Albany State University Athletics

Jarvis Small and Tavarius Washington have been named the 2015 SIAC Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively.

Football 7/21/2015 11:50:00 AM

Golden Rams Football predicted to win the 2015 SIAC East Division crown; Small, Washington headline preseason all-league team

Atlanta, Ga. --- The Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) released its 2015 Football Preseason All-Conference Teams on Monday, as voted by the league's head coaches. A pair of Albany State players led the teams by garnering the top honors.

The preseason Offensive Player of the Year was awarded to running back Jarvis Small, who won the 2014 Offensive Player of the Year Award. Small, a 5-7, 206-lb junior from Brunswick, Ga., led the SIAC in rushing with 1,196 yards and 13 touchdowns a year ago.

Joining him as a superlative is teammate Tavarius Washington, a 6-2, 230-lb senior linebacker from Keysville, Ga. Washington is the top returning tackler from last season. He recorded 93 tackles, with 17.5 of those coming behind the line of scrimmage.

In addition to these recognitions, both Small and Washington were also placed on the Preseason All-Conference First Team.

ASU offensive lineman Javoris Wilburn (6-5, 305 lbs, soph.- Warrenton, Ga.) joins Small on the conference's offensive first team. He was a second team selection after the 2014 season. Tight end Leonard Walker (6-1, 225lbs, jr.- Belle Glade, Fla.) and offensive lineman Kenneth Averhart (6-3, 310 lbs, sr.- Columbus, Ms.) were both named to the preseason second team.

Albany State defensive lineman Jack Ndem (6-2, 250 lbs, sr.- College Park, Ga.) and defensive back Nick Scott (6-0, 205, so.- Ellabell, Ga.) are also on the defense's first team. Grover Stewart (6-5, 295, soph.- Camilla, Ga.), another of the team's talented lineman, was named to the second team. ASU kicker Zachary Gayden-Holley (5-8, 173 lbs, jr.- Snellville, Ga.) was named to the special team's second team.

Three teams placed the most student-athletes on the two preseason squads, as Albany State, Central State and Tuskegee all had nine recipients, with ASU and TU having five selected to the first team.

The league also announced the projected order of finish for the 2015 season. Foreseeing a repeat of last season's championship game, the coaches picked Albany State to win the East Division with six first place votes, and Tuskegee in the West Division in a unanimous decision. Fort Valley State (3) and Benedict (2) were the only other schools to receive first place votes in their respective divisions.

The Golden Rams, who finished the 2014 season with a 7-3 record, will open their season on Sept. 5 at against Valdosta State at the Albany State University Coliseum.

2015 SIAC FOOTBALL PRE-SEASON ALL CONFERENCE

Pre-Season Offensive Player of the Year
Jarvis Small (Albany State)

Pre-Season Defensive Player of the Year
Tavarius Washington (Albany State)

Offense
First Team	School	Position	Second Team	School
Josh Straugham	Stillman	QB	Monqavious Johnson	Morehouse
Jarvis Small	Albany State	RB	Otis Brown	Fort Valley State
Jonathan Clark	Miles	RB	Isaiah Grooms	Central State
Drelon Freeman	Fort Valley State	WR	Christopher Murray	Central State
Marquel Gardner	Tuskegee University	WR	Devon Mann	Morehouse
Zach Thomas	Central State	TE	Leonard Walker	Albany State
D'Mon Tucker	Lane	OL	Kenneth Averhart	Albany State
Javoris Wilburn	Albany State	OL	Devin Radcliffe	Central State
Tyree Bell	Stillman	OL	Michael Brown	Fort Valley State
Kelvin Shelton	Tuskegee	OL	Justice Thomas	Morehouse
Terrence Owens	Miles	OL	Montrell Collins	Miles

Defense
First Team	School	Position	Second Team	School
Braysean Jones	Miles	DL	Darian hall	Tuskegee
Artrell McMillan	Central State	DL	Grover Stewart	Albany State
Julian Morgan	Tuskegee	DL	Tayvin Ziegler	Central State
Jack Ndem	Albany State	DL	Gabriel Mass	Lane
Lydell Simon	Kentucky State	LB	Osband Thompson	Tuskegee
Jewell Ratliff	Tuskegee	LB	Gervell Morgan	Central State
Tavarius Washington	Albany State	LB	Trevon Spencer	Kentucky State
Will Lacy	Lane	DB	Okoye Bozeman	Central State
Brian Walker	Fort Valley State	DB	Dashad Tucker	Central State
Michael Robinson	Tuskegee	DB	Jermaine Graham	Kentucky State
Nick Scott	Albany State	DB	Cedric Cuff	Tuskegee

Special Teams
First Team	School	Position	Second Team	School
Juan Serna	Fort Valley State	K	Zachary Gayden-Holley	Albany State
Juan Serna	Fort Valley State	P	Temitayo Argoro	Morehouse
Corey Slaughter	Kentucky State	KR	Darrius Mitchell	Lane
Darius Mitchell	Lane	PR	Devozea Gaines	Tuskegee

PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
EASTERN DIVISION WESTERN DIVISION
Albany State University (6) Tuskegee University (10) **
Fort Valley State University (3) Miles College
Benedict College (2) Stillman College
Morehouse College Central State University
Clark Atlanta University Kentucky State University
Lane College

**2014 SIAC FOOTBALL CHAMPIONS

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