Led by first team selection Charles Bell at linebacker, the University of Delaware placed seven student-athletes on the All-Colonial Athletic Association football all-star teams announced Tuesday.

Senior offensive lineman Connor Bozick, junior offensive lineman Brody Kern, junior defensive tackle Bilal Nichols and sophomore linebacker Troy Reeder were named to the second team, while junior running back Wes Hills and sophomore cornerback Nasir Adderley were third team selections.

Bell, a junior linebacker, Bozick, Kern and Nichols were named to the All-CAA team for the second straight year. Six of the seven selections will return to the team in 2017.

“I am extremely proud and happy for the young men whose talent and hard work were recognized by the some of the best coaches in the country,” said UD interim head coach Dennis Dottin-Carter. “Each one of these men fully deserves to be recognized as one of the best players at their positions, in one of the best conferences in the country. No one comes as a surprise. Every one of the student-athletes selected has put in the time during practice, workouts, meetings and personal study to be recognized today.

“I’m very happy for our lone senior who was selected, Connor Bozick, and very optimistic about the future of Delaware football, having six returning players selected as the some of the best among their peers. These young men will continue to work, one day at a time, to reach our program goal of winning championships. They are not done yet.”

Bell, a team co-captain who earned second team All-CAA honors a year ago, led UD in tackles for the second straight year as he recorded 94 stops (38 solo) to go with a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss. He also had a quarterback sack, intercepted a pass, had two pass breakups and recovered one fumble and forced another.

He recorded 10 or stops four times and had a career-high 13 tackles each against Maine, Towson and Villanova. He also had 11 tackles, 3.5 for loss, and intercepted a pass against Stony Brook.

Bell currently ranks No. 4 in the CAA in both tackles and tackles per game and led a defense that ranks No. 5 in the conference in total defense, allowing 349.7 yards per game.

Bell is the first UD player to earn CAA first team honors since 2014 and the first UD linebacker to earn first team honors since current NFL Atlanta Falcons standout Paul Worrilow in 2012.

“It comes as no surprise that Charles Bell was selected to the All-CAA first team,” said Dottin-Carter. “As a third-year player and two-year starter, he is a gifted athlete who has worked tirelessly to perfect his craft. He holds himself to the highest standards and epitomizes accountability. It isn’t a coincidence that he was elected to be one of our team captains as a junior. Even though he will probably brush it off and get back to work, this honor is certainly merited for Charles.”

Bozick and Kern anchored an offensive line that helped UD rank No. 2 in the CAA in rushing offense (227.2 yards per game/14th in the NCAA) and No. 2 in fewest sacks allowed (11/11th in NCAA). Bozick, who has garnered the attention of many NFL scouts, played in each of his final 46 career games and started 34 of them while Kern has started all 22 games over the last two seasons. Both earned third team All-CAA honors in 2015.

Nichols, a defensive tackle, was honored for the second straight year after earning third team laurels in 2015. He was an imposing force on the defensive line all season and collected 25 tackles, including 18 solo stops.

He ranked No. 2 on the team and first among full-time down linemen with five sacks for 28 yards and also ranked second on the squad in tackles for loss with 7.5 for 37 yards. He also had a team-high five pass breakups at the line of scrimmage, forced a fumble, and had a sack for a safety in the win over Albany.

Reeder was a force at outside linebacker in his first season at UD after transferring back to his home state following a year as a starter at Penn State. He started all 11 games and ranked No. 2 on the team in tackles with 63, including 36 solo stops.

He also recorded 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, one pass breakup, one blocked kick, and one fumble recovery. He collected a season-high nine tackles at James Madison and was named the CAA defensive player of the week in the win over Albany when he had an interception, forced two fumbles, and recovered another one.

Hills, a team co-captain, earned All-CAA honors despite a frustrating season in which he missed all or most of four games due to various injuries. When healthy, Hills was one of the top players in the nation. He still led Delaware in rushing, carrying 88 times for a team-high 728 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 8.3 yards per carry.

He was one of the few players in the nation to have two 200-yard rushing efforts as he gained 242 yards and scored two touchdowns against Maine and had 212 yards and two scores against Delaware State. Had he played enough game to qualify (75 percent), he would rank No. 14 nationally in yards rushing per game (104.0) and No. 2 in yards per carry (8.3).

Hills also missed all but one game of the 2015 season with a broken foot.

Adderley enjoyed an outstanding second season for the Blue Hens as a cornerback and as one of the league’s top kick returners. He started all 11 games on the corner and ranked third on the team and first among all defensive backs with 49 tackles, including a team-high 38 solo stops.

He tied for the team lead with two interceptions, returning one for a score against Albany, had four pass breakups, and forced a fumble. He also had a career-high 10 tackles against William and Mary.

On special teams, Adderley returned 28 kickoffs for 662 yards and an average of 23.6 yards per return, good enough to rank No. 4 in the CAA. He had five returns go for 30 or more yards with a season-high 51-yarder vs. Richmond.

Mike Houston, who led James Madison to the CAA title in his first season at the helm, was named CAA coach of the year, while his quarterback, Bryan Schor, was named offensive player of the year and Villanova defensive end Tanoh Kpassagnon was selected defensive player of the year.

JMU kick returner Rashard Davis was named special teams player of the year while the rookie of the year honors went to Towson running back Shane Simpson on offense and to New Hampshire defensive back Prince Smith on defense. UNH defensive back Casey DeAndrade earned the CAA Chuck Boone Leadership Award.

The All-CAA teams were selected based on a vote of the 12 conference head coaches.