CEDAR CITY, Utah, July 9 - Four Southern Utah University football players have been named to The Sports Network's 2012 preseason FCS All-America team, it was announced this morning.

Senior quarterback Brad Sorensen (Grand Terrace, Calif.) and junior offensive lineman Gavin Farr (South Ogden, Utah) were named to the first team, while senior defensive tackle Cody Larsen (Draper, Utah) was a second-team selection and senior offensive lineman Zach Brackus (Salt Lake City) earned a third-team nod.

The Thunderbirds' four selections were the second-most of any school in the nation, just behind 2012 national runner-up Sam Houston State, which placed five athletes on the team.

"I am very pleased that The Sports Network is recognizing the hard work of so many of our players," SUU head coach Ed Lamb said. "All four of these players are excellent representatives of their teammates and of Southern Utah University."

Sorensen, who has surpassed the 3,100-yard passing mark in each of the past two seasons, holds nearly all but one Southern Utah single-season passing record as well as most single-game records and he is among the top-two in every career passing category.

Farr earned first-team honors despite missing three games to injury in 2011. Like Sorensen, he is a two-time first-team all-Great West Conference performer, and he was named the league's offensive lineman of the year in 2010 as a redshirt freshman.

Larsen is a three-year starter, largely at tackle, but he has lined up in every position on the defensive line the past three years. He is a two-time all-GWC selection and has been among the team's top three defensive linemen in terms of tackles-for-loss and sacks the past two years.

Brackus is another three-year starter and a three-time all-GWC selection. He has started every game during his SUU career.

The Big Sky Conference - the Thunderbirds' new home beginning this fall - was second in the nation (one behind the Colonial Athletic Association) with 14 representatives on the 93-player team.

The complete team can be found at: http://www.sportsnetwork.com/merge/tsnform.aspx?c=sportsnetwork&page=cfoot2/stat/IAA-pre-12-team.htm