LINK – ASHLAND UNIVERSITY FOOTBALL PAGE
The 2018 college football preview magazines continue to roll out – as do the preseason plaudits for Ashland University's football team, and senior defensive end James Prater Jr. individually.
In the Lindy's Sports College Football National 2018 Preview issue, the Eagles are ranked No. 15 in NCAA Division II, while Prater is a first-team selection on the magazine's All-Division II team.
Ashland, which was ranked 13th in the Street & Smith's preseason poll, 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. Of the 154 players on the 2018 roster, 47 are returning 2017 letter winners.
Of the Eagles' 10 opponents this fall, two also are ranked in the Lindy's Top 25 – No. 2 Indiana (Pa.) in the season-opener on Aug. 30 at 7 p.m. at Jack Miller Stadium/Martinelli Field, and No. 3 Ferris State on the road on Sept. 29 at 3 p.m.
Prater Jr., also a Street & Smith's preseason D-II All-American, 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 NCAA DIVISION II PRESEASON FOOTBALL MAGAZINE POLLS
|
RANK |
LINDY'S |
STREET & SMITH'S |
|
1 |
West Florida |
West Florida |
|
2 |
Indiana, Pa. |
Indiana, Pa. |
|
3 |
Ferris State |
Minnesota State |
|
4 |
Fort Hays State |
Fort Hays State |
|
5 |
Northwest Missouri State |
Grand Valley State |
|
6 |
Minnesota State |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
|
7 |
Texas A&M-Commerce |
Indianapolis |
|
8 |
Midwestern State |
Harding |
|
9 |
West Alabama |
Northwest Missouri State |
|
10 |
Central Missouri |
Midwestern State |
|
11 |
Central Washington |
Central Washington |
|
12 |
Indianapolis |
Shepherd |
|
13 |
Colorado State-Pueblo |
ASHLAND |
|
14 |
California, Pa. |
Colorado State-Pueblo |
|
15 |
ASHLAND |
Sioux Falls |
|
16 |
Valdosta State |
West Georgia |
|
17 |
Colorado School of Mines |
Assumption |
|
18 |
Edinboro |
Central Missouri |
|
19 |
Assumption |
Ferris State |
|
20 |
Carson-Newman |
West Alabama |
|
21 |
Humboldt State |
Findlay |
|
22 |
Bowie State |
Carson-Newman |
|
23 |
Southwest Baptist |
Virginia State |
|
24 |
Hillsdale |
Edinboro |
|
25 |
Adams State |
Colorado School of Mines |
AU
FB/DS