HAMMOND, La. –  The Southeastern football team is represented by a league-high 16 student-athletes on the 2021 Southland Conference Football Preseason All-Conference teams presented by Ready, the conference office announced on Thursday.
 
Southeastern senior quarterback and reigning Walter Payton Award recipient Cole Kelley, along with teammate and two-time All-American junior defensive back Ferlando Jordan are two of the Lions' league-high nine first-team preseason all-conference selections.
 
Kelley and Jordan are joined on the first team by fellow teammates junior wide receiver CJ Turner, junior offensive lineman Jalen Bell, sophomore kicker Mateo Rengifo, sophomore punter Austin Dunlap, freshman defensive end Darrius Harry, senior linebacker Alexis Ramos and junior defensive back Donniel Ward-Magee.
 
The second team SLU representatives included senior tight end/fullback Damien Dawson, senior wide receiver Austin Mitchell, senior offensive lineman Ethan McMullan, senior offensive lineman Drew Jones, senior offensive lineman Rendon Miles-Character, sophomore linebacker Herman Christophe and freshman defensive back Jack Henderson.
 
Southeastern, which is No. 15 in the Athlon Sports Preseason Top 25 and ranked 13^th in the Hero Sports Preseason Top 25, edged UIW for the most preseason All-Southland nods. The Cardinals had 15, followed by Nicholls with 11, Northwestern State with nine, as well as Houston Baptist and McNeese with six apiece.
 
Kelley, who threw for 2,662 yards and accounted for 27 touchdowns (18 passing, seven rushing, two receiving) in the seven-game 2020 season played in spring of 2021 on the way to winning the Heisman of FCS and Southland Offensive Player of the Year honors, returns to lead an offense that returns nine starters – including eight preseason All-Southland choices.
 
Turner (44 catches, 534 yards, 5 TD in 2020) and Mitchell (24-354-1 TD) represent two of the most prolific receivers in the history of Southeastern football. Bell, Jones, Miles-Character and McMullan comprise 80 percent of an offensive line that returns all five starters, while Dawson has been a stalwart in all aspects of the offensive attack throughout his Lion career.
 
Raymond Monica, who has served as the defensive line coach for SLU in each of the past two seasons, takes over at defensive coordinator for the Lions and has a group hungry for improvement this fall. Jordan, who has been named first team All-Southland each of the past two seasons and is the conference's career leader in interceptions returned for touchdowns, is the leader of a secondary that returns fellow preseason all-league picks Ward-Magee (47 tackles, one interception, five pass breakups, two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries in 2020) and Henderson (two interceptions, one interception returned for a touchdown, 22 tackles).
 
Ramos is also back after leading the Southland in the spring with 80 tackles and is flanked by Christophe (40 tackles, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery). Harry (23 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks) returns as part of a Southeastern defensive line that projects to be much deeper than the spring with the return of several players who missed all or the majority of the spring with injuries.
 
The consistent duo of Rengifo (9-10 on field goals in 2020) and Dunlap (43.7 punting average) give SLU the top returning kicking game in the conference.
 
Kelley, Jordan and head coach Frank Scelfo will represent the program at the 2021 Southland Conference Football Media Day presented by Levy Recognition and Ready, set for July 22 at the Hilton Houston Post Oak by the Galleria. The event will air on ESPN+ at 10 a.m. with the Lions' segment scheduled for 10:30 a.m.  
 
Southeastern will open fall practice on Aug. 6 a little less than a month from its Sept. 4 opener versus North Alabama at 6 p.m. in Strawberry Stadium.
 
2021 Southland Conference Football Preseason All-Conference Teams
 
First Team Offense
Pos. – Name – School – Class – Hometown
QB – Cole Kelley – Southeastern – Sr. – Lafayette, La.
RB – Kevin Brown – UIW – Sr. – Mount Pleasant, S.C.
RB – Scooter Adams – Northwestern State – Jr. – Halletsville, Texas
TE/HB – David Mosley – Nicholls – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
WR – CJ Turner – Southeastern – Jr. – LaPlace, La.
WR – Dai'Jean Dixon – Nicholls – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
WR – Robert Ferrel – UIW – Sr. – Sparks, Nev.
OL – Jalen Bell – Southeastern – Jr. – Amory, Miss.
OL – PJ Burkhalter – Nicholls – Sr. – Franklinton, La.
OL – Christian Hood – Houston Baptist – So. – Marshall, Texas
OL – Jair Joseph – Nicholls – Sr. – Belle Rose, La.
OL – Evan Roussel – Nicholls – So. – Gramercy, La.
PK – Mateo Rengifo – Southeastern – So. – Lawrenceville, Ga.
P – Austin Dunlap – Southeastern – So. – Slidell, La.
 
First Team Defense
Pos. – Name – School – Cl. – Hometown
DL – Darrius Harry – Southeastern – Fr. – New Orleans, La.
DL – Isaiah Chambers – McNeese – Gr. – Houston, Texas
DL – Mason Kinsey – McNeese – Jr. – Mansfield, Texas
DL – Cameron Preston – UIW – Sr. – Crowley, Texas
LB – Alexis Ramos – Southeastern – Sr. – Salinas, Calif.
LB – Kelechi Anyalabechi – UIW – Sr. – Pearland, Texas
LB – Jomard Valsin – Northwestern State – Jr. – Port Arthur, Texas
DB – Ferlando Jordan – Southeastern – Jr. – Atlanta, Ga.
DB – Donniel Ward-Magee – Southeastern – Jr. – New Orleans, La.
DB – Patrick Wolfe – Houston Baptist – Sr. – St. Amant, La.
DB – Kevin Moore III – Nicholls – Sr. – Lafayette, La.
DB – Andre Sam – McNeese – Sr. – Iowa, La.
KR – Ce'Cori Tolds – UIW – Sr. – Houston, Texas
PR – Robert Ferrel – UIW – Sr. – Sparks, Nev.
 
Second Team Offense
Pos. – Name – School – Cl. – Hometown
QB – Cameron Ward – UIW – So. – West Columbia, Texas
RB – Julien Gums – Nicholls – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
RB – Dreshawn Minnieweather – Houston Baptist – Sr. – Mesquite, Texas
TE/HB – Damien Dawson – Southeastern – Sr. – Franklinton, La.
WR – Austin Mitchell – Southeastern – Sr. – Plaquemine, La.
WR – KJ Franklin – Nicholls – Jr. – Prairieville, La.
WR – Josh Matthews – McNeese – Sr. – Baton Rouge, La.
OL – Drew Jones – Southeastern – Sr. – Des Allemands, La.
OL – Rendon Miles-Character – Southeastern – Sr. – New Orleans, La.
OL – Ethan McMullan – Southeastern – Sr. – Decatur, Miss.
OL – Caleb Johnson – UIW – Sr. – Mount Pleasant, Texas
OL – Khalil Corbett-Canada – Northwestern State – Sr. – Harker Heights, Texas
OL – Nash Jones – UIW – So. – Nacogdoches, Texas
OL – Jakob Sell – Northwestern State – Jr. – Dallas, Texas
OL – Reid Francis – UIW – Fr. – College Station, Texas
PK – Carson Mohr – UIW – Jr. – The Woodlands, Texas
P – Scotty Roblow – Northwestern State – So. – Shreveport, La.
 
Second Team Defense
Pos. – Name – School – Cl. – Hometown
DL – Blaine Hoover – UIW – Sr. – Bedias, Texas
DL – Perry Ganci – Nicholls – So. – New Orleans, La.
DL – Segun Ijiyera – Houston Baptist – Jr. – Corinth, Texas
DL – Philip Ossai – Houston Baptist – So. – Conroe, Texas
LB – Herman Christophe – Southeastern – So. – Plaquemine, Texas
LB – Isaiah Paul – UIW – So. – San Antonio, Texas
LB – Ja'Quay Pough – Northwestern State – Sr. – Sherman, Texas
LB – Hayden Shaheen – Nicholls – Fr. – Baton Rouge, La.
LB – Brennan Young – Houston Baptist – Jr. – Conroe, Texas
DB – Jack Henderson – Southeastern – Fr. – Mandeville, La.
DB – Chris Joyce – McNeese – Jr. – Hampton, Ga.
DB – Shawn Holton – UIW – Jr. – Fort Worth, Texas
DB – P.J. Herrington – Northwestern State – Jr. – Natchez, Miss.
DB – Elliott Davison – UIW – So. – Flint, Texas
DB – William Hooper – Northwestern State – Jr. – Montgomery, La.
KR – Donovan Duvernay – Northwestern State – Sr. – Garland, Texas
KR – Dontaze Costly – Nicholls – Sr. – Vacherie, La.
PR – Mason Pierce – McNeese – So. – Pearland, Texas
 
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