Three members of coach Ryan Taylor's Navarro Bulldogs were selected Tuesday as 2022 NJCAA Division I Football All-Americans.

 

Sophomore linebacker Chatavies 'C.J.' Johnson earned second-team honors, while quarterback Dane Jentsch and linebacker Caimyn Layne claimed spots on the honorable-mention squad.

 

The three selections increase Navarro football's All-American count to 97. Navarro football has produced 45 first-team, 22 second-team and 30 honorable mention players during its rich history.

 

Johnson, a Little Elm, Tx., native who has committed to Memphis, led the Bulldogs in tackles with 72. The Denton Braswell High School product had five games with eight or more tackles, including personal season-highs of 14 against NMMI in the SWJCFC Semifinals and 13 against Trinity Valley -- a game in which he returned an interception 39 yards for a touchdown. Johnson recorded one sack, two forced fumbles and three-and-one-half tackles for losses.

 

Johnson becomes the second second-teamer in as many seasons, following the lead of former NJCAA all-purpose yardage leader Jeremiah Aaron, currently a wide receiver at West Virginia.

 

Jentsch becomes the third Navarro quarterback in as many seasons to earn honorable mention accolades, following Qua Gray (2021) and Dodge Delozier (2020-21).

 

The Lamar University transfer from Grandview led the NJCAA in efficiency rating (170.5). He finished second in completion percentage (71.7), seventh in passing yards (2003), ninth in completions (147) and 11th in touchdown passes after his first year in Navarro's program. Jentsch threw TD passes in eight consecutive games in the process of racking up five games with 200-plus passing yards, that included a 397-yard effort in the conference-opening, second game of the season against NMMI.

 

Layne, another Lamar University transfer, was Navarro's second-leading tackler (62) with a team-high nine sacks, eight-and-one-half tackles for losses and four forced fumbles. Layne had four games with more than eight tackles, including a personal-best 11 against Trinity Valley and two games against NMMI totalling 17 stops.