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East Rutherford, NJ — The Northeast Conference (NEC) unveiled a 27-member Preseason All-Conference Team on Wednesday at MetLife Stadium as part of its #NECFB Social Media Day.
 
Each of the seven NEC teams included on the ballot sported at least one preseason all-conference representative. 
 
Defending NEC champion Duquesne, the preseason favorite to run it back in 2024, landed a league-high six All-NEC selections. Guided by second-year head coach Adam Lechtenberg, Central Connecticut followed suit with five picks, while Robert Morris, LIU and Wagner, which were slotted third, fourth and sixth in the preseason poll, respectively, each had four student-athletes garner Preseason All-NEC distinction.
 
In addition, 11 returning standouts that are fresh off All-NEC-worthy campaigns a year ago were forecasted to again put together star-studded season in 2024 as this year’s preseason squad included six 2023 All-NEC First Team members, four 2023 All-NEC Second Team selections and the reigning NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year 
 
Duquesne’s passing game was tops in the league a year ago, and as a result, the Dukes earned a league-high four Preseason All-NEC offensive picks.
 
Highlighting that group is senior Darius Perrantes (Los Angeles, CA/St. Francis (URI)), a 2023 Walter Payton Award Finalist. The unanimous preseason All-NEC quarterback finished first in the FCS in passing yards per completion (17.74) and 15th in passing touchdowns (21) a season ago. Perrantes put up 200-or-more passing yards against all seven NEC opponents and threw for three touchdowns four times in that stretch to help propel the Dukes to their sixth NEC crown.
 
Senior wide receiver Tedy Afful (Bloomfield, NJ/DePaul Catholic (Stony Brook)) and graduate student offensive lineman Vince Lumia (Riviera Beach, FL/Suncoast (Louisville)), who each contributed to Duquesne’s potent passing game, also garnered Preseason All-NEC recognition. 
 
The race to the league’s rushing title is already shaping up to be an exciting one with the return of star running backs Tyvon Edmonds Jr. (White Plains, MD/Bishop McNamara (Merrimack)) and Elijah Howard (Knoxville, TN/Baylor School (Virginia Tech)). 
 
Howard was one of two unanimous Preseason All-NEC selections to hail from Central Connecticut. Arriving to New Britain by way of Virginia Tech, the speedy Tennessean made an immediate impact for the Blue Devils offense, accounting for 119.5 all-purpose yards per game, which were the 19th-most in the FCS last season. Howard averaged 90.0 yards per contest on the ground and had four outings with 100-plus yards, including a 257-yard rushing effort against Delaware State.
 
One of the nation’s top running backs returns to the NEC in 2024, but this time, a different — but familiar — name will be stitched on the front of his chest. Covering more than 1,000 yards on the ground for Merrimack en route to capturing the league’s coveted rushing title in 2023, Edmonds looks to continue to wreak havoc on NEC defenses at Robert Morris this season. The All-NEC first teamer closed out last season ranked eighth in the FCS in rushing yards (1,247) and seventh in rushing yards per game (113.4), while his 10 rushing scores topped the NEC charts a year ago. 
 
Wagner wideout Jaylen Bonelli (Cooper City, FL/St. Thomas Aquinas), the reigning NEC Offensive Rookie of the Year, is slated to have stellar campaign on Grymes Hill. Ranking in the league’s top-five in nearly every receiving category in his collegiate debut, the Floridian is just one of two true sophomores to earn Preseason All-NEC distinction.
 
Bonelli is joined by fellow classmate Zachary Ricci (Egg Harbor City, NJ/Myrtle Beach Collegiate), a defensive back who racked up 20.0 tackles and two interceptions, including a pick-six, in nine appearances in the Green and White. 
 
A pair of 2023 All-NEC First Team members landed Preseason All-NEC honors to highlight the defense team.
 
Junior Kimal Clark (Lackawanna, NY/St. Francis) comes back to New Britain as one of the league’s most experienced defensive backs. The Empire State product ranked amongst FCS leaders and was second in the circuit in tackles with 8.9 per game. 
 
Saint Francis U linebacker Eddie Bierals (Wayne, NJ/DePaul Catholic), a senior, finished the 2023 campaign with a team-best 3.0 sacks. The Garden State native constantly drew attention from opposing offensive lines, and as a result, 12 different Red Flash defenders registered at least one-half sack to their credit. 
 
Special teams are highlighted by a pair of rising juniors who garnered 2023 All-NEC First Team distinction a year ago. Accounting for 6.3 points per game, the second-most by an NEC baller and the most amongst league kickers, Central Connecticut’s Jack Barnum (Southington, CT/Southington) etched his name on the list. He was joined by LIU punter Will Lynch (Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia/Somerset College), who averaged a league-leading 41.5 yards per boot, including an NEC-best 72-yarder against Merrimack. 
 
The 2024 NEC slate kicks off with two matchups on Saturday, Sept. 14. Mercyhurst is set to take on Robert Morris in its inaugural game as a league member, while Saint Francis U is slated to play host to Central Connecticut. 
 
About The Northeast Conference
Now entering its 44th season, the Northeast Conference is an NCAA Division I collegiate athletic association consisting of nine institutions of higher learning located throughout six states. Media coverage of the NEC extends to a number of the largest markets in the United States including New York (#1), Chicago (#3), Boston (#8). Hartford/New Haven (#32) and Syracuse (#87). Founded in 1981 as the basketball-only ECAC Metro Conference, the NEC has grown to sponsor 25 championship sports for men and women and now enjoys automatic access to 16 different NCAA Championships. NEC full member institutions include Central Connecticut, Chicago State, FDU, Le Moyne, LIU, Mercyhurst, Saint Francis U, Stonehill and Wagner. For more information on the NEC, visit the league’s official website official website (www.northeastconference.org) and digital network (www.necfrontrow.com), or follow the league on Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and TikTok, all @NECsports.