Preseason Honors Set the Stage for SoCon Play
The Southern Conference announced its preseason recognitions this week, highlighting a blend of experience and emerging talent across its member institutions. Brayden Smith, a senior wide receiver and return specialist from Mercer, received the league’s Offensive Player of the Year award, while Furman’s defensive end Joshua Stoneking was celebrated as the Defensive Player of the Year.
Coaches also used the announcements to forecast the upcoming campaign, selecting Mercer as the preseason favorite to capture the conference title. The Bears gathered 76 points and six first‑place votes in the poll, edging out Tennessee Tech, which earned 70 points and three top votes, while ETSU followed with 61 points and the final first‑place nod.
Key Players to Watch
Smith’s impressive all‑purpose yardage of 1,267 last season, highlighted by a leading role in returns and a strong receiving presence, earned him a spot on the Walter Payton Award Watch List. Meanwhile, Stoneking dominated defensively, topping the nation with 14.5 sacks and 23 tackles for loss in 2025, and he finished as the runner‑up for the Buck Buchanan Award, signaling a potential breakout year.
The 2026 schedule kicks off on Thursday, August 27, with Furman hosting Anderson and Chattanooga traveling to West Georgia, setting the stage for early confrontations that will test the newly crowned defensive standout. The preseason accolades and poll rankings together paint a picture of a tightly contested season, with Mercer, Tennessee Tech, ETSU and the other member schools poised to battle for supremacy.