Gents Picked To Finish Fourth In Preseason SCAC Poll
The Gents picked to finish fourth in preseason poll and picked up one first-place vote.
SUWANEE, Ga. -- In exclusive balloting by the league's head coaches, Texas Lutheran University has been selected atop the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference football preseason poll in a tight race.
The Bulldogs secured three of the six first-place votes giving them 33 total points and a one point edge over McMurry University with two first-place votes and 32 points overall. It comes as no surprise that these two are on a nearly even playing field after TLU (9-2, 7-1 SCAC) & McMurry (7-3, 7-1 SCAC) each earned a share of the title as Co-Champions in 2024.
Newcomer Hendrix enters the mix in third place with 22 points after a 4-6 season a year ago with a 2-5 record in the SAA. Centenary (4-6, 4-4 SCAC) claimed the final first-place vote coming in fourth with 18 points while Austin College (2-8, 2-6 SCAC) was selected fifth with 12 points and Lyon, who posted a 1-9 record, earned nine points.
With six teams in the league this season, the SCAC conference schedule will see teams face each opponent once after utilizing a double round robin schedule in 2024 with five football members. Conference competition is set to begin the second weekend of October with all six teams in action.
Texas Lutheran head coach Neal LaHue led the Bulldogs to its best season in a decade and a trip to the NCAA tournament in 2024. LaHue was named SCAC Coach of the Year as the Bulldogs' 9-2 record equaled the modern era record for wins for TLU, matching the 2014 team. Returning to lead the Bulldogs offense is 2024 SCAC Co-Offensive Player of the Year, quarterback Caden Bosanko, who finished second in the conference in passing yards (1,911), third in rushing yards (690) and led the SCAC with 14 rushing touchdowns.
Also returning from the First Team all-conference listing a year ago include running back Weston Guzman who finished fourth in the SCAC in rushing yards per game (61.1) and third in rushing touchdowns (8) and wide receiver Caleb Camarillo who finished second in the SCAC with 63.3 receiving yards per game.
A pair of senior offensive lineman who earned First Team All-SCAC honors anchor the front line for the Bulldogs as Jaxson Eskridge, who started all 11 games, and Ian Wollard, who was a 2024 D3football.com Third Team All-Region selection, return in 2025. Defensively, safety Troy Tomaselli is the lone returner from the 2024 First Team All-SCAC selections for the Bulldogs after being named a D3football.com Second Team All-Region honoree.
A total of three returners from the all-conference honorable mention listing are back on the field in 2025 including Cam Ross, Justin Navarro, and Marec Square.
Other players to watch in the SCAC in 2025:
- Jess Hoel, McMurry (junior quarterback) - named Co-Offensive Player of the Year in 2024 after leading the conference in passing yards (2,441), touchdown passes (19), completion percentage (65.3 percent), total offensive yards (2,845) and efficiency rating (149.1)
- Jeremiah Hayes, McMurry (junior offensive lineman) - 2024 All-SCAC First Team selection and helped the War Hawks lead the conference in 2024 with a league-best 386.3 yards per game
- Jacob Buniff, Hendrix (senior quarterback) - two-time Second Team All-SAA selection and finished second in the SAA with 2,583 yards and 24 touchdowns
- Tristian Johnson, Hendrix (junior defensive lineman) - 2024 All-SAA Second Team and finished second in the league with 1.33 tackles for loss per game with 12.0 TFL in 9 games
- D'Qavian Lemons, Centenary (junior defensive lineman) - 2024 All-SCAC First Team selection and finished third on the Gents with 46 total tackles
- Jacob Wilson, Centenary (sophomore defensive back) - 2024 All-SCAC First Team selection and led the Gents with 53 total tackles
- Barrett Hudson, Austin College (sophomore running back) - 2024 SCAC Newcomer of the Year who led the SCAC in rushing during the regular season, picking up 959 yards on 165 attempts and averaging a league-high 5.8 yards per carry
- Kenneth Alexander, Austin College (sophomore defensive back) - top five on the team in tackles last season totaling 39.0 as a freshman
- Keidrick Wooten, Lyon (senior defensive lineman) - 2024 All-SCAC First Team selection and led the team with 12.5 TFL totaling 44 yards
The SCAC football season begins on Thursday, September 4, as Texas Lutheran hosts Trinity (Tex.) in a night game. All six teams will open the season that weekend with non-conference action.
The start of conference play will be on Saturday, October 11 as Lyon travels to McMurry, Austin College heads to Hendrix and Texas Lutheran opens conference play at Centenary. For a link to the complete 2025 SCAC football schedule, click here.
2025 SCAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll
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| 1. | Texas Lutheran University (3) | 33 |
| 2. | McMurry University (2) | 32 |
| 3. | Hendrix College | 22 |
| 4. | Centenary College (1) | 18 |
| 5. | Austin College | 12 |
| 6. | Lyon College | 9 |
