LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas -- The Little Rock Touchdown Club and Wright, Lindsey & Jennings LLP announced that senior defensive end
Shaneil Jenkins (District Heights, Md./Suitland) of the Shepherd University football team has been named one of the nominees for the 3rd annual CLIFF HARRIS AWARD. This award is presented to the nation's top small college defensive player representing more than 5,000 defensive players from almost 500 NCAA Division II, Division III and NAIA colleges and universities. A prestigious selection committee made up of former college and pro football greats will select the winner. In addition to the CLIFF HARRIS AWARD overall winner, the top vote getter from each division will also be announced.
Jenkins, who was named MEC Defensive Player of the Year, led a Rams unit that topped the league in total defense (288.5) and scoring defense (16.9). Jenkins averaged a league-best 1.05 sacks per game (10.5 total) and added 17.5 tackles for a loss and two forced fumbles.Finalists for the award will be released in two weeks and the CLIFF HARRIS AWARD winner will be announced on Dec. 24 and honored at the Little Rock Touchdown Club's annual awards banquet in February 2016. The winner will receive the $3,000 CLIFF HARRIS AWARD trophy presented by Cliff Harris. The inaugural winner of the award in 2013 was Lindenwood University cornerback Pierre Desir now with the Cleveland Browns. The 2014 winner was Darius Allen of Colorado State University-Pueblo.
2015 CLIFF HARRIS AWARD NOMINEES | Player Name | Position | Class | College | Division |
| Ryan | Aelker | DL | Sr | Bluffton University | DIII |
| Ali | Aqel | DL | Sr | University of St.Francis (IL) | NAIA |
| Donzale | Ashley | S | Sr | Ashland | DII |
| Steve | Barroso | LB | Sr | Albright College | DIII |
| Conner | Bays | S | Jr | Southwestern Oklahoma State University | DII |
| Chris | Beaulaurier | LB | Sr | University of Puget Sound | DIII |
| Vincent | Beltrano | CB | Sr | University of Chicago | DIII |
| Jacob | Bernhard | LB | Sr | Western State Colorado University | DII |
| Collin | Bevins | DE | Jr | Northwest Missouri State | DII |
| Trevon | Biglow | DE | Jr | Harding | DII |
| Zachary | Blair | LB | Jr | UVa-Wise | DII |
| Michael | Bloomfield | DE | Sr | Winston-Salem State University | DII |
| Brady | Bonte | CB | Sr | Dakota Wesleyan University | NAIA |
| Garrett | Borcher | LB | Sr | Doane College | NAIA |
| Jordan | Bowman | DB | Jr | California University of Pennsylvania | DII |
| D'Vonn | Brown | DL | Jr | Southwestern Assemblies of God University | NAIA |
| Nate | Bryan | DT | Sr | Franklin College | DIII |
| Erick | Bulter | DE | Sr | Thomas more College | DIII |
| Kyle | Burchett | LB | Jr | Hiram College | DIII |
| Braden | Bush | DB | Jr | McPherson College | NAIA |
| Terry | Calagon | LB | Sr | Alma College | DIV III |
| Clayton | Callicutt | DE | Sr | Angelo State | DII |
| Myles | Carelock | CB | Sr | Central Washington University | DII |
| Marqui | Christian | S | Sr | Midwestern State University | DII |
| Andrew | Cohen | DL | Dr | West Chester | DIV II |
| Tyler | Condit | LB | Sr | University of New Haven | DII |
| Aaron | Cooper | LB | Jr | Kentucky Christian University | NAIA |
| Adama | Dansdill | LB | Sr | Wheaton | DIV III |
| Dylan | Delk | DE | Sr | Tabor College | NAIA |
| Jason | Disney | LB | Jr | Howard Payne University | DII |
| Dylan | Donahue | DE | Jr | University of West Georgia | DII |
| Darren | Dungee | LB | Sr | Rowan University | DIII |
| Javier | Dyer | DL | So | Reinhardt University | NAIA |
| Morgan | Fox | DE | Sr | Colorado St-Pueblo | DIV II |
| Logan | Genz | LB | Sr | Arkansas Tech | DIV II |
| Joshua | Gordon | DE | Sr | Minnesota State University, Mankato | DII |
| Emmanuel | Graves | DE | Sr | Colorado School of Mines | DII |
| Connor | Harris | LB | Jr | Lindenwood University | DII |
| Josh | Harris | DB | Jr | Georgetown College | NAIA |
| Zach | Hauser | DT | Sr | Macalester | DIII |
| Tyler | Henderson | LB | Sr | Minnesota State | DIV II |
| Sidney | Henry | CB | Sr | Hampden-Sydney College | DIII |
| Jordan | Herdman | LB | Jr | Simon Fraser | DIV II |
| Nick | Holshoe | DB | Jr | Concordia University | NAIA |
| Austin | Jacques | LB | Sr | Johnson C. Smith University | DII |
| Michael | James | S | Jr | Alderson Broaddus University | DII |
| Shaneil | Jenkins | DL | Sr | Shepherd | DIV II |
| Nathan | Jernigan | LB | Jr | Cumberland University | NAIA |
| Brandon | Jones | DL | Dr | Widner University | DIV III |
| Michael | Jordan | CB | Sr | Missouri Western State University | DII |
| Matt | Judon | DL | Sr | Grand Valley State University | DII |
| Brian | Khoury | DE | Jr | Carnegie Mellon University | DIII |
| Kyle | Kitchens | OLB | So | Catawba College | DII |
| Tyke | Kozeal | ILB | Jr | University of Nebraska at Kearney | DII |
| Ben | Kullos | LB | Sr | Dakota State (S.D.) | NAIA |
| Tom | Lally | DL | sr | Mount Union | DIV III |
| Zach | Lanning | DL | Jr | Ottawa University | NAIA |
| Frank | Laterza | DB | Sr | St. Norbert | DIV III |
| Elijah | Lavalais-Hawkins | LB | So | Peru State College | NAIA |
| Ryne | Lewis | DE | Sr | Hardin-Simmons University | DIII |
| Ryne | Lewis | DE | Sr | Hardin-Simmons University | DIII |
| Tre'von | Lightfoot | CB | Jr | Emory & Henry | DIII |
| Davondrick | Lison | DL | Fr | Southern Arkansas University | DII |
| Brock | Long | LB | Sr | Fort Hayes State University | DII |
| Marcus | Martin | DE | So | Slippery Rock University | DII |
| Ryan | Martin | LB | Jr | Hanover College | DIII |
| Brad | McCurdy | S | Sr | Ohio Dominican University | DII |
| Kodie | McNamara | LB | Sr | Gettysburg College | DIII |
| Austin | Miller | LB | So | University of Central Missouri | DII |
| Nate | Moore | DB | Jr | College of Idaho | NAIA |
| Max | Nacewicz | LB | Sr | Springfield College | DIII |
| Jordan | Norris | CB | Jr | Northwestern Oklahoma State University | DII |
| Anthony | Pilla | DE | Sr | Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI) | DII |
| Curtis | Pumphrey | db | Sr | Bowie State University | DII |
| Nadim | Raddar | DE | Sr | Bethany College | DIII |
| Jewell | Ratliff | LB | Sr | Tuskegee University | DII |
| Andre | Reyes | LB | Sr | Briar Cliff University | NAIA |
| Dustin | Rivas | CB | So | Colorado Mesa | DII |
| Joe | Rizzardi | SS | Sr | US Coast Guard Academy | DIII |
| Andrew | Robinson | DE | Sr | UW-Platteville | DIII |
| JJ | Sanders | DL | Sr | Florida Tech | DIV II |
| Adam | Sauder | S | Sr | Taylor University | NAIA |
| Zac | Schleuder | LB | Sr | Morningside College | NAIA |
| Zac | Schleuger | LB | Sr | Morningside College | NAIA |
| Taron | Seaforth-Howard | DB | Sr | Fitchburg State University | DIII |
| Jordan | Shaw | S | Sr | Shorter University | DII |
| Teidrick | Smith | DE | Jr | University of Mary Hardin-Baylor | DIII |
| Tim | Smith | DE | Jr | University of St Francis | NAIA |
| Blaine | Snitker | LB | Sr | University of Dubuque | DIV III |
| Solomon | St. Pierre | CB | Sr | University of Sioux Falls | DII |
| Isaiah | Swopes | CB | Fr | Belhaven University | DIII |
| Caleb | Taylor | LB | Sr | Faulkner University | NAIA |
| Austin | Tennessee | CB | Jr | Stevenson University | DIII |
| Preston | Tescher | S | Sr | University of Mary | DII |
| Carlos | Thomas | DB | So | Johnson C. Smith University | DIV II |
| Jonathan | Thropay | LB | Jr | Azusa Pacific University | DII |
| Sam | Van Ginkel | DE | Jr | Northwestern College | NAIA |
| Bryant | Wade | LB | Sr | Husson University | DIV III |
| Alex | Wahl | LB | Sr | Upper Iowa University | DII |
| D'Gary | Wallace | LB | Sr | Urbana University | DII |
| Reno | Ward | DL | Jr | Montana Western | NAIA |
| Anthony | White | DB | Sr | Huntington College | DIV III |
| Raheem | Wilson | CB | Jr | Southeastern Oklahoma State | DII |
| Joel | Wimbley | LB | Sr | Saint Joseph's College | DII |
| Charles | Wood | LB | Sr | Texas A & M - Commerce | DII |
| Nick | Woodman | DE | Sr | Utica College | DIII |
| Mike | Zanders | S | Jr | Gannon University | DII |
| Justin | Zimmer | DT | Sr | Ferris State University | DII |
