Carbondale Reporter

Southern Illinois has been ranked sixth in the Missouri Valley Football Conference preseason poll, as announced by the league on Monday. The poll included votes from head coaches, sports information directors, and media representatives. Twelve players from Southern Illinois have been named to the conference's preseason Watch List.

North Dakota State, the defending national champion, is favored to win the league with 39 first-place votes. South Dakota State and South Dakota follow in second and third place respectively, with South Dakota receiving three first-place votes.

The Salukis will see six starters return on offense and five on defense from last year's team. DJ Williams will be back as quarterback after missing most of last season due to a hand injury sustained in Week 3. The team faced challenges last year with three quarterbacks suffering season-ending injuries.

On defense, senior linebacker Colin Bohanek is set to return after being injured in Week 2 of last year. He has been recognized as a preseason All-American.

Season tickets for Southern Illinois games are now available starting at $60. Premium chairbacks are also on offer in limited numbers. Fans can purchase a PawPass for $19.99 per month over nine months until the end of July, which includes tickets to all home football, men's basketball, and women's basketball games for the 2025-26 season.

The complete rankings list North Dakota State at the top followed by South Dakota State and South Dakota among others. Southern Illinois ranks sixth with a total score of 208 points.

Players named to the Preseason Watch List include QB DJ Williams, TE Aidan Quinn, TE Ryan Schwendeman, OT Cameron Dye, C Noah Fenske, WR Vinson Davis III, DE Donnie Wingate, LB Colin Bohanek, LB Chris Presto, CB Jeremiah McClendon, LS Ryan Algrim and P/K Paul Geelen.