FHSU Athletics
Ryan Prickett, Sports Information Director
Fort Hays State received another Top 10 preseason national ranking on Friday when D2Football.com tabbed the Tigers as the No. 9 ranked team. D2Football.com produces a weekly poll throughout the season in supplement to the AFCA Top 25 Poll. The Tigers were picked No. 5 in the AFCA Preseason Poll.
Fort Hays State is one of two MIAA teams ranked in the Top 10 of the poll. Northwest Missouri State received the No. 5 ranking in the poll. Central Missouri and Pittsburg State also represent the MIAA in the D2Football.com Top 25 at No. 19 and No. 23 respectively.
Fort Hays State and Central Missouri collide in the season opener on Thursday, August 30 in Hays. Game time is 7 pm at Lewis Field Stadium. The Tigers won last year’s meeting with the Mules in Hays by a score of 35-6.
Gaining recognition individually was senior defensive back Doyin Jibowu, selected as a Preseason All-America First Team selection by D2Football.com. With a team-best five interceptions last year to go with 62 tackles, Jibowu looks to continue his strong play in the secondary for the Tigers. As season’s end in 2017, Jibowu earned All-America Honorable Mention status from the Don Hansen Football Committee. He was also strong in the classroom, earning CoSIDA Academic All-America honors. He is a two-time All-MIAA selection.
Below is the D2Football.com Preseason Top 25 Poll, along with its Preseason All-America Team.
| Team | 2017 Record | |
| 1 | Minnesota State | 13-1 |
| 2 | Texas A&M-Commerce | 14-1 |
| 3 | West Florida | 11-4 |
| 4 | Indiana (Pa.) | 13-1 |
| 5 | Northwest Missouri State | 9-3 |
| 6 | Central Washington | 11-1 |
| 7 | Ferris State | 11-2 |
| 8 | Midwestern State | 10-1 |
| 9 | Fort Hays State | 11-1 |
| 10 | Harding | 11-4 |
| 11 | West Alabama | 10-3 |
| 12 | Indianapolis | 11-1 |
| 13 | CSU-Pueblo | 9-3 |
| 14 | Grand Valley State | 8-3 |
| 15 | Shepherd | 10-1 |
| 16 | Ashland | 11-2 |
| 17 | Winona State | 10-2 |
| 18 | Sioux Falls | 9-3 |
| 19 | Central Missouri | 9-3 |
| 20 | Assumption | 11-2 |
| 21 | West Georgia | 9-4 |
| 22 | Findlay | 10-3 |
| 23 | Pittsburg State | 8-4 |
| 24 | Virginia State | 10-1 |
| 25 | Ouachita Baptist | 9-3 |
2018 D2Football.com Preseason All-America Team
August 16, 2018
| First Team | |||
| QB | Amir Hall | 6-4, 180, Jr. | Bowie State |
| RB | Marc Jones | 5-11, 225, Sr. | Gannon |
| RB | Cameron Mayberry | 5-11, 200, Jr. | Colorado School of Mines |
| WR | Weston Carr | 6-2, 200, Jr. | Azusa Pacific |
| WR | Shane Zylstra | 6-5, 220, Jr. | Minnesota State |
| TE | Seth Hebert | 6-4, 225, Sr. | Central Missouri |
| OL | Devon Johnson | 6-7, 315, Sr. | Ferris State |
| OL | Justin Gooseberry | 6-4, 300, Jr. | Ouachita Baptist |
| OL | James Moore | 6-5, 300, Sr. | Central Washington |
| OL | Derek Puni | 6-6, 300, Sr. | Central Missouri |
| OL | Trey Pipkins | 6-7, 300, Sr. | Sioux Falls |
| DL | James Prater | 6-1, 253, Sr. | Ashland |
| DL | Markus Jones | 6-3, 255, Sr. | Angelo State |
| DL | Adonis Davis | 6-3, 257, Sr. | Florida Tech |
| DL | Michael Onouha | 6-5, 255, Sr. | Texas A&M-Commerce |
| LB | Brandon Payer | 6-4, 248, Jr. | CSU-Pueblo |
| LB | Tyler Morrissey | 6-3, 256, Sr. | West Chester |
| LB | Kirby Hora | 6-2, 210, Sr. | Augustana |
| DB | Darius Williams | 6-0, 180, Jr. | CSU-Pueblo |
| DB | Doyin Jibowu | 6-2, 190, Sr. | Fort Hays State |
| DB | Cua Rose | 5-10, 183, Sr. | Arkansas Tech |
| DB | Corey Ballentine | 6-0, 204, Sr. | Washburn |
| K | Casey Bednarski | 6-1, 230, Sr. | Minnesota State |
| P | Zach Davidson | 6-7, 230, So. | Central Missouri |
| AP | Deonte Harris | 5-6, 170, Sr. | Assumption |
| Second Team | |||
| QB | Brook Bolles | 6-3, 190, Sr. | Central Missouri |
| RB | Walter Fletcher | 5-10, 191, Jr. | Edinboro |
| RB | Nate Gunn | 6-1, 215, Jr. | Minnesota State |
| WR | Austin Ryan | 6-0, 185, So. | Bentley |
| WR | Brody Oliver | 6-3, 210, Sr. | Colorado School of Mines |
| TE | D.J. Cornish | 6-2, 260, Jr. | Shepherd |
| OL | Colin McAllister | 6-2, 290, Jr. | IUP |
| OL | Brandon Anderson | 6-3, 285, Jr. | West Alabama |
| OL | Phillip McDowell | 6-5, 315, Jr. | Carson-Newman |
| OL | Nick Fish | 6-7, 300, Sr. | Grand Valley |
| OL | Evan Heim | 6-3, 300, Jr. | Minnesota State |
| DL | John Cominsky | 6-5, 275, Sr. | Charleston |
| DL | Davondrick Lison | 6-3, 225, Sr. | Southern Arkansas |
| DL | Derrick Tate | 6-3, 210, Sr. | Bowie State |
| DL | Tyrell Thompson | 6-4, 300, Sr. | Tarleton State |
| LB | Terry Samuel | 6-2, 193, Sr. | West Alabama |
| LB | Justin Jackson | 6-2, 230, Sr. | Angelo State |
| LB | Jalen Nelson | 6-2, 230, Sr. | Charleston |
| DB | Sterling Hammond | 6-1, 210, Jr. | Virginia Union |
| DB | Lamont McPhatter | 5-11, 190, Jr. | California |
| DB | Tyler Hasty | 6-0, 190, Sr. | Central Washington |
| DB | Gunner Olszewski | 5-10, 170, Sr. | Bemidji State |
| K | Aaron Ball | 5-8, 195, Sr. | West Virginia State |
| P | Brendan Paulison | 6-0, 210, Sr. | West Chester |
| AP | Drew Harris | 5-10, 185, Sr. | Ouachita Baptist |