• Athlon Sports Website | FCS Preseason Top 25 | FCS Preseason All-Americans
Athlon Sports has ranked Austin Peay in its Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Preseason Top 25 for 2021 while also tabbing APSU defensive back
Kordell Jackson an All-American.
The publication ranked Austin Peay No. 23 in the poll. The Governors were 4-2 in the spring OVC season under first-year head coach Scotty Walden. Additionally, the poll put Murray State as one of its teams "on the cusp" and just outside the Top 25.
In 2019 Jackson was named the FCS ADA Defensive Back of the Year after tallying seven interceptions. Last season he did not see the ball thrown his way as much; instead, he wreaked havoc in the opposing offense's backfields. Jackson led all OVC tacklers with 10.5 tackles for loss – seven of those coming in OVC play, where he also had five passes defended. Jackson recorded a tackle for loss in seven of the Govs' nine games, including two TFL at Pittsburgh in the fall and three TFL at Tennessee Tech to open the spring.
Jackson finished 13th in voting for the Buck Buchanan Award.