SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – Sporting News has named Slippery Rock University football players Marcus Martin and Joe LoSchiavo as Preseason All-Americans and has ranked The Rock No. 9 in the Division II Preseason Rankings listed in the annual college football preview issue of the magazine that is on newstands now.
 
This marks the second straight year Slippery Rock has been ranked No. 9 by Sporting News in the preseason poll. It is also the second straight Preseason All-America recognition for Martin by the publication and is the first for LoSchiavo.
 
The Rock are one of five teams in Super Region One to appear in the Sporting News preseason poll and are one of three teams from the Pennsylvania State Athletic Conference. Indiana (Pa.) is the highest ranked team from the region at No. 4. Shepherd, last year's national runner-up that defeated both Indiana and Slippery Rock in back-to-back rounds in the playoffs, is ranked No. 5.
 
Slippery Rock is ranked No. 9 to round out three Super Region One teams in the top 10. California (Pa.) is ranked 18th and Assumption, which lost to Slippery Rock in the second round of the NCAA playoffs last year, is ranked 25th.
 
Martin will enter his redshirt junior season this fall needing just one sack to break the all-time career sack record at Slippery Rock. The reigning PSAC Western Division and Super Region One Defensive Player of the Year, Martin opened the first two years of his career on a pace that has never been equaled at any level of college football. He has recorded 31.5 sacks in just two seasons and leads all players in the nation at 1.21 sacks per game. He was named the PSAC West and Super Region One Freshman of the Year two years ago and has been named to a total of eight All-America honors in his career so far.
 
He will anchor a defensive unit that returns most of its starters after leading the nation in takeaways and ranking second against the run in 2015.
 
LoSchiavo earns his first Preseason All-America honor after a stellar junior campaign last fall in which he anchored one of the best offensive lines in the nation from the center position. LoSchiavo, who is garnering looks from professional scouts at the guard position, could see a change in position for The Rock in 2016.
 
He is coming off a year in which he earned multiple All-Region honors after helping The Rock to some of the best offensive numbers in the country. Slippery Rock finished the 2015 season with the highest scoring offense in the nation, averaging 45.2 points per game. The Rock had the most first downs (351) of any team in the nation, the fifth best total offense in the nation at 490.3 yards per game and the 12th best rushing offense at 257.7 yards per game.
 
Slippery Rock's offense shattered multiple single-season school records this fall, including rushing yards (3,608), rushing attempts (741), rushing TDs (46), total offense (6,864), all-purpose yardage (8,599), scoring (633 points) and total TDs (87).
 
The Rock finished the 2015 season with a 12-2 overall record, matching the best in school history. Slippery Rock won its second straight PSAC overall title, its third straight PSAC West title and its fourth PSAC West title in the last five years. The team finished the year ranked No. 7 in the American Football Coaches Association's national rankings.
 
Slippery Rock will officially open the 2016 season Sept. 3 at home against the University of New Haven. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.
 
Below is a look at the Sporting News preseason rankings, what the publication had to say about the PSAC teams and a look at the Preseason All-America teams.
 
 
SPORTING NEWS PRESEASON NATIONAL RANKINGS

1. Northwest Missouri State
2. Grand Valley State
3. West Georgia
4. Indiana (Pa.)
5. Shepherd
6. Colorado School of Mines
7. Humboldt State
8. Ashland
9. SLIPPERY ROCK
10. Indianapolis
11. Colorado State Pueblo
12. Henderson State
13. Tuskegee
14. North Alabama
15. Catawba
16. Minnesota State
17. Ferris State
18. California (Pa.)
19. Bemidji State
20. Midwestern State
21. Florida Tech
22. Colorado Mesa
23. Augustana
24. Emporia State
25. Assumption
 
WHAT SPORTING NEWS SAYS
 
INDIANA: "With 21 returning full-time or part-time starters, Indiana (9-3) is the team to beat in the PSAC. The Crimson Hawks' three losses in 2015 were by a total of six points, and they return sophomore Lenny Williams, a QB who rushed for 1,229 yards and 12 TDs last season, and running back Chris Temple (1,212 yards, 17 TDs).
 
SLIPPERY ROCK: "For the first time in 28 years, Slippery Rock (12-2) will have a new face on the sidelines after the retirement of longtime head coach George Mihalik. Shawn Lutz, who spent the past 20 years on staff as a defensive coordinator (edit: not accurate… Lutz has been on the staff for 20 years, but only served the last 10 as DC), takes over for Mihalik and inherits seven starters from a defense that led the nation in takeaways. On offense, Shamar Greene returns after rushing for 1,545 yards and 14 TDs."
 
CALIFORNIA: " New coach Gary Dunn comes to California (8-3) after a stint as offensive coordinator at Duquesne. He inherits 15 returning starters, including 6-0, 220-pound running back John Franklin III (17 rushing TDs) and 1,000-yard wide receiver Garry Brown."
 
 
PRESEASON ALL-AMERICA TEAM
 
OFFENSE
QB – Justin Dvorak (Colorado Mines)
RB – Ja'Quan Gardner (Humboldt State)
RB – Austin Ekeler (Western State)
OL – Jake Daugherty (Ferris State)
OL – Joe LoSchiavo (SLIPPERY ROCK)
OL – Stephen Evans (North Alabama)
OL – Ethan Cooper (Indiana, Pa.)
OL – Jordan Morgan (Kutztown)
TE – Kenny Johnston (Florida Tech)
WR – Billy Brown (Shepherd)
WR – Matt Williams (Grand Valley State)
 
DEFENSE
DL – Collin Bevins (Northwest Missouri State)
DL – Marcus Martin (SLIPPERY ROCK)
DL – Dylan Donahue (West Georgia)
DL – Richard Nase Jr. (Shippensburg)
LB – Connor Harris (Lindenwood)
LB – Kyle Kitchens (Catawba)
LB – Jordan Herdman (Simon Fraser)
DB – Carlo Thomas (Johnson C. Smith)
DB – Kevin Berg (Northwest Missouri State)
DB – Aaron Terry (California, Pa.)
DB – Jonah McCutcheon (Tuskegee)
 
SPECIALISTS
K – Austin Morton (Emporia State)
P – Brett Benes (Charleston)