SAC Announces Preseason Poll, All-Conference Team
August 2nd, 2024 7:00am
ROCK HILL, S.C. (TheSAC.com) – Lenoir-Rhyne has been voted as the conference favorite by the South Atlantic Conference football head coaches, the league announced today. The Bears collected six first-place votes and 104 points in the poll.
After winning the SAC Championship and advancing to the National Semifinal, the Bears look to continue that success under first-year head coach Doug Socha. LR is no stranger to success in recent years, winning eight league championships since 2011. The Bears return seven preseason All-SAC selections with a pair of wide receivers in Songa Yates and DeAree Rogers. Rogers also earned the division's return specialist accolade. TE John Godwin rounds out the offensive selections with pro prospect DL Andre Jefferson and DB James Ussery earning nods on defense. LS Carson Keaton concluded LR's selections.
At No. 2 in the poll was Wingate with 94 points and three first place votes. The Bulldogs are coming off an 8-3 season overall, going 6-2 in conference play. The Bulldog defense ranked No. 6 in the nation, giving up just 14 points per game and they were No. 3 in points allowed (12.6) in 2022. New head coach Rashaan Jordan had been the Defensive Coordinator for 18 years. He has the returning Defensive Player of the Year in Marquise Fleming who had 22.5 tackles for loss and 13 sacks a season ago. Fleming is joined by DL Daniel Morrison and Bryan Bordeaux along with LB Dontorian Best to give Wingate four returning All-Conference selections.
Limestone checks in at No. 3 in the 2024 preseason poll with 92 points. The Saints have advanced to the NCAA Playoffs each of the past two years and will be under new head coach Jerricho Cotchery who was the WR coach last year. For the second straight season, Dustin Noller led the league in passing yards and totaled 3,009 yards and also led the SAC with 31 touchdown passes against just five interceptions. Noller is joined by Charles Couch on the Preseason All-Piedmont offense while LB Ty Cade and DB Jeremiah Lomax represent the Saints on the defensive side.
2024 SAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
Rank | School (First Place Votes) | Score |
1. | Lenoir-Rhyne (6) | 104 |
2. | Wingate (3) | 94 |
3. | Limestone | 92 |
4. | Mars Hill (2) | 87 |
5. | Newberry | 73 |
6. | Tusculum | 60 |
7. | Catawba | 51 |
8. | Carson-Newman | 49 |
9. | Barton | 47 |
10. | Emory & Henry | 33 |
11. | UVA Wise | 20 |
12. | Anderson | 16 |
