Following back-to-back Great American Conference Championships and with the return of All-American quarterback Kevin Rodgers and wide receiver Darius Davis, Henderson State has received plenty of attention in several preseason publications.

The Reddies are ranked No. 5 in Lindy's preseason top 25 poll, No. 9 in USA Today's preseason poll, and 10^th in the Sporting News top 25.

Henderson State has compiled a 21-2 record the past two seasons and has become one of the most explosive offenses in the country averaging nearly 550 yards per game and 51.8 points per contest.

Rodgers, a two-time All-American and GAC Athlete of the Year, was recently recognized as one of the top 14 small-school NFL prospects according to Mike Huguenin of NFL.com.

A finalist for the Harlon Hill Trophy in each of the past two seasons, Rodgers currently ranks first in NCAA Division II history in career passing yards per game with an average of 335.9 yards per contest.

In 2013, the graduate student from Rockwall, Texas threw for 4,807 yards with 40 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, completing 68.95 percent of his passes.

The two-time GAC Offensive Player of the Year threw for 4,002 yards and 41 touchdowns in 2012.

In 30 games played, Rodgers has thrown for at least 400 yards nine times and has thrown for 300 yards or more 19 times.

Rodgers, along with four other Reddies were named to the USA College Football Preseason All-America Team.

Darius Davis and Glennon Bobo earned first-team accolades, while Tim Llewellyn was a second-team pick and Christian Love a third-team honoree.

Davis holds the HSU single-season and career records for yards receiving and touchdowns. Last season, Davis was third nationally in yards receiving (1597), fifth in averaged yards per game 133.1, and fourth in receiving touchdowns (16).

Bobo is a two-time All-GAC selection at defensive end. The senior from Ashdown totaled 14.5 tackles for lost yardage to earn a spot on the Daktronics Super Region 3 Second Team.
 
Llewellyn, who was the GAC Freshman of the Year in 2012, was a second-team All-GAC selection last year after recording 51 tackles and three interceptions. 

Love earned second-team All-GAC honors at defensive back after totaling 72 tackles and a pair of interceptions.

Henderson State's home opener against Southeastern Oklahoma on September 18 will be nationally televised on CBS Sports Network with kickoff slated for 7 p.m.

Henderson State begins the season on Sept. 6 when the Reddies travel to Bethany, Okla. to face Southern Nazarene.
 
2014 NCAA Division II
National Preseason Polls
The Sporting News
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. Colorado State-Pueblo
4. Minnesota State Mankato
5. Lenoir-Rhyne
6. West Chester
7. North Alabama
8. Minnesota-Duluth
9. West Texas A&M
10. Henderson State
11. Shepherd
12. Winston-Salem State
13. Ohio Dominican
14. Pittsburg State
15. St. Cloud State
16. Indianapolis
17. Bloomsburg
18. Carson-Newman
19. Delta State
20. American International
21. Tuskegee
22. Emporia State
23. Newberry
24. East Stroudsburg
25. Azusa Pacific
Lindy's
1. Northwest Missouri State
2. St. Cloud State
3. Lenoir-Rhyne
4. Grand Valley State
5. Henderson State
6. Pittsburg State
7. Minnesota-Duluth
8. West Chester
9. Colorado State-Pueblo
10. Shepherd
11. West Alabama
12. Ohio Dominican
13. Emporia State
14. Carson-Newman
15. Winston-Salem State
16. Minnesota State Mankato
17. UNC Pembroke
18. West Texas A&M
19. Indianapolis
20. North Alabama
21. Saginaw Valley
22. Azusa Pacific
23. Bloomsburg
24. Missouri Western
25. Tuskegee
 
2014 NCAA Division II Preseason All-American Teams
Sporting News
OFFENSE
QB - Kevin Rodgers, Henderson State
RB - Tyler Tonderum, Southwest Missouri State
RB - Daiquone Ford, Findlay
OL - Cole Manhart, Nebraska-Kearney
OL - Matthew Reese, Tuskegee
OL- Joe Ray, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL - Cory Tucker, Slippery Rock
OL - Garrison Ushery, West Georgia
TE - Jamie Potts, Grand Valley State
WR - Jere Brown, Shippensburg
WR - Trevor Harman, Shippensburg
DEFENSE
DL - Matt Longacre, Northwest Missouri State
DL - Darius Allen, Colorado State-Pueblo
DL - Charlie Tuaau, Texas A&M-Commerce
DL - Grant Singer, Mary
LB - Ronell Williams, West Chester
LB - Isaiah Fleming, Cheyney
LB - D.J. Gnader, Northwest Missouri State
DB - John Strickland, Indianapolis
DB - Tyler Thornton, Azusa Pacific
DB - Colin Kimball, Mercyhurst
DB - Harold Jones-Quartey, Findlay
 
Lindy's


FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
QB - Kevin Rodgers, Henderson State
RB - Tyler Tonderum, Southwest Missouri State
RB - Terrell Watson, Azusa Pacific
WR - Darius Davis, Henderson State
WR - Trevor Harman, Shippensburg
TE - Jamie Potts, Grand Valley State
OL- Joe Ray, Lenoir-Rhyne
OL - Mitchell Weideman, St. Cloud
OL - Isaiah Shelton, Shepherd
OL - Cole Manhart, Nebraska-Kearney
OL - Matthew Reese, Tuskegee
AP - Marquez Clark, Central Oklahoma
K - Brent Wahle, Ohio Dominican
 
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
DL - Matt Longacre, Northwest Missouri State
DL - Darius Allen, Colorado State-Pueblo
DL - Charlie Tuaau, Texas A&M-Commerce
LB - Eric Reimer, Northwest Missouri State
LB - Troy Guptil, Mary
LB - Brian Harrington, Stonehill
DB - Sammy Siasia, Mars Hill
DB - Demarco Donaldson, Malone
DB - Colin Kimball, Mercyhurst
DB - E.J. Jacob, Carson-Newman
P - Patrick Carney, New Mexico Highlands