JACKSON – According to the USA Today Sports Weekly Division III Football preseason Top 25 that hit newsstands on Monday, the back-to-back SCAC champion Majors are ranked No. 23. The lone representative in the conference in the poll, Millsaps returns a total of 15 starters on offense and defense, including all of its special teams players. The Majors posted their best record in 11 years last season, 8-2, en route to a second-straight SCAC Title and the Offensive, Defensive and ST Players of the Year. They also broke a combined 32 school records in a successful second year under head coach Mike DuBose.

Reigning SCAC Offensive Player of the Year (second-straight year) and a six-time SCAC Player of the Week, senior quarterback Juan Joseph will have a handful of targets on offense that will allow the Majors to compete for a third-straight SCAC crown, while the defense will have a solid secondary and a young line.

The Majors will open their 2008 season at home with the annual "Backyard Brawl" against cross-town rival Mississippi College on Sept. 6, while the most anticipated matchup in years will take place on Nov. 1 in San Antonio against Trinity University (Texas). The Tigers stunned the Majors last season on Homecoming in Jackson, completing 15 laterals on the final play from scrimmage to eventually earn an automatic playoff bid.

USA Today Sports Weekly preseason Top 25~
1. Mount Union
2. Wesley
3. UW-Whitewater
4. Wabash
5. St. John's
6. St. John Fisher
7. Capital
8. North Central
9. Muhlenberg
10. Bethel
11. Salisbury
12. Mary Hardin-Baylor
13. Cortland State
14. Central
15. UW-Eau Claire
16. Case Western Reserve
17. Wartburg
18. Wheaton (Ill.)
19. Ohio Northern
20. Washington & Jefferson
21. Ithaca
22. Redlands
23. Millsaps
24. Albright
25. Franklin

Players to watch~
Tanner Kelly, QB, Albright
Brian Weverbergh, TE, Ithaca
Pete Ittersagen, CB/RET, Wheaton (Ill.)
Ken Bevington, DE, John Carroll
Robert Heller, RB, Waynesburg