Hampden-Sydney College graduate Will Pickren and junior Mason Cunningham have been named to the 2023 Virginia Sports Information Director’s (VaSID) College Division All-State Football First Team. Meanwhile, junior Joseph Gonzalez has been named to the VaSID All-State Second Team. The organization began announcing its 22 All-State Teams for 2023-24 this week and will continue through July 31.

Will Pickren started all 10 games at safety during 2023 and led the team with 99 total tackles, including 40 solo and 59 assisted, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, four pass breakups, one fumble recovery-returned 33 yards for a touchdown at Greensboro (NC) on September 16-one forced fumble and one blocked kick (punt at Greensboro). He had at least 10 tackles in six games, including a season-high 17 tackles vs. Bridgewater on Sept. 30, finishing third in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) in tackles per game (9.9), fourth in total tackles and tied for seventh in interceptions. Pickren ranked 26th in NCAA Division III tackles per game. Will completed his outstanding collegiate career with 366 tackles (10.5)-a new school record for the program-including 162 solo and 204 assisted, 18 tackles for loss, seven interceptions, 22 passes defended, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and two blocked kicks (PAT, punt)-starting 34 of 35 career games.

Pickren garnered four All-America awards over the past two seasons, as he was named to the 2023 Associated Press (AP) Division III All-America Second Team and the 2023 D3football.com All-America Third Team, while a 2022 First Team AP Division III All-American and Second Team American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division III Coaches’ All-American-becoming one of the most decorated Tigers in program history. He was twice named the State Small College Defensive Back of the Year by the Touchdown Club of Richmond (2023, 2021), was a three-time D3football.com All-Region 3 honoree (2021-23), including a two-time First Team selection (2022-23), and a four-time First Team All-ODAC choice, just the second four-time First Team selection since 2000. In addition, he was the ODAC Rookie of the Year and the VaSID Defensive Rookie of the Year during an abbreviated five-game Spring 2021 schedule, while a four-time VaSID All-State First Team honoree.

Mason Cunningham started all 10 games at wide receiver last fall, and led the team with 79 receptions for 791 receiving yards and seven touchdowns. He had three 100-yard receiving games, and led the ODAC in receptions, receptions per game (7.9), receiving yards and receiving yards per game (79.4), and tied for third in receiving touchdowns through the regular season, while also averaging 5.6 yards on 10 punt returns, third-best in the ODAC, with a long return of 19 yards. Cunningham was named to the 2023 D3football.com All-Region 3 Third Team and was a First Team All-ODAC selection. He previously was chosen as the 2022 ODAC Rookie of the Year and the 2022 VaSID Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Joseph Gonzalez played in eight games last season and averaged 23.9 yards on 19 kick returns, including a long of 91 yards-returned for a touchdown vs. Ferrum on October 7. He had one of only three kickoff returns for a touchdown in the ODAC, and ranked third in kick return average, while tied for 11th in Division III in kickoff return touchdowns (1) and ranked 43rd in kick return average. Gonzalez added three receptions for 21 receiving yards, had one assisted tackle on special teams and was named to the 2023 D3football.com All-Region 3 Second Team at kick returner.