AP Division II All-Americans | D2CCA All-Americans

Wichita Falls, Texas----Wingate University defensive end Marquise Fleming has hauled in two more major accolades, earning first team All-American honors from the Associated Press and the Division II Conference Commissioner's Association (D2CCA). Earlier this month, Fleming was named an AFCA first team All-American.

The Bulldogs have been piling up the All-American trophies over the past few years. Five players picked up All-American accolades in 2022, including first team punter Ethan Evans, first team cornerback Tre Morrison and first team linebacker Davon Gilmore. 2021 saw McLean Robertson and Andrew Strickland both named first team All-Americans, while Cardell Rawlings was a first team selection in 2018. Wingate has had at least one All-American every year since 2016, with a first team selection four times.

Fleming adds this honor to an impressive collection of hardware in 2023. The first team All-SAC and All-Region honoree was named the 2023 SAC Defensive Player of the Year. He followed that up by being named the D2CCA Southeast Region Defensive Player of the Year. Fleming was a nominee for the Harlon Hill award and finished as the national runner-up for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award.

Fleming helped Wingate go 8-3 on the season, as the 'Dogs hit the eight-win mark for the seventh straight year. He and the Bulldogs once again ranked among the nation's best statistically on the defensive side. Wingate ranked fourth nationally in sacks, seventh in scoring defense, 10th in tackles for loss and 12th in total defense.

Fleming leads the nation with his 14 sacks, averaging a nation's-best 1.27 sacks per game. He ranks fifth in the nation with 22.5 tackles for loss, collecting a pair of tackles for loss per game. Fleming led the Bulldogs with 63 tackles, adding three forced fumbles to go along with seven QB hurries. He had at least one TFL in eight of 11 games, with at least one sack in six contests. Fleming had four multi-sack contests, while collecting three or more TFLs five times.

The Division II Conference Commissioners Association encourages and promotes Division II athletics and high standards of sportsmanship as important elements of higher education. The CCA is a key communications link among the conferences as they discuss views, policies and regulations that impact Division II intercollegiate athletics and works closely with the NCAA as a communications channel to NCAA Division II member colleges and universities.

WINGATE UNIVERSITY

Wingate University is a lab of difference-making that serves more than 3,400 students in North Carolina and offers 60 degree pathways, including 37 undergraduate majors, 10 pre-professional tracks and five dual-degree programs. Graduate students choose from seven master's and five doctoral programs. The University is home to the Cannon College of Arts and Sciences, the Levine College of Health Sciences, the Byrum School of Business, the Thayer School of Education and the School of Sport Sciences.
 
Founded in 1896, Wingate University is a leader in healthcare education where nearly one in five undergraduate students is preparing to be a pharmacist, physician assistant, physical therapist, occupational therapist or nurse. Student-athletes on Wingate's 25 teams compete in NCAA Division II and have brought home the SAC Echols Athletic Excellence Award the past 15 times it has been awarded. The University's motto is "Faith, Knowledge, Service." View current news and videos at www.wingate.edu.