(From ElonPhoenix.com & staff reports) – The past two years, Elon football has exceeded preseason expectations.
The Phoenix were picked last in the CAA in 2021, only to finish third. Last season, voters pegged Elon as the No. 6 team. Again, the Phoenix tied for third and made the FCS playoffs.
What to do for an encore? Maybe lie in the weeds and sneak up on everybody one more time.
CAA voters predicted a fifth-place finish for coach Tony Trisciani’s group. If Elon can move up into the top three again, it will almost assuredly be back in the post-season this go around. That is certainly the goal, but the coach believes the Phoenix are capable of even more.
“I have seen a lot of growth within our program over the last year,” Trisciani said during the league’s virtual media day event Tuesday. “We proved we can contend for a CAA championship by finishing in the top three the last two years and returning to the playoffs. But our goal is to push this program forward. That is the focus of everyone in this building – to push us forward to where we can win a CAA championship.”
CAA Loaded At The Top
Elon earned 146 points in preseason poll as voted on by coaches. Delaware edged the Phoenix for fourth place with 149 points and Richmond was third with 159. William & Mary was the CAA preseason favorite, picking up 13-of-15 first-place votes and 195 points, while New Hampshire was second with 179 points. New Hampshire and Delaware each earned one first-place vote.
Rhode Island was picked sixth in the preseason poll, followed by Villanova, Monmouth, Towson and CAA newcomer North Carolina A&T. UAlbany was selected 11th with another new program, Campbell, picked 12th. Maine, Stony Brook and Hampton rounded out the preseason poll.
Five From Elon Honored As All-CAA
Individually, Elon had three players named to the preseason All-CAA first team in Johncarlos Miller II, Bo Sanders and Chandler Brayboy, while Jalen Hampton and Jabril Williams earned honorable mention status.
Miller II was selected to the preseason All-CAA team at the H-back position. In his redshirt freshman campaign a year ago, Miller II started 11 games and ended fourth on the team with 26 receptions. He had 201 yards receiving and three touchdowns, as well as blocking two field goal attempts on special teams.
Sanders was named preseason All-CAA as a safety and enters his senior year having played in 34 career games, including every game over the last two seasons. He is the team’s top returning tackler, posting 69 tackles, 46 of which were solo.
Brayboy was a specialist on the preseason All-CAA team after being named to the third team a year ago in the same position. The team’s starting wide receiver, primary kick returner and a key piece in defending the return game, Brayboy makes an impact in multiple ways. He caught 28 passes for 475 yards a year ago and averaged 21.2 yards on kick returns.
As a redshirt freshman in 2022, Hampton – who was profiled HERE by NC Football News – was named third team All-CAA and a HERO Sports Freshman All-American after becoming just the second running back in Elon’s FCS history to rush for at least 1,000 yards in a single season, doing so in just his 10th game of the season. He rushed for at least 135 yards in a game four times, ending with 1,053 yards and 10 touchdowns.
Starting all 12 games at right guard, Williams was named third team All-CAA on an offensive line unit that saw the same five players start every game for Elon in 2022. He was part of that unit that paved the way for the Elon offense to rush for at least 120 yards in 10-of-12 games after the Phoenix reached that total just once in 2021. He also protected for a passing game that ranked in the top 20 nationally in efficiency and yards per completion.
Season Opener At Wake Forest
The Elon football team opens the season Thursday, Aug. 31 at Wake Forest with a kick-off time scheduled for 7 p.m. The Phoenix Club and the Office of Alumni Engagement will be sponsoring a pregame tailgate from 4:30-6:30 p.m. on the southeast corner of Allegacy Federal Credit Union Stadium (between the baseball and tennis complexes).
President Connie Ledoux Book will welcome new Director of Athletics Jenn Strawley during the tailgate and all Phoenix alumni, parents and fans are invited to the tailgate. Pricing for the tailgate is $20 and fans can get a game ticket and admission to the tailgate for just $50. CLICK HERE to register today!
2023 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches)
William & Mary (13 first-place votes), 195
New Hampshire (1 first-place vote), 179
Richmond, 159
Delaware (1 first-place vote), 149
Elon, 146
Rhode Island, 135
Villanova, 129
Monmouth, 94
Towson, 85
North Carolina A&T, 70
UAlbany, 64
Campbell, 62
Maine, 40
Stony Brook, 38
Hampton, 30
More FCS Headlines From NC Football News
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Aggies have most non-conference slots filled through 2028; rivalry with NCCU set through 2030 - FCS Football Spotlight: Elon safety tandem has All-America credentials
Caleb Curtain and Khalil Baker will give Phoenix a fierce defensive backfield this season - Gardner-Webb: Future football schedules include FBS, SoCon foes
Bulldogs will play Charlotte, James Madison this season; Georgia Tech and Ohio loom in 2025 non-conference - Circle your calendars: Composite 2024 college football schedule for North Carolina
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