As we roll into the month of August, SportsTalk is revving up its countdown to the upcoming football season. Recently, the Southern Conference held its annual media day to preview the race for the league title and also honor its top players.
Chattanooga is the preseason favorite to win this year’s championship, but it could be a very tight race. ETSU has the preseason offensive player of the year and received just six fewer votes than the Mocs. Furman, with one first place vote, was tabbed fourth in the coaches’ poll, while The Citadel and Wofford were picked eighth and ninth, respectively.
The SoCon’s 2022 season gets underway with Mercer hosting Morehead State on Saturday, Aug. 27, for a week-zero game, followed by four games on Thursday, Sept. 1, and four games on Saturday, Sept. 3. Chattanooga will get its first SoCon test immediately, as it hosts Wofford to open the season on Sept. 3. Comments from Furman HC Clay Hendrix, The Citadel’s Brent Thompson, and Wofford’s Josh Conklin can be found below.
2022 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes) Total
1. Chattanooga (5) 60
2. ETSU (2) 54
3. Mercer (1) 53
4. Furman (1) 43
5. Western Carolina 38
6. Samford 26
7. VMI 23
8. The Citadel 14
9. Wofford 13
2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Jacob Saylors, Sr., RB, ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Devonnsha Maxwell, Sr., DL, Chattanooga
First team offense
QB Tyler Riddell, R-So., ETSU
RB Jacob Saylors, Sr., ETSU
RB Ailym Ford, Jr., Chattanooga
OL Tavon Matthews, Jr., ETSU
OL Anderson Tomlin, R-Sr., Furman
OL Pearson Toomey, R-Jr., Furman
OL John Thomas, Jr., Mercer
OL McClendon Curtis, Sr., Chattanooga
OL Tyler Smith, R-Jr., Western Carolina
TE Ryan Miller, 5th, Furman
WR Will Huzzie, R-Jr., ETSU
WR Raphael Williams, R-So., Western Carolina
First team defense
DL Jalen Porter, R-Jr., ETSU
DL Devonnsha Maxwell, Sr., Chattanooga
DL Jay Person, Jr., Chattanooga
DL Micheal Mason, Sr., DL, Wofford
LB Nathan East, Gr., Samford
LB Ty Boeck, Sr., Chattanooga
LB Stone Snyder, Sr., VMI
DB Destin Mack, Sr., The Citadel
DB Mike Price, R-Jr., ETSU
DB Travis Blackshear, R-Sr., Furman
DB Lance Wise, Jr., Mercer
Second team offense
QB Seth Morgan, R-Jr., VMI
RB Dominic Roberto, R-Jr., Furman
RB TJ Jones, Sr., Western Carolina
OL Tereis Drayton, Jr., The Citadel
OL Fred Norman, R-So., ETSU
OL Joe Schreiber, R-Jr., ETSU
OL Gavin Orr, Gr., Samford
OL Colin Truett, Jr., Chattanooga
OL Jarvis Chandler, R-Jr., VMI
OL Al Hogan, 5th, Wofford
TE Aidan Twombly, Jr., VMI
WR Ty James, R-So., Mercer
WR Leroy Thomas, Sr., VMI
Second team defense
DL Carson Hatchett, Jr., The Citadel
DL Cameron Coleman, R-Sr., Furman
DL Solomon Zubairu, Jr., Mercer
DL Eric Weaver, R-Sr., VMI
LB Marquise Blount, Sr., The Citadel
LB Isaac Dowling, So., Mercer
LB Kam Jones, Sr., Chattanooga
DB Alijah Huzzie, R-So., ETSU
DB CaMiron Smith, Sr., Chattanooga
DB Aljareek Malry, Sr., VMI
DB Andreas Keaton, So., Western Carolina
Second team specialists
LS Colin Springer, 5th, Wofford
