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Phil Steele has ranked three Ohio Valley Conference teams in its Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason Top 25 for 2015 while also tabbing 10 OVC players as preseason All-Americans in its digital FCS magazine which was published recently.
The publications tabbed Jacksonville State No. 9, Eastern Illinois at No. 21 and Eastern Kentucky No. 22 nationally.
The 10 players named Preseason All-Americans were spread across four teams with two being first-team selections, three tabbed to the second-tea, two on the third-team and three on the fourth-team.
The first-team selections were Eastern Kentucky senior running back
Dy'Shawn Mobley and Murray State senior kick returner
Pokey Harris. The second-team selections included Jacksonville State senior defensive backs
LaMichael Fanning and
Devaunte Sigler and Eastern Illinois senior linebacker
Kamu Grugier-Hill. The third-team picks were Murray State junior linebacker
Jonathan Jackson and Tennessee Tech punt returner
Ladarius Vanlier. The fourth-team selections included Southeast Missouri senior wide receiver
Paul McRoberts, Tennessee State senior linebacker
Gabe Terry and Jacksonville State senior defensive back
Jermaine Hough.
In a breakdown of the OVC, Phil Steele picked Jacksonville State as the preseason favorite followed by Eastern Kentucky, UT Martin, Eastern Illinois, Tennessee State, Southeast Missouri, Tennessee Tech, Murray State and Austin Peay.
The prediction went on to tab Mobley as the top Offensive Player in the league and Sigler as the top defensive player.