ATLANTA, Ga.- The Savannah State University football team is well represented on the Preseason All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Team with four Tigers receiving preseason honors.

Defensive lineman Xavier Esquillen and linebacker Gary Davis, Jr were both named to the First Team Defense while offensive linemen Keshawn Palmore and Khalifa Sene were both named to the Second Team Offense.

Esquillen and Davis both earned all conference honors a year ago with both being selected for the Second Team Defense.

The duo were members of a defense that finished the regular season ranked in the top five of the SIAC in forced fumbles (first), sacks (fourth), run defense (fourth) and points allowed per game (fourth).

After collecting just 22 tackles and five tackles for loss as a freshman, Esquillen had a breakout season in 2024 by leading the SIAC in sacks with 9.5. He also had 32 tackles (26 solo), 11.5 tackles for loss, six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and two forced fumbles.

A rising junior, he had a season-high five tackles against Lincoln California, Lane College and Albany State University and four tackles for loss and four sacks against Lane. A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Esquillen had a forced a fumble against Clark Atlanta University and Albany State.

Davis finished the season with 59 tackles (41 solo), 5.0 tackles for loss, 2.0 sack, two quarterback hurries and one fumble recovery. He was in on 11 stops against Lane and had 10 tackles against Tuskegee University. The Cario, Georgia native had one sack against Lane and another against Benedict College and recovered a fumble against Albany State.

Palmore and Sene were members of a offensive line that helped average 224.4 passing yards per game which ranked third in the conference.

SSU's offensive line opened up holes that resulted in the Tigers running for a season-high 192 yards in a win over Clark Atlanta and their pass protection in the game with Benedict allowed the Savannah State quarterback to throw for 478 passing yards and four touchdowns.

Palmore is a rising junior from Moultrie, Georgia while Sene is a rising sophomore who hails from Pensacola, Florida.

Along with the announcement of the preseason team, Savannah State was picked to finish sixth in the predicted order of finish.

Albany State University is predicted to finish first in the SIAC while Clark Atlanta is picked to finish second and Tuskegee third. Rounding out the top five are Miles College who is, picked to finish fourth, and Fort Valley State University, who is predicted to finish fifth. Behind SSU is Benedict, Edward Waters University and Allen University. The final four teams to finish 10-13 are Kentucky State University, Morehouse College, Lane and Central State University.

Savannah State is coming off a 5-5 season in 2024 and will open the 2025 season on August 30 at Theodore A. Wright Stadium against SIAC foe and I-95 rival Edward Waters at 6 p.m.

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