SEMO FOOTBALL PREVIEW: Breaking down the Ohio Valley Conference

1. Jacksonville State

Head coach: John Grass, 4th year

Last season: 10-2, 7-0 OVC

Starters returning: 12

Key returner

All you need to know is that defensive lineman Darius Jackson will be an NFL draft pick in the spring. The 6-foot-3, 237-pound senior is a STATS Preseason First Team All-American and the reigning OVC Defensive Player of the Year; he earned the same nod in this season's preseason coaches' poll. In 2016, he was ninth nationally in sacks per game (0.83) while compiling 48 stops, 15.5 tackles for a loss, 10 sacks and 11 quarterback hurries. He led the way for a Gamecocks defense ranked fourth in the country in total defense (274.9 yards per game).

Key loss

The departure of quarterback Eli Jenkins is as big a loss as there was in the FCS. A starter for the last three and a half seasons, Jenkins' 1,127 rushing yards, 2,107 passing yards and 24 total touchdowns accounted for 60 percent of JSU's total offense last year. Jenkins became the first back-to-back OVC Offensive Player of the Year since Tony Romo. The Gamecocks offense does return some pieces, but new QB Bryant Horn will have some major shoes to fill.

At a glance

JSU has established itself as the class of the OVC and one of the best programs in the country. It opens the season ranked No. 5/6 in the FCS Coaches and STATS FCS preseason polls. The Gamecocks have not lost a conference game in three years under coach John Grass. Their defense alone should be enough to remain amongst the best, with both Jackson and 2016 OVC Freshman of the Year Marlon Bridges, a defensive back, returning; the stopping unit features six preseason All-OVC picks. On offense, JSU returns senior preseason All-American Justin Lea (offensive line) and 2016 All-OVC running back Roc Thomas.

2. UT Martin

Head coach: Jason Simpson, 12th year

Last season: 7-5, 6-2 OVC

Starters returning: 13

Key returner

In a season full of quarterback turnover in the OVC, Troy Cook stands out. The 6-foot-1, 206-pound senior signal caller is a preseason All-OVC selection and the only player from the conference named to the College Football Performance Awards watch list for the FCS National Performer of the Year. In 2016, he was 166 of 298 through the air for 2,321 yards and 22 touchdowns. He was 12th nationally in yards per completion (13.98), 22nd in touchdowns and 29th in passing efficiency (137.4). The expectation is that will continue behind a strong offensive line.

Key loss

The Skyhawks return seven starters on defense, but if there's one unit that took a hit, it's the defensive line, with the graduations of both Damani Taylor and Keith Jones. The duo appeared in every game last season, starting a combined 22 games and racking up a total of 18 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks. The rest of the defense, which returns STATS Second Team All-American Khalid Hagens at defensive back, will have to steady the ship while new faces on the line settle in.

At a glance

UT Martin came within one game of winning the OVC last year, losing in the season finale to Jacksonville State. But the Skyhawks went 5-0 at home and this year get JSU in Martin. Will that be enough for UTM to upset the apple cart under Jason Simpson, the longest tenured coach in the conference? With a veteran defense that features a strong back seven, an offense led by an experienced QB and running back and an offensive line featuring two preseason All-OVC picks in Robert Burleigh and Kadarren Bond, anything is possible.

3. Tennessee State

Head coach: Rod Reed, 8th year

Last season: 7-4, 4-3 OVC

Starters returning: 15

Key returner

The Tigers appear to have some firepower at their disposal, and that starts with redshirt senior wide receiver Patrick Smith, who is back after racking up 966 yards and 13 touchdowns on 61 catches a year ago. Expectations are high for the 6-foot, 190-pound Smith, who is the OVC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and a STATS Preseason Third-Team All-American. The pieces are there surrounding Smith as well, with fellow wideout Steven Newbold lining up opposite him and Florida transfer Treon Harris stepping in at quarterback.

Key loss

TSU brings back talented skill players and inserts a promising quarterback. The offense shouldn't be a problem. The defense, though, must improve after allowing 30.1 points per game in 2016. That won't be easy with the graduation of top cornerback Ezra Robinson, an All-OVC first-team selection who compiled 42 tackles and five interceptions in the Tigers' secondary. For a pass defense that ranked in the middle of the conference last season, Robinson will leave a void.

At a glance

Tennessee State is a legitimate contender to take up the OVC mantle, should the current kings falter. The Tigers received votes in both the STATS FCS and FCS Coaches preseason polls. The offense appears to have the pieces to be explosive with a potential game-changing addition of Harris at QB, while the defense is not devoid of talent, led by senior defensive lineman Ebenezer Ogundeko, a legitimate NFL prospect. The results on the field have to be better, though, after allowing 30 points per game in 2016. The Tigers also have senior kicker Lane Clark, who is a STATS Preseason First Team All-American.

4. Eastern Illinois

Head coach: Kim Dameron, 4th year

Last season: 6-5, 4-4 OVC

Starters returning: 14

Key returner

The OVC is littered with new starters under center, but EIU will be excited to get one back. Mitch Kimble missed part of 2016 due to injury, but now that he's healthy, he should provide a boost to a Panther offense that finished third in the OVC in total offense but middle of the road in terms of a passing attack. The senior was able to throw for 1,414 yards, 13 TDs and five interceptions on 112-for-190 passing in seven games in 2016.

Key loss

The Panthers' offense will have to overcome the hole left by running back Devin Church, the only 1,000-yard rusher in the OVC a year ago. He also led EIU in receiving and was third in the conference in scoring. That's a big talent to have to replace behind an experienced offensive line -- four starters back -- poised to open holes for somebody. Can Church's replacement take advantage of that?

At a glance

Statistically, Eastern Illinois was in the top third of the league in total offense and total defense in 2016, but that only led to a mediocre, middle-of-the-pack finish that never saw the Panthers truly challenge for a conference title. Part of the reason was turnover margin, where EIU was second-worst in the OVC (-8), and red-zone defense that was worst in the league. There is some talent on the roster, though, and the program has a tradition of winning, potentially setting them up as a challenger if the ball bounces the right way.

5. Eastern Kentucky

Head coach: Mark Elder, 2nd year

Last season: 3-8, 2-6 OVC

Starters returning: 13

Key returner

EKU had just one non-special teams player named to the Preseason All-OVC team, and that was junior defensive lineman Aaron Patrick. The 6-4, 227-pounder was a 2016 All-OVC pick and was second in the conference with seven sacks; he had 54 tackles -- 10 for a loss -- and 10 quarterback hurries. The offense will be retooling, leaving the defense to carry the load at least until the Colonels figure things out on the other side of the ball. Patrick and leading tackler Jeffrey Canady will lead that charge.

Key loss

Eastern Kentucky graduated more than half of its starters on offense, including three on the offensive line. One of those was left tackle Justin Adekoya. The void left by Adekoya and the other OL veterans will present a potential stumbling block. The Colonels will break in a new QB and have some Football Bowl Subdivision transfers coming into the back field along with returning running back Ethan Thomas, but someone will have to protect that group.

At a glance

In Elder's first season at the helm, the Colonels suffered just their second losing season since 1973. EKU will try to prevent that from becoming a trend by breaking in a new QB, which looks to be Connecticut transfer Tim Boyle. There are also a pair of FBS transfers at running back in Arizona State's Jason Lewis and Louisville's L.J. Scott, along with returning RB Ethan Thomas. But where the program really needs answers is on defense, where it has some talent but allowed 30.5 ppg in 2016 and struggled to stop the run.

6. Tennessee Tech

Head coach: Marcus Satterfield, 2nd year

Last season: 5-6, 5-3 OVC

Starters returning: 15

Key returner

For a team looking to make strides defensively in 2017, TTU will look for leadership at the heart of that unit with linebacker Josh Poplar. The junior made 105 tackles a year ago, recovered three fumbles and forced a pair. On a defense that returns all 11 starters, Poplar will often have eyes on him, especially after a scary offseason -- he was hospitalized and diagnosed with a stroke. One can expect the 2016 All-OVC Second Team pick will relish the opportunity to get back on the field.

Key loss

Quarterback Michael Birdsong was the engine of the Golden Eagles' offense a year ago, finishing third in the OVC in total offense (2,803 yards), second in passing yards per game (234.3) and fourth in passing efficiency (137.2). He's now gone and the rest of the offense, which finished eighth in total offense in the league, will have to pick up the slack. His replacement appears to be graduate transfer Hayden Rettig, who redshirted at LSU and then played sparingly at Rutgers.

At a glance

TTU finished seventh in the OVC in total defense a year ago and eighth in total offense, but still managed to finish third in the conference in Satterfield's first season at the helm. Now it appears to be poised to come back down to earth a bit unless the Eagles can take some strides forward. Rettig will have a quality target in Dontez Byrd, one of the leagues best wideouts, and running back Yeedee Thaenrat (sixth in the OVC with 64.3 rushing yards per game) will provide support, and the defense returns every starter, so the building blocks are there.

7. Southeast

Head coach: Tom Matukewicz, 4th year

Last season: 3-8, 3-5 OVC

Starters returning: 9

Key returner

The graduation of some important seniors on defense leaves outside linebacker Chad Meredith as a key piece. The senior finished second on the team a year ago with 86 tackles and matched a team-high four sacks; he'll form formidable bookends with fellow returning OLB Kendall Donnerson. Tabbed as a Preseason STATS FCS Third Team All-American, his presence will also prove important to filling the void left by the graduation of middle linebacker and emotional and statistical leader Roper Garrett, who had a team-high 92 stops a year ago.

Key loss

The Redhawks offense returns a decent amount of experience, but one place where responsibilities will change is at running back, where the now-graduated Will Young led the way a season ago. Young took the reins as the team's lead back a season ago and ran to 838 yards and six touchdowns, finishing fourth in the OVC in yards per game (76.2). Now the rushing load will fall to JUCO transfer Marquis Terry and Cam Sanders, who has been in the program but has been a role player in the back field.

At a glance

Southeast returns only nine total starters, but some key cogs are back -- including the first returning QB, Jesse Hosket, in Matukewicz's tenure -- and may not be a large dropoff after what was largely a disappointing season. The offense was worst in the OVC with 20.8 points per game and the Redhawks have struggled in tight games, going just 6-20 in 'Tuke's tenure in games within a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Improve in those two areas and SEMO could move up the OVC pecking order.

8. Murray State

Head coach: Mitch Stewart, 3rd year

Last season: 4-7, 4-4 OVC

Starters returning: 17

Key returner

The Racers were never afraid to chuck the ball around, and one of the major benefactors of that was wide receiver Jordan Gandy. Now the redshirt senior is back for a last hurrah after hauling in 62 catches for 976 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2016. Gandy led the conference in total receiving yards and his per-game clip, was third in receptions per game (5.6) and ninth in scoring. MSU will need to break in a new quarterback and get better play on the offensive line, but Gandy should at least provide a quality outlet.

Key loss

The graduation of QB K.D. Humphries is arguably the biggest loss in the Ohio Valley Conference. Humphries used the high-flying spread attack to lead the league in total offense, with 3,119 yards, completing 283 of 442 passes for 23 touchdowns, also the most in the OVC. He was an All-OVC Second Team selection (blocked from the first team by some Jenkins guy) and was often one of the Racers' brightest spots, leaving his name behind on the record book. Old Dominion transfer Shuler Bentley will try to fill his shoes.

At a glance

Bentley should have weapons at his disposal and a system that lets him show off his arm if he can get protection from his offensive line. He'll get help from returning running back Mareio McGraw. The defense, though, allowed more than 35 points per game in 2016 and often lost the battle up front. Defensive back D'Montre Wade is a Preseason All-OVC pick, but won't help MSU where it probably needs it most. Murray State did finish the last season showing signs of improvement, though.

9. Austin Peay

Head coach: Will Healy, 2nd year

Last season: 0-11, 0-8 OVC

Starters returning: 16

Key returner

The Governors offense showed signs of improvement last season with the introduction of some flashy freshmen to make some plays. Now those pieces are a year older, including quarterback JaVaughn Craig, a dual-threat signal caller who APSU sometimes moved around the field. He was 42 for 77 through the air for 515 yards and six touchdowns, and ran for another 482 yards (6.7 yards per carry) and three scores. He'll team with fellow sophomore Kentel Williams at running back to form a formidable backfield.

Key loss

Craig will be without his top target from a year ago, as All-OVC second-teamer Jared Beard is no longer with the program after transferring to Division II Kentucky Wesleyan. He caught 71 balls for 910 yards and seven touchdowns. His presence will be missed, but Austin Peay otherwise returns 16 players and retains a young core, with Healy bringing in another strong recruiting class to continue to inject new life into the program.

At a glance

Losing 27 consecutive games makes you the punching bag of the conference and the punchline of many jokes, but there are signs of hope for the Governors. APSU's offensive improvement last season was the largest jump in the FCS, and Healy's newest recruiting group was ranked in the top 50. It seems unlikely that Austin Peay will suddenly vault up the OVC ladder, but it does appear to be moving in the right direction and putting together a core that will continue to be more competitive.