Four Bulldogs Named to Preseason All-SoCon Teams
7.21.26 | Football
Wide receiver Preston Bird was named to the first-team preseason All-SoCon, while offensive lineman Noah Watts, safety Jalen Nelson, and long-snapper Aidan Barr earned second-team honors.
A junior from Georgia, Bird was second on the team in every receiving category last season. He played in 11 games in 2025 and caught 53 passes for 617 yards and four touchdowns. Bird had a career-high 11 catches against West Georgia in the season opener last season and had 116 yards at VMI, where he had nine catches and a touchdown.
Offensive lineman Noah Watts earned second-team honors after appearing in eight games last season for the Bulldogs. The senior was the starting center during the first eight games of the season. The Alabama native has appeared in 22 games during his Samford career.
Nelson returns as a key piece to the Bulldogs' secondary unit after playing in 10 games last season. The senior finished sixth on the team with 43 tackles, including 27 solo stops. The Mississippi native had standout games against The Citadel with seven tackles, three solo, and a career-high 11 tackles, including nine solo stops at Baylor.
Barr is named as a second-team specialist as the long snapper. A senior from West Palm Beach, Fla., Barr has appeared in five games for Samford over his career. It is the second-straight season the Bulldogs have had their long snapper named to a preseason team.
The Bulldogs finished in eighth place in the Preseason Coaches Poll. Defending SoCon champions Mercer finished in first place with six first-place votes, while newcomers Tennessee Tech finished second with three votes and ETSU in third with one vote.
Samford opens its season on Aug. 29 when they face North Alabama in Huntsville, Ala. at 6 p.m.
| Team (1st-place votes) | Total | |
| 1. | Mercer (6) | 76 |
| 2. | Tennessee Tech (3) | 70 |
| 3. | ETSU (1) | 61 |
| 4. | Western Carolina | 58 |
| 5. | Chattanooga | 48 |
| 6. | Furman | 46 |
| 7. | Wofford | 36 |
| 8. | Samford | 23 |
| 9. | The Citadel | 22 |
| 10. | VMI | 10 |
2026 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Brayden Smith, WR/RS, Mercer
Defensive Player of the Year: Joshua Stoneking, DL, Furman
First team offense
QB Quentin Hayes, The Citadel
RB Jason Albritton, ETSU
RB Leo Boehling, VMI
OL Tyler Heggins-Hill, The Citadel
OL Will McCraw, ETSU
OL Brody Balliew, Mercer
OL Tyler Murray, Mercer
OL Aidan Donald, Chattanooga
TE Charlie Browder, ETSU
WR Brayden Smith, Mercer
WR Preston Bird, Samford
First team defense
DL Brenden LeBlanc, ETSU
DL Joshua Stoneking, Furman
DL Kobe McInnis, Mercer
DL Orlando Daniels, Chattanooga
LB Raleigh Herbert, Furman
LB Jyarius Carter, Mercer
LB Zion Rutledge, Chattanooga
DB Mike Jenkins, ETSU
DB Kam Baah-Slay, Chattanooga
DB Ken Moore Jr, Western Carolina
DB Eli Campbell, Wofford
First team specialists
PK Ewan Johnson, ETSU
P Ben Shrewsbury, VMI
LS Tommy DiLiegro, The Citadel
RS Brayden Smith, Mercer
Second team offense
QB Jax Leatherwood, Tennessee Tech
RB Marcus Harris, Tennessee Tech
RB Gerald Modest, Wofford
OL Chris Luna, Furman
OL Noah Watts, Samford
OL Eric Nunez, Tennessee Tech
OL Bryce Burnett, VMI
OL Zach Watson, Western Carolina
OL Reggie Houston, Wofford
TE Gerard Grewe, Tennessee Tech
WR Josh Williams, Chattanooga
WR AJ Colombo, Western Carolina
Second team defense
DL Demetrius Baldwin, Furman
DL Elihu Lipscomb, Furman
DL Ky Tayo, Chattanooga
DL Ramon McCollough, Wofford
LB Dre Delinois, ETSU
LB Isaiah Grevious, VMI
LB Wyatt Ward, Wofford
DB Jivon Oggs, ETSU
DB AK Burrell, Furman
DB Josh Tarver, Furman
DB Jalen Nelson, Samford
Second team specialists
PK Sam Spence, Wofford
P Heath Jehu, Chattanooga
LS Brock Winstead, ETSU
LS Aidan Barr, Samford
RS Caleb Easterling, Furman
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