CLINTON, S.C. – Going into the fourth season of Presbyterian College Football competing in the Pioneer Football League and the third campaign of the Steve Englehart era, the Blue Hose set a new program benchmark with seven selections on the Phil Steele preseason all-conference lineup.

Announced on Friday afternoon, PC was represented by three first-teamers (wide receiver Dominic Kibby, tight end Worth Warner, and linebacker Alex Herriott), a trio of second-team members (offensive lineman Patch Bennett, defensive back Brooks Russ-Martin, and kicker Mack Mikko), and one third-team shoutout (defensive lineman Carter Szydlowski).

The Kibby/Warner/Herriott triumvirate was the first group of three PC players to be named All-PFL first team last November, anchoring a Blue Hose crew that figures to return 17 of 22 starters from a group that penned a three-win improvement from '22-'23.

Presbyterian will begin its 112^th season of football on Thursday, August 29 with a visit to Mercer (who offered up a 9-4 record last year). After visiting Erskine the following weekend, coach Englehart's squad will make their first appearance at Bailey Memorial Stadium on September 14 to battle Virginia-Lynchburg.

 
Dominic Kibby | Jr. | WR | Catonsville, Md.
Phil Steele All-PFL 1^st Team


 
With two-year calculations of 1,572 receiving yards, 11 touchdowns, and an average of 18 yards per catch, Kibby's all-league first team spot was practically a given for a player who was named an FCS Freshman All-American in 2022 on his way to 85 total receptions in a PC uniform halfway through his college career.

Last fall, Dominic assumed an average of 17 yards per grab which placed second in the league, going for at least three catches in every outing. He rained down a 199-yard effort in a trip to Butler – the most of any PFL wideout for a sole game all season – highlighted by a 93-yard TD to become PC's longest play from scrimmage in the school's 17-year Division I era.

He has recorded an average of 71 receiving yards per game going into his upperclassman stint, already needing fewer than 1,000 yards to surpass Keith Pearson's numbers (2017-20) as Presby's new record-holder in that category since making the D-I jump in 2007.

 
Worth Warner | Sr. | TE | Raleigh, N.C.
Phil Steele All-PFL 1^st Team


 
Erupting in his fourth season with the Blue Hose last time out and granted one more year of school before completing his degree, Warner reached new career-bests in virtually every category while becoming the PFL's premier player at his position.

He'd collect 403 yards on 31 targets in 2024 to average 40 yards per contest, punctuated with a 117-yard night and a game-winning touchdown inside the final minute of the 4^th quarter to lift PC past Wofford for the first time since the early 1990's.

Worth was also a crucial piece to the team's first-ever Pioneer League win by hauling in a diving TD at Dayton during an eventual overtime result, producing five end-zone catches in the past two seasons alone.

 
Alex Herriott | Sr. | LB | Hanahan, S.C.
Phil Steele All-PFL 1^st Team



Statistically one of the most accomplished linebackers to ever come through the program, Herriott ranked inside the country's top 10 in both solo tackles (68, fifth) and overall stops (118, ninth) as a junior. Those vicious numbers bring his career count to 272 tackles in only 33 appearances.

He's gobbled up 24 stops behind the line of scrimmage (tied for fifth in school history since the D-I transition), as well as 9.5 sacks. The Palmetto native has been Presby's leading tackler in each of the past three campaigns, serving up a career-high mark in back-to-back weeks with 16 tackles apiece against Marist and Davidson.

Alex was named PFL Defensive Player of the Week after that clash with the Red Foxes where his defense never conceded an offensive touchdown over the entire 60-minute duration, going for a minimum of 10 tackles in six bouts last year and logging at least one tackle-for-a-loss in 20 games throughout his career.

 
Patch Bennett | Sr. | OL | Blackshear, Ga.
Phil Steele All-PFL 2^nd Team



Bennett switched from center to guard during preseason camp in 2023, resulting in perhaps his most efficient year where he now becomes PC's most seasoned lineman. The Blue Hose amassed 3,600 total yards with Patch in the trenches, going for 400 more rushing yards than the prior year.

Presby lined up seven 100-yard efforts on the ground last season, rushing for over 200 twice while gaining two other showings with 300+ in the passing attack. He was unable to compete in the season-finale versus Morehead State, ending a streak of 32 consecutive starts which had spanned his whole collegiate career up to that point.

Patch ended his junior round by qualifying for the College Sports Communicators (CSC) Academic All-District team for the second straight year, enduring a double major of Business Administration and Economics.

 
Brooks-Russ Martin | Sr. | DB | Greenville, S.C.
Phil Steele All-PFL 2^nd Team



No player on Presbyterian's vaunted defense ended the '24 slate on a higher note than Russ-Martin, a safety who was chosen as the PFL's Defensive Player of the Week after being a thorn in Morehead State's side seemingly all day.

Against the Eagles, Brooks obtained three tackles-for-a-loss and had a hand in two pivotal turnovers: a forced fumble and recovery that went 97 yards in the other direction for a touchdown (PC's longest-ever defensive score), and a 4^th-frame interception that helped slam the door on a season-closing win.

That was the first time in Presbyterian history that a player accomplished a recovered fumble and an INT in a singular half, totaling 56 tackles as a junior while being responsible for four TO's against Pioneer League opponents.

 
Mack Mikko | So. | K | Newnan, Ga.
Phil Steele All-PFL 2^nd Team



Mikko authored the greatest season by a Blue Hose kicker in the university's Division I era and did so as a rookie, joining in Kibby's company from the prior year by being named an FCS Freshman All-American by Phil Steele after securing the third-highest point total in the PFL (74).

He never missed a PAT in 26 attempts while torching the school record book for 16 field goals (three of 40+ yards). Mack cashed in on a personal-best 45-yarder versus San Diego at Bailey Memorial, connecting on 72% of his FG's and hitting the second-most field goals of any freshman in the nation.

Fitting right in from get-go, Mikko was given the PFL's Special Teams Player of the Week honor twice after splitting the uprights three times in the Wofford win and again after drilling an overtime boot that helped PC best Dayton in Ohio during a downpour.

He was included on the 22-man watch list for the Jerry Rice Award, a trophy presented annually to the most outstanding freshman at the FCS level. Mack was the only special-teamer on that list, breaking the school record for most field goals in a single year by nine kicks.

 
Carter Szydlowski | Jr. | DL | Mount Pleasant, Tenn.
Phil Steele All-PFL 3^rd Team



Carter made an instant impact to Presbyterian's defensive line after transferring into the program from the Volunteer State, starting each affair on his way to 37 tackles (15 of the solo variety) and 5.5 that came behind the line of scrimmage.

In his first home matchup while donning the blue and garnet, Szydlowski blocked a field goal try from Virginia-Lynchburg. He wasn't done causing havoc up front, tying the PC record with two fumble recoveries in the aforementioned Dayton victory (the first time since 2018 that anyone had achieved that feat).

He collected at least six stops against three PFL foes, landing his first Blue Hose sack when facing off with Stetson.

 
The full index of Phil Steele All-PFL players can be viewed below.

 
2024 Phil Steele Preseason All-PFL Teams

 
First Team Offense
QB – Luke Bailey (Drake)
RB – Mari Adams (Davidson)
RB – Hope Adebayo (St. Thomas)
FB – Joey Suchy (Butler)
WR – Ryan Upp (Morehead State)
WR – Dominic Kibby (Presbyterian)
WR – Ja'seem Reed (San Diego)
TE – Worth Warner (Presbyterian)
OL – Alec Rasmussen (St. Thomas)
OL – Ross Palmer (Drake)
OL – Adam Dolan (Butler)
OL – Dylan DeMaison (Dayton)
OL – Malik McDaniel (Davidson)

 
First Team Defense
DL – Finn Claypool (Drake)
DL – Julian Rawlins (Davidson)
DL – Sam Hafner (Valparaiso)
DL – Jack Wardzala (Dayton)
LB – Alex Herriott (Presbyterian)
LB – Aiden McKinley (Dayton)
LB – Andrew Martin (Stetson)
LB – Luke Herzog (St. Thomas)
DB – Nick Bafia (Butler)
DB – Eric Haney (San Diego)
DB – Jihad McCall (Morehead State)
DB – Daniel Carter (Davidson)

 
First Team Special Teams
K – Shane Dunning (Drake)
P – Aydan Corrales (San Diego)
KR – Gavin Lochow (Dayton)
PR – Aaron Maione (Davidson)
AP – Ryan Upp (Morehead State)
LS – Brett Welsing (Drake)

 
Second Team Offense
QB – Coulter Cleland (Davidson)
RB – Mason Sheron (Davidson)
RB – Dorian Boyland (Drake)
FB – Eli Stewart (Drake)
WR – Mitchell January (Drake)
WR – Josh Heverly (San Diego)
WR – Ronnell Johnson (Stetson)
TE – Sam Rodriguez (Drake)
OL – Langston Robinson (St. Thomas)
OL – Kyler Herring (Davidson)
OL – Brock Stanek (St. Thomas)
OL – Jaxsen Spears (Morehead State)
OL – Patch Bennett (Presbyterian)

 
Second Team Defense
DL – Malachi Cooper (San Diego)
DL – Darryn Kindles (Davidson)
DL – Noah Benza (Morehead State)
DL – Nick Jackson (Marist)
LB – Chase Lyons (San Diego)
LB – Jeremiah Jackson (Butler)
LB – Angelo Vokolos (Marist)
LB – Tyson Garrett (Butler)
DB – Nick Murray (San Diego)
DB – Ca'ron Coleman (Dayton)
DB – Brooks Russ-Martin (Presbyterian)
DB – Josh Hong (San Diego)

 
Second Team Special Teams
K – Mack Mikko (Presbyterian)
P – Shane Dunning (Drake)
KR – Eric Haney (San Diego)
PR – Tristian Shannon (Marist)
AP – Tristian Shannon (Marist)
LS – Brady McKnight (Morehead State)

 
Third Team Offense
QB – Carter Cravens (Morehead State)
RB – James Louis (Morehead State)
RB – Ryan Mann (Valparaiso)
FB – Landon Reed (St. Thomas)
WR – Ethan Loss (Butler)
WR – Trey Radocha (Drake)
WR – Luke Wooten (Butler)
TE – Matt Rink (St. Thomas)
OL – Carter Woody (Valparaiso)
OL – Dawson Harrington (Stetson)
OL – Maicah Talavou (San Diego)
OL – Dominic Perricone (Marist)
OL – Jack D'Ambra (San Diego)

 
Third Team Defense
DL – C.J. Warren (St. Thomas)
DL – Jacob Auen (Drake)
DL – Jake Shipla (Drake)
DL – Carter Szydlowski (Presbyterian)
LB – Cam'ron Willis (Davidson)
LB – Sean Allison (Drake)
LB – Tyler Ruscher (Marist)
LB – Luke Bauer (Morehead State)
DB – Cam Cope (Dayton)
DB – Caleb Bowling (Drake)
DB – Nick Hand (St. Thomas)
DB – Max Franco (Valparaiso)

 
Third Team Special Teams
K – Adam Zouagui (Davidson)
P – Kip Warren (Morehead State)
KR – Tristian Shannon (Marist)
PR – Eric Haney (San Diego)
AP – Gavin Lochow (Dayton)
LS – Kevin Spelman (Valparaiso)

 
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Mari Adams (RB, Davidson)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Finn Claypool (DE, Drake)