CAPE GIRARDEAU, Mo. – 2024 Stats Perform Preseason Walter Payton Award candidate and graduate center Zack Gieg will anchor Southeast Missouri's offensive line for the final time in 2024.
 
Gieg was just one of three offensive linemen selected to the 35-player preseason watch list. The Payton Award is affectionately known as the Heisman of the Football Championship Subdivision, named for legendary running back Walter Payton who started at Jackson State as part of his Hall of Fame career.
 
William & Mary's Charles Grant and Montana's Marcus Wehr are the other offensive linemen on the list.
 
"This is nice recognition for Zack and our program," said SEMO Offensive Line Coach Lucas Orchard. "He's a great player and loves the game. He is a lot of fun to watch."
 
Gieg is in his fourth year as SEMO's starting center and begins his final run as a First-Team Stats Perform Football Championship Subdivision Preseason All-American. 
 
The native of Morgan Hill, California is rated as the #4 returning offensive lineman in the FCS and best returning interior lineman in the Big South-OVC by HERO Sports, and the #6 returning FCS interior offensive lineman by Sports Illustrated.
 
While the 2023 campaign left a sour taste for Gieg, he has made it clear the reason his team will win games this season is based on the performance of him and his counterparts up front.
 
"I feel extremely confident in the offensive line this year," said Gieg. "Last year, we were the issue, and I think now we're going to be the reason why we win games. We are all working hard to get better, and I feel like we're going to have a really good offensive line this season."
 
Gieg, a three-time First-Team All-Big South-OVC pick, was part of SEMO's 2022 Ohio Valley Conference Championship and FCS Playoff team. He also won the Rimington Award which goes to the nation's top center in the FCS that season. Gieg has made 25-consecutive starts at his position.
 
Kobe Sixkiller is back alongside Gieg at right guard. 
 
Sixkiller is a three-year starter who boasts a streak of 14-straight starts on the offensive line.
 
"Kobe just continues to get better which is tough for seniors sometimes," commented Orchard. "He enjoys the process and wants to be a coach."
 
SEMO added transfers Jalen Nettles and Tyler McMillan, who are making an impact. 
 
Nettles, who joins the Redhawks from UAB is expected to make his starting debut at left tackle, while McMillan is behind returnee Jamarcus Hill at right tackle. McMillan is out of Northwestern State, which comes to Cape Girardeau during Family Weekend on Sept. 28.
 
Hill made six starts at left tackle last season before moving to the top of the depth chart at right tackle.
 
Fellow returnee Rashad Turner, who made five starts between the tackle spots in 2023, moves to left guard.
 
Trey Gibbs (left tackle), Zach Hudson (left guard), Tyson Miller (center) and Chris Frye (right guard) are others on the two-deep.
 
Gibbs and Frye saw limited action last season, playing in two and three games, respectively.
 
Hudson redshirted as a true freshman and Miller started the last six contests of 2023 at left guard. 
 
Returnees Ethan Hatton and Kaleb Pearley, along with newcomers Zane Coon, Mason Miller, Carter Guillaume, Yusef Sanogo-Kendrick and Elias Clausen are the rest of SEMO's offensive linemen.
 
At 6'4", 310, Sanogo-Kendrick is out of Henderson County High School in Kentucky.
 
Guillaume was a Second-Team All-State performer in football and two-time Heavyweight State Champion in wrestling at St. Xavier High School.
 
Coon is the son of Redhawks Defensive Coordinator Ricky Coon.
 
"Overall, weren't happy with how we played last year," said Orchard. "The focus is getting better at the fundamentals, including pad level strike and the things that make blocks work in our run and pass games. There's a lot of competition and we're trying to figure out who's going to take the jobs."