Charlotte, N.C. – A total of five RMU football student-athletes were named to the 2022 Big South Preseason All-Conference Team Tuesday. The announcement was made as part of Big South Media Day presented by Buy1.com, held at the Charlotte Marriott SouthPark Hotel.
Named to the 2022 Preseason All-Big South First Team for the Colonials is defensive back
Sydney Audiger, offensive lineman
Hayden Baron, running back
Alijah Jackson and defensive lineman
Ricardo Watson. In addition, linebacker
Jamar Shegog was tabbed 2022 Preseason All-Big South Honorable Mention.
In addition to the preseason accolades from the Big South, RMU was picked to finish sixth in the conference this fall. Tabbed the preseason favorite was North Carolina A&T, which earned six first-place votes. Campbell, with a pair of first-place tallies, was picked second, while Charleston Southern and Gardner-Webb were selected to finish for third. The Buccaneers earned a pair of first-place votes, while the Runnin' Bulldogs garnered one. Bryant was picked fifth.
Audiger, a native of Lauderdale Lakes, Fla., returns in 2022 coming off a season in which he played in all 10 games for the Colonials, finishing third on the team in tackles with 55. He finished second to Shegog in solo stops (40) and also notched a team-high five pass breakups and an interception.
Baron has been a consistent presence on the offensive line for the Colonials the last two seasons, starting each of RMU's 13 games at right guard. Last season, Baron, a native of Perryopolis, Pa., helped protect
George Martin (2018-22), who become the first RMU quarterback to throw for over 2,000 yards in a season since 2008.
Jackson, a native of Englewood, N.J., led RMU in all-purpose yards (907) in 2021, finishing with 660 yards and two touchdowns out of the backfield while also recording 26 receptions for 247 yards and another two scores. In 31 career contests with the Colonials, Jackson has rushed for 2,369 yards on 530 carries, an average of 4.5 yards per rush, with 12 touchdowns.
Watson, a native of Tampa, Fla., has racked up 50 career tackles in 13 games for the Colonials over the last two seasons, including nine sacks. He ranked third in the Big South in sacks in 2021 en route to being named to the All-Big South Second Team. Of his 37 tackles in 2021, 26 were of the solo variety.
Joining Watson on the 2021 All-Big South Second Team was Shegog, who earns honorable mention preseason accolades. In 10 games last season, Shegog, a native of Pittsburgh, Pa., led the Colonials in tackles (78), including a team-high 41 solo stops. He also recorded nine tackles for loss, including two-and-a-half sacks. Shegog owns 107 career takedowns for RMU in 14 games, an average of 7.6 per game, entering the 2022 season.
Led by head coach
Bernard Clark, Jr., the Colonials return 14 starters in 2022, including seven on offense.
Season tickets and
group experiences for the 2022 campaign are on sale now and can by purchased by using the links associated with this article.
RMU christens its 2022 season Saturday, Sept. 3, with a Noon kickoff against Dayton at Joe Walton Stadium. Also on the home slate for the Colonials this season is East Tennessee State (9/24), Gardner-Webb (10/8), North Carolina A&T (10/22) and Bryant (11/19).
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