CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – Southeast Missouri's preparation for the 2024 football season is underway. The Redhawks opened their preseason camp with an early morning practice at Houck Field Wednesday.
 
SEMO's stretch of 26 practices starts a week earlier this year since the Redhawks are in the week zero FCS Kickoff against North Alabama on Aug. 24. That game is scheduled for 6 p.m., CT at the Cramton Bowl in Montgomery, Alabama and will air live on ESPN.
 
The Redhawks enter the 2024 campaign picked third in the Big South-OVC Association Preseason Poll behind UT Martin and Eastern Illinois. Tom Matukewicz is in his 11th year as SEMO's head coach and has guided the Redhawks to two conference titles and three FCS Playoff appearances in the last five seasons.
 
This year's 103-man roster includes 12 returning starters, including seven on offense and five on defense. SEMO brings back three All-Big South-OVC performers in center Zack Gieg, inside linebacker Bryce Norman and kicker DC Pippin. Norman was tabbed the Big South-OVC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Offensively, Paxton DeLaurent returns for his third year as SEMO's starting quarterback. DeLaurent is the #8 returning quarterback in the FCS according to HERO Sports and he gained valuable experience this offseason working as a counselor at the prestigious Manning Passing Academy.
 
DeLaurent threw for 1,792 yards and 11 touchdowns a year ago despite missing the final four games due to a shoulder injury.
 
The Redhawks other returning starters are offensive linemen Gieg, Kobe Sixkiller, Jamarcus Hill and Tyson Miller, wide receiver Jack Clinkenbeard and tight end Danny Joiner. 
 
Gieg is rated as the #4 returning offensive lineman in the FCS and best returning interior lineman in the Big South-OVC by HERO Sports. A three-time First-Team All-Conference selection, he is in his fourth year as SEMO's starting center with a streak of 25 consecutive starts.
 
Sixkiller is alongside Gieg at right guard. He is a three-year starter.
 
Hill and Miller each logged six starts in 2023. Hill was at left tackle and Miller was at left guard.
 
Clinkenbeard, too, made six starts and was the Redhawks fourth-leading receiver with 27 receptions for 315 yards and one touchdown last season. He was awarded a full scholarship at the end of the year after initially joining the team as a walk-on.
 
Meanwhile, Joiner started 10 of 11 games at tight end catching seven passes for 90 yards. He is on the Big South-OVC Players to Watch List ahead of the 2024 campaign.
 
On the defensive side of the ball, the Redhawks return their top tackler in Norman. He is SEMO's first Preseason Defensive Player of the Year since fellow linebacker Zach Hall earned the honor in 2019.
 
Norman earned First-Team Big South-OVC honors for the second-straight season in 2023. He started 10 games and led the Redhawks with 87 tackles, 44 solo stops, 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. 
 
HERO Sports ranked Norman as the #8 returning linebacker in the FCS and Sports Illustrated rated him #10 this preseason.
 
The rest of SEMO's returning starters on defense are outside linebacker Sam Cook, defensive lineman Steven Lewis and defensive backs Joedrick Lewis and Ty Leonard.
 
Cook tied for eighth on the team with 32 tackles and added 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in his first year with the Redhawks in 2023.
 
S. Lewis, a graduate student, started all 11 games at defensive tackle and had 32 tackles, as well.
 
J. Lewis was ranked as the #13 returning cornerback in the FCS by HERO Sports after finishing seventh on the team with 36 tackles in 2023. Additionally, he tied for first on the team with three interceptions.
 
Leonard was tabbed the #30 returning cornerback in the FCS on HERO Sports' list. He started 10 games and was fifth on the team with 41 stops last season.
 
Special teams wise, Pippin is back to handle both the kickoff and place-kicking duties. He was the Redhawks top scorer with 68 points on 11-of-14 field goals and a near-perfect 35-of-36 PATs a year ago.
 
Logan Leftrick returns at punter after starting 10 games as a true freshman.
 
Adam Heston is expected to be SEMO's holder and graduate transfer Peyton Knight is projected to take over at long snapper.
 
J. Lewis, newcomer Cam Pedro and returnee Kyron Downing are the Redhawks top punt and kick return candidates.
 
SEMO will play a 12-game schedule in 2024.
After its FCS Kickoff matchup with North Alabama, the Redhawks travel over 1,200 miles west to play Football Bowl Subdivision and Conference USA member New Mexico State (Aug. 31).
 
Longtime rival Southern Illinois (Sept. 21) and Northwestern State (Sept. 28) are SEMO's other non-conference foes.
 
The Big South-OVC Association slate features nine league teams playing an eight-game conference schedule.
 
SEMO opens conference play at home against preseason favorite and reigning Big South-OVC Co-Champion UT Martin (Sept. 7). Tennessee Tech (Oct. 12), reigning Big South-OVC Co-Champion and 2023 FCS Playoff participant Gardner-Webb (Oct. 26) and first-year Association member Western Illinois (Nov. 16) also visit Cape Girardeau this year.
 
The remainder of the Redhawks Big South-OVC schedule includes trips to Eastern Illinois (Oct. 5), Charleston Southern (Oct. 19), Lindenwood (Nov. 9) and Tennessee State (Nov. 23).