green

A starter in the Falcons' final 12 games last season, Mack led the team with six interceptions and had 56 tackles, including 43 unassisted stops. A former walk-on, Mack earned a scholarship in December and was named a MAC Distinguished Scholar Athlete. In the MAC title game, Mack posted a season-high eight tackles and grabbed an interception in Bowling Green's win over Northern Illinois.

DB – Jason Beck, Eastern Michigan (Tech)

Beck has started 22 of 24 games for the Eagles since arriving on campus. In 2015, he finished second on the team with 80 tackles. In two years in Ypsilanti, Beck has 166 total tackles and two interceptions.

SPECIALISTS

K – Griffin Oakes, Indiana (Greenwood)

The 2015 Big Ten Kicker of the Year, Oakes made 83 percent of his field goals (24-of-29) and led Big Ten kickers, averaging 9.6 points per game. He also made 53-of-57 extra points. Oakes led the conference with 52 touchbacks and set a single-season IU record in field goals and total points for a kicker.

P – Kyle Schmidt, Ball State (Chesterton)

Schmidt punted a career-high 58 times in 2015 and finished with a 39.7 yard average. Ball State's 37.6 net yards per punt were third-best in the MAC. Twenty-one of his 58 kicks landed inside the 20.

Honorable mention: WR Terry McLaurin, Ohio State (Cathedral); LB Asmar Bilal, Notre Dame (Ben Davis); LB Josh Barajas, Notre Dame (Andrean); OL Hayden Janney, UIndy (Hamilton Southeastern); RB Darian Green, Ball State (Lafayette Jeff); RB James Gilbert, Ball State (Tech); QB James Knapke, Bowling Green (Fort Wayne Bishop Luers); WR Anthony Rice, Central Michigan (Mishawaka Marian); LS Chris O'Risky, Eastern Michigan (Poseyville); LB Ike Spearman, Eastern Michigan (Lake Central); DE Jacob Robinson, Indiana (Westfield); C Wes Rogers, Indiana (Lawrence Central); DL Pierre Aka, Iowa State (Pike); WR Jared Murphy, Miami of Ohio (Columbia City); OL Matt McCann, Purdue (Bishop Chatard); DL Nathan Braster, Western Michigan (Fort Wayne South Side).