PITMAN, NJ --- Four-time champion Salisbury was voted as the 2022 NJAC Football preseason favorite based on a vote of the league’s seven head coaches. The Sea Gulls collected six of the seven possible first place votes.
Rowan was predicted second in the poll followed by dark horse selection Kean. Montclair State was predicted fourth, followed by Christopher Newport, TCNJ, and William Paterson.
The Sea Gulls, who head into the season ranked No. 22 in the D3football.com national preseason poll, have won two outright NJAC titles along with a shared title with Wesley in 2015 and the NJAC South Division title in 2020-21 and are in search of their fifth since joining the conference in 2015.
A number of key returners are back across the board in the NJAC, headlined by a pair of D3football.com Preseason All-Americans in Kean teammates Kyeon Taylor and Donte Jamison. Taylor was named to the Preseason All-America Second Team Defense and Jamison was tabbed a Third Team Specialist. The honors come on the heels of Jamison earning two First Team All-NJAC honors last season (First Team Offense, First Team Special Teams) along with Special Teams Player of the Year accolades. Taylor was on the First Team Defense at the cornerback position last season.
Taylor led the conference by a wide margin in interceptions with eight last fall (the next player had three), which also led all of Division III at the end of the regular season. Last season, Jamison recorded 310 punt return yards and three touchdowns on 18 returns. In addition, he tallied 482 yards on 26 kick returns. He also led all receivers with 560 yards on 55 catches with a touchdown while adding 185 rushing yards and two touchdowns on the ground.
Taylor is joined on the Kean defense by 2021 all-conference honorees Aaron Cottrell (First Team linebacker), Anthony Bassani (Second Team safety), and Josh Harris (Honorable Mention defensive line).
Reigning Offensive Player of the Year Matt Dzierski returns to lead the CNU offense. The quarterback led all NJAC players with 10 touchdowns last season including six in conference play. He is joined by NJAC First Team offensive lineman Drew Knott. CNU’s all-conference defenders in 2021 graduated, but junior safety Kindrick Braxton and senior linebacker Keith Martin look to step in to anchor the Captains’ D. CNU also has a new leader in first-year head coach Paul Crowley. Crowley served on the Captains’ staff from 2009-21 in various roles, most recently as Recruiting Coordinator. He served as the interim head coach for a month before being elevated to the top job last December.
2021 NJAC Defensive Player of the Year Sean Carroll graduated, but the Salisbury defense is in the capable hands of a pair of defensive backs in A.J. Butler and Aaron Jankhe. Jankhe averaged 4.6 tackles per game while Butler averaged 3.0 tackles and snagged a pair of interceptions last season. On the offensive side, NJAC First Team pick Joey Bildstein returns. The fullback averaged over six yards per carry last year and scored seven touchdowns in his sophomore season.
Montclair State’s Dorian Gashi, the 2021 NJAC Defensive Rookie of the Year, returns. Gashi posted 21 solo tackles and 24 assisted for a total of 45 against conference opponents last year. Joining him are a pair of experienced defenders in NJAC First Team honorees Dimitri Pali (defensive line) and Brennan Ray (safety).
Also of note in the conference, William Paterson’s program features new head coach Shaun Williams. Williams, who has nine years of professional playing experience including an appearance in Super Bowl XXXV with the New York Giants, served 14 seasons as an assistant for the Pioneers before being elevated this summer to the top spot. He welcomes back a quartet of NJAC First Team honorees as the foundation of his program, including running back Terrique Riddick, wide receiver Matt Clarke, tight end William Frese, and linebacker Nazier Wright, along with a handful of 2021 Second Team honorees as well.
The Rowan squad also welcomes back all but one of their all-conference honorees from last year in what is expected to be a promising 2022 for the Profs. On the offensive side, First Team running back James Fara and wide receiver John Maldonado are back. They are joined by Second Team quarterback Mike Husni and a pair of Second Team offensive linemen in Robert Stashek and Kyle Young. The Prof defense is headlined by all-conference honorees Mike Mascioli and Malachi Winters.
TCNJ’s squad brings back a handful of all-conference honorees from last year, including First Team defensive lineman Nick Celli. Celli looks to anchor the defense again along with Second Team back Cole Groschel and a trio of seniors in Chris McCormack, Ryan McGuire, and Sal Tardagno. Lions’ senior offensive lineman Duro Ajayi returns after picking up Second Team accolades last year and is joined by fellow all-conference lineman Zac Wiles. They will join forces with wide receivers Joey Bellamy and Jake McKown along with senior running back Mark Pacini.
Salisbury gets underway with a Friday night season opener against Albright on Sept. 2. The remaining six programs open on Saturday, Sept. 3. Montclair State, TCNJ, and William Paterson open at home, while CNU, Kean, and Rowan open on the road.
2022 NJAC Football Preseason Poll (first place votes in parentheses)
1. Salisbury (6)
2. Rowan
3. Kean (dark horse)
4. Montclair State (1)
5. Christopher Newport
6. TCNJ
7. William Paterson