WEST LONG BRANCH, NJ- Monmouth University's football team had 17 players named to the Phil Steele Football 2020 Preseason All-Big South teams, while senior center AJ Farris (Newark, DE/Eastern Christian Academy) was named to Steele's Preseason All-America Fourth Team.
 
Monmouth, which returns eight starters on offense, nine on defense and four specialists, was tied with Kennesaw State for the most preseason selections.
 
The Hawk offense featured seven players, including first team selections Farris, Lonnie Moore IV (Sicklerville, NJ/Paul VI), Gene Scott (Wall, NJ/Wall) and Justin Szuba (Brick, NJ/Brick Memorial). Fifth-year senior offensive lineman Mahmoud Shabana (New York, NY/Brooklyn Tech), wideout Terrance Greene Jr. (Philadelphia, PA/St. Joe's Prep) and Juwon Farri (Germantown, MD/Northwest) all earned second team honors.
 
The defense, touted to be one of the deepest in a number of years, featured Da'Quan Grimes (Gaithersburg, MD/Damascus), Anthony Budd (Riverdale, MD/Good Counsel) and Justin Terry (Brooklyn, NY/Christ the King) as first teamers. Erik Massey (Teanek, NJ/Bergen Catholic) was the lone second team selection while Kahari Scarlett (Bloomfield, CT/Bloomfield) and DeJaun Cooper (Germantown, MD/Northwest) earned third team designations.
 
Eddie Morales (Farmingdale, NJ/Howell) (punt returner) and Kent Vines (Durham, NC/Jordan) were named as second team preseason selections while Lonnie Moore was honored with both third team kickoff returner and all-purpose player.
 
The Big South will release the 2020 Preseason Coaches Poll and the Coaches Preseason All-Big South Team on Tuesday morning prior to the 2020 Virtual Media Day.