2022 HERO Sports FCS Preseason Top 25
The 2022 FCS season is just around the corner. We look ahead to the upcoming year with our preseason Top 25.
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2. South Dakota State
This is arguably SDSU’s most talented team it’s ever had coming off of a trip to the semifinals. The front seven will be loaded, starting with one of the best returning FCS linebackers in Adam Bock. Reece Winkelman and Caleb Sanders are veterans on a deep d-line, one of the more underrated position groups for a team to make a deep playoff run. SDSU’s secondary needs to get better if it wants to return to Frisco, though. The offense has a chance to be special. The spring’s MVFC Offensive Player of the Year Mark Gronowski is back at QB after missing last season with a knee injury suffered early in the spring national title game. He has his two top WRs returning in Jaxon and Jadon Janke along with TE Tucker Kraft, who is an NFL Draft prospect. SDSU has developed its o-line to be one of the better units in the FCS, and they’ll be blocking for All-American RB Isaiah Davis.
24. Northern Iowa
UNI has been a consistent playoff team, making the bracket in each of the last four fall seasons. Last year saw a 6-6 record ending in a first-round loss at Eastern Washington. UNI has a great tradition of success, reaching the D1-AA/FCS postseason 22 times. The Panthers haven’t made the semifinals since 2008, though, with quarterfinal appearances in 2011, 2015, and 2019. It always seems to be on the cusp of making a deeper run with its returning talent, and UNI will have to combat a tough schedule once again to position itself for further postseason success in 2022. The defense, per usual, looks like a terrific unit, led by Spencer Cuvelier (LB), Bryce Flater (LB), and Benny Sapp III (DB). The offense is what’s held the Panthers back from contending at a higher national level. Starting QB Theo Day and leading rusher Dom Williams return to improve UNI’s 24.92 points per game.