Eight Bulldogs Named To MEAC All-Preseason Team; SC State Picked 3rd In League Race

NORFOLK, VA— Eight (8) South Carolina State Bulldogs were named to the 2023 Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Preseason Football All-Conference team, while Coach Buddy Pough’s team was picked to finish third (3rd) in the race for the league title, as voted on by MEAC head football coaches and sports information directors.

The announcements were made Friday (July 21st) at the MEAC’s annual Media Day held at the Hilton Norfolk The Main.

South Carolina State, the 18x MEAC Champion and 2021 Cricket Wireless Celebration HBCU National Champions was chosen ahead of No.6 Delaware State, No. 5. Norfolk State, No. 4 Morgan State, and the Bulldogs were picked at the No.3 spot behind of No.2 Howard and No. 1 NC Central the defending MEAC Champions.

Earning All-MEAC First Team honors for South Carolina State were redshirt junior offensive lineman Nick Taiste, graduate defensive lineman Patrick Godbolt, junior’s Aaron Smith, and Dyson Roberts.

Redshirt senior tight end Khalil Ellis, redshirt junior offensive lineman Cam Johnson, and junior defensive linemen Jared Kirksey and Octaveon Minter were named All-MEAC Second Team, respectively.

The Bulldogs open the 2023 campaign on August 26th, on the road in the annual MEAC/SWAC Challenge in Atlanta, GA versus SWAC foe Jackson State. The game will be televised live on ABC in a 7:30 p.m. kickoff.

2023 MEAC Football Predicted Order of Finish/Preseason Players of the Year

(The predicted order of finish, preseason players of the year, and preseason All-MEAC teams were voted on by the league’s head football coaches and sports information directors)

Predicted Order of Finish (ranked from first place to sixth, first-place votes in parentheses)

2023 MEAC Football Predicted Order of Finish

School (First-Place Votes) Points

1. North Carolina Central (9) 124

2. Howard (1) 98

3. South Carolina State 74

4. Morgan State (1) 68

5. Norfolk State 40

6. Delaware State (1) 28