Chattanooga Picked to Win SoCon Football by Media and Coaches

12 Mocs Selected to All Conferece Pre-Season Teams

  • Thursday, July 23, 2015
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior quarterback Jacob Huesman (14) has been selected by the Southern Conference coaches as the pre-season Offensive Player of the Year for the 2015 season, Huesman has won the post-season honor the past two years. The Mocs were picked by the coaches and the media as the favorites to repeat as SoCon champions.
University of Tennessee at Chattanooga senior quarterback Jacob Huesman (14) has been selected by the Southern Conference coaches as the pre-season Offensive Player of the Year for the 2015 season, Huesman has won the post-season honor the past two years. The Mocs were picked by the coaches and the media as the favorites to repeat as SoCon champions.
photo by File/Dennis Norwood (Chattanoogan.com)

SPARTANBURG, S.C.---At the risk of being repetitive, the Chattanooga Mocs football team is the pick to top the Southern Conference once again in 2015. The Mocs are two-time defending champions and claim first in a clean sweep of the coaches and media polls.

Chattanooga received seven of a possible eight first-place votes with Samford receiving the other. Coaches are not allowed to vote for their own teams. The media poll saw 29 of 30 pollsters selecting the Mocs first with one choosing Western Carolina.

“I hope they’re right,” said Russ Huesman, who is entering his seventh year on sidelines for his alma mater. “We have good players. That’s the bottom line…that’s what this tells us. We’ve earned this with our play the last few years, but it is a new season so we have to prove it all over again.”

The coaches picked Chattanooga ahead of Samford and Western Carolina in second and third. Wofford and Furman are fourth and fifth, followed by Mercer, The Citadel and VMI. The Mocs got six of a possible eight first-place votes. Wofford is fourth followed by Western Carolina, The Citadel and a tie between Mercer and VMI.

The media almost agreed completely with the league’s leaders. They took UTC first but flip-flopped Western Carolina and Samford in second and third, respectively. Wofford, Furman, Mercer, The Citadel and VMI rounded out the eight-team field.

The coaches select the preseason all-conference teams. Eight Mocs earned first-team mention, while four more slotted on the second team. The 12 total are three more than last season. Not surprisingly, senior quarterback Jacob Huesman is the preseason Offensive Player of the Year. He earned the postseason honor each of the last two seasons.

He is joined on the first team offense by junior offensive lineman Corey Levin, while the defense netted five led by senior defensive tackle Josh Freeman. Juniors Keionta Davis (DE), Nakevion Leslie (LB) and Dee Virgin (Jr.) and sophomore safety Lucas Webb (FS) join Freeman. Junior Henrique Ribeiro is first team pick at place-kicker.

Three offensive performers and one defender are on the second team ledger. Junior safety Cedric Nettles accompanies senior guard Synjen Herron, junior wide receiver C.J. Board and sophomore center Jacob Revis.

“It’s great to be recognized for your performance,” the younger Huesman stated. “But what matters is where we stand at the end of the season. We feel like there is some unfinished business for us. Our focus is on the same goal…the conference championship and then winning it all. But you have to take it one game at a time and that starts on September 5.”

Freeman concurred at the league’s media day, “We know what we are capable of. The opportunity to do something special, something that’s never been done at Chattanooga is exciting. We are putting in the work now to prepare and make it a reality.”

The season kicks off at home in 2015. The Mocs tackle Jacksonville State in a battle of Top 10 teams and the only FCS regular season matchup of 2014 conference champions. Season tickets are on sale now at the link above on GoMocs.com or by calling (423) 266-MOCS (6627).

 

2015 SoCon Football Preseason Coaches Poll
School (First-place votes): Points
1. Chattanooga (7): 49
2. Samford (1): 40

3. Western Carolina: 38
4. Wofford: 30
5. Furman: 22
6. Mercer: 20
7. The Citadel: 18
8. VMI: 7
NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own teams

2015 SoCon Football Preseason Media Poll
School (First-place votes): Points
1. Chattanooga (29): 239
2. Western Carolina (1): 190

3. Samford: 176
4. Wofford: 148
5. Furman: 120
6. Mercer: 93
7. The Citadel: 82
8. VMI: 32

2015 Southern Conference Football Preseason All-Conference Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Jacob Huesman, Sr., QB, Chattanooga
Defensive Player of the Year:
Michael Pierce, Sr., DL, Samford

First Team Offense
QB: Jacob Huesman, Sr., QB, Chattanooga
RB: Alex Lakes, So., Mercer

RB: Denzel Williams, Jr., Samford
OL: Sam Frye, Sr., The Citadel
OL: Joe Turner, Sr., Furman
OL: Gunnar Bromelow, Sr., Samford
OL: Corey Levin, Jr., Chattanooga
OL: Anton Wahrby, Jr., Wofford

TE: Duncan Fletcher, Jr., Furman
WR: Karel Hamilton, Jr., Samford
WR: Spearman Robinson, Jr., Western Carolina

First Team Defense
DL: Mitchell Jeter, Sr., The Citadel

DL: Michael Pierce, Sr., Samford
DL: Josh Freeman, Sr., Chattanooga
DL: Keionta Davis, Jr., Chattanooga
LB: Cory Magwood, Sr., Furman

LB: Justin Cooper, Sr., Samford
LB: Nakevion Leslie, Jr., Chattanooga
DB: James Bradberry, Sr., Samford

DB: Dee Virgin, Jr., Chattanooga
DB: Lucas Webb, So., Chattanooga
DB: Trey Morgan, Jr., Western Carolina

First Team Specialists
PK: Henrique Ribeiro, Jr., Chattanooga
P: Brian Sanders, Sr., Wofford

RS: Chandler Curtis, So., Mercer

Second Team Offense
QB: Troy Mitchell, Sr., Western Carolina

RB: Darius Ramsey, Sr., Western Carolina
RB: Lorenzo Long, Jr., Wofford
OL: Alec Hulmes, Sr., Samford
OL: Jacob Revis, So., Chattanooga
OL: Synjen Herren, Sr., Chattanooga
OL: Josh Wineberg, Sr., Western Carolina

OL: T.J. Chamberlain, Sr., Wofford
TE: Tony Philpot, Sr., Samford
WR: Jordan Snellings, Sr., Furman
WR: C.J. Board, Jr., Chattanooga

Second Team Defense
DL: John Mackey, Sr., Furman

DL: Austin Barrett, So., Mercer
DL: Helva Matungulu, Sr., Western Carolina
DL: Caleb Hawkins, Sr., Western Carolina
(tie) DL: E.J. Speller, Sr., Wofford
LB: Tyler Ward, Jr., Mercer
LB: Terrance Morris, So., Wofford
LB: Drake Michaelson, Sr., Wofford
DB: Alex Avant, Sr., Mercer
DB: Jamerson Blount, Jr., Samford
DB: Cedric Nettles, Jr., Chattanooga
DB: Sertonuse Harris, Sr., Western Carolina

Second Team Specialists
PK: Dillon Christopher, Jr., VMI

P: Matt Shiel, So., Mercer
RS: Will Gay, Sr., Wofford
NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Junior placekicker Henrique Ribeiro (40), a major part of the Mocs' championship offense, has been named as a first team pick on the Southern Conference's pre-season Offensive Team for the 2015 season.
Junior placekicker Henrique Ribeiro (40), a major part of the Mocs' championship offense, has been named as a first team pick on the Southern Conference's pre-season Offensive Team for the 2015 season.
photo by File/Dennis Norwood (Chattanoogan.com)
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