Ohio Valley Conference Press ReleaseFor the fourth-straight year and sixth time in the
past eight years, Jacksonville State has been picked the preseason football
favorite in the Ohio Valley Conference. The Gamecocks, who have won
three-straight OVC Championships and 24-straight Conference games, received 16
of a possible 18 first-place votes in a poll of league head coaches and sports
information directors.
The Gamecocks totaled 128 total points to out-distance UT Martin, who picked up
the other two first-place votes and was tabbed second (107 points). Tennessee
State was picked third (96) and followed by Eastern Illinois (81), who was the
last league team to beat Jacksonville State (at the end of the 2013 season).
Eastern Kentucky was picked fifth (68) and followed by Tennessee Tech (64),
Southeast Missouri (42), Murray State (41) and Austin Peay (21).
After advancing to the National Championship game in 2015, the Gamecocks
finished last year ranked No. 6/7, marking the fourth-straight year they closed
the season in the top 10, the first OVC team to ever accomplish that feat. The
team will have to replace several key members of a potent offense - including
All-American quarterback Eli Jenkins - but does return Preseason All-OVC running
back Roc Thomas (803 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns), and a pair of All-OVC
offensive linemen in Justin Lea and Dylan Cline. That duo helped block for an
offense that was seventh nationally in rushing offense (250.6 yards/game) in
2016. The Gamecocks have been outstanding on the defensive side of the ball,
finishing last season ranked No. 4 nationally in total defense (274.9 yards/game
allowed) and No. 7 in scoring defense (18.3 points/game allowed). That defensive
unit returns nine starters including Preseason OVC Defensive Player of the Year
Darius Jackson and All-American safety Marlon Bridges. Jackson earned numerous
All-American honors a season ago and is already the JSU career record holder in
sacks (20.5) and tackles-for-loss (40.0). Bridges was named the OVC Freshman of
the Year after tallying a team-high 87 tackles, picking off four passes
(third-most nationally by a freshman) and forcing five fumbles (tied for the
most in the FCS).
UT Martin finished 6-2 in the OVC last season but just missed out on a playoff
berth, falling to Jacksonville State in the season finale. This year head coach
Jason Simpson, the dean of OVC coaches as he begins year No. 12, has 70 players
returning including six offensive and seven defensive starters. Simpson has won
at least five Conference games in six of the past seven seasons and has never
had a losing season in his 11 years with the Skyhawks; he enters the year ranked
eighth in OVC history in victories (72). UTM returns Preseason All-OVC
quarterback Troy Cook who passed for 2,321 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2016. Cook
will be protected by two Preseason All-OVC line selections in seniors Kadarren
Bond and Robert Burleigh. Among the defensive returning players is senior safety
Kahlid Hagens who had a team-high 93 tackles a year ago to go along with four
interceptions, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
After a four-win season in 2015, Tennessee State bounced back a year ago with
seven total victories and an appearance in the national Top 25 polls. This year
the Tigers return nine starters on defense and seven on offense. Among the
defensive players returning is senior defensive end Ebenezer Ogundeko, who
despite missing three full games due to injury, was named first-team All-OVC
after netting 48 tackles, 11.0 tackles-for-loss and 5.5 sacks. Also back is
senior linebacker Chris Collins who led the team with 87 tackles. Back on the
opposite side of the ball is senior wide receiver Patrick Smith, the Preseason
OVC Offensive Player of the Year. A year ago, Smith caught 61 passes for 966
yards and 13 touchdowns; the 13 touchdowns were the seventh-most in OVC
single-season history and ranked him seventh nationally. This season Smith will
be catching touchdown passes from University of Florida transfer Treon Harris
who completed 174-of-346 passes for 2,695 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for
570 yards and three scores in two years with the Gators. Special teams will also
be a strong spot for the Tigers, who return All-American kicker Lane Clark (who
connected on four field goals longer than 50 yards a season ago) and sophomore
return specialist Chris Rowland (who ranked first nationally in combined kick
yards with 1,103 in 2016).
Eastern Illinois started last season strong by topping FBS foe Miami (Ohio) in
week two and No. 5 ranked FCS opponent Illinois State a week later. The Panthers
climbed to as high as No. 13 nationally but suffered three-straight losses down
the stretch to finish 6-5 overall and 4-4 in the OVC. This season fourth year
head coach Kim Dameron has seven offensive and seven defensive starters
returning. Among the offensive returners are four offensive linemen who will
help protect senior quarterback Mitch Kimble. In his debut season with the
Panthers, Kimble passed for 1,414 yards and 13 touchdowns and rushed for two
additional scores despite missing four games due to injury. On the defensive
side of the ball is senior David Johnson who had 51 tackles, 12.5
tackles-for-loss, 3.0 sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble in eight
games after transferring from South Carolina.
Eastern Kentucky will look to rebound after a rare losing season in 2016.
Colonels second-year head coach Mark Elder welcomes back 60 players from last
year’s team including six offensive and seven defensive starters along with a
class of talented newcomers in his second-straight highly-ranked recruiting
class. Among the defensive returners are senior Jeffrey Canady and junior Aaron
Patrick. A year ago, Canady ranked second in the OVC and seventh nationally with
123 total tackles while Patrick earned Sophomore All-American honors from HERO
Sports after tallying 53 tackles, 10.0 tackles-for-loss and 7.0 sacks. Senior
punter Keith Wrzuszczak had another solid season a year ago when he was 17th
nationally in punting (42.1 yards/punt) and earned second-team All-OVC honors.
He helped EKU led the OVC and rank in the top five nationally in net punting and
punt return defense.
In the first season under head coach Marcus Satterfield, Tennessee Tech closed
strong by winning its final three OVC games to finish 5-3 in Conference play,
the program’s first winning OVC record since claiming the Conference
championship in 2011. This season Tech returns 46 players from that team
including Preseason All-OVC running back pick Yeedee Thaenrat. As a freshman,
Thaenrat rushed for 707 yards and six touchdowns. Also back is senior wide
receiver Dontez Byrd who set TTU single-season records for receptions (74) and
receiving yards (933) while catching seven touchdown passes. Byrd also returned
a kickoff 100 yards for a touchdown during the 2016 campaign. Defensively, the
still young unit is powered by a pair of juniors in linebacker Josh Poplar and
defensive end Tim Collins. Poplar led Tennessee Tech with 105 stops a season ago
while also recovering three fumbles (a mark that ranked third nationally) while
Collins recorded 33 stops while netting 6.5 tackles-for-loss and four sacks.
This season Southeast Missouri returns nine starters, including five on offense
and four on defense. Last year the Redhawks were among the top-five in the OVC
in scoring defense (3rd, 24.4 ppg allowed), total defense (4th, 390.2 ypg
allowed), rushing defense (3rd, 138.5 ypg allowed), turnover margin (5th, -2)
and red zone defense (2nd, 73%). This season that defense will be keyed by
senior linebacker Chad Meredith who is a Preseason All-OVC selection after
finishing last year with 86 tackles, 10.5 tackles-for-loss, 4.0 sacks and five
quarterback hurries. He enters this year having started 22-straight games and
ranks eighth in SEMO history for career sacks (8.5) and seventh in career
tackles-for-loss (24.0). Joining Meredith at the linebacker position is senior
Kendall Donnerson who had 50 tackles and 13.0 tackles-for-loss a year ago.
Offensively, senior quarterback Jesse Hosket returns after passing for 2,332
yards and 11 touchdowns in his debut season with the Redhawks.
Murray State third-year head coach Mitch Stewart will be tasked with filling the
pads worn by quarterback KD Humphries who graduated with the second-most passing
yards in OVC history (10,458). The six quarterbacks currently on the MSU roster
have combined for only one career game played in a Racer uniform entering this
season. Whoever wins the starting battle will have the luxury of throwing passes
to Preseason All-OVC wide receiver Jordon Gandy who had a breakout season in
2016 when he caught 62 passes for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns. Also among the
eight returning offensive starters is sophomore running back Mareio McGraw who
rushed for 571 yards and six touchdowns in his debut season. Nine defensive
starters are back including senior defensive back D’Montre Wade, who ranked
third-nationally a year ago with 18 passes defended (three interceptions, 15
pass breakups), and senior defensive back Zachary Wade, who had a team-high 90
tackles a year ago.
Austin Peay made strides during Will Healy’s first season as head coach, but is
still trying to end a 27-game losing streak entering the season. Among the
breakout players returning from last year is sophomore quarterback JaVaughn
Craig and sophomore wide receiver/running back Kentel Williams. Craig was
inserted into the lineup the final five games of last season and passed for 515
yards and six touchdowns and rushed for 482 yards and three scores in that short
time frame. Williams finished the season as the team’s leading rusher (541
yards) and set a new OVC single-game record with 399 all-purpose yards in a game
against Eastern Kentucky. Defensively, junior Gunnar Scholato is coming off a
season that saw him ranked seventh nationally in tackles/game (11.2). Scholato,
a former walk-on, had 124 total stops, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and two
interceptions in 2016.
2017 OVC Football Predicted Order of Finish
1. Jacksonville State (16 first-place votes) – 128 points
2. UT Martin (2) - 107
3. Tennessee State - 96
4. Eastern Illinois - 81
5. Eastern Kentucky - 68
6. Tennessee Tech - 64
7. Southeast Missouri - 42
8. Murray State - 41
9. Austin Peay - 21
PRESEASON ALL-OVC TEAM
Tennessee State senior wide receiver Patrick Smith and Jacksonville State senior
defensive lineman Darius Jackson were named the 2017 OVC Preseason Offensive and
Defensive Players of the Year in a vote of by the league’s head football coaches
and sports information directors.
Jacksonville State led the way with nine total preseason selections. UT Martin
had six picks, followed by five picks from Tennessee State, two picks apiece
from Eastern Kentucky, Murray State and Southeast Missouri and one apiece from
Eastern Illinois and Tennessee Tech. Returning players who were first-team
All-OVC selections last year (17 in total) were automatic selections to the
preseason team this year. The squad also included five players who were
second-team picks in 2016. Of the 28 total selections, 19 were seniors, six were
juniors and three were sophomores.
The offensive unit was led by Smith, a first-team All-OVC selection a season
ago. Smith led the OVC and ranked seventh nationally with 13 receiving
touchdowns a year ago, a mark that ranked seventh in OVC single-season history.
Overall the now senior hauled in 61 catches for 966 yards (15.8 yards/catch) for
a TSU team that won seven games overall. The offense also included UT Martin
senior quarterback Troy Cook (166-of-298, 2321 yards, 22 TDs) and a trio of
running backs in Jacksonville State senior Roc Thomas (782 yards, 7 TDs, 16
catches, 173 yards, 1 TD), UT Martin junior Jaimiee Bowe (747 yards, 7 TDs, 10
catches, 97 yards, 1 TD) and Tennessee Tech sophomore Yeedee Thaenrat (707
yards, 6 TDs, 17 catches, 176 yards). Joining Smith at wide receiver was Murray
State senior Jordon Gandy (62 catches, 976 yards, 11 TDs) while Eastern Illinois
senior Addison Bounds (20 catches, 188 yards, 3 TDs) was the tight end pick. The
offensive line included a pair of Jacksonville State players in senior guard
Justin Lea and junior tackle Dylan Cline, a pair of UT Martin players in senior
guard Robert Burleigh and senior tackle Kadarren Bond along with Tennessee State
junior center Thomas Burton.
After being named Preseason Defensive Player of the Year a season ago, Jackson
backed it up by earning OVC Defensive Player of the Year following the 2016
season. The defensive end earned numerous All-American honors after ranking 17th
nationally in sacks (0.83/game) and 39th in tackles-for-loss (1.3/game). Overall
Jackson had 48 tackles, an interception, forced a fumble and recovered two
fumbles for a defense that ranked fourth nationally. He is joined on the
defensive line by junior teammate Randy Robinson (31 tackles, 7.5 TFL, 4.5
sacks, 3 QBH), Tennessee State senior Ebenezer Ogundeko (48 tackles, 11.0 TFL,
5.5 sacks, 5 QBH) and Eastern Kentucky junior Aaron Patrick (53 tackles, 10.0
TFL, 7.0 sacks, 10 QBH). The linebackers included a pair of JSU players in
seniors Siran Neal (80 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 1 INT, 4 PBU) and Joel McCandless (64
tackles, 7.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT) as well as Southeast Missouri senior Chad
Meredith (86 tackles, 10.5 TFL, 4.0 sacks, 5 PBU, 5 QBH). The defensive back
picks were Jacksonville State sophomore Marlon Bridges (87 tackles, 4.0 TFL, 1.0
sacks, 4 INT, 6 PBU, 5 FF) and senior Reggie Hall (28 tackles, 2 INT, 8 PBU), UT
Martin seniors Kahlid Hagens (93 tackles, 4 INT, 2 FF, 2 FR) and Tae Martin (53
tackles, 4.0 TFL, 2 INT, 6 PBU) and Murray State senior D’Montre Wade (50
tackles, 3 INT, 15 PBU).
Specialists selected to the preseason team included Tennessee State senior
kicker Lane Clark (17-of-25 FG’s, 4 longer than 50 yards), Eastern Kentucky
senior punter Keith Wrzuszczak (42.1 punting average, long of 63, 28 downed
inside opponent’s 20-yard line), Southeast Missouri junior return specialist
Cameron Sanders (27.0 yards/kick return, 1 TD) and Tennessee State sophomore
return specialist Chris Rowland (23.6 yards/kick return).
2017 Preseason OVC Football Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Patrick Smith (WR), Tennessee State
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Darius Jackson (DL), Jacksonville State
OFFENSE
QB - Troy Cook, UT Martin
RB - Roc Thomas, Jacksonville State
RB - Jaimiee Bowe, UT Martin
RB - Yeedee Thaenrat, Tennessee Tech
WR - Patrick Smith, Tennessee State
WR - Jordon Gandy, Murray State
TE - Addison Bounds, Eastern Illinois
C - Thomas Burton, Tennessee State
OG - Justin Lea, Jacksonville State
OG - Robert Burleigh, UT Martin
OT - Dylan Cline, Jacksonville State
OT - Kadarren Bond, UT Martin
DEFENSE
DL - Darius Jackson, Jacksonville State
DL - Ebenezer Ogundeko, Tennessee State
DL - Aaron Patrick, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Randy Robinson, Jacksonville State
LB - Siran Neal, Jacksonville State
LB - Joel McCandless, Jacksonville State
LB - Chad Meredith, Southeast Missouri
DB - Marlon Bridges, Jacksonville State
DB - Kahlid Hagens, UT Martin
DB - Reggie Hall, Jacksonville State
DB - D’Montre Wade, Murray State
DB - Tae Martin, UT Martin
SPECIALISTS
K - Lane Clark, Tennessee State
P - Keith Wrzuszczak, Eastern Kentucky
RS - Cameron Sanders, Southeast Missouri
RS - Chris Rowland, Tennessee State