GREENVILLE, S.C. - The Samford football team had four players named to the preseason All-SoCon teams, and the Bulldogs were picked eighth in the preseason poll released at the annual SoCon Football Media Day Tuesday at Hotel Hartness in Greenville, S.C.
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.Â
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.Â
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.
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|
2026 Preseason Southern Conference Coaches Poll
|
|
Team (1st-place votes)Â |
Total |
| 1. |
Mercer (6)Â Â |
76 |
| 2. |
Tennessee Tech (3) |
70 |
| 3. |
ETSU (1)Â Â Â Â |
61 |
| 4. |
Western Carolina |
58 |
| 5. |
Chattanooga |
48 |
| 6. |
Furman |
46 |
| 7. |
Wofford |
36 |
| 8. |
Samford |
23 |
| 9. |
The Citadel |
22 |
| 10. |
VMIÂ Â Â Â |
10 |
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2026 Preseason All-Southern Conference Football Teams
Offensive Player of the Year:Â Brayden Smith, WR/RS, Mercer
Defensive Player of the Year:Â Joshua Stoneking, DL, Furman
 First team offense
QBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Quentin Hayes, The Citadel
RBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jason Albritton, ETSU
RBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Leo Boehling, VMI
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler Heggins-Hill, The Citadel
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Will McCraw, ETSU
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brody Balliew, Mercer
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tyler Murray, Mercer
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Aidan Donald, Chattanooga
TE Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Charlie Browder, ETSU
WRÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brayden Smith, Mercer
WRÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Preston Bird, Samford
First team defense
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brenden LeBlanc, ETSU
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Joshua Stoneking, Furman
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kobe McInnis, Mercer
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Orlando Daniels, Chattanooga
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Raleigh Herbert, Furman
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jyarius Carter, Mercer
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zion Rutledge, Chattanooga
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Mike Jenkins, ETSU
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Kam Baah-Slay, Chattanooga
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ken Moore Jr, Western Carolina
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eli Campbell, Wofford
First team specialists
PKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ewan Johnson, ETSU
PÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ben Shrewsbury, VMI
LSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Tommy DiLiegro, The Citadel
RSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brayden Smith, Mercer
Second team offense
QBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jax Leatherwood, Tennessee Tech
RBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Marcus Harris, Tennessee Tech
RBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gerald Modest, Wofford
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Chris Luna, Furman
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Noah Watts, Samford
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Eric Nunez, Tennessee Tech
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Bryce Burnett, VMI
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Zach Watson, Western Carolina
OLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Reggie Houston, Wofford
TEÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Gerard Grewe, Tennessee Tech
WRÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Josh Williams, Chattanooga
WRÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â AJ Colombo, Western Carolina
Second team defense
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Demetrius Baldwin, Furman
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Elihu Lipscomb, Furman
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ky Tayo, Chattanooga
DLÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Ramon McCollough, Wofford
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Dre Delinois, ETSU
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Isaiah Grevious, VMI
LBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Wyatt Ward, Wofford
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jivon Oggs, ETSU
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â AK Burrell, Furman
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Josh Tarver, Furman
DBÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Jalen Nelson, Samford
Second team specialists
PKÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Sam Spence, Wofford
PÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Heath Jehu, Chattanooga
LSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Brock Winstead, ETSU
LSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Aidan Barr, Samford
RSÂ Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Caleb Easterling, Furman
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