By FHSU SPORTS INFORMATION
D2Football.com released its Preseason Top 25 Media Poll and Preseason All-America Teams for the 2019 season on Monday (Sept. 2). Fort Hays State starts the season at No. 8 in the poll. The Tigers are No. 11 in the AFCA Preseason Top 25. FHSU opens the 2019 season at 7 pm on Thursday night (Sept. 5) at Central Missouri.
Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA teams ranked in the Top 10 of the poll. Northwest Missouri State received a ranking of No. 6. Pittsburg State also represents the MIAA in the Top 25 at No. 24.
Senior kicker Dante Brown was named to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team. Brown was an All-America selection by D2Football.com and two other organizations following his tremendous 2018 season as the Tigers’ placekicker and punter.
Brown was the National Special Teams Player of the Year by the Don Hansen Football Committee last year, which joined the D2CCA in bestowing All-America First Team honors on Brown as a kicker. D2Football.com named Brown an All-America Second Team selection following the 2018 season. He receives a first-team selection to the D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team entering the 2019 season.
Brown led all NCAA levels for field goals made per game in 2018 (2.33). He converted 28-of-33 field goal attempts in 2018, breaking the FHSU and MIAA records for field goals in a season. He was just two shy of the NCAA Division II single-season record, but his 28 was second-most for a season in Division II history. Brown finished the season with 123 kicking points, adding 39 PATs to his 28 field goals. He also served as the team’s punter and averaged 41.4 yards per punt. Brown was the MIAA Special Teams player of the Year in 2018, earning all-conference first team honors as both a kicker and punter.
Below is the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll and Preseason All-America Team for 2019.
| Team | Record | Previous | |
| 1 | Valdosta State | 14-0 | – |
| 2 | Ferris State | 15-1 | – |
| 3 | Minnesota State | 13-1 | – |
| 4 | Ouachita Baptist | 12-1 | – |
| 5 | Tarleton State | 12-1 | – |
| 6 | Northwest Missouri | 10-3 | – |
| 7 | CSU-Pueblo | 11-2 | – |
| 8 | Fort Hays | 9-3 | – |
| 9 | Minnesota Duluth | 11-1 | – |
| 10 | Grand Valley | 10-2 | – |
| 11 | Notre Dame | 13-1 | – |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 10-2 | – |
| 13 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 10-3 | – |
| 14 | West Georgia | 10-2 | – |
| 15 | Lenoir-Rhyne | 12-2 | – |
| 16 | Harding | 9-3 | – |
| 17 | Colorado School of Mines | 10-2 | – |
| 18 | Midwestern State | 8-2 | – |
| 19 | West Chester | 10-1 | – |
| 20 | Ashland | 6-4 | – |
| 21 | Hillsdale | 10-3 | – |
| 22 | Slippery Rock | 11-3 | – |
| 23 | Wingate | 9-4 | – |
| 24 | Pittsburg State | 8-3 | – |
| 25 | West Alabama | 8-4 | – |
D2Football.com
Preseason All-America Team
First Team
QB Rogan Wells 6-3, 220, Jr. Valdosta State
RB Gabriel Watson 6-1, 221, Sr. Sioux Falls
RB Jaleel McLaughlin 5-9, 173, So. Notre Dame
WR Craig Rucker 5-7, 165, Sr. Hars Hill
WR Shane Zylstra 6-5, 220, Sr. Minnesota State
TE Erik Henneman 6-3, 228, Sr. Lindenwood
OL Even Heim 6-4, 305, Sr. Minnesota State
OL Donald Boone 6-5, 310, Sr. Chowan
OL Jake Lacina 6-4, 300, Sr. Augustana
OL Jason Poe 6-2, 250, Jr. Lenoir-Rhyne
OL Brandon Kemp 6-6, 300, Sr. Valdosta State
DL Treshawn Wharton 6-4, 255, Sr. Missouri S&T
DL Austin Edwards 6-5, 275, Sr. Ferris State
DL Chris Garrett 6-4, 230, Jr. Concordia-St. Paul
DL Sam Roberts 6-5, 286, Sr. Northwest Missouri
LB Austin Stephens 5-11, 210, Sr. Miles
LB Dominic Cizauskas 6-2, 260, Sr. Glenville State
LB Chris Hoad 6-0, 228, Sr. UT-Permian Basin
DB Lamont McPhatter II 5-11, 190, Sr. Cal U
DB Prince Robinson 6-0, 190, Sr. Tarleton State
DB O’Shay Harris 6-1, 190, Sr. Central Oklahoma
DB Kyle Dugger 6-2, 215, Sr. Lenoir-Rhyne
K Dante
Brown
5-10, 185, Sr. Fort Hays State
P Isaac Parks 6-0, 210, So. UNC-Pembroke
AP Lawrence Woods 5-9, 171, Jr. Truman State
Second Team
QB Jayru Campbell 6-5, 215, Jr. Ferris State
RB Cameron Mayberry 5-11, 215, Sr. Colorado Mines
RB Nate Gunn 6-2, 220, Sr. Minnesota State
WR Peter Anderson 5-10, 155, Sr. Colorado Mesa
WR Zimari Manning 6-2, 200, Sr. Tarleton State
TE Jalen Jackson 6-0, 215, Jr. Lock Haven
OL Hayden Eatinger 6-3, 280, Sr. Missouri Western
OL Andrew Dickinson 6-3, 312, Sr. Findlay
OL Kyle Hinton 6-3, 310, Sr. Washburn
OL Jimmy Burchett 6-4, 305, Jr. Notre Dame
OL Hunter Toppel 6-4, 300, Jr. Minnesota State
DL Sha’haun Williams 6-3, 260, Sr. Notre Dame
DL Simanu’a Thomas 6-0, 278, Sr. Pittsburg State
DL Heath Williams 6-2, 291, Sr. Saginaw Valley
DL Chad Price 6-3, 247, Sr. West Georgia
LB Sam Keybooer 6-5, 240, Jr. Ferris State
LB Korie Rogers 6-2, 231, Sr. West Georgia
LB Tyler Thomsen 6-1, 225, Sr. Wayne State (Neb)
DB Delon Stephenson 5-11, 205, Sr. Ferris State
DB Hakeem Johnson 6-3, 189, Jr. Sioux Falls
DB Jarey Elder 5-11, 170, Sr. West Chester
DB Sterling Hammond 6-1, 210, Sr. Virginia Union
K Jefferson Souza 6-1, 185, Jr. Virginia Union
P Max Peets 6-0, 200, Sr. Fort Lewis
AP LaPerion Perry 5-6, 155, So. West Georgia