SPARTANBURG, S.C. – Eight Southern Conference football student-athletes earned spots on the STATS FCS Preseason All-America Team, announced Monday.

Western Carolina punter Ian Berryman earned the league’s only first-team nod, while teammate and running back Detrez Newsome earned a spot on the second team. Wofford defensive lineman Miles Brown, Samford linebacker Shaheed Salmon and The Citadel defensive back Kailik Williams also earned second-team recognition.

Samford quarterback Devlin Hodges and defensive back Omari Williams were third-team picks alongside Chattanooga linebacker Dale Warren.

All eight of those players earned first-team preseason all-conference honors from the Southern Conference, with Hodges and Kailik Williams being named the Preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Hodges is the reigning SoCon Offensive Player of the Year in both the media and coaches voting, while Williams earned that distinction from the league’s media following the 2016 campaign.

Newsome and Hodges were All-Americans last season.