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Southeast Missouri senior running back
Marquis Terry and Jacksonville State junior defensive back
Marlon Bridges were named the 2018 OVC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in a vote of by the league’s head football coaches and communications directors.
Jacksonville State led the way with six total preseason selections, while Austin Peay followed with five picks. Eastern Illinois, Eastern Kentucky, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee State and UT Martin had three picks apiece while Murray State and Tennessee Tech had two selections each. Returning players who were first-team All-OVC selections last year (seven in total) were automatic selections to the preseason team this year. The squad also included 16 players who were second-team picks in 2017. Of the 30 total selections, 18 were seniors, seven were juniors and five were sophomores.
The offensive unit was led by Terry, a first-team All-OVC selection a season ago. Terry led the OVC in rushing in 2017, compiling 1,076 yards and seven touchdowns in 11 games (97.8 yards/game), while also catching 20 passes for 109 yards. He was just the third Southeast Missouri player to lead the OVC in rushing, joining Kelvin Anderson (1992) and Henry Harris (2010).
The offense also included Austin Peay sophomore quarterback
Jeremiah Oatsvall (1148 passing yards, 7 touchdowns; 453 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns), UT Martin senior running back
LaDarius Galloway (859 rushing yards, 4 touchdowns, 22 receptions, 307 yards), Eastern Illinois senior running back
Isaiah Johnson (683 yards, 5 touchdowns), Eastern Illinois senior wide receiver
Alexander Hollins (47 catches, 694 yards, 7 touchdowns), Tennessee State junior wide receiver
Steven Newbold (34 catches, 627 yards, 4 touchdowns) and Eastern Kentucky senior tight end
Dan Paul (41 receptions, 407 yards, 1 touchdown). The offensive line included a trio of Jacksonville State players in senior center
Tyler Scozzaro, senior guard
B.J. Autry and junior guard
Darius Anderson who were joined by Austin Peay senior guard
Ryan Rockensuess and senior tackle
Kyle Anderton and Southeast Missouri senior tackle
Drew Forbes.
After earning first-team All-OVC honors a season ago and being a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award, Bridges earned the nod as OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. It marks the fourth year in a row that a player from Jacksonville State has earned that honor. A year ago, Bridges had 79 tackles, 6.0 tackles-for-loss, three interceptions (for 137 combined return yards and a touchdown), five pass breakups and blocked a kick in earning multiple All-American honors.
The defensive line includes Jacksonville State senior
Randy Robinson (35 tackles, 5.5 TFL, 3.5 sacks, 5 QBH, 1 FF), Austin Peay junior
Jaison Williams (44 tackles, 11.5 TFL, 9.5 sacks, 13 QBH, 4 FF), Eastern Kentucky redshirt junior
Aaron Patrick (injured last year but recorded 53 tackles, 10.0 TFL, 7.0 sacks and 10 QBH in 2016), Murray State senior
Kenney Wooten (32 tackles, 11.0 TFL, 10.0 sacks, 6 QBH) and Tennessee Tech senior
Tim Collins (51 tackles, 5.0 TFL, 6 QBH, 1 FF). The preseason selections at linebacker included Southeast Missouri junior
Zach Hall (79 tackles, 15.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, 3 PBU, 1 FF), UT Martin senior
James Gilleylen (88 tackles, 9.0 TFL, 2.0 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PBU, 5 QBH, 3 FF) and Austin Peay senior
Gunnar Scholato (99 tackles, 12.0 TFL, 1.5 sacks, 1 INT, 2 FR). In addition to Bridges, the defense was rounded out by three other defensive backs in Tennessee State sophomores
Vincent Sellers (49 tackles, 2.0 TFL, 2 INT, 5 PBU) and
Dajour Nesbeth (48 tackles, 1.5 TFL, 2 INTs, 9 PBU) and Eastern Illinois sophomore
Mark Williams (49 tackles, 3 INTs, 8 PBU).
Specialists selected to the preseason team included Jacksonville State senior kicker
Cade Stinnett (13-of-18 FGs, 38-of-40 PATs, 77 points), Murray State senior kicker
Gabriel Vicente (14-of-18 FGs, 23-of-24 PATs, 65 points), Tennessee Tech senior punter
Nick Madonia (40.1 average on 62 attempts, Long of 65, 21 inside opponent’s 20-yard line), Eastern Kentucky senior return specialist
LJ Scott (30.0 yards/kickoff return on 21 attempts) and UT Martin sophomore return specialist
Peyton Logan (27.0 yards/kickoff return on 22 attempts, 1 touchdown).
2018 Preseason All-OVC Football Team
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Marquis Terry (RB), Southeast Missouri
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Marlon Bridges (DB), Jacksonville State
OFFENSE
QB - Jeremiah Oatsvall, Austin Peay **
RB - Marquis Terry, Southeast Missouri *
RB - LaDarius Galloway, UT Martin **
RB - Isaiah Johnson, Eastern Illinois **
WR - Alexander Hollins, Eastern Illinois
WR - Steven Newbold, Tennessee State
TE - Dan Paul, Eastern Kentucky *
C - Tyler Scozzaro, Jacksonville State *
OG - B.J. Autry, Jacksonville State *
OG - Ryan Rockensuess, Austin Peay **
OG - Darius Anderson, Jacksonville State **
OT - Drew Forbes, Southeast Missouri **
OT - Kyle Anderton, Austin Peay **
DEFENSE
DL - Randy Robinson, Jacksonville State **
DL - Jaison Williams, Austin Peay *
DL - Aaron Patrick, Eastern Kentucky
DL - Kenney Wooten, Murray State
DL - Tim Collins, Tennessee Tech
LB - Zach Hall, Southeast Missouri **
LB - James Gilleylen, UT Martin **
LB - Gunnar Scholato, Austin Peay *
DB - Vincent Sellers, Tennessee State **
DB - Marlon Bridges, Jacksonville State *
DB - Mark Williams, Eastern Illinois
DB - Dajour Nesbeth, Tennessee State
SPECIALISTS
K - Cade Stinnett, Jacksonville State **
K - Gabriel Vicente, Murray State **
P - Nick Madonia, Tennessee Tech **
RS - LJ Scott, Eastern Kentucky **
RS - Peyton Logan, UT Martin **
* - 1st team All-OVC team in 2017
** - 2nd team All-OVC team in 2017