Five years after returning to the Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference, Edward Waters University has officially become the team to beat in football.
The Tigers swept the SIAC’s major preseason honors on Wednesday, earning the conference’s predicted No. 1 ranking while claiming both the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Preseason Defensive Player of the Year awards.
Edward Waters running back Johntarrious Thomas was selected as the league’s preseason offensive player of the year, while linebacker Trevon French earned preseason defensive player of the year honors, highlighting the expectations surrounding a program that continues its rapid rise since rejoining the SIAC in 2021.
Tigers lead the race for the SIAC title
Edward Waters topped the SIAC’s preseason predicted order of finish for football, edging defending conference powers Benedict and Tuskegee.
2026 SIAC Predicted Order of Finish
- Edward Waters
- Benedict
- Tuskegee
- Albany State
- Kentucky State
- Allen
- Miles
- Fort Valley State
- Savannah State
- Clark Atlanta
- Central State
- Morehouse
- Lane
The preseason poll was voted on by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
Thomas headlines explosive Tigers offense
Senior running back Johntarrious Thomas enters the season as the SIAC’s preseason offensive player of the year after establishing himself as one of the conference’s premier playmakers.
Thomas also earned First Team Preseason All-SIAC recognition and is expected to be the focal point of an Edward Waters offense looking to capitalize on the program’s championship expectations.
Joining Thomas on the first-team offense is running back David Smith of Benedict, while Clark Atlanta sophomore Xzavier Jackson earned the preseason nod at quarterback.
French anchors championship-caliber defense
Junior linebacker Trevon French was voted the SIAC’s preseason defensive player of the year after emerging as one of the conference’s top defensive performers.
French headlines a Tigers defense that also placed defensive back Aykenon Rodgers on the First Team All-SIAC squad, while defensive lineman Jaevin Jenkins and tight end Fatoma Paulk earned second-team honors.
Edward Waters well represented on preseason teams
In addition to its two preseason players of the year, Edward Waters placed six football players on the preseason All-SIAC teams.
First Team
- RB Johntarrious Thomas
- LB Trevon French
- DB Aykenon Rodgers
Second Team
- TE Fatoma Paulk
- DL Jaevin Jenkins
The Tigers’ representation across both sides of the ball reflects the balance voters expect from Edward Waters entering the 2026 campaign.
A remarkable rise since returning to the SIAC
Edward Waters officially rejoined the SIAC in 2021 after decades competing outside the conference.
Now, just five seasons later, the Jacksonville-based HBCU enters the year with the conference’s highest expectations.
Sweeping the preseason awards doesn’t guarantee a championship, but it sends a clear message about how coaches and league officials view the Tigers.
The target is now squarely on Edward Waters’ back.