The Indoor Football League is pleased to announce the 2023 All-Rookie Team selections. Representatives from each IFL Team voted to recognize the IFL’s top eighteen rookies from the 2023 regular season.
The Massachusetts Pirates and Bay Area Panthers led all teams with four selections each.
The complete list of All-Rookie honorees is as follows:
OFFENSE
QUARTERBACK – Anthony Russo, Massachusetts Pirates
In fourteen games, Russo completed 61.4% of his passes for 2,243 yards and 49 touchdowns and led his team to the Eastern Conference playoffs.
RUNNING BACK – Jimmie Robinson, Massachusetts Pirates
In his rookie campaign, Robinson led the league with 959 rushing yards. He averaged 5.6 yards per carry and scored 28 touchdowns on the ground.
WIDE RECEIVER – Nih-Jer Jackson, Bay Area Panthers
Surrounded by talent, Jackson still managed to shine in 2023. He finished the season with 622 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns.
WIDE RECEIVER – Ryan Wisniewski, Northern Arizona Wranglers
Wisniewski was a constant contributor for the Wranglers. He amassed 653 yards and 13 touchdowns. He was also named Offensive Player of the Week for Week Five with a four-touchdown performance.
WIDE RECEIVER – Phazione McClurge, Frisco Fighters
McClurge was a force in 2023. In just nine games played, he accumulated 564 yards and nine receiving touchdowns. He’s fifth in the league with an average of 62.7 receiving yards per game.
CENTER – Hunter Kelly, Massachusetts Pirates
The front line in Massachusetts is young and talented. It is led by Center, Hunter Kelly. Kelly and company paved the way for the fourth ranked offense in the league.
OFFENSIVE LINE – Navaughn Donaldson, Massachusetts Pirates
Right next to Kelly on the Pirates line is Navaughn Donaldson. All 6’6”, 345 lbs. of him. Donaldson was dominant in both run blocking and pass protection.
OFFENSIVE LINE – Amari Catchings, Bay Area Panthers
At 6’4”, 320 lbs., Catchings played a big role in the IFL top-three Bay Area Panthers offense.
DEFENSE
DEFENSIVE LINE – Tevaughn Grant, Bay Area Panthers
Grant flourished in his rookie IFL campaign. He finished the season fourth in tackles for loss with 13 and tied for fourth in sacks with 6.5.
DEFENSIVE LINE – Melik Owens, Tucson Sugar Skulls
Owens ended his rookie season fifteenth in total tackles for loss (nine) and twelfth in the league in sacks (three).
DEFENSIVE LINE – Anthony Hayes, Green Bay Blizzard
It didn’t take long for Hayes to make his presence known in the IFL. In his rookie season, he was tenth in the league with 10.5 tackles for loss and 20th in the league with 3.5 sacks.
LINEBACKER – Jordan Jones, Tulsa Oilers
Jones was a bright spot in the Tulsa Oilers inaugural season. In only fourteen games, He led the IFL with 113 tackles. The next closest had 95.5.
LINEBACKER / DEFENSIVE BACK – Antwon Kincade, Bay Area Panthers
Bay Area has some impressive young talent. Their fourth addition to the All-Rookie Team is Antwon Kincade who finished the season with 58 tackles.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Defensive Back – Eugene Ford, Sioux Falls Storm
The Storm features an impressive group of Defensive Backs. Leading the way was rookie Eugene Ford. Ford landed second in the league with seven interceptions on the year.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Kordell Jackson, Frisco Fighters
Jackson put up an incredible rookie season. He led the league with 28 pass breakups and was tied for third in the league with six interceptions.
DEFENSIVE BACK – Kishawn Walker, Northern Arizona Wranglers
Walker was a big part of the Wranglers 2023 success. He finished the season with six interceptions, tied for third in the IFL. He also had 15 pass breakups, good for eighth in the league.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KICKER – Conor Mangan, Northern Arizona Wranglers
Mangan added a new twist to the IFL this year with his implementation of the drop kick. In just six games, Mangan connected on eight of eleven drop kick attempts. He also finished third in the league in field goal percentage.
KICK RETURNER – Charles Haeden III, Frisco Fighters
Haeden led the league in kickoff returns for a touchdown with six. He was second in the league with 1,078 return yards, averaging 22.5 yards per return.
