Rock Hill, S.C.----The South Atlantic Conference released the 2024 preseason football coach's poll Friday morning, with the Wingate University Bulldogs coming in at number two. In addition, Wingate had eight players earn preseason All-SAC Piedmont accolades. Marquise Fleming, Daniel Morrison, Bryan Bordeaux and Dontorian Best earn league honors on the defense, with Porfirio Acosta, Erwil Anthony, Blake Martin and Caleb Bonesteel picking up All-Piedmont Offense accolades.

Lenoir-Rhyne is the preseason favorite, collecting six of the 11 first-place votes. Wingate checks in at number two with three first-place votes, followed by Limestone, Mars Hill and Newberry. Tusculum is sixth, with Catawba and Carson-Newman rounding out the top eight. Barton is ninth, while Emory & Henry, UVA Wise and Anderson finish out the poll.

The Bulldogs went 8-3 last season, going 6-2 in league play. Wingate rounded out the season with four straight wins, while winning seven of the last eight. The 'Dogs have piled up 71 victories in the last seven full seasons, going 42-12 in league play while making four NCAA play-off appearances. Wingate advanced to the national quarterfinals for the first time in program history in 2022.

Fleming piled up the honors last season, earning first team All-American accolades from the AFCA, D2CCA and Associated Press. The first-team All-SAC and All-Region honoree was named the SAC and D2CCA Region Defensive Player of the Year. Fleming was a nominee for the Harlon Hill award and finished as the national runner-up for the prestigious Gene Upshaw Award. He led the nation with his 14 sacks in 2023, averaging a nation's-best 1.27 sacks per game. He ranked fifth in the nation with 22.5 tackles for loss, collecting a pair of tackles for loss per game. Fleming led the Bulldogs with 63 tackles, adding three forced fumbles to go along with seven QB hurries. He had at least one TFL in eight of 11 games, with at least one sack in six contests. Fleming had four multi-sack contests, while collecting three or more TFLs five times.

Morrison was an All-Piedmont defensive honoree last season, piling up 41 tackles including nine tackles for loss and six sacks. Morrison also had three QB hurries and an interception on the year. He had back-to-back two-sack games against Emory & Henry and Erskine, while notching a pair of TFLs against Mars Hill. Morrison recorded an interception in the Limestone contest.

Bordeaux was also an All-Piedmont selection in 2023. He had 48 tackles on the year, with seven tackles for loss and a pair of sacks, adding a break-up, forced fumble and three QB hurries. Bordeaux piled up eight tackles with 1.5 sacks and a forced fumble in the Erskine game, while also registering eight tackles against Lenoir-Rhyne.

Best was another All-Piedmont honoree last season. He ranked second on the Bulldogs with 61 tackles, notching four tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks. Best added a pair of QB hurries and a pass break-up. Best had seven tackles with a TFL in the season opener against Albany State, while piling up 10 tackles against Limestone. He had nine tackles in the Lenoir-Rhyne victory.

The Bulldogs have three of the five offensive linemen on the preseason All-Piedmont squad. Acosta and Martin earned league honors last season for the 'Dogs. The trio helped Wingate rank third in the SAC with 376.5 yards per game last year, putting up 27.1 points per contest. The Bulldogs ranked third in the conference with 233.1 passing yards per contest, while adding 143 yards per game on the ground.

Bonesteel was an All-SAC honoree in 2023. He connected on 10-of-14 field goals on the year, going four-for-six from 30-39 yards while adding a pair of field goals over 40 yards, with a long of 45. Bonesteel converted all 37 PATs on the season.

Wingate opens the 2024 season on the road, traveling to UNC Pembroke for a 6 p.m. kickoff on August 31. The 'Dogs are at home Sept. 14, hosting Delta State at 3 p.m. Wingate opens league play at Carson-Newman Sept. 21.

Preseason SAC Poll
Rank - School (1st Place Votes) - points
1. Lenoir-Rhyne (6) 104
2. Wingate (3) 94
3. Limestone 92
4. Mars Hill (2) 87
5. Newberry 73
6. Tusculum 60
7. Catawba 51
8. Carson-Newman 49
9. Barton 47
10. Emory & Henry 33
11. UVA Wise 20
12. Anderson 16
 
ALL- PIEDMONT OFFENSE
QB –   Dustin Noller, Limestone
RB –    Dwayne Wright, Newberry
RB –    Marquece Williams, Catawba
WR –  Bo Pryor, Catawba
WR –  DeAree Rogers, Lenoir-Rhyne
WR –  Songa Yates, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL –    Porfirio Acosta, Wingate
OL –    Charles Couch, Limestone
OL –    Damari Joyner, Newberry
OL –    Erwil Anthony, Wingate
OL –    Blake Martin, Wingate
TE –    John Godwin, Lenoir-Rhyne
PK –    Caleb Bonesteel, Wingate
LS –    Carson Keaton, Lenoir-Rhyne
RS –    DeAree Rogers, Lenoir-Rhyne


ALL-PIEDMONT DEFENSE
DL –    Daniel Morrison, Wingate
DL –    Marquise Fleming, Wingate
DL –    Andre Jefferson, Lenoir-Rhyne
DL –    Bryan Bordeaux, Wingate
LB –    Dontorian Best, Wingate        
LB –    Evan Simons, Catawba
LB –    Ty Cade, Limestone
LB –    Matt Smith, Barton
DB –   Jakarri Martin II, Catawba
DB –   Jeremiah Lomax, Limestone
DB –   Deno Wardlow, Catawba
DB –   James Ussery, Lenoir-Rhyne
P –       Bryan Frey, Limestone