BIRMINGHAM, Ala.— The Samford University football team was ranked 11^th in the nation when STATS released its preseason FCS top 25 poll Monday afternoon.
 
Samford is one of three Southern Conference teams included in the poll. Wofford is ranked 10^th in the preseason voting, while Furman checks in at No. 23. Non-conference opponent Kennesaw State was ranked fifth in the poll. The SoCon's Western Carolina, Mercer and The Citadel were among the others receiving votes.
 
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.
 
Among Samford's 16 returning starters are a pair of candidates for National Player of the Year awards. Quarterback Devlin Hodges is a candidate for the Walter Payton Award, for the top offensive player in all of FCS football, while defensive lineman Ahmad Gooden is a candidate for the Buck Buchanan Award, given to the FCS levels' top defensive player.
 
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.
 
Hodges was named the Southern Conference's Offensive Player of the Year for a second-straight season in 2017. He passed for 3,983 yards and 31 touchdowns. He completed 65.7 percent of his passes (347-of-528) and averaged 331.9 passing yards per game. Hodges led the Southern Conference and ranked in the top 10 nationally in passing yards per game, total offense per game and total offensive plays. Hodges came in fourth in the voting for the Walter Payton Award, given to the FCS' top offensive player.
 
Samford will open the 2018 season by hosting Shorter on Thursday, Aug. 30, at Seibert Stadium, with the kickoff time set for 6:30 p.m. To purchase season tickets, click here: PURCHASE SEASON TICKETS.
 
STATS FCS PRESEASON POLL
1. North Dakota State (14-1), 3,919 points - 151 first-place votes; Final 2017 Ranking: 1
2. James Madison (14-1), 3,764 - 6; Final 2017 Ranking: 2
3. South Dakota State (11-3), 3,470; Final 2017 Ranking: 3
4. Sam Houston State (12-2), 3,228; Final 2017 Ranking: 4
5. Kennesaw State (12-2), 3,120; Final 2017 Ranking: 8;
6. Jacksonville State (10-2), 3,041; Final 2017 Ranking: 9
7. New Hampshire (9-5), 2,873; Final 2017 Ranking: 12
8. Weber State (11-3), 2,815; Final 2017 Ranking: 5
9. Eastern Washington (7-4), 2,541; Final 2017 Ranking: 21
10. Wofford (10-3), 2,087; Final 2017 Ranking: 6
11. Samford (8-4), 2,003; Final 2017 Ranking: 18
12. Elon (8-4), 1,812; Final 2017 Ranking: 20
13. Northern Iowa (8-5), 1,612; Final 2017 Ranking: 17
14. North Carolina A&T (12-0), 1,480; Final 2017 Ranking: 7
15. Delaware (7-4), 1,470; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
16. Central Arkansas (10-2), 1,383; Final 2017 Ranking: 10
17. McNeese (9-2), 1,133; Final 2017 Ranking: 22
18. Nicholls (8-4), 1,056; Final 2017 Ranking: 25
19. Villanova (5-6), 920; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
20. Stony Brook (10-3), 798; Final 2017 Ranking: 11
21. Illinois State (6-5), 795; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
22. Austin Peay (8-4), 709; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
23. Furman (8-5), 685; Final 2017 Ranking: 19
24. Montana (7-4), 626; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
25. Youngstown State (6-5), 541; Final 2017 Ranking: NR
 
Others Receiving Votes: South Dakota (8-5) 496, Western Illinois (8-4) 401, Southern Utah (9-3) 357, Northern Arizona (7-5) 312, Grambling State (11-2) 289, Idaho (4-8) 287, Yale (9-1) 252, Sacramento State (7-4) 208, San Diego (10-3) 202, Richmond (6-5) 91, Monmouth (9-3) 53, Colgate (7-4) 45, Lehigh (5-7) 27, Central Connecticut State (8-4) 23, North Dakota (3-8) 13, UC Davis (5-6) 12, Western Carolina (7-5) 10, Bethune-Cookman (7-4) 9, Montana State (5-6) 8, Stephen F. Austin (4-7) 7, Mercer (5-6) 6, Eastern Illinois (6-5) 6, Harvard (5-5) 4, Southern Illinois (4-7) 4, Howard (7-4) 4, Duquesne (7-4) 3, North Carolina Central (7-4) 3, Columbia (8-2) 3, Dartmouth (8-2) 3, Alcorn State (7-5) 2, The Citadel (5-6) 2, UT Martin (6-5) 1, Southeastern Louisiana (6-5) 1