HERO Sports welcomes you to "Two-a-Days", where we will preview every single one of the 125 FCS programs, with two being released each day from June 18 to August 18 (with the final day having three in one day). Today we give you … The Citadel.
[divider]MORE: Compare Any Two FCS Players or Any Two FCS Teams[divider]
FCS TEAM BY TEAM PREVIEW: The countdown
FCS PRESEASON TOP 25: The poll
FCS PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA: The teams
THE CITADEL (5-6 IN 2017)
Southern Conference (Citadel was 6th in the SoCon in 2017)
COACH: Brent Thompson – 3rd year (15-8 record)
2017 OFFENSE: 21.5 ppg (75th in FCS)
2017 DEFENSE: 26.4 ppg (64th in FCS)
SUM IT UP: When you play the kind of option offense The Citadel does, the offensive line is critical. Granted, the O-line is critical in any offense, but in this style — it's beyond critical. That's a wonderful starting point in spotlighting the Bulldogs because All-American (see below) center Tyler Davis is back, rising sophomore left tackle Prince Howard-Whitaker had an outstanding spring, and Jon Barrett Lewis, Jonathan Cole and Drew McEntyre are all back, too. The offense was extremely young last year — but this year it is almost completely intact. Keep an eye on this group. The defense lost much more talent from last year, including LB Myles Pierce, who drew NFL interest this spring, but Preseason All American Aron Spann III is one of the nation's returning leaders in interceptions. If the offense can own the time of possession — as this option attack is designed to do — The Citadel is going to get back to being the time-eaters they were in 2015 and 2016.
BEST-CASE SCENARIO: There won't be many easy games in the SoCon this year. Chattanooga should be back to normal, playoff teams at Samford, Wofford and Furman are looming, Western Carolina was just a micrometer from the postseason, Mercer is a landmine — so where is the afterthought win? The truth is, there aren't many — and nobody is going to have an easy game at The Citadel's expense, either. I still think the Bulldogs are two years away from getting back in that 10-win range they were two years ago, but they won't have a losing record this fall. This sophomore-laden lineup will win 6 or 7 and will upset the apple cart in the SoCon this year — and in 2019 and 2020? Nobody is going to want to play against this offense.
[divider]HERO SPORTS FCS PODCAST: Subscribe here
BEST FCS PLAYER BY NUMBER: We count down, No. 99 through No. 1[divider]
TOP RETURNEE: OL Tyler Davis (HERO Sports FCS Preseason All-American)
THE NEXT BEST: DB Aron Spann (HERO Sports FCS Preseason All American — 5 INTs); DL Ja'Lon Williams (2nd team All SoCon); RB Grant Drakeford (leading rusher); LB Noah Dawkins (leading returning tackler – 61 tackles, 11 TFLs); DL Ken Allen (30 tackles, 5 TFLs); QB/RB Brandon Rainey (second leading rusher returning)
TOP NEWCOMER: RB Emeka Nwanze (3-star prospect with 247sports.com, offers from 6 ACC schools)
DID YOU KNOW?: The Citadel should be known as a giant slayer in college football. It has beaten the SEC's Arkansas and South Carolina a combined three times since 1990, and the Bulldogs have beaten Clemson five times in their school history — albeit many of those wins were in the leather helmet days.
THE QUOTE: ""We have to get our edge back. We've gotta have a little juice to us. We need to celebrate the wins, regain ourselves after the losses, and get out here and compete with one another. It's about fundamentals for the next month. We've got to get more guys on the ground on defense and on offense get back to physical, smash mouth Citadel football." — Head Coach Brent Thompson said this spring
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SOCIAL MEDIA SPOTLIGHT
THE HASHTAG: #FireTheCannons
FOOTBALL TWITTER: @CitadelFootball
Best fans in the SoCon. Go Dogs!#FireThoseCannons
— Brent Thompson (@Coach_BThompson) June 14, 2018
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FCS QB TRANSFERS: Who Tops The List?
Chattanooga | ETSU | The Citadel
Furman | Mercer | Samford
VMI | Western Carolina | Wofford
