Charleston Southern picked 9th in Big South-OVC preseason poll

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Southeast Missouri State University has been voted the favorite in the inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association preseason football poll for the 2023 campaign by the league’s head coaches, it was announced today as part of Media Day activities at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

The Redhawks, the Ohio Valley Conference co-champion in 2022 and FCS Playoff participant, received six of the 10 first-place votes and 96 points to claim the top spot in the first year of the Association. Gardner-Webb, last season’s Big South Champion, finished second in the polling with 86 points and collected two first-place votes. UT Martin, co-champions of the OVC last year, was third with 85 points and earned one first-place vote. All three members have been ranked in at least one preseason poll ahead of the 2023 campaign, with SEMO ranked as high as No. 9 in two polls.

Tennessee Tech received the remaining first-place vote and was fourth in the voting with 58 points – just ahead of Tennessee State (57 points). Bryant was predicted sixth with 48 points, followed by Lindenwood in seventh-place with 45 points. Eastern Illinois (eighth – 33 points), Charleston Southern (ninth – 30 points) and Robert Morris (10th – 12 points) round out the inaugural poll.

Charleston Southern, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech open the 2023 season on Thursday night, Aug. 31, while the remaining six Association members begin play on Saturday, Sept. 2. The first conference game is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, and the regular-season concludes Saturday, Nov. 18, with the Big South-OVC Football Association champion receiving the league’s automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.

2023 Preseason Poll (first-place votes) 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Points

1. Southeast Missouri State (6) 6 4 - - - - - - - - 96

2. Gardner-Webb (2) 2 3 4 1 - - - - - - 86

3. UT Martin (1) 1 3 6 - - - - - - - 85

4. Tennessee Tech (1) 1 - - 2 4 1 2 1 - - 58

5. Tennessee State - - - 3 3 2 2 - - - 57

6. Bryant - - - 3 1 2 1 1 2 - 48

7. Lindenwood - - - - 3 4 1 - 1 1 45

8. Eastern Illinois - - - - - 1 3 4 2 - 33

9. Charleston Southern - - - 1 - - 1 4 3 1 30

10. Robert Morris - - - - - - - - 2 8 12

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, followed by 9 points for second-place, and so on.

Ahead of its inaugural season, the Big South-OVC Football Association revealed its Preseason Watch List entering the 2023 season today as part of Media Day activities at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tenn. The Watch List is comprised of top returnees by position, most of which are returning All-Conference and All-America honorees, plus 2023 Preseason All-Americans, and is listed below.

QUARTERBACK (3)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Zevi Eckhaus Bryant Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South, Sophomore All-America

Draylen Ellis Tennessee State Sr. 2021 2nd Team All-OVC; 2020 OVC Fr. of the Year

Paxton DeLaurent Southeast Missouri Jr. 2022 OVC All-Newcomer Team

RUNNING BACK (5)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Juwon Farri Eastern Illinois Sr. 2021 Big South Off. Player of the Year; 3x All-Conf.

Sam Franklin UT Martin R-So. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; OVC Freshman of the Year

Narii Gaither Gardner-Webb R-Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South; 3x All-Conference

Geno Hess Southeast Missouri Gr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC; 2x All-America; Payton Finalist

JD Moore Charleston Southern R-Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South

WIDE RECEIVER (5)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Ryan Flournoy Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

Brennan McGuire Gardner-Webb Gr. 2022 2nd Team All-Great Midwest

Landon Ruggieri Bryant Jr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South

DeVonte Tanksley UT Martin R-Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Justin Thomas Eastern Illinois Gr. 4x All-MIAA; D3 All-America

TIGHT END (2)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Jihad Edmond Bryant Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South

DJ Nelson UT Martin R-So. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

OFFENSIVE LINE (9)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Zack Gieg Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC; Rimington Award Winner

Nathan Hodnett Tennessee Tech Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Ethan Johnson Lindenwood Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Lamar Morgan UT Martin Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC, 2x All-Conference

Gavin Olson UT Martin Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC, All-American, 2x All-Conference

Chad Strickland Eastern Illinois Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; 2019 Freshman All-America

Gabe Thompson Gardner-Webb R-Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South, 2x All-Conference

Gareth Warren Lindenwood Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Jamichael Watts Bryant Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South

DEFENSIVE LINE (7)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Terrell Allen Tennessee State Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC, 2x All-Conference

Kail Dava Tennessee Tech Gr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Daylan Dotson UT Martin R-Jr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

Kenny Dyson Bryant Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South

Ty French Gardner-Webb Sr. 2022 Big South Def. Player of the Year; 3x All-Conf.

Steven Lewis Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Kobe McClendon Lindenwood So. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; Freshman All-America

LINEBACKER (10)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Ty Anderson Gardner-Webb So. 2022 Big South Def. Freshman of the Year

Keandre Booker Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Joe Casale Robert Morris R-Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South

James Green Tennessee State Gr. 2021 2nd Team All-OVC

Jacquez McGowan Tennessee Tech So. 2022 OVC All-Newcomer Team

William McRainey Gardner-Webb Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South, 2x All-Conference

Bryce Norman Southeast Missouri Jr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC, All-America

K’Vaughan Pope Tennessee State Gr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Jamar Shegog Robert Morris R-Sr. 2021 2nd Team All-Big South

Elijawah Tolbert Eastern Illinois Jr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

DEFENSIVE BACK (11)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Darion Bolden Lindenwood Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

Jamari Brown Gardner-Webb Gr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South

Nick Coates Eastern Illinois Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Russell Dandy Eastern Illinois 5th 2021 OVC All-Newcomer Team

Josh Green Tennessee State Sr. 2019 Freshman All-American, OVC All-Newcomer

Jamel Johnson Charleston Southern So. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South, Freshman All-America

Lawrence Johnson Southeast Missouri Gr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC; All-America

Ty Leonard Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Raequan Ousley Gardner-Webb Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South

Bryce Phillips Tennessee State So. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

AJ Thomas Gardner-Webb Gr. 2-time All-Big South

PLACEKICKER (4)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Stone Galloway Eastern Illinois Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

Ethan Gettman Bryant Sr. 2022 1st Team All-Big South; All-America, Mitchell Award

Ian Sauter Gardner-Webb Gr. 2022 2nd Team All-Mid South Conference

Logan Seibert Lindenwood Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

PUNTERS (2)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Nick Bigelow Tennessee Tech Jr. 39.5 AVG, 21 FC, 14 I20, 3 50+

George Souders III Robert Morris Gr. 38.7 AVG, 38 FC, 22 I20, 7 50+

KICKOFF RETURN/PUNT RETURN SPECIALISTS (4)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Mark Aitken Eastern Illinois Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Anthony Frederick Bryant Sr. 2022 Big South Special Teams Player of the Year

Dalyn McDonald Southeast Missouri Sr. 2022 1st Team All-OVC

Cooper Willman Eastern Illinois Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

LONG SNAPPER (2)

NAME SCHOOL YR NOTES

Jack Valente Eastern Illinois Jr. 2022 2nd Team All-OVC

Jamie Wilson Gardner-Webb R-So. 2022 2nd Team All-Big South; Freshman All-America

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