Skip To Main Content

Monmouth University Athletics

MONMOUTH SELECTED FIFTH IN BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL

Football Monmouth Sports Information

MONMOUTH SELECTED FIFTH IN BIG SOUTH PRESEASON POLL

CHARLOTTE, N.C. - The Monmouth University football team was selected fifth in the Big South preseason poll, league officials announced at Big South Media Day on Thursday. The Hawks enter their first season in the Big South Conference in 2014.

Coastal Carolina and Liberty tied for the conference title in 2013, and both were chosen atop the 2014 preseason poll. The Chanticleers received 14 first-place votes and were chosen to win the league again, while Liberty garnered four first-place votes and were selected to finish second. Charleston Southern was picked third and Gardner-Webb was chosen fourth ahead of fifth place Monmouth, who earned 32 points in its inaugural preseason poll. Presbyterian was slotted to finish sixth.

Coastal Carolina's junior quarterback Alex Ross and senior linebacker Quinn Backus were named Preseason Big South Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year.

Monmouth, who played last season as an independent, returns 13 starters, including seven on offense and six on the defensive side of the ball. Offensively, K.B. Asante (Silver Spring, Md./James Hubert Blake/WVU) returns at running back after rushing for 1,080 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago and Neal Sterling (Belmar, N.J./Manasquan), who is third all-time in receptions and touchdowns, is back at wide receiver. The defensive line will see the return of rising sophomore Darnell Leslie (Gaithersburg, Md./Quince Orchard), who compiled 7.5 sacks as a redshirt freshman, and senior captain Pat O'Hara (Souderton, Pa./Lansdale Catholic), who had seven tackles for loss in 2013.

The Hawks open preseason camp on Sunday, August 3 with the season opener scheduled for August 30 at 1:00 p.m. against Delaware State at Monmouth Stadium.

2014 Big South Conference Preseason Poll

1: Coastal Carolina (14)
2: Liberty (4)
3: Charleston Southern
4: Gardner-Webb
5: Monmouth
6: Presbyterian

Use the hashtage #BSCMediaDay on social media for more coverage of Big South Media Day

Print Friendly Version

Players Mentioned

Neal Sterling

#81 Neal Sterling

WR
6' 3"
Freshman
Darnell Leslie

#81 Darnell Leslie

DL
6' 2"
Freshman
Pat O

#87 Pat O'Hara

DL
6' 4"
Redshirt

Players Mentioned

Neal Sterling

#81 Neal Sterling

6' 3"
Freshman
WR
Darnell Leslie

#81 Darnell Leslie

6' 2"
Freshman
DL
Pat O

#87 Pat O'Hara

6' 4"
Redshirt
DL