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Edward Waters enters the 2026 season carrying some of the highest expectations in the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference. Already projected to finish among the conference’s top teams in the SIAC preseason poll, the Tigers received another major vote of confidence when they swept the league’s top individual preseason honors.
Running back Jontarius Thomas was named the SIAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while linebacker Trevon French earned Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors. It’s a rare distinction for one program to boast both the conference’s top offensive and defensive preseason players, underscoring the talent Edward Waters brings into the new season.
The Tigers appeared poised to contend for a SIAC championship last fall after opening the season with a red-hot start and spending much of the year in the conference title conversation. Thomas emerged as one of Division II HBCU football’s most productive running backs in 2025. He rushed for 1,016 yards on 145 carries while scoring eight touchdowns. He also added nine receptions for 78 yards, giving Edward Waters another weapon out of the backfield.
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His signature performance came against Benedict College, the eventual SIAC championship runner-up and an NCAA Division II playoff participant. Thomas rushed for 243 yards on 20 carries and scored a touchdown, highlighted by a 58-yard run. He also eclipsed the 100-yard rushing mark in three other games during the season.
French anchored the Tigers’ defense with another standout campaign. The linebacker finished with 74 total tackles, including 50 solo stops, while recording 10.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery, one quarterback hit and two pass breakups. His 10.5 tackles for loss accounted for 56 lost yards, helping establish him as one of the SIAC’s most disruptive defensive players.
With Thomas leading the offense and French anchoring the defense, Edward Waters enters 2026 with two of the conference’s premier playmakers and hopes those individual accolades translate into a championship run.
The full SIAC preseason teams are below.
| FIRST TEAM | ||||
| POSITION | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | HOMETOWN |
| Offensive Line | Chance Bush* | Allen | Junior | Augusta, Ga. |
| Offensive Line | Isaiah Turner* | Benedict | R-Senior | Abbeville, Ga. |
| Offensive Line | Zyrus Craft* | Allen | Graduate | Magee, Miss. |
| Offensive Line | Isaih Richardson* | Benedict | R-Sophomore | Charleston, S.C. |
| Offensive Line | Jason Miller* | Benedict | Senior | Columbus, Ohio |
| Tight End | Michael Bowman* | Allen | R-Junior | Orangeburg, S.C. |
| Wide Receiver | Darius Cyprian* | Kentucky State | Senior | Baton Rouge, La. |
| Wide Receiver | EJ Hall* | Tuskegee | R-Sophomore | Tuskegee, Ala. |
| Running Back | Johntarrious Thomas* | Edward Waters | Senior | Gadsden County, Fla. |
| Running Back | David Smith | Benedict | R-Junior | Houston, Texas |
| Quarterback | Xzavier Jackson | Clark Atlanta | Sophomore | Tampa, Fla. |
| Defensive Line | Derrick Drayton* | Albany State | R-Senior | College Park, Ga. |
| Defensive Line | Jaiden Cleveland | Clark Atlanta | Junior | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Defensive Line | Zach Underwood | Morehouse | R-Sophomore | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Defensive Line | Masiah Wells | Tuskegee | Graduate | Jacksonville, Fla. |
| Linebacker | Trevon French* | Edward Waters | Junior | Powder Springs, Ga. |
| Linebacker | Bishop Blakely | Central State | Senior | Rancho Cucamonga, Calif. |
| Linebacker | Sean Johnson | Morehouse | Senior | Newnan, Ga. |
| Defensive Back | Travion Searcy* | Central State | Senior | Macon, Ga. |
| Defensive Back | Aeron Gresham* | Allen | R-Junior | Covington, Ga. |
| Defensive Back | Lawrence McConnell | Kentucky State | Senior | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Defensive Back | Aykenon Rodgers | Edward Waters | Junior | Fort Lauderdale, Fla. |
| Kicker | Lorcan Ryans* | Tuskegee | Senior | Limerick, Ireland |
| Punter | Elan Hall | Fort Valley State | Senior | Kennesaw, Ga. |
| Punt Returner | Donte Curry Jr.* | Fort Valley State | Junior | McDonough, Ga. |
| Kick Returner | Cameron Watts* | Albany State | Senior | Tyrone, Ga. |
| – * RETURNING 2025 ALL-SIAC SELECTION |
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| SECOND TEAM | ||||
| POSITION | NAME | SCHOOL | CLASS | HOMETOWN |
| Offensive Line | Censere Wright* | Fort Valley State | Sophomore | Covington, Ga. |
| Offensive Line | Adam Badwan | Kentucky State | Senior | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Offensive Line | Christopher Allen | Morehouse | Sophomore | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Offensive Line | Ashton Morris | Allen | Senior | Tampa, Fla. |
| Offensive Line | Theodis Collins | Morehouse | Sophomore | St. Louis, Mo. |
| Tight End | Fatoma Paulk | Edward Waters | Junior | Miami, Fla. |
| Wide Receiver | Eric Stephens | Morehouse | R-Sophomore | Mililani, Hawaii |
| Wide Receiver | J.T. Pendleton | Fort Valley State | Senior | Mobile, Ala. |
| Running Back | Johnny Morris | Tuskegee | Graduate | Spanish Fort, Ala. |
| Running Back | Micheal Cabellero | Fort Valley State | Senior | Savannah, Ga. |
| Quarterback | Miles Scott | Morehouse | Senior | Laurel, Md. |
| Defensive Line | Javontae Cooper | Miles | R-Senior | Lanett, Ala. |
| Defensive Line | Jordan Diggins | Kentucky State | Senior | Indianapolis, Ind. |
| Defensive Line | Luca Chuecos | Morehouse | R-Junior | Atlanta, Ga. |
| Defensive Line | Jaevin Jenkins | Edward Waters | Sophomore | Mobile, Ala. |
| Linebacker | Kendrick Curry | Kentucky State | Junior | Athens, Ga. |
| Linebacker | Stephen Rowser | Morehouse | Junior | Cartersville, Ga. |
| Linebacker | Elijah Henderson | Kentucky State | Senior | Jackson, Tenn. |
| Defensive Back | Jeremiah Malbroue | Lane | Junior | Houston, Texas |
| Defensive Back | Trei’Shaun Sanders | Central State | Sophomore | Xenia, Ohio |
| Defensive Back | Joshua Maye | Morehouse | Senior | Montgomery, Ala. |
| Defensive Back | Tray Blackmon Jr. | Kentucky State | Senior | LaGrange, Ga. |
| Kicker | Logan Karwacki | Benedict | Sophomore | Aurora, Colo. |
| Punter | Seve Spruill | Morehouse | Senior | Conshohocken, Pa. |
| Punt Returner | Cameron Watts* | Albany State | Senior | Tyrone, Ga. |
| Kick Returner | Chry’shawn Sellers | Clark Atlanta | Sophomore | Atlanta, Ga. |
| – * RETURNING 2025 ALL-SIAC SELECTION |
