FOREST, Va. --- College football returns to its traditional fall season for the 2021-22 campaign with the ODAC slate quickly approaching. Randolph-Macon College tops the ODAC Football Preseason Poll in anticipation of the new season.

The Yellow Jackets picked up six first place votes to a table-topping 36 points. The next three positions are separated by just two points with Hampden-Sydney College slotting second at 27 tallies, Bridgewater College ranking third at 26 markers, and Washington and Lee University chiming in fourth with 25 points including the remaining top nod.

While a return to the calendar's fall months is a familiar site for college football faithful, the ODAC will have a different look in 2021-22. Charter-member Emory & Henry College began its transition to NCAA Division II membership following the 2020-21 campaign. The Wasps will continue to play an ODAC regular season schedule this year, but the 2020-21 runners-up will not be eligible for the conference title. Also missing from the league table is Southern Virginia University, which opens its USA South membership in 2021-22 following two seasons as a football associate member with the ODAC.

Back in the fold in the 2021-22 season is Washington and Lee University. The Generals did not compete last season due to concerns surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

In the sections below, we look back to what we saw during the spring season and take a look at what to expect entering the new campaign. Be sure to check out the capsules at the bottom of this page for a more targeted view at each squad entering the fall.

2020-21 SEASON | STANDINGS

• ODAC teams set out to compete in a five-game schedule for the first spring season in league history.
• Complications surrounding COVID-19 resulted in some teams competing against opponents more than once.
• For the first time in ODAC history, the final week of the season featured an ODAC championship game
• Points were at a premium in that contest as neither Emory & Henry nor Randolph-Macon put points on the scoreboard in the first three quarters
• R-MC made it 7-0 midway thru thid quarter with a 6-yard TD pass from Presley Egbers to Tim Hanratty.
• E&H responded with a 12-play 76-yard drive emphasized by a 5-yard touchdown pass from Hunter Taylor to T.J. Tester to knot the score. That tie persisted thru regulation to force overtime.
• The Wasps got a 22-yard field goal from Zach Barber on the first overtime possession.
• The Yellow Jackets ended the game on the ensuing drive with Egbers finding paydirt via a 13-yard run for a 13-10 triumph and the Yellow Jackets 13th overall league championship.

NATIONAL PUNDITS

• D3football.com released its first preseason poll in two seasons earlier this month. Randolph-Macon slots 17th with 184 points. Bridgewater (45) received points towards the survey. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor (595), University of Mount Union (580), and North Central College (566) round out the top three. North Central won the last Stagg Bowl in 2019.
• D3football.com announced its list of Preseason All-Americans on Monday. Bridgewater linebacker Brett Tharp earned a spot on the second team, while Hampden-Sydney tight end Ed Newman was tabbed to the third team.
• College Football America Yearbook announced its Division III Starting Lineup Preseason All-Americans earlier this month. Randolph-Macon offensive lineman Will Jackson was the lone ODAC player to feature on its list. The yearbook, which covers all NCAA divisions plus NAIA as well as junior college ranks, can be purchased from Amazon.

RETURNING STATISTICAL LEADERS | 2020-21 Statistics
The athletes listed below represent the top-3 returning statistical leaders for each category from the 2020-21 season.

   PASSING | Minimum: 15 pass attempts/game (comp. pct.)

• Yards | 1,076 - Titus Jones, FC  |  933 - Tanner Bernard, H-SC  |  829 - Presley Egbers, R-MC
• Comp. Pct. | 63.6 (63-99) - Zack Mathis, SU  |  62.0 (62-100) - Presley Egbers, R-MC  |  60.5 (72-119) - Tanner Bernard, H-SC
• Touchdowns | 10 - Presley Egbers, R-MC  |  8 - Tanner Bernard, H-SC  |  7 - Titus Jones, FC

   RUSHING | Minimum: 8 rushes/game (yards/rush)

• Yards | 417 - Demetreus Jalepes, BC  |  338 - Presley Egbers, R-MC  |  297 - Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., SU
• Yards/Rush | 5.4 - Justin DeLeon, R-MC  |  5.3 - Kaleb Smith, H-SC  |  5.1 - Demetreus Jalepes, BC
• Long | 68 - Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., SU  |  66 - Demetreus Jalepes, BC  |  55 - J'Sean Dupuy, FC
• Touchdowns | 8 - Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., SU  |  7 - Presley Egbers, R-MC  |  5 - Melik Frost, H-SC

   RECEIVING | Minimum: 3 receptions/game (yards/rec.)

• Receptions | 25 - Tmahdae Penn, FC  |  22 - Chad Jones, BC  |  22 - David Wallis, R-MC
• Yards | 448 - Tmahdae Penn, FC  |  399 - David Wallis, R-MC  |  281 - Ed Newman, H-SC
• Yards/Rec. | 18.1 - David Wallis, R-MC  |  17.9 - Tmahdae Penn, FC  |  14.8 - Ed Newman, H-SC
• Long | 85 - Ed Newman, H-SC  |  73 - David Wallis, R-MC  |  51 - Tmahdae Penn, FC
• Touchdowns | 5 - Tmahdae Penn, FC  |  3 - Zach Bowman, R-MC/Dillon Costello, H-SC/Derrick Jenkins, BC/David Wallis, R-MC

   ALL-PURPOSE / SCORING

• All-Purpose Yards | 673 - Demetreus Jalepes, BC  |  486 - David Wallis, R-MC  |  460 - Tmahdae Penn, FC
• Scoring (Pts.) | 48 - Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., SU  |  44 - Presley Egbers, R-MC  |  34 - Melik Frost, H-SC
• Touchdowns | 8 - Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., SU  |  7 - Presley Egbers, R-MC | 5 - Melik Frost, H-SC/Tmahdae Penn, FC

   DEFENSE

• Tackles | 61 - Brett Tharp, BC  |  56 - Ben Burgan, SU  |  53 - Billy Higgins, FC
• Solo | 37 - Brett Tharp, BC  |  35 - Ben Burgan, SU  |  24 - David Agyei, SU
• Tackles for Loss | 6.5 - Raymond Alexander, FC  |  6.0 - Billy Higgins, FC  |  5.0 - Ben Burgan, SU
• Sacks | 3.0 - Billy Higgins, FC  |  1.5 - Tyler DeBerry, R-MC/Devin Hansen, FC
• Interceptions | 3 - Cade Jones, R-MC  |  2 - Brett Tharp, BC/Isiah Williams, BC
• Pass Breakups | 8 - Ja'Kari Williams, FC  |  5 - Cade Jones, R-MC/Stephen Richardson, R-MC

   SPECIAL TEAMS | Minimum: 3.6 punts/game (yard/punt) / 1.2 kick returns/game (kick return avg.) / 1.2 punt returns/game (punt return avg.)

• PAT Made | 13-of-15 - Jack Breedlove, H-SC  |  12-of-15 - Chris Vidal, R-MC  |  11-of-11 - Patrick Ritchie, SU
• FG Made | 5-of-7 - Chris Vidal, R-MC  |  2-of-3 - Cameron Gieseman, BC  |  1-of-1 - Patrick Ritchie, SU
• Yards/Punt (Gross) | 36.3 - Garrett Graves, BC  |  35.2 - Patrick Ritchie, SU
• Punts Inside 20 | 4 - Garrett Graves, BC  |  3 - George Langhammer, H-SC/Patrick Ritchie, SU
• Kick Return Yards | 219 - Viante Tucker, BC  |  158 - Brant Butler, SU  |  151 - Demetreus Jalepes, BC
• Kick Return Avg. | 27.4 - Viante Tucker, BC | 19.8 - Brant Butler, SU  |  17.1 - Holden Hodge
• Punt Return Yards | 32 - Yuri Smaltz, SU
• Punt Return Avg. | 5.3 - Yuri Smaltz, SU

RETURNING ALL-ODAC TALENT | 2020-21 ALL-ODAC FOOTBALL AWARDS
The 2021-22 season features 32 All-ODAC honorees from the 2020-21 campaign. Below we take a look at those returning to league rosters.

   BACKS, RECEIVERS, AND TIGHT ENDS (8)

• Tanner Bernard, QB, H-SC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Rashadeen Byrd, Jr., RB, SU -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Presley Egbers, QB, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team - Offensive POY
• Demetreus Jalepes, RB, BC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Ed Newman, TE, H-SC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Tmahdae Penn, WR, FC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Kaleb Smith, APB, H-SC -- All-ODAC First Team
• David Wallis, WR, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team

   OFFENSIVE LINEMEN (5)

• Cole Cooksey, BC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Connor Denning, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Tre Fortune, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Will Jackson, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Nehemiah Nixon, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team

   DEFENSIVE LINEMEN (3)

• Raymond Alexander, FC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Mason Caldwell, SU -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Tyler DeBerry, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team

   LINEBACKERS (6)

• Ben Burgan, SU -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Billy Higgins, FC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Drew Hill, FC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Brett Tharp, BC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Matt Vergara, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Brendan Weinberg, H-SC -- All-ODAC First Team

   DEFENSIVE BACKS (7)

• Jordan Fields, H-SC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Dustin Green, BC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Shawn Harris, BC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Cade Jones, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team
• Will Pickren, H-SC -- All-ODAC First Team - ROY
• Stephen Richardson, R-MC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Ja'Kari Williams, FC -- All-ODAC First Team

   SPECIALISTS (2)

• Cade Ratliff, P, GC -- All-ODAC Second Team
• Patrick Ritchie, P, SU -- All-ODAC First Team
• Chris Vidal, PK, R-MC -- All-ODAC First Team

THE SCHEDULE AND CHAMPIONSHIP

• ODAC teams are slated for six league games with most (if not all) lining up four non-conference games for 10 total contests, the most allowed during a NCAA regular season.
• The top team in the league standings (ODAC games only) will be declared the ODAC champion and earn the league's automatic entry into the NCAA Division III Tournament.
• The 32-team bracket for the NCAA field will be determined and announced on Sunday, November 14. The tournament is five rounds long including the Amos Alonzo Stagg Bowl, which will be played at Tom Benson Hall of Fame Stadium at the NFL Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio.

For more information on ODAC football, visit the websites of any of the participating schools, or go to the ODAC's home on the Internet at www.odaconline.com.  Don't forget to become a fan of the ODAC on Facebook and follow @odacathletics on Twitter and Instagram.