The Western Illinois University football team officially introduced itself to the Big South-Ohio Valley Conference Football Association on Wednesday at the league's annual media day.

The Leathernecks begin play in the new conference the season, moving from the Missouri Valley Football Conference. The league hosted its media day over Zoom after announcing its Players to Watch on Monday and Tuesday.

"We're very excited and the players in this program, I've been most impressed by their buy-in," Western Illinois University football coach Joe Davis said. "As a new head coach and a new staff coming in here and trying to implement our standards and our culture, the returning players have bought in and I've been impressed with the transfers that we brought in.

"We talk a lot in our program about being low-maintenance, high-production individuals and we have seen that develop over the last 12 weeks. We're less than two weeks until our report date and putting the final touches on our summer training right now but we're very excited to see the hard work this team pay off this August training camp."

COACH DAVIS FROM MEDIA DAY:

For the Leathernecks, Nathan Lamb (quarterback), Torrance Farmer Jr. (running back), Demari Davis (wide receiver), Brandon Lanier (tight end), Isaiah Foote (offensive line), Tre Henry (defensive line), Juan DelaCruz (linebacker), Willie Jones (defensive back), Christiaan Masucci (placekicker) and Jared Campbell (punter) were named Players to Watch.

"I'm excited for the upcoming season, we've been putting in a lot of work, so I'm excited to get out there and start the season," quarterback Nate Lamb said.

QUARTERBACK NATHAN LAMB AT BIG SOUTH-OVC FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION MEDIA DAY



 

The league also unveiled its preseason Coaches Poll. The Leathernecks were projected ninth in the new league. UT Martin was projected first with 61 points and five first-place votes.

"I'm very confident this year," linebacker Juan DelaCruz said. "I know the previous two years we did not do so great, we haven't won a game in two years, but I haven't felt this confident in a team since I first got here in 2020. I've been very confident in our team, we've been making a lot of strides, so I'm confident in us right now."

LINEBACKER JUAN DELACRUZ AT BIG SOUTH-OVC FOOTBALL ASSOCIATION MEDIA DAY:

Western Illinois opens the season on August 31 at Northern Illinois University and makes its Big South-OVC Football Association debut on October 5 at Charleston Southern.

Single-game and season ticket information can be found here.

2024 Big South-OVC Predicted Order of Finish

1. UT Martin (5) – 61

2. Eastern Illinois (2) – 53

3. Southeast Missouri (2) – 51

4. Tennessee State – 41

5. Gardner-Webb – 40

6. Charleston Southern – 27

7. Tennessee Tech – 24

8. Lindenwood – 18

9. Western Illinois – 9

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

Pierce Holley (QB), Eastern Illinois

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

Bryce Norman (LB), Southeast Missouri

PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST

Quarterback

Zolten Osborne (So.), Charleston Southern

Pierce Holley (Grad.), Eastern Illinois

Ren Hefley (Grad.), Gardner-Webb

Paxton DeLaurent (Sr.), Southeast Missouri

Draylen Ellis (Grad.), Tennessee State

Dylan Laible (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Kinkead Dent (Grad), UT Martin

Nate Lamb (Sr.), Western Illinois

Running Back

Autavius Ison (So.), Charleston Southern

MJ Flowers (So.), Eastern Illinois

Carson Gresock (So.), Gardner-Webb

Robert Giaimo (Jr.), Lindenwood

Jordan Gant (R-So.), Tennessee State

Obie Sanni (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Narkel LeFlore (Sr.), UT Martin

Torrance Famer Jr. (Sr.), Western Illinois

Wide Receiver

Noah Jennings (So.), Charleston Southern

Eli Mirza (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Jordan Bly (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Jeff Caldwell (Jr.), Lindenwood

Jalal Dean (Sr.), Tennessee State

Tremel Jones (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

DeVonte Tanksley (Grad.), UT Martin

Demari Davis (Jr.), Western Illinois

Tight End

Landon Sauers (R-Jr.), Charleston Southern

Anthony Manaves (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Cole Schnieder (Jr.), Gardner-Webb

Danny Joiner (Jr.), Southeast Missouri

Jason Hoath Jr. (So.), Tennessee State

Hunter Barnhart (Sr.), Tennessee Tech

Brandon Lanier (Jr.), Western Illinois

Offensive Line

Ronnie Hayes II (R-Jr.), Charleston Southern

Sebastian Pares (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

CJ Dawson (So.), Gardner-Webb

Ethan Johnson (Jr.), Lindenwood

Zack Gieg (Sr.), Southeast Missouri

Connor Meadows (R-So.), Tennessee State

Logan Weedman (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Drake Carroll (Grad.), UT Martin

Isaiah Foote (Jr.), Western Illinois

Defensive Line

Joshua Hill (Sr.), Charleston Southern

Joel Barrows (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Ayden Bell (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Kobe McClendon (Jr.), Lindenwood

Steven Lewis (Sr.), Southeast Missouri

Eriq George (So.), Tennessee State

Daniel Rickert (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Charles Perkins (So.), UT Martin

Tre Henry (Sr.), Western Illinois

Linebacker

Tylan Hollis (R-Jr.), Charleston Southern

Elijawah Tolbert (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Trevor Moffitt (Jr.), Gardner-Webb

Ethan Stuhlsatz (Jr.), Lindenwood

Bryce Norman (Sr.), Southeast Missouri

Ahmad Nelson (Sr.), Tennessee State

Aaron Swafford (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Jaylon Sharpe (Grad.), UT Martin

Juan DelaCruz (Sr.), Western Illinois

Defensive Back

Trayson Fowler (Grad.), Charleston Southern

Kaleb Lyons (Jr.), Eastern Illinois

Raequan Ousley (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Joedrick Lewis (Sr.), Southeast Missouri

Jalen McClendon (R-Jr.), Tennessee State

Tim Coutras (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Oshae Baker (Sr.), UT Martin

Willie Jones (So.), Western Illinois

All-Purpose

Leon Thomas (So.), Charleston Southern

Edward Sayeed (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Dayron Johnson (Sr.), Tennessee State

Kyron Cumby (Sr.), Tennessee Tech

Narkel LeFlore (Sr.), UT Martin

Placekicker

Jay Billingsley (Jr.), Gardner-Webb

DC Pippin (Jr.), Southeast Missouri

James Lowery (R-Sr.), Tennessee State

Hayden Olsen (Sr.), Tennessee Tech

Christiaan Masucci (Grad.), Western Illinois

Punter

Nick Bigelow (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Jacob Horvath (So.), Eastern Illinois

Jackson Foster (Sr.), Tennessee State

Spencer Ashby (Sr.), Tennessee Tech

Jared Campbell (Sr.), Western Illinois

Kick Return Specialist

Leon Thomas (So.), Charleston Southern

Mark Aitken (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Anthony Lowe (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Dayron Johnson (Sr.), Tennessee State

Tremel Jones (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Narkel LeFlore (Sr.), UT Martin

Punt Return Specialist

Leon Thomas (So.), Charleston Southern

Jordan Bly (Sr.), Gardner-Webb

Dayron Johnson (Sr.), Tennessee State

Tremel Jones (Jr.), Tennessee Tech

Oshae Baker (Sr.), UT Martin

Long Snapper

Noah Summers (R-So.) Charleston Southern

Jack Valente (Sr.), Eastern Illinois

Jamie Wilson (R-Jr.), Gardner-Webb

Carson Buchanan (Sr.), Tennessee State

Turner McLaughlin (Fr.), Tennessee Tech

Colton Peoples (Jr.), UT Martin