SPARTANBURG, S.C. – The Southern Conference football coaches announced their preseason all-conference team on Monday afternoon. Wofford fullback Eric Breitenstein has been named the Southern Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in voting conducted by the league’s head coaches. Wofford defensive linemen Ameet Pall and Brent Russell from Georgia Southern were tabbed Preseason Co-Defensive Players of the Year. The Terriers had six players recognized by the league’s coaches, three on both the first and second team.
In addition, the conference’s nine head coaches have chosen Appalachian State as the choice to win the league championship, while Wofford was picked to finish third.
Breitenstein, a junior from Valle Cruis, North Carolina, led the league and ranked fifth in the nation with 1,639 rushing yards last season. The junior scored 22 touchdowns a season ago and ranked fourth nationally with 10.15 points per game. The Terriers boasted the top rushing attack in all of FCS last season with 297.7 yards per game on the ground.
Pall was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2010. The Montreal, Quebec native recorded 60 tackles on the defensive line for the Terriers. He ranked eighth nationally in both sacks (12.5) and tackles for loss (22.5). Pall forced two fumbles and recorded two others in 2010 as Wofford ranked seventh nationally in total defense.
Pall and Breitentein also earned spots on the preseason Southern Conference All-Conference first team, along with offensive lineman Nate Page. Page, a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, started six games last season at guard.
Wide receiver Brenton Bersin, defensive tackle Eric Eberhardt and defensive back Blake Wylie were named to the second team. Bersin, a senior from Charlotte, North Carolina, has led the team in receiving the past two seasons and averaged 22.0 yards per catch in 2010. Eberhardt, a senior from Suwanee, Georgia, started all 13 games at tackle last season and finished seventh in the conference in sacks. A junior from Fort Mill, South Carolina, Wylie had two interceptions as the Terriers led the SoCon in pass defense in 2010.
Appalachian State has been tabbed the preseason favorite to win the Southern Conference football championship in 2011 in balloting conducted by the league’s head coaches. It is the sixth consecutive year the league’s coaches have chosen ASU to win the league crown.
The Mountaineers, who have won or shared six consecutive SoCon championships, received five of nine first-place votes in the balloting. Georgia Southern was picked second in the coaches’ preseason poll, just one point behind Appalachian State. It is the highest the Eagles have been picked in the coaches’ poll since 2005 when they were also tabbed second. Georgia Southern picked up three first-place votes.
Wofford was the third Southern Conference team to advance to the FCS Playoffs in 2010 and the Terriers were selected third in the preseason poll. Wofford earned 49 points in the balloting. The Chattanooga Mocs (45) earned the final first-place vote from the coaches.
Elon (33) narrowly edged Furman (30) for fifth place in the preseason poll as both programs will have new coaches on the sidelines in 2011. Samford was tabbed seventh with 25 points. The Citadel was picked eighth, while Western Carolina was slotted ninth in the preseason poll.
The Terriers will report to campus on Sunday, August 7 and begin practice on Monday, August 8. A complete practice schedule will be released next week.
Preseason All-Conference Teams
Offensive Player of the Year: Eric Breitenstein, Jr., FB, Wofford
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Ameet Pall, Sr., DL, Wofford and Brent Russell, Jr., DL, Georgia Southern
First Team Offense
QB DeAndre Presley, Sr., Appalachian State
RB Robert Brown, So, Georgia Southern
RB Eric Breitenstein, Jr., Wofford
OL Orry Frye, Sr., Appalachian State
OL Rodney Austin, Sr., Elon
OL Ryan Lee, Sr., Furman
OL Brett Moore, Sr., Georgia Southern
OL Nate Page, Sr., Wofford
TE Ben Jorden, Sr., Appalachian State
WR Aaron Mellette, Jr., Elon
WR Joel Bradford, Sr., Chattanooga
First Team Defense
DL John Rizor, Jr., Appalachian State
DL Brent Russell, Jr., Georgia Southern
DL Alex Davis, Sr., Samford
DL Ameet Pall, Sr., Wofford
LB Kadarron Anderson, Sr., Furman
LB Josh Rowe, Jr., Georgia Southern
LB Ryan Consiglio, Sr., Chattanooga
DB Ed Gainey, Sr., Appalachian State
DB Ryan Steed, Sr., Furman
DB Derek Heyden, Sr., Georgia Southern
DB Laron Scott, Sr., Georgia Southern
First Team Specialists
PK Ray Early, So., Furman
P Charlie Edwards, Sr., Georgia Southern
RS Laron Scott, Sr., Georgia Southern
Second Team Offense
QB B.J. Coleman, Jr., Chattanooga
RB Travaris Cadet, Sr., Appalachian State
RB J.J. Wilcox, Jr., Georgia Southern
OL Matt Ruff, Sr., Appalachian State
OL Dakota Dozier, So., Furman
OL Dorian Byrd, So., Georgia Southern
OL Willie Maxwell, Sr., Georgia Southern
OL Adam Miller, Jr., Chattanooga
TE (tie) Colin Anderson, Jr., Furman
TE (tie) Tyler Sumner, Jr., Georgia Southern
WR Brian Quick, Sr., Appalachian State
WR Brenton Bersin, Sr., Wofford
Second Team Defense
DL Josh Lynn, Jr., Furman
DL Roderick Tinsley, Sr., Georgia Southern
DL Nick Davidson, Sr., Chattanooga
DL Eric Eberhardt, Sr., Wofford
LB Brandon Grier, Jr., Appalachian State
LB Tolu Akindele, Sr., The Citadel
LB Joshua Jones, Sr., Elon
DB Corey White, Sr., Samford
DB Chris Lewis-Harris, Sr., Chattanooga
DB Kadeem Wise, So., Chattanooga
DB Blake Wylie, Jr., Wofford
Second Team Specialists
PK Adrian Mora, Sr., Georgia Southern
P Sam Martin, Jr., Appalachian State
RS Travaris Cadet, Sr., Appalachian State
NOTE: Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.
