SPORTS
Four Football ‘Cats Named to PFL Preseason Watch List
ST. LOUIS – Four Wildcats were named to the Pioneer Football League Preseason watch list, announced by the conference Tuesday.
With Dayton and Marist opting out of the spring season, and with Jacksonville’s departure from football, the PFL released a watch list of players in lieu of the usual Preseason All-PFL Team.
Three Wildcats were named on the offensive side, senior quarterback Tyler Phelps, and junior classmates Jalen Staples at wide receiver and Eli Turner Jr. as an all-purpose back.
With over 30 starts under his belt, Phelps returns for his final season to orchestrate one of the most productive offenses in the nation. Behind Phelps, Davidson ranked first in third down conversion, second in rushing offense and 21st in total offense. The ‘Cats also dominated time of possession, ranking second in the nation with an average of 34:35 a game.
In 2019, Staples was among the nation’s best in yards-per-catch. The Brunswick, Ohio, native caught 22 passes, averaging 22.2 yards-per-catch. He found the end zone three times including a late, toe-tapping, go ahead touchdown at Campbell.
Turner Jr. returns as the leading rusher, accumulating 490 yards on the ground on 78 carries. Turner Jr. was fourth in 2019 in all-purpose yards, tallying 641 that included 151 yards receiving. Turner Jr. accounted for seven touchdowns.
The final PFL watch list member for the ‘Cats, junior safety Dreylan Hines. The 2018 PFL Co-Defensive Freshman of the Year followed up his freshman year with 36 tackles, 1.0 for loss. The Arlington, Texas, product also forced a fumble in his sophomore season.
Davidson heads to Stetson on Saturday, Mar. 13 for the PFL-opener at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium against the Hatters.