North Dakota State University cornerback Marcus Williams was selected as the College Sports Madness.com's Preseason Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and Missouri Valley Football Conference Defensive Player of the Year. NDSU head coach Craig Bohl was the Valley Football Preseason Coach of the Year.

Named to The Sports Network's 2012 Buck Buchanan Watch List, Williams, a 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior from Minneapolis, Minn. (Hopkins H.S.), has started in all 29 games played during his career and has at least one pass defended in 24 of those contests. He has 11 career interceptions.

Williams was named as one of 10 FCS Defensive Backs to Watch by The Sports Network, which wrote, "Breaking up isn't hard to do ... at least not for Williams. He had seven interceptions and 15 pass breakups in an electrifying campaign for the FCS national champion Bison last season. A member of The Sports Network/Fathead.com FCS All-America first team, Williams scored two touchdowns off his own interceptions, another off an interception-and-lateral from safety Colten Heagle and another off a kickoff return. He also finished the season with 53 tackles."

Williams was the North Dakota State's lone selection to the College Sports Madness.com Preseason FCS All-American team.

Joining Williams on the College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference first team were defensive end Cole Jirik and punt returner Ryan Smith.

Landing a spot on the second team were running back Sam Ojuri, safety Colten Heagle, and Smith at wide receiver.

Selected to the third team were quarterback Brock Jensen, defensive tackle Leevon Perry and linebacker Travis Beck.

North Dakota State won the program's first NCAA Division I Football Championship with a 17-6 win over Sam Houston State on Jan. 7 and also claimed the program's first Missouri Valley Football Conference title. The Bison were 14-1 overall and 7-1 in MVFC.

The Bison open the 2012 season against Robert Morris at 6 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 1, at Gate City Bank Field at the Fargodome.

College Sports Madness.com Preseason FCS All-America Team
Coach of the Year—Mickey Matthews, James Madison   
Freshman of the Year—Irving Huggins, Georgia Southern
Offensive Player of the Year—Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State
Defensive Player of the Year— Marcus Williams, North Dakota State 

First Team                       
Offense
QB Casey Brockman, Murray State
RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State
RB Tim Flanders, Sam Houston State
WR Ryan Spadola, Lehigh
WR Aaron Mellette, Elon
TE Colin Anderson, Furman
OL Malcolm Boyd, Liberty
OL Blake Matthews, Norfolk State
OL Earl Watford, James Madison
OL Patrick Ford, Eastern Kentucky
OL Anthony Oden, Lamar
K Zach Brown, Portland State
KR Kevin Fogg, Liberty

Defense   
DL Willie Jefferson, Stephen F. Austin
DL Blake Oliaro, San Diego
DL Tyler Starr, South Dakota
DL Brent Russell, Georgia Southern
LB Matt Evans, New Hampshire
LB Jeremy Kimbrough, Appalachian State
LB Keith Pough, Howard
DB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State
DB Darnell Taylor, Sam Houston State
DB Kejuan Riley, Alabama State
DB Serge Kona, Duquesne
P Jonathan Plisco, Old Dominion
PR Darius Drummond, South Carolina State

Second Team   
Offense
QB Jeff Matthews, Cornell
RB Terrence West, Towson
RB Jordan Brown, Bryant
WR Nicholas Edwards, Eastern Washington
WR Cordell Roberson, Stephen F. Austin
TE David Duran, Coastal Carolina
OL Kadeem Williams, Albany
OL Mike Vuono, Lehigh
OL Mike Sellers, Citadel
OL Aaron Adams, Eastern Kentucky
OL Alec Savoie, McNeese State
K Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa
KR Fabian Truss, Samford

Defense  
DL Ben Obaseki, Indiana State
DL Marquis Jackson, Texas Southern
DL Zach Minter, Montana State
DL J.T. Cleveland, Sam Houston State
LB Blake Peiffer, Southeast Missouri State
LB Jody Owens, Montana State
LB Evan Fierson, Illinois State
DB Charles James, Charleston Southern
DB B.W. Webb, William & Mary
DB Demetrius McCray, Appalachian State
DB Malcolm Bronson, McNeese State
P Patrick Murray, Fordham
PR Gralyn Crawford, Stephen F. Austin

Third Team                   
Offense
QB DeNarius McGhee, Montana State
RB Miguel Maysonet, Stony Brook
RB Zach Bauman, Northern Arizona
WR Shane Savage, Cornell
WR Rodrick Rumble, Idaho State
TE Anthony Calcagni, Marist
OL O.J. Enabosi, Eastern Kentucky
OL Tytan Timoteo, Weber State
OL Jamie Dunaway, Gardner-Webb
OL Chris Howley, Maine
OL Jack Templeton, Brown
K Chris Rogers, Sacred Heart
KR Seitu Smith, Harvard

Defense   
DL Joseph Lebeau, Jackson State
DL Caraun Reid, Princeton
DL Marcus Edwards, Tennessee Tech
DL Josh Williams, Chattanooga
LB Robert McCabe, Georgetown
LB Wes Dothard, Chattanooga
LB Jordan Ridley, Butler
DB Justin Bell, Eastern Kentucky
DB A.J. Cruz, Brown
DB Varmah Sonie, Northern Iowa
DB Jordan Dangerfield, Towson
P Cory Kemps, Nicholls State
PR Terrence Lewis, Alcorn State

College Sports Madness.com Preseason All-Missouri Valley Football Conference Team
Coach of the Year—Craig Bohl, North Dakota State
Freshman of the Year—Chris Wiseman, South Dakota   
Offensive Player of the Year—Shakir Bell, Indiana State
Defensive Player of the Year—Marcus Williams, North Dakota State   
               
First Team   
Offense
QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State
RB Shakir Bell, Indiana State
RB Jamaine Cook, Youngstown State
WR Tyrone Walker, Illinois State   
WR Will Powell, South Dakota
TE MyCole Pruitt, Southern Illinois   
OL F.N. Lutz, Indiana State
OL Mark Pratt, Youngstown State
OL Bryan Witzmann, South Dakota State
OL Jimmy Holtschlag, Western Illinois
OL Chris Elkins, Youngstown State   
K Tyler Sievertsen, Northern Iowa
KR Zach Zenner, South Dakota State   

Defense   
DL Ben Obaseki, Indiana State   
DL Tyler Starr, South Dakota   
DL Nate Palmer, Illinois State       
DL Cole Jirik, North Dakota State           
LB Aaron Archie, Indiana State       
LB Evan Fierson, Illinois State       
LB Jacolby Washington, Indiana State   
DB Marcus Williams, North Dakota State   
DB Varmah Sonie, Northern Iowa       
DB Kieron James, Western Illinois       
DB Garrett Scott, Nothern Iowa       
P Cole Zwiefelhofer, South Dakota
PR Ryan Smith, North Dakota State
               
Second Team               
Offense
QB Matt Brown, Illinois State       
RB Sam Ojuri, North Dakota State
RB David Johnson, Northern Iowa
WR Ryan Smith, North Dakota State
WR Aaron Rollin, South Dakota State
TE Matt Thayer, Missouri State
OL Brian Palangi, Northern Iowa
OL Casy Paswater, Indiana State
OL Will Castle, South Dakota State
OL Tim Ross, South Dakota
OL Eric Bergman, Southern Illinois
K Kevin Robb, South Dakota
KR Steve Strother, Southern Illinois

Defense   
DL Shelby Harris, Illinois State       
DL Kenneth Boatright, Southern Illinois       
DL Kayon Swanson, Southern Illinois       
DL Chris Wiseman, South Dakota       
LB Jayson DiManche, Southern Illinois
LB Darius Hogans, South Dakota           
LB Andrew Beisel Missouri State           
DB Colten Heagle, North Dakota State       
DB Winston Wright, South Dakota State
DB Aaron Swift, South Dakota           
DB Mike Crutcher, Missouri State   
P Lucas Hileman, Indiana State   
PR Donovan Harden, Illinois State   
               
Third Team           
Offense
QB Brock Jensen, North Dakota State
RB Steve Strother, Southern Illinois
RB Tyrel Kool, South Dakota State
WR Christian Bryan, Youngstown State
WR Donald Spencer, Indiana State
TE Darion Howard, Northern Iowa
OL Lamar Mady, Youngstown State
OL Richard Wilson, Southern Illinois
OL Andrew Radakovich, Youngstown State
OL Misha Danilov, Northern Iowa
OL Josh Kage, South Dakota State
K Jackson MacLachlan, Southern Illinois
KR Leonard Riston, Indiana State

Defense   
DL Andy Mink, South Dakota State
DL Colton Underwood, Illinois State
DL Dwight Harris, Western Illinois
DL Leevon Perry, North Dakota State
LB Theon Dixon, Western Illinois
LB Teven Williams, Youngstown State
LB Travis Beck, North Dakota State   
DB Calvin Burnett, Indiana State   
DB Caleb Schaffitzel, Missouri State   
DB Aronde Stanton, Youngstown State
DB Chris Fierson, South Dakota
P Kyle Bernard, Northern Iowa
PR LaSteven McKinney, Southern Illinois