ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Headlined by Nathan East, three members of the Samford football team were named to the 2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference teams, the league office announced on Thursday at the SoCon's annual Football Media Days.
 
East was named to the first team at linebacker, while offensive lineman Gavin Orr and punter Bradley Porcellato were selected to the second team.
 
East, the 2022 Charles Williams Memorial Jersey Winner, paced the Bulldog defense with 97 tackles and ranked second in the SoCon by averaging 9.7 tackles per game during the Fall 2021 season. The McCalla, Ala. native also collected 7.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks in Fall 2021.
 
After being named a second team All-SoCon performer in the Spring and Fall 2021 seasons, Orr returns to anchor the Bulldog offensive line in 2022. Orr started all 11 games during the Fall 2021 at right tackle.
 
Serving as Samford's primary punter during the Fall 2021 campaign, Porcellato averaged 39.6 yards per punt and placed 16 kicks inside the 20-yard line. The Australia native produced 31 fair catches and had four punts go over 50 yards.
 
Samford was picked to finished to finish sixth in the coaches' poll and seventh in the media poll.
 
ETSU's Jacob Saylors was named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Chattanooga's Devonnsha Maxwell was for selected for Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.
 
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2022 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Jacob Saylors, Sr., RB, ETSU
Defensive Player of the Year: Devonnsha Maxwell, Sr., DL, Chattanooga
 
First team offense
QB       Tyler Riddell, R-So., ETSU
RB       Jacob Saylors, Sr., ETSU
RB       Ailym Ford, Jr., Chattanooga
OL        Tavon Matthews, Jr., ETSU
OL        Anderson Tomlin, R-Sr., Furman
OL        Pearson Toomey, R-Jr., Furman
OL        John Thomas, Jr., Mercer
OL        McClendon Curtis, Sr., Chattanooga
OL        Tyler Smith, R-Jr., Western Carolina
TE        Ryan Miller, 5th, Furman
WR      Will Huzzie, R-Jr., ETSU
WR      Raphael Williams, R-So., Western Carolina
 
First team defense
DL        Jalen Porter, R-Jr., ETSU
DL        Devonnsha Maxwell, Sr., Chattanooga
DL        Jay Person, Jr., Chattanooga
DL        Micheal Mason, Sr., DL, Wofford
LB        Nathan East, Gr., Samford
LB        Ty Boeck, Sr., Chattanooga
LB        Stone Snyder, Sr., VMI
DB       Destin Mack, Sr., The Citadel
DB       Mike Price, R-Jr., ETSU
DB       Travis Blackshear, R-Sr., Furman
DB       Lance Wise, Jr., Mercer

First team specialists
PK        Tyler Keltner, Jr., ETSU
PK        Jerry Rice, R-Jr., VMI
P          Jack Culbreath, Jr., VMI
LS        Robert Soderholm, R-Sr., VMI
RS       Jacob Saylors, Sr., ETSU
 
Second team offense
QB       Seth Morgan, R-Jr., VMI
RB       Dominic Roberto, R-Jr., Furman
RB       TJ Jones, Sr., Western Carolina
OL        Tereis Drayton, Jr., The Citadel
OL        Fred Norman, R-So., ETSU
OL        Joe Schreiber, R-Jr., ETSU
OL        Gavin Orr, Gr., Samford
OL        Colin Truett, Jr., Chattanooga
OL        Jarvis Chandler, R-Jr., VMI
OL        Al Hogan, 5th, Wofford
TE        Aidan Twombly, Jr., VMI
WR      Ty James, R-So., Mercer
WR      Leroy Thomas, Sr., VMI
 
Second team defense
DL        Carson Hatchett, Jr., The Citadel
DL        Cameron Coleman, R-Sr., Furman
DL        Solomon Zubairu, Jr., Mercer
DL        Eric Weaver, R-Sr., VMI
LB        Marquise Blount, Sr., The Citadel
LB        Isaac Dowling, So., Mercer
LB        Kam Jones, Sr., Chattanooga
DB       Alijah Huzzie, R-So., ETSU
DB       CaMiron Smith, Sr., Chattanooga
DB       Aljareek Malry, Sr., VMI
DB       Andreas Keaton, So., Western Carolina
 
Second team specialists
PK        Richard McCollum, Jr., Western Carolina
P          Trey Turk, So., Mercer
P          Bradley Porcellato, Gr., Samford
LS        Colin Springer, 5th, Wofford
RS       Calvin Jones, So., Western Carolina
 
NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players or team.
 
2022 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
Team (1st-place votes)             Total
1. Chattanooga (5)                       60
2. ETSU (2)                                  54
3. Mercer (1)                                53
4. Furman (1)                               43
5. Western Carolina                     38
6. Samford                                   26
7. VMI                                          23
8. The Citadel                              14
9. Wofford                                    13 
 
2022 Preseason Southern Conference Media Poll
Team (1st-place votes)            Total
1. Chattanooga (18)                     256
t2. ETSU (7)                                226
t2. Mercer (5)                               226
4. Furman                                    175
5. Western Carolina                     125
6. VMI                                          119
7. Samford                                   106
8. Wofford                                    60
9. The Citadel                              57