ATLANTA, Ga. – EKU was picked second in the ASUN coaches preseason poll, released Friday by the league office during the 2022 ASUN Football Media Day at the Omni Hotel in Atlanta, Ga. The Colonels received 25 points overall in the poll and tied with Central Arkansas, who received 25 points and one first-place vote, for the second spot in the standings.
 
Kennesaw State was picked to win the league, receiving four first-place votes and 34 points, while Jacksonville State was fourth with 19 points.  Austin Peay was picked fifth with 15 points and one first-place vote, while North Alabama finished sixth with eight points.

Led by the Preseason ASUN Defensive Player of the Year in senior linebacker Matthew Jackson, EKU had six players land on the 2022 Preseason All-ASUN team as voted on by the league's coaches.

Joining Jackson on the list was sophomore offensive lineman Payton Collins, senior offensive lineman Howard Watkins Jr., senior defensive lineman Kelton Dawson, junior linebacker Eli Hairston, and senior defensive back Joseph Sayles.
 
Jackson is coming off a 2021 campaign in which he was a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award and was named the Phil Steele ASUN Defensive Player of the Year after leading the league with 102 tackles and ranking second in the conference with 10 tackles for loss. He also notched 3.5 sacks, eight pass breakups, two interceptions, and two forced fumbles. Jackson started all 11 games last season and was named to the coaches' All-ASUN team. 
 
One of just two unanimous selections for the Preseason All-ASUN team, Jackson totaled double-digit tackles in five different games for the Colonels. The Nashville, Tenn., native was a preseason third-team STATS Perform All-American selection last season and was the ASUN Defensive Player of the Week after racking up 14 tackles, 3.0 TFLs, 2.0 sacks, and a forced fumble in a 38-35 win at Central Arkansas on Oct. 16.
 
Collins, a native of Columbus, Ohio, started all 11 games at left tackle for the Colonels and was tabbed as a HERO Sports Freshman All-American and a Phil Steele Second-Team Freshman All-American, while also being named to the ASUN All-Conference team. He helped EKU rank fourth in the nation in red-zone scoring (93.9 percent) and was an integral part of an offensive line that ranked 19th nationally in sacks allowed per game (1.27).
 
Watkins was named Phil Steele Third-Team All-ASUN after starting nine games at center and one at right guard last season. The Cincinnati, Ohio, native helped the Colonels accumulate over 400 yards of offense in five of the final seven games of the season.  
 
Dawson earned Phil Steele Second-Team All-ASUN honors after playing in all 11 contests last season. A native of Stockbridge, Ga., he totaled 31 tackles, including 6.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks, while forcing two fumbles. 
 
Hairston, a native of Columbus, Ohio, was a Phil Steele Second-Team All-ASUN honoree after making nine starts and appearing in all 11 game last season. He ranked third on the team with 49 tackles, including 3.0 tackles for loss, and recorded two interceptions.

Sayles started all 11 games for the Colonels last season and was tabbed as a Phil Steele Second-Team All-ASUN selection. The Alpharetta, Ga., native totaled 42 tackles, including one tackle for loss and tied for team lead with three interceptions on the season. He also broke up six passes, forced one fumble, and blocked one kick. 
 
EKU opens the 2022 season on September 2 at Eastern Michigan. The home opener against Charleston Southern is slated for 6:00 p.m. on September 17. 
 
Season tickets or single-game tickets to the six-game home slate can be purchased online here or by phone at 859-622-2122.