HAMMOND – The defending Southland Conference champion Southeastern Louisiana football team earned a league-high 15 selections on the preseason All-Southland teams, which were released by the league office on Wednesday.
 
Southeastern, which finished No. 6 in the final Football Championship Subdivision polls in 2013, returns 15 starters from last year's team, which finished 11-3 overall and 7-0 in league play and earned its first conference championship since 1961, as well as advancing to the quarterfinals in its first-ever playoff appearance. SLU was one of two teams to place double-digit players on the preseason All-Southland teams, as McNeese State had 10 representatives.
 
Representing the Lions on the first team are senior quarterback Bryan Bennett, junior running back Rasheed Harrell, senior offensive lineman Jonathan Braddock, senior defensive end Jacob Newman, senior linebackers Isiah Corbett and Drew Misita and junior defensive back Harlan Miller. Junior Xavier Roberson is the first team choice at both all-purpose player and kick returner.
 
Second team SLU selections are junior wide receiver Jeff Smiley, junior offensive lineman Joe Graves, junior defensive lineman A.J. Bowen, senior defensive back Tyler Stoddard, as well as senior linebackers Justin Church and Kaleb Muse.
 
Bennett, the reigning Southland Conference Player of the Year, is the leader of a high-powered offense and one of six SLU offensive players on the preseason all-conference teams. The Walter Payton Award candidate is coming off a junior campaign in which he threw for 3,165 yards and 21 touchdowns, while also rushing for 1,046 yards and a single-season school record 16 touchdowns.
 
Bennett and Harrell (640 rushing yards, eight touchdowns in 2013) lead the way for a potent Lion rushing attack that produced a single-season school record 3,271 yards and 42 touchdowns. With Bennett, Harrell, junior running back Kody Sutton and junior running back Darrius Guy all returning, Roberson, who rushed for 538 yards and six touchdowns as a sophomore, will be making the switch to wide receiver.
 
Roberson, also the first team kick returner after leading the nation with 35.2 yards per kickoff return and three kickoff return touchdowns last season, will join Smiley (57 catches, 744 yards, six touchdowns) among a talented group of pass catchers. Braddock and Graves will lead a veteran offensive line clearing the way for the SLU playmakers.
 
Miller, a Kentwood native and Buck Buchanan Award candidate, is one of eight Lion defenders to earn preseason All-SLC honors. The Sports Network first team preseason All-America selection led the Lions with 10 pass breakups and four interceptions as a sophomore. Miller and Stoddard, a multi-time All-Southland selection, lead a secondary that projects to be one of the deepest and most talented in the nation.
 
Though Southeastern starts three linebackers in its 3-3-5 scheme, four Lion linebackers earned preseason All-Southland notice. Corbett, who is on the College Football Performance Awards FCS National Linebacker of the Year watch list, returns after leading the Southland with 16.0 tackles for loss to go with seven sacks.
 
Misita, who made 78 tackles in 2013, is the top returning tackler for the Lions, while Church had five sacks a season ago. The linebacker corps will be bolstered by the return of Muse, who led the Lions with 80 tackles in 2012, after the Ponchatoula native missed the majority of the 2013 season with an injury. 
 
On the defensive line, Newman is the top returner after tying Corbett for the team lead with seven sacks. Bowen and senior Marquel Combs will team with Newman to give Southeastern an imposing front.
 
The Southland Conference will release the preseason polls in conjunction with its Media Day on July 23. Southeastern head coach Ron Roberts, the 2013 Southland Conference, Louisiana and AFCA Region 5 Coach of the Year, Bennett and Corbett will represent the Lions at the event, set for L'Auberge Casino Resort in Lake Charles.
 
The Lions will open up the 2014 season on Aug. 30, hosting Jacksonville at 7 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium. That contest will open a six-game home schedule for SLU. Season tickets are on sale now and can be purchased by contacting the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or by visiting LionSports.net or LionUp.com.
 
2014 Preseason All-Southland Conference Football Teams
 
First Team Offense
Pos. – Name – University – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown
QB – Bryan Bennett – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-3 – 215 – Sr. – Granada Hills, Calif.
RB – Rasheed Harrell – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-10 – 195 – Jr. – Miami, Fla.
RB – Gus Johnson – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 224 – Sr. – Gilmer, Texas
TE/HB – Zach Hetrick – McNeese State – 6-3 – 246 – So. – Baton Rouge, La.
WR – Reggie Begelton – Lamar – 6-2 – 200 – Jr. – Beaumont, Texas
WR – Dezmin Lewis – Central Arkansas – 6-4 – 212 – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas
WR – Tyler Boyd – Stephen F. Austin – 5-10 – 185 – Sr. – Daingerfield, Texas
OL – Jonathan Braddock – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-4 – 285 – Sr. – Ripley, Miss.
OL – Antoine Everett – McNeese State – 6-3 – 325 – Sr. – Richmond, Texas
OL – Donald Jackson – Sam Houston State – 6-2 – 270 – Jr. – Kilgore, Texas
OL – Cole Caruthers – Central Arkansas – 6-4 – 292 – Sr. – Sugar Land, Texas
OL – Quentin Marsh – McNeese State – 6-3 – 310 – Jr. – Dickinson, Texas
AP – Xavier Roberson --- Southeastern Louisiana – 5-9 – 180 – Jr. – Atlanta, Ga.
PK – Luc Swimberghe – Sam Houston State – 6-0 – 185 – So. – Tyler, Texas
 
First Team Defense
Pos. – Name – University – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown
DL – Jacob Newman – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-2 – 275 – Sr. – Visalia, Calif.
DL – Jonathan Woodard – Central Arkansas – 6-6 – 271 – Jr. – Brentwood, Tenn.
DL – Everett Ellefsen – McNeese State – 6-3 – 233 – Sr. – Madisonville, La. 
DL – Deon Simon – Northwestern State – 6-4 – 315 – Sr. – Baton Rouge, La.
LB – Isiah Corbett – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-3 – 250 – Sr. – Belle Glade, Fla.
LB – Drew Misita – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-1 – 245 – Sr. – Amite, La.
LB – Bo Brown – McNeese State – 6-1 – 232 – Jr. – Katy, Texas
DB – Harlan Miller – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-0 – 180 – Jr. – Kentwood, La.
DB – Imoan Claiborne – Northwestern State – 5-11 – 187 – Sr. – Alexandria, La.
DB – Mike Wade – Sam Houston State – 5-11 – 195 – Sr. – Arp, Texas
DB – Aaron Sam – McNeese State – 5-9 – 182 – Sr. – Lake Charles, La.
DB – Fred Thomas –Northwestern State – 5-10 – 168 – Sr. – Lutcher, La.
P – Jean Breaux – McNeese State – 5-10 – 170 – Jr. – Scott, La.
KR – Xavier Roberson – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-9 – 180 – Jr. – Atlanta, Ga.
PR – Kevin Johnson – Lamar – 6-0 – 210 – Sr. – Houston, Texas
 
Second Team Offense
Pos – Name – University – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown
QB – Caleb Berry – Lamar – 6-2 – 195 – Sr. – Needville, Texas
RB – Kelvin Bennett – McNeese State – 5-11 – 170 – Jr. – Bleakwood, Texas
RB – Keshawn Hill – Sam Houston State – 5-10 – 205 – Sr. – Klein, Texas
TE/HB – Shane Young – Sam Houston State – 6-4 –253 – Sr. – Lago Vista, Texas
WR – Jeff Smiley – Southeastern Louisiana – 5-9 – 175 – Jr. – Flower Mound, Texas
WR – Damien Watts – Central Arkansas – 5-10 – 197 – Sr. – Texarkana, Texas
WR – Ernest Celestie – McNeese State – 5-11 – 190 – Sr. – Lake Charles, La.
OL – Joe Graves – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-3 – 320 – Jr. – Covington, La.
OL – C.J. Simon – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 296 – Sr. – Kingwood, Texas
OL – Byron Williams – Stephen F. Austin – 6-4 – 302 – Jr. – Dickinson, Texas
OL – Austin Douglas – Northwestern State – 6-1 – 320 – Sr. – Batesville, Miss.
OL – Justin Brock – Lamar – 6-5 – 300 – Jr. – Beaumont, Texas
AP – Daniel Taylor – Northwestern State – 5-10 – 160 – Jr. – Convent, La.
PK – Eddie Camara – Central Arkansas – 5-9 – 168 – Sr. – Cedar Hill, Texas
 
Second Team Defense
Pos. – Name – University – Ht. – Wt. – Cl. – Hometown
DL – A.J. Bowen – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-2 – 320 – Jr. – Olive Branch, Miss.
DL – T.J. Randall – Central Arkansas – 6-3 – 291 – Sr. – Lee's Summit, Mo.
DL – JeMarcus Marshall – Northwestern State – 6-3 – 241 – So. – Monroe, La.
DL – Gary Lorance – Sam Houston State – 6-0 – 290 – Sr. – New Boston, Texas
LB – Justin Church – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-4 – 235 – Sr. – Mandeville, La.
LB – Kaleb Muse – Southeastern Louisiana – 6-0 – 255 – Sr. – Ponchatoula, La.
LB – Davin Bovie – Nicholls State – 5-11 – 180 – Sr. – Waggaman, La.
DB – Tyler Stoddard – Southeastern Louisiana -- 6-2 – 210 – Sr. – Westlake, La.
DB – Gabe Hammer – McNeese State – 6-0 – 190 – Jr. – Sealy, Texas
DB – Dillon Winfrey – Central Arkansas – 5-8 – 174 – Jr. – Bryant, Ark.
DB – Adam Jones – Northwestern State – 6-2 – 197 – So. – Katy, Texas
DB – Byron Cobb – Nicholls State – 5-10 – 175 – Sr. – St. Francisville, La.
P – Nick Bruno – Stephen F. Austin – 5-11 – 197 – Jr. – Rowlett, Texas
KR – Jatavious Wilson – Central Arkansas – 5-9 – 171 – So. – Bastrop, La.
PR – Ed Eagan – Northwestern State – 5-10 – 181 – Jr. – New Orleans, La.
 
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