Paxton DeLaurent headlines 7 Redhawks to watch

Southeast Missouri State quarterback Paxton DeLaurent drops back to pass during warmups in a game against Lindenwood last year at Houck Field.

Tony Capobianco ~ tcapobianco@semoball.com

Much to the surprise of head coach Tom Matukewicz, the Southeast Missouri State football team was picked to finish third in the Big South-OVC preseason poll earlier in the week.

“I was shocked. I would’ve voted myself 10th,” Matukewicz said. “I can’t watch the film, it looks so bad. Fundamentally, stupid penalties, it made my eyes bleed.”

The Redhawks finished 4-7 last year but are seemingly primed for a rebound this year, which is reflected by the vote of confidence from around the conference.

Earlier this week, seven Redhawks, including Norman, were named among the 2024 Big South-OVC Offensive and Defensive Players to Watch. SEMO was well represented in every aspect of the game.

Chief among them is their senior quarterback, Paxton DeLaurent, who is rated as the No. 8 returning quarterback in the FCS by HERO Sports. Despite his previous season ending early due to injuries, DeLaurent completed 149-of-247 passes for 1,792 yards and 11 touchdowns, including four more rushing touchdowns.

“Once you get good, it’s hard to get better,” Matukewicz said. “And really he came in good in a lot of areas, but here we believe in getting better at everything. We have challenged him in all aspects to try to improve in every one of those areas, and he really has.”

DeLaurent was the starting quarterback during the Redhawks’ run towards the OVC championship and FCS playoffs as a sophomore. With the graduation of record-setting running back Geno Hess, it’s now up to DeLaurent to lead them back to the playoffs.

“This is his team,” Matukewicz said. “Unquestionably, he is the face and the voice of our offense and our team.”

Tight end Danny Joiner played a major role in the Redhawks’ blocking protections. Despite not having much of an impact on the passing game as a receiver, Joiner was still named among the conference’s top tight ends to watch.

Offensive lineman Zack Gieg returns for his fourth year as SEMO's starting center. He is a three-time First-Team All-Big South-OVC honoree, and the best returning interior lineman in the Big South-OVC by HERO Sports.

From the other side of the trenches, defensive lineman Steven Lewis started all 11 games and tied for eighth on the team with 32 tackles last season. He also returned his first career interception 36 yards to seal the road win for SEMO at Nicholls last year.

Speaking of seniors named Lewis on defense, Joedrick Lewis is rated as the No. 13 returning cornerback in the FCS by HERO Sports after collecting the seventh highest amount of tackles on the team with 36, while snagging a team high three interceptions. Much like Steven Lewis will be looked at to lead in the interior, Joedrick Lewis will be looked upon to watch the skies in the secondary.

Senior linebacker Bryce Norman was tabbed as the Big South-OVC preseason Defensive Player of the Year after earning First-Team Big South-OVC honors for the second-straight season last year. Norman led the Redhawks with 87 tackles and had five sacks. He was ranked third in the conference in tackles and 10th in sacks.

“He’s a great football player, a great teammate,” Matukewicz said. “It’s hard to believe this is Year 4 and this will be the last year with him. It feels like he just got here.”

Last, but not least, senior kicker DC Pippin returns after testing the waters in the transfer portal. He led the Redhawks in points with 68 and made 11-of-14 field goals and was 35-of-36 on PATs en route to Second-Team Big South-OVC honors.

Offensive coordinator Jeromy McDowell has preached to DeLaurent to “make sure every possession ends with a kick.” The Redhawks have a reliable boot in Pippin for when that time comes in the game.

The Redhawks start the season early with a road game to North Alabama in the FCS Kickoff on August 24, at Montgomery, Alabama.