2026 LSC FB preseason poll

Football

Sul Ross State Represented at 2026 Lone Star Conference Football Media Day

MCKINNEY, Texas – Sul Ross State University was well represented Thursday at the 2026 Lone Star Conference Football Media Day, held at the McKinney ISD Stadium Community Event Center. The annual event provided coaches and student-athletes from across the conference an opportunity to discuss the upcoming season while giving fans and media an early look at the 2026 campaign.

The annual event brought together all 10 Lone Star Conference football programs to officially kick off the 2026 season. Head coaches and student-athlete representatives met with conference officials and media members while participating in interviews, preseason discussions, and the announcement of the conference's preseason poll, Players to Watch list, and preseason awards. The event was emceed by Dave Campbell's Texas Football Managing Editor Greg Tepper and featured remarks from Lone Star Conference Commissioner Jay Poerner.

Representing Sul Ross State at the annual event were second-year head coach Lee Hays, sophomore running back Diego Oaxaca, and sophomore linebacker Emmanuel Osom. Oaxaca and Osom were selected as the Lobos' preseason Players to Watch and joined coaches and student-athletes from across the conference in representing Sul Ross State ahead of the 2026 season.

Sul Ross State was picked to finish 10th in the 2026 Lone Star Conference Football Preseason Poll with 35 points. Central Washington was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Western Oregon in second and West Texas A&M in third.

The conference also announced its major preseason award winners during Media Day. Western Oregon senior quarterback Jordan McCarty was named the 2026 Lone Star Conference Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while Central Washington senior linebacker Brycen Indell earned 2026 Lone Star Conference Preseason Defensive Player of the Year honors.

As of July 10, 2026, Sul Ross State is officially a full NCAA Division II member and full participant in the Lone Star Conference after successfully completing the NCAA's three-year provisional membership process.
 
2026 Lone Star Conference Football Preseason Poll
Rank Team First-Place Votes Total Points
1 Central Washington 16 276
2 Western Oregon 9 247
3 West Texas A&M 1 217
4 Angelo State 1 215
5 UT Permian Basin 2 203
6 Texas A&M-Kingsville — 162
7 Eastern New Mexico 1 125
8 Midwestern State — 112
9 Western New Mexico — 58
10 Sul Ross State — 35

 
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Players Mentioned

Emmanuel Osom

#0 Emmanuel Osom

LB
6' 2"
Sophomore

Players Mentioned

Emmanuel Osom

#0 Emmanuel Osom

6' 2"
Sophomore
LB