LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PAGE
The calendar doesn't officially recognize summer until June 21.
There are, however, those who already are looking ahead to the fall. Street & Smith's employs such folks, and in its 2018 college football preview magazine, Ashland University's football team is ranked No. 13 in its NCAA Division II preseason poll, while senior defensive end James Prater Jr. is a D-II preseason All-American.
In 2017, the Eagles finished 11-2 with a first-round D-II postseason home win and a Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference championship. The Eagles ended the campaign ranked 10th in the final 2017 American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) Division II Coaches' Top 25 poll.
Heading into the 2018 campaign, Ashland returns 12 starters – six on offense, five on defense and one on special teams.
This fall's schedule will feature three opponents also ranked in the Street & Smith's preseason Top 25 – No. 2 Indiana (Pa.) to open the season on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, No. 19 Ferris State on the road on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m., and No. 5 Grand Valley State on the road on Nov. 3.
Prater Jr. is coming off one of the most dominant seasons for an Ashland defensive lineman in a generation in 2017, racking up a program-record 23½ tackles for loss, resulting in 104 yards in losses; 42 solo tackles, 10 sacks, 63 total stops, an interception, eight pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Entering his senior campaign, Prater Jr. has 31 career tackles for loss, fourth-most in program history.
2018 STREET AND SMITH'S PRESEASON TOP 25 – NCAA DIVISION II FOOTBALL
1. West Florida
2. Indiana, Pa.
3. Minnesota State
4. Fort Hays State
5. Grand Valley State
6. Texas A&M-Commerce
7. Indianapolis
8. Harding
9. Northwest Missouri State
10. Midwestern State
11. Central Washington
12. Shepherd
13. ASHLAND
14. Colorado State-Pueblo
15. Sioux Falls
16. West Georgia
17. Assumption
18. Central Missouri
19. Ferris State
20. West Alabama
21. Findlay
22. Carson-Newman
23. Virginia State
24. Edinboro
25. Colorado School of Mines
AU
FB/DS