Athlon rank Mocs No. 7 in preseason

The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga football team is No. 7 in the Athlon Sports Preseason FCS Top 25 released last week. The Mocs are coming off a 9-4 record in 2015, including their third straight Southern Conference title and their second consecutive appearance in the second round of the FCS Playoffs.

Five-time defending FCS Champion North Dakota State leads the way, followed by Sam Houston State. Northern Iowa, Richmond and Jacksonville State round out the top five. The Mocs are sandwiched between Charleston Southern and South Dakota State, followed by Coastal Carolina at No. 9 and The Citadel at No. 10.

UTC returns a total of 47 lettermen from the 2015 campaign. It is the most returning lettermen from one season to the next in Head Coach Russ Huesman’s tenure.

There are 25 on the offensive side of the ball and 19 on defense. Three specialists also return for the 2016 season. There are 16 starters back, including eight on offense, six on defense and two on special teams.

Two of those starters have received the first of what should be plenty of preseason recognition as senior offensive lineman Corey Levin and senior defensive lineman Keionta Davis have been named to the Athlon Sports 2016 FCS Preseason All-America Team.

Levin (6-5, 305) is a two-time All-American at left guard. The Dacula, Ga., native is also a two-time winner of the Jacobs Blocking Award, given to the top offensive lineman in the Southern Conference.

Davis (6-4, 270) is coming off an AllAmerican campaign of his own where he set the UTC single-season record with 13.5 sacks. The Chattanooga native has 20.5 career sacks and finished 17th in the STATS FCS National Defensive Player of the Year voting in 2015.

Chattanooga is one of just six programs in the FCS with two indi- viduals on the Athlon Sports Preseason FCA All-American Team, along with North Dakota State, national runner-up Jacksonville State, The Citadel, James Madison and New Hampshire have two selections each.

Both Levin and Davis were also listed by Athlon as Top FCS 2017 NFL Draft Prospects to Watch back in May.

Season tickets are on sale now on GoMocs. com or by calling the UTC Ticket Office at 423-266-MOCS (6627).

The season opener is set for Thursday, Sept. 1, at 7 p.m. at Finley Stadium against Shorter.

It will be the firstever meeting between the two schools..