Big South/OVC 2023 Coaches' Poll, Player Watch List

July 25, 2023 by CollegeFootballPoll.com Staff

Southeast Missouri State University has been voted the favorite in the inaugural Big South-OVC Football Association preseason football poll for the 2023 campaign by the league’s head coaches, it was announced today, July 25, as part of Media Day activities at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.

The Redhawks, the Ohio Valley Conference co-champion in 2022 and FCS Playoff participant, received six of the 10 first-place votes and 96 points to claim the top spot in the first year of the Association.  Gardner-Webb, last season’s Big South Champion, finished second in the polling with 86 points and collected two first-place votes.  UT Martin, co-champions of the OVC last year, was third with 85 points and earned one first-place vote.  All three members have been ranked in at least one preseason poll ahead of the 2023 campaign, with SEMO ranked as high as No. 9 in two polls.

Tennessee Tech received the remaining first-place vote and was fourth in the voting with 58 points – just ahead of Tennessee State (57 points).  Bryant was predicted sixth with 48 points, followed by Lindenwood in seventh-place with 45 points.  Eastern Illinois (eighth – 33 points), Charleston Southern (ninth – 30 points) and Robert Morris (10th – 12 points) round out the inaugural poll.

Charleston Southern, Eastern Illinois, Lindenwood and Tennessee Tech open the 2023 season on Thursday night, Aug. 31, while the remaining six Association members begin play on Saturday, Sept. 2.  The first conference game is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 9, and the regular-season concludes Saturday, Nov. 18, with the Big South-OVC Football Association champion receiving the league’s automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs.

2023 PRESEASON POLL

Note: points are based on a weighted system, with first-place votes receiving 10 points, followed by 9 points for second-place, and so on. 

2023 PRESEASON WATCH LIST

Ahead of its inaugural season, the Big South-OVC Football Association revealed its Preseason Watch List entering the 2023 season today as part of Media Day activities at the Sheraton Music City Hotel in Nashville, Tenn.  The Watch List is comprised of top returnees by position, most of which are returning All-Conference and All-America honorees, plus 2023 Preseason All-Americans, and is listed below.
 
QUARTERBACK (3)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Zevi Eckhaus, Bryant, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South, Sophomore All-America
Draylen Ellis, Tennessee State, Sr. -- 2021 2nd Team All-OVC; 2020 OVC Fr. of the Year
Paxton DeLaurent, Southeast Missouri, Jr. -- 2022 OVC All-Newcomer Team
 
RUNNING BACK (5)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Juwon Farri, Eastern Illinois, Sr. -- 2021 Big South Off. Player of the Year; 3x All-Conf.
Sam Franklin, UT Martin, R-So. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; OVC Freshman of the Year
Narii Gaither, Gardner-Webb, R-Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South; 3x All-Conference
Geno Hess, Southeast Missouri, Gr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC; 2x All-America; Payton Finalist
JD Moore, Charleston Southern, R-Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South
 
WIDE RECEIVER (5)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Ryan Flournoy, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
Brennan McGuire, Gardner-Webb, Gr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Great Midwest
Landon Ruggieri, Bryant, Jr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South
DeVonte Tanksley, UT Martin, R-Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Justin Thomas, Eastern Illinois, Gr. -- 4x All-MIAA; D3 All-America
 
TIGHT END (2)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Jihad Edmond, Bryant, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South
DJ Nelson, UT Martin, R-So. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
 
OFFENSIVE LINE (9)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Zack Gieg, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC; Rimington Award Winner
Nathan Hodnett, Tennessee Tech, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Ethan Johnson, Lindenwood, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Lamar Morgan, UT Martin, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC, 2x All-Conference
Gavin Olson, UT Martin, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC, All-American, 2x All-Conference
Chad Strickland, Eastern Illinois, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; 2019 Freshman All-America
Gabe Thompson, Gardner-Webb, R-Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South, 2x All-Conference
Gareth Warren, Lindenwood, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Jamichael Watts, Bryant, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South
 
DEFENSIVE LINE (7)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Terrell Allen, Tennessee State, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC, 2x All-Conference
Kail Dava, Tennessee Tech, Gr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Daylan Dotson, UT Martin, R-Jr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
Kenny Dyson, Bryant, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South
Ty French, Gardner-Webb, Sr. -- 2022 Big South Def. Player of the Year; 3x All-Conf.
Steven Lewis, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Kobe McClendon, Lindenwood, So. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC; Freshman All-America
 
LINEBACKER (10)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Ty Anderson, Gardner-Webb, So. -- 2022 Big South Def. Freshman of the Year
Keandre Booker, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Joe Casale, Robert Morris, R-Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South
James Green, Tennessee State, Gr. -- 2021 2nd Team All-OVC
Jacquez McGowan, Tennessee Tech, So. -- 2022 OVC All-Newcomer Team
William McRainey, Gardner-Webb, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South, 2x All-Conference
Bryce Norman, Southeast Missouri, Jr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC, All-America
K’Vaughan Pope, Tennessee State, Gr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Jamar Shegog, Robert Morris, R-Sr. -- 2021 2nd Team All-Big South
Elijawah Tolbert, Eastern Illinois, Jr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
 
DEFENSIVE BACK (11)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Darion Bolden,  Lindenwood, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
Jamari Brown, Gardner-Webb, Gr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South
Nick Coates, Eastern Illinois, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Russell Dandy, Eastern Illinois, 5th -- 2021 OVC All-Newcomer Team
Josh Green, Tennessee State, Sr. -- 2019 Freshman All-American, OVC All-Newcomer
Jamel Johnson, Charleston Southern, So. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South, Freshman All-America
Lawrence Johnson, Southeast Missouri, Gr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC; All-America
Ty Leonard, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Raequan Ousley,  Gardner-Webb, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South
Bryce Phillips, Tennessee State, So. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
AJ Thomas, Gardner-Webb, Gr. -- 2-time All-Big South
 
PLACEKICKER (4)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Stone Galloway, Eastern Illinois, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
Ethan Gettman, Bryant, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-Big South; All-America, Mitchell Award Winner
Ian Sauter, Gardner-Webb, Gr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Mid South Conference
Logan Seibert, Lindenwood, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
 
PUNTERS (2)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Nick Bigelow, Tennessee Tech, Jr. -- 39.5 AVG, 21 FC, 14 I20, 3 50+
George Souders III, Robert Morris, Gr. -- 38.7 AVG, 38 FC, 22 I20, 7 50+
 
KICKOFF RETURN/PUNT RETURN SPECIALISTS (4)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Mark Aitken, Eastern Illinois, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Anthony Frederick, Bryant, Sr. -- 2022 Big South Special Teams Player of the Year
Dalyn McDonald, Southeast Missouri, Sr. -- 2022 1st Team All-OVC
Cooper Willman, Eastern Illinois, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
 
LONG SNAPPER (2)
NAME, SCHOOL, YR -- NOTES
Jack Valente, Eastern Illinois, Jr. -- 2022 2nd Team All-OVC
Jamie Wilson, Gardner-Webb,  R-So. -- 2022 2nd Team All-Big South; Freshman All-America