SEMO football picked eighth in OVC poll, McRoberts selected to preseason All-OVC team

The Southeast Missouri State football team was picked to finish eighth in the Ohio Valley Conference preseason poll, it was announced at the conference's annual media day Monday in Nashville.

Southeast received 34 points. Voting is done by the conference's head coaches and sports information directors.

Junior wide receiver Paul McRoberts was selected to the preseason All-OVC team.

McRoberts had 44 catches for 646 yards and nine touchdowns in 12 games last season for the Redhawks.

Jacksonville State is the preseason favorite, finishing with 118 points and 10 first-place votes.

Defending OVC champion Eastern Illinois was picked second with 110 points and four first-place votes while Tennessee State was third with 107 points and four first-place votes.

Eastern Kentucky (82 points), UT Martin (79 points), Murray State (54 points) and Tennessee Tech (48 points) were picked fourth through seventh, respectively.

Southeast and Austin Peay (16 points) were selected eighth and ninth.

JSU running back DaMarcus James was named the OVC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and TSU defensive end Anthony Bass was named the OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

2014 Preseason All-OVC Football Team

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: DaMarcus James (RB), Jacksonville State

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Anthony Bass (DL), Tennessee State

OFFENSE

QB - Michael German, Tennessee State

QB - Eli Jenkins, Jacksonville State

RB - DaMarcus James, Jacksonville State

RB - Shepard Little, Eastern Illinois

WR - Adam Drake, Eastern Illinois

WR - Josh Barge, Jacksonville State

WR - Paul McRoberts, Southeast Missouri

TE - Jeff LePak, Eastern Illinois

C - Max Holcombe, Jacksonville State

OG - Collin Seibert, Eastern Illinois

OG - Blake Burks, Jacksonville State

OT - Charles Sweeton, UT Martin

OT - Robert Myers, Tennessee State

DEFENSE

DL - Anthony Bass, Tennessee State

DL - Dino Fanti, Eastern Illinois

DL - Caleb Lawrence, Jacksonville State

DL - Chris Landrum, Jacksonville State

LB - Nick Thrasher, Tennessee State

LB - Tony Bell, UT Martin

LB - Robert Haynes, Eastern Illinois

LB - Tra'Darius Goff, Tennessee Tech

DB - Daniel Fitzpatrick, Tennessee State

DB - Jourdan Wickliffe, Eastern Illinois

DB - Marty Jones, Tennessee Tech

DB - De'Ante Saunders, Tennessee State

SPECIALISTS

K - Andrew Lloyd, Eastern Kentucky

P - Hamish MacInnes, Jacksonville State

RS - Shepard Little, Eastern Illinois