Courtesy of North Carolina A&T State Athletic Communications
GREENSBORO, N.C. – North Carolina A&T State football earned another preseason national ranking, while senior running back Jah-Maine Martin earned another preseason honor on Wednesday.
College Football America Yearbook ranked the Aggies No. 18 going into the 2020 Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) season. The media group also named Martin as a preseason All-American.
The Aggies are coming off a 9-3 season in which they shared the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) title with S.C. State at 6-2. The Aggies defeated the Bulldogs in a head-to-head matchup in Orangeburg, S.C., 22-20, on Nov. 2 to win the tiebreaker and earn another bid to the season-ending Celebration Bowl at Atlanta's Mercedes-Benz Stadium between the MEAC champion and the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC) champion.
N.C. A&T beat Alcorn State, 64-44, on Dec. 21 to win their fourth Celebration Bowl in five years and their third in a row. The Aggies also won their fourth HBCU national title in five years and their third straight.
The Aggies finished the season nationally-ranked for the fifth straight season earning a No. 20 ranking in the FCS STATS media poll and a No. 23 ranking in the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA) coaches' poll.
The Aggies also earned a preseason ranking of 19 from HERO Sports. The Aggies will face the consensus No. 1 team in the nation in North Dakota State, on Sept. 19 in Fargo, N.D.
Martin showed himself to be one of the best running backs in the nation last season. He led the nation in rushing touchdowns (23) and yards per carry (7.73) while rushing for 1,446 yards to lead the MEAC and rank fourth nationally. He broke the Aggies single-season rushing and total touchdown records.
HERO Sports and Athlon Sports also named Martin a preseason All-American. Junior defensive end Jermaine McDaniel also earned preseason All-American honors from HERO Sports. McDaniel led the MEAC in sacks per game (0.75) and was 21st in the nation.
N.C. A&T is scheduled to open the season 6 p.m., Saturday, Sept. 5 at Truist Stadium against the Shaw Bears.