The Citadel picked 7th in SoCon preseason rankings

SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Six members of the The Citadel football team earned Preseason All-Southern Conference honors, it was announced Monday at the league’s Football Media Day. The preseason all-conference teams were selected by the league’s head coaches.

Joseph Randolph II, Willie Eubanks III and Matthew Campbell were selected to the first team, while Haden Haas, Drew McEntyre and Jacob Godek were named to the second team.

Randolph is the anchor of the defensive line after posting 37 tackles, 14 tackles-for-loss and 4.0 sacks a season ago. He posted a season-best 3.5 tackles-for-loss against ETSU, and added seven tackles and 3.0 tackles-for-loss against Furman.

He was a First-Team All-SoCon selection by the media and second-team selection by the coaches following the 2018 season.

Eubanks was the top tackler last season as he finished with 80 tackles, 8.5 tackles-for-loss and 4.5 sacks. He also added two interceptions and recovered a pair of fumbles. He posted at least seven tackles in six games, including 12 stops against VMI and 13 against Furman the following week. The VMI contest included a fumble recovery and an interception, while the Furman game included a pair of sacks.

Campbell is coming off one of the best seasons by a Bulldog punter in school history. He averaged 44.4 yards on 51 punts, the second-best average in program history. He had 16 punts over 50 yards, including one in each of the last seven games of the season. His longest punt came on the biggest stage when he booted a 68-yarder at Alabama.

He was named a Preseason Third-Team All-American by HERO Sports after earning First-Team Freshman All-America honors a season ago. Additionally, Campbell was tabbed the Freshman Special Teams Player of the Year by Phil Steele Magazine.

Haas is entering his second season as a starter along the offensive front. He started all 11 games at center last season as the Bulldogs averaged 283.6 yards per game.

He was tabbed a First-Team Freshman All-American by HERO Sports following the 2018 season.

McEntyre is the veteran of the offensive line as he enters his third season as a starter. With the help of McEntyre, the Bulldogs have ranked in the Top 10 nationally in rushing in each of the past two seasons.

The combination of Haas and McEntyre helped the Bulldogs rush for over 275 yards in seven games, including 421 at Western Carolina. The Citadel rushed for 275 yards at Alabama, the most allowed by the Crimson Tide since the 2015 Sugar Bowl.

Godek is coming off his best season as a Bulldog as he went 11-for-13 on field goals, including a streak of nine-straight makes. He kicked a career-long 48-yard field goal at Alabama to send the teams into halftime tied 10-10. Godek was also a perfect 41-for-41 on extra points.

The Bulldogs were picked seventh in the preseason polls by the head coaches and media. The Citadel was picked to finish seventh in both polls back in 2015.