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East Rutherford, NJ - The all-league starting quarterback and All-American running back are back in the fold, pushing Duquesne to the top of the Northeast Conference preseason coaches’ poll.
Returning plenty of firepower from the group that delivered the program’s first-ever FCS playoffs win last November, the Dukes unanimously captured the title of preseason favorite.
Defending NEC co-champion Sacred Heart, which shared the 2018 conference crown with Duquesne, finished as the runner-up in the annual survey of the league’s head coaches.
Central Connecticut, which finished the 2018 season one win shy of a second straight NEC title, took third in the poll.
Wagner jumped into the No. 4 spot followed by Bryant in fifth place. Keystone State rivals Saint Francis and Robert Morris took sixth and seventh, respectively. Set for its first-ever season of Division I FCS competition, Long Island University rounded out the preseason poll results in eighth place.
The NEC unveiled the preseason predicted order-of-finish, along with a 27-member preseason all-conference team, during the fifth annual #NECFB Social Media Day at MetLife Stadium.
In addition to the eight teams that will vie for the 2019 NEC crown, Merrimack, the league’s newest core member, was also present for the preseason event.
On July 1, Merrimack, which is moving up from Division II, began the NCAA-mandated, four-year DI reclassification process. The Warriors, who will be eligible for FCS postseason play beginning in 2023, will face four of their NEC peers on the field this fall.
Duquesne led the way by securing eight spots on the Preseason All-NEC Team, which was headlined by running back AJ Hines. Set for his senior season in the Steel City, Hines comes off a 2018 campaign during which he totaled 1,756 yards from scrimmage while playing his way to STATS FCS All-America First Team honors. The Dukes’ continuity on offense extends to the quarterback position following a fruitful first year for former Florida Atlantic transfer Daniel Parr.
Of the seven returning starters on Duquesne’s defense, three earned preseason all-NEC nods – one at each level of the unit. Lineman Kam Carter (Pittsburgh), linebacker Brett Zanotto (Maryland) and cornerback Reid Harrison-Ducros (Boise State) have produced plenty since transferring from FBS programs.
Sacred Heart, which boasted the league’s top-ranked run game in 2018, welcomes back its two primary ball carriers. Preseason all-NEC pick Jordan Meachum broke the 1,300-yard barrier as a junior while sophomore Julius Chestnut averaged 6.1 yards per attempt during his rookie campaign.
TEAM-BY-TEAM POLL BREAKDOWN
1. DUQUESNE: Starting quarterback Daniel Parr and All-American running back AJ Hines return to a team that ended the 2018 campaign in the National Top 25. Jerry Schmitt’s Dukes, who have finished no lower than second place in the NEC standings any of the past four seasons, also feature all-conference talent at each level of the defense.
2. SACRED HEART: The Pioneers’ defense lost only one starter while the offensive backfield, which accounted for a league-high 241.1 rush yards per game last year, will again feature the two-headed beast of Jordan Meachum and Julius Chestnut.
3. CENTRAL CONNECTICUT: Previously the offensive coordinator for the NEC’s top-ranked unit, Ryan McCarthy has taken the reins as head coach and will welcome back an experienced o-line that allowed the Blue Devils to gain 6.8 yards per play last season.
4. WAGNER: QB Christian Alexander-Stevens, the 2018 Bahamas Bowl Offensive MVP, has arrived on Grymes Hill as the new signal caller while All-American linebacker Cam Gill returns to a defense loaded with athleticism.
5. BRYANT: Coming off their first-ever losing NEC record, the Bulldogs have a new leader at the helm. Chris Merritt, who won 14 district titles in 18 years as a Florida high school coach, inherits a roster that features 19 returning starters.
6. SAINT FRANCIS: The Red Flash offense will feature a new coordinator and a first-year starting quarterback, but there is plenty of continuity (six returning starters) on a defense that led the NEC in both points and yards allowed last season.
7. ROBERT MORRIS: The Colonials more than doubled their scoring output under first-year head coach Bernard Clark, Jr. Next, the former Miami Hurricanes linebacker will look to solidify the defensive side of the ball.
8. LONG ISLAND: Set for their first season of FCS competition, Bryan Collins’ team posted a 30-4 record over its final three years at the Division II level.
MERRIMACK (2023): Having been invited to join the FCS ranks as a NEC core member, Dan Curran’s Warriors have moved up from Division II and will face four future conference foes this season as they kick off the NCAA-mandated reclassification process.
