BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— The College Football America Yearbook has ranked Samford 10^th in its preseason top 30 FCS poll, released Sunday evening.
 
Samford was the highest ranked of three Southern Conference teams to make be ranked in the poll. Samford was followed by Wofford at 11^th and Furman at 20^th. Also, non-conference opponent Kennesaw State was ranked fifth.
 
Samford returns 10 starters on offense and six starters on defense from a team that went 8-4 overall and 6-2 in Southern Conference play last season. The Bulldogs have reached the NCAA Division I-FCS Playoffs in back-to-back seasons for the first time since the 1991 and 1992 seasons.
 
In addition to the preseason poll, the organization also released its preseason FCS national starting lineup. Samford senior defensive lineman Ahmad Gooden was named to the lineup.
 
In 2017, Gooden, who was named the SoCon's Defensive Player of the Year, ranked second on the team and sixth in the Southern Conference in total tackles with 101. He also led the team and ranked second in the SoCon in tackles for loss with 15.5, and he tied for fourth in the league in sacks with 5.5. Gooden finished seventh in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award, which goes to the top defensive player in all of FCS football.
 
Samford will open the 2018 season by hosting Shorter on Thursday, Aug. 30, at Seibert Stadium. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m., and tickets can be purchased at the following link: PURCHASE FOOTBALL TICKETS.
 
2018 College Football America FCS Preseason Top 30
1. North Dakota State
2. James Madison
3. South Dakota State
4. Sam Houston State
5. Kennesaw State
6. Jacksonville State
7. Weber State
8. New Hampshire
9. Eastern Washington
10. Samford
11. Wofford
12. Elon
13. Northern Iowa
14. North Carolina A&T
15. Nicholls State
16. Austin Peay
17. Central Arkansas
18. Delaware
19. McNeese State
20. Furman
21. Illinois State
22. Northern Arizona
23. Sacramento State
24. Montana
25. Villanova
26. South Dakota
27. Stony Brook
28. San Diego
29. Youngstown State
30. Richmond
 
2018 College Football America FCS Starting Lineup
Offense
QB: CHANDLER BURKS, Kennesaw State
RB: DOMINICK BRAGALONE, Lehigh
RB: BRUCE ANDERSON, North Dakota State  
WR: KEELAN DOSS, UC Davis
WR: NATHAN STEWART, Sam Houston State  
TE: LAWAYNE ROSS, McNeese State
OL: TANNER VOLSON, North Dakota State  
OL: DANIEL COONEY, San Diego
OL: ZACH LARSEN, Southern Utah  
OL: C.J. COLLINS, Kennesaw State  
OL: IOSUA OPETA, Weber State  
PK: LORRAN FONSECA, Nicholls State  
KR: JUWAN PETIT-FRERE, Southeastern La.
 
Defense
DL: AHMAD GOODEN, Samford  
DL: CHRIS TERRELL, Central Arkansas  
DL: DARIN GREENFIELD, South Dakota  
DL: JAISON WILLIAMS, Austin Peay
LB: WARREN MESSER, Elon
LB: CHRISTIAN ROZEBOOM, South Dakota State  
LB: BRYSON ARMSTRONG, Kennesaw State
DB: ROBBIE GRIMSLEY, North Dakota State
DB: MARLON BRIDGES, Jacksonville State  
DB: RASHAD ROBINSON, James Madison  
DB: JIMMY MORELAND, James Madison  
P: IAN BERRYMAN, Western Carolina
PR: JUSTICE SHELTON-MOSLEY, Harvard
AP: DAVION DAVIS, Sam Houston State