MACON, Ga. – The target has officially been placed on Edward Waters University's back.
After a breakthrough 2025 campaign, the Tigers entered the 2026 Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SIAC) Football Media Day presented by Georgia Power with lofty expectations, and they left Macon as the conference's preseason favorite.
Edward Waters was selected No. 1 in the SIAC Predicted Order of Finish, while five Tigers earned Preseason All-SIAC recognition, including two of the league's highest individual honors.
Senior running back Johntarrious Thomas was named the SIAC Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after a record-setting 2025 season that established him as one of the nation's premier playmakers. Thomas eclipsed the 1,000-yard rushing mark, rewrote several Edward Waters rushing records, and emerged as one of the top offensive threats in NCAA Division II.
On the defensive side, junior linebacker Trevon French was voted the SIAC Preseason Defensive Player of the Year following a dominant campaign in which he finished among the conference leaders in tackles. French returns as one of the nation's top linebackers and will once again anchor a Tigers defense that ranked among the SIAC's best a season ago.
Joining Thomas and French on the Preseason All-SIAC First Team was junior defensive back Aykenon Rogers, who earned the honor after recording more than 50 total tackles during the 2025 season while emerging as one of the conference's most reliable defensive backs.
Edward Waters also placed two student-athletes on the Preseason All-SIAC Second Team in senior tight end Fatoma Paulk and junior defensive tackle Jaevin Jenkins, giving the Tigers five preseason all-conference selections heading into the 2026 campaign.
The conference's recognition reflects the respect the Tigers have earned after last season's success, but Head Coach Brian Jenkins knows preseason accolades alone won't determine championships.
The two-day event served as more than just a preview of the upcoming football season. It also provided an opportunity for SIAC student-athletes and coaches to make a meaningful impact off the field through community service.
Representing Edward Waters, Coach Jenkins joined Thomas and French in participating in the Keep Macon-Bibb Beautiful Street Clean-Up, helping improve the local community alongside fellow SIAC institutions.
The Tigers also visited Atrium Children's Hospital in Macon, where they toured the facility, assembled toiletry bags for families, and created art activity packages for children receiving care.
The community engagement activities highlighted one of the conference's core values—using athletics as a platform to serve others while making a positive impact beyond the game.
Although the Tigers returned to Jacksonville with the distinction of being the conference's preseason favorite, the mindset inside the program remains unchanged.
The days of flying under the radar are over.
After earning the respect of coaches and media around the conference, Edward Waters enters the 2026 season as the team everyone is chasing. Coach Jenkins understands the Tigers have transitioned from being the hunters to becoming the hunted, but he also understands that preseason polls are simply projections.
Championships are not won in July.
They are earned through preparation, discipline, accountability, and execution between the lines every Saturday.
For the Tigers, the preseason recognition is appreciated, but it is not the ultimate goal.
Their focus remains on maximizing every opportunity in the classroom, developing throughout fall camp, and continuing to build the championship culture that has become the standard inside the program.
With the nation's attention beginning to turn toward Jacksonville, the message inside the Tigers' locker room is simple.
The rankings, awards, and predictions are only words on paper.
Now it's time to prove them right.
The 2026 Edward Waters Tigers have one mission:
Handle Unfinished Business.
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