CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. - Coming off a record-breaking season, the Southeast Missouri football team was tabbed 19th in the 2019 Athlon Sports Preseason Top-25 Poll Tuesday.

SEMO returns 10 starters on defense and brings back four All-Americans from a 2018 squad that finished at 9-4 overall and second in the Ohio Valley Conference with a 6-2 mark. The Redhawks made their second NCAA Playoff appearance all-time and first in eight years, advancing to the second round. Along the way, SEMO beat two ranked opponents (#4 Jacksonville State, #15 Stony Brook). The Redhawks ended JSU's 36-game OVC winning streak and notched their first playoff win over Stony Brook.

Linbacker Zach Hall became SEMO's first player to win the Buck Buchanan Defensive Player of the Year Award. Hall, now a senior, was named to eight different All-American teams. Safety Bydarrius Knighten and cornerback DJ Freeman both earned honorable mention HERO Sports All-America status as sophomores and return specialist Zion Custis was named to the Phil Steele Special Teams Freshman All-America Team.

Hall (First-Team), quarterback Daniel Santacaterina (First-Team), Knighten (First-Team), defensive tackle Clarence Thornton (Second-Team), outside linebacker Justin Swift (Second-Team) and wide receiver Kristian Wilkerson (Second-Team) are the Redhawks returning All-OVC performers.

As a team, SEMO broke six single-season school records a year ago. The Redhawks established new marks in points scored (482), points per game (37.1), touchdowns (63), total plays (891), all-purpose yards (7,094) and PATs (58). SEMO also led the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) in turnover margin (+1.85), turnovers gained (36), interceptions (23), blocked punts allowed (0) and fumbles lost (1). 

SEMO and JSU (#7) are the OVC schools that landed a spot in the Athlon Sports Preseason Top-25. North Dakota State (#1), James Madison (#2), South Dakota State (#3), Eastern Washington (#4), UC Davis (#5), Maine (#6), Montana State (#8), Weber State (#9) and Wofford (#10) complete the top 10 teams.