ARKADELPHIA – Ouachita Baptist University football players Josiah Johnson and Kendel Givens have been selected to All-America teams for their respective performances during the 2023 season.

Johnson, a junior safety from Little Rock, has earned second team All-America honors by the Associated Press. Givens, a junior running back from Little Rock, has earned second team All-America honors by the Conference Commissioners Association. For Givens, the selection marks his second All-America team for 2023 after also earning second team honors by the American Football Coaches Association.

Johnson is Ouachita's first defensive All-America honoree since 2018 and the fourth defensive back during the NCAA era to earn national distinction, joining Etauj Allen (2013 and 2014), Zach Mitchell (2014) and Keandre Evans (2018) on that list. During the 2023 season, Johnson was the top tackler for the Tigers with 90 total tackles for an average of 8.2 per game. He also had one sack, 2.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions, and three pass breakups.

Givens becomes the second-straight Ouachita starting running back to earn All-America honors from multiple outlets, following TJ Cole's selections in 2021 and 2022. In 2023, Givens took the RB1 spot on the depth chart, and produced as expected with a final total of 1,227 rushing yards, 21 rushing touchdowns, and four receiving touchdowns. With a full season remaining in his career, Givens has already set new Ouachita career records in rushing touchdowns (57) and scoring (378 points).

Johnson and Givens helped Ouachita secure the program's 15th consecutive winning season this past year with a final record of 9-2. The streak is the longest among all college football programs in the state of Arkansas.