The Southern Conference football coaches announced the preseason all-league team at the annual Football Rouser on July 24 at the Embassy Suites in Greenville, S.C.

Appalachian State running back Kevin Richardson, who rushed for 1,676 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, was voted the conference’s preseason Offensive Player of the Year and teammate Corey Lynch, who made 85 tackles last year as a defensive back, was named the conference’s Defensive Player of the Week.

Appalachian State (six on offense, five on defense and two specialists) had 13 players named to the preseason All-Southern Conference team in a vote of the league’s eight coaches while Furman (six on offense and five on defense) landed 11 players on the team. The Citadel (four on offense and three on defense) and Wofford (three on offense, three on defense and one specialist) had seven players each recognized. Elon (one on offense, one on defense and two specialists) had four players honored while Georgia Southern (two on offense and one on defense) and Western Carolina (two on defense and one specialist) each landed three players on the team. Chattanooga (two on defense) had two players each named to the team. Coaches were not permitted to vote for their own players.

Coaches Preseason All-Southern Conference Team

Offensive Player of the Year- Kevin Richardson (Appalachian State)

Defensive Player of the Year- Corey Lynch (Appalachian State)

Offense - First Team

QB- Armanti Edwards (ASU)

RB- Kevin Richardson (ASU)

RB- Jerome Felton (FUR)

OL- Kerry Brown (ASU)

OL- Mario Acitelli (ASU)

OL- Scott Suttle (ASU)

OL- Joel Bell (FUR)

OL- Chris McDowell (CIT)

TE- Chris Truss (FUR)

WR- Jason Foster (GSU)

WR- Terrell Hudgins (ELON)

Offense - Second Team

QB- Duran Lawson (CIT)

RB- Kevious Johnson (WOF)

RB- Cedric Gipson (FUR)

OL- Heath Cockburn (FUR)

OL- Corey McKenna (WOF)

OL- Derek Wooten (WOF)

OL- Russell Orr (GSU)

OL- Reggie Goolsby (FUR)

TE- Taylor Cornett (CIT)

WR- Dexter Jackson (ASU)

WR- Andre Roberts (CIT)

Defense - First Team

DL- Gary Tharrington (ASU)

DL- Trevar Broughton (CIT)

DL- Wallace Artis (FUR)

DL- Justin Brown (FUR)

LB- Pierre Banks (ASU)

LB- Andrew Jones (FUR)

LB- Corey Weaver (ELON)

DB- Corey Lynch (ASU)

DB- Josh Lawson (CIT)

DB- Jerome Touchstone (ASU)

DB- Dan Tavani (WOF)

Defense - Second Team

DL- James Gonsoulin (WOF)

DL- Larry Beard (GSU)

DL- John Martin (WCU)

DL- Charles Profit (UTC)

LB- Willie Rowell (CIT)

LB- Chris Johnson (UTC)

LB- Andrew Thacker (FUR)

DB- Justin Woazeah (ASU)

DB- Austin Holmes (FUR)

DB- Brian Ford (WOF)

DB- Carlton Bailey (WCU)

Specialists - First Team

PK- Julian Rauch (ASU)

P- Brandon Lane (ELON)

RS- Dexter Jackson (ASU)

Specialists - Second Team

PK- Andrew Wilcox (ELON)

P- Chris Tommie (WOF)

RS- Mike Malone (WCU)