BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - Carson-Newman's football team has been ranked 20th in Lindy's Sports annual preseason football publication covering all levels of football.
Carson-Newman is the lone school from the South Atlantic Conference included in the preseason ranking. The Eagles went 8-3 last year and return the vast majority of a squad that narrowly missed out on an NCAA playoff berth.
Of the 48 players listed on the Eagles two-deep a year ago, 42 are back, including All-American safety Darius Williams (St. Petersburg, Fla.) and all-region selections Montel Presley (Bushnell, Fla.), Phil McDowell (Boiling Springs, S.C.) and Desmond Fairell (Miami, Fla.).
BREAKING: @cnfootball is in the top 20 in @Lindyssportsmag annual preseason @NCAADII rankings pic.twitter.com/H5N9nOptkn
— C-N Athletics (@CNathletics) June 6, 2018
Carson-Newman returns 10 of 11 starters from a defense that dominated last year. C-N led the South Atlantic Conference in rushing defense and produced the Eagles' second best rush defense since the year 2000. The Eagles allowed only 95 yards per game on the ground. C-N also had the conference's best total defense and the second best scoring defense.
Carson-Newman opens the year Aug. 30 with Lindy's preseason No. 1. The Eagles travel to Pensacola, Fla. to take on the the West Florida Argos, who fell just shy of last year's national title with a loss in the championship game to Texas A&M-Commerce 37-27. The Argos are very similar to Carson-Newman in that they returnining all but 10 players from last year's two-deep.
This is the first time Carson-Newman has been ranked in Lindy's preseason top 25 since being slotted 14th in the 2014.
- West Florida
- Indiana (PA)
- Ferris State
- Fort Hays State
- Northwest Missouri State
- Minnesota State
- Texas A&M-Commerce
- Midwestern State
- West Alabama
- Central Missouri
- Central Washington
- Indianapolis
- CSU-Pueblo
- California (PA)
- Ashland
- Valdosta State
- Colorado Mines
- Edinboro
- Assumption
- Carson-Newman
- Humboldt State
- Bowie State
- Southwest Baptist
- Hillsdale
- Adams State
