HAMMOND, La. – The No. 16/17 Southeastern Louisiana University football team heads into the 2022 season with a talented secondary ready to combat a pass-happy Southland Conference.
 
The SLC has been the top FCS conference nationally in passing yards per game each of the past four seasons, including a league-record 275.5 yards per contest in 2021. Armed with three All-Americans and four All-Southland Conference performers, the Lion defensive backs are equipped to match up with the high-powered air attacks it will face during its league slate.
 
"We have a lot of talent and experience within our secondary," Southeastern head coach Frank Scelfo said. "We feel like we have five cornerbacks that we can put on the field at any time. Our safety position is getting better all the time. Markell Linzer, Brenden Flowers, Donniel Ward-Magee, Robert Buquoi and Kunta Hester are all guys who have been playing well for us at the safety position."
 
The Southeastern cornerback group boasts as many accolades as position group in FCS. Buck Buchanan Award candidate Ferlando Jordan, one of 12 multi-time All-Americans in program history and the Southland career leader with five pick sixes, is back for his final year after an injury-shortened 2021 campaign.
 
With Jordan out, Zy Alexander had to step up into a bigger role. In his first year as a starter, the Loreauville, Louisiana native led the Southland with six interceptions on the way to earning All-America, first team All-SLC and first team All-Louisiana recognition. Brandon Barbee also returns for Southeastern after injuries marred his first season in Hammond after transferring from Morehead State, where he was a 2020 AFCA FCS All-American.
 
"We have a lot of experience and depth among our cornerbacks," SLU defensive coordinator Bill D'Ottavio commented. "Those guys are always pulling for each other and pushing each other to get better."
 
Ward-Magee is the most experience Lion at the safety position, having earned All-Southland Conference honors each of the past two seasons. Ward-Magee's teammate Jack Henderson has also claimed All-SLC recognition twice from his star position.
 
"We're growing at the safety position," D'Ottavio commented. "We have some new guys who are learning the ropes. Our safeties have a lot of responsibility in our system, so it's a work in progress. Our offense gives us multiple looks to try to stop every day, so it helps our learning process as we get to see so many different things."
 
D'Ottavio praised the leadership of the veterans in the secondary through the first two weeks of fall camp.
 
"Our secondary group has been communicating well and learning every day," D'Ottavio said. "We have some veterans back there – Ferlando, Donniel and Zy – who have done a great job of helping to bring along some of our new guys. We like where we are as a secondary group to this point, but we still have a lot of work to do."
 
Southeastern will practice Monday through Saturday at 9 a.m. until the first day of fall classes, set for Wednesday. Starting with the beginning of the fall semester, SLU will practice Monday through Thursday at 3:45 p.m. and Friday and Saturday at 9 a.m. until the week of the Sept. 3 season opener at UL Lafayette.
 
Southeastern opens the 2022 season at the Ragin' Cajuns in a 6 p.m. contest. The home opener is set for Sept. 17 versus Central Connecticut State.
 
Southeastern Football Preseason Practice Schedule
Aug. 17 – 3:45 p.m. (First day of classes)
Aug. 18 – 3:45 p.m.
Aug. 19 – 9 a.m.
Aug. 20 – 9 a.m.
Aug. 22 – 3:45 p.m.
Aug. 23 – 3:45 p.m.
Aug. 24 – 3:45 p.m.
Aug. 25 – 3:45 p.m.
Aug. 26 – 9 a.m.
Aug. 27 – 9 a.m.
 
TICKETS
For ticket information, contact the Southeastern Athletics Ticket Office at (985) 549-5466 or visit www.LionSports.net. Southeastern will continue offering mobile ticketing as the primary source for securing tickets for the 2022-23 season. All tickets will be available via e-mail or text message in a PDF format for fans to download on their phone or print at home. Tickets can also be downloaded to Apple Wallet.
 
SOCIAL MEDIA
For more information on Southeastern Football, follow @LionUpFootball and @Coach_Scelfo on Twitter, like /SLUathletics on Facebook and subscribe to the SLUathletics YouTube channel.
 
TOUCHDOWN CLUB/S CLUB
Fans interested in becoming active supporters of the football program are encouraged to join the Touchdown Club. Lion football alums are encouraged to join the exclusive S Club, which is restricted to Southeastern athletic letter winners.
 
All membership fees and donations to both the Touchdown Club and S Club (football) are available for the exclusive use of the Southeastern football program. Membership information is available by contacting the Lion Athletics Association at laa@southeastern.edu or (985) 549-5091 or visiting www.LionUp.com.
 
CLEAR BAG POLICY
Southeastern Athletics instituted a clear bag policy for all ticketed events, effective with the start of the 2018 football season. For more information on the clear bag policy, visit www.LionSports.net/clear.