NORFOLK, Va. – Seven North Carolina Central University Eagles were named to the 2019 Preseason All-MEAC Football Teams, the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference announced on Friday from its annual football media day and luncheon in Norfolk, Virginia.
 
NCCU junior running back Isaiah Totten, redshirt senior defensive lineman Darius Royster, and senior defensive lineman Kawuan Cox were voted to the Preseason All-MEAC First Team.
 
Redshirt junior offensive lineman Andrew Dale was selected to the Preseason All-MEAC Second Team, while redshirt sophomore center Somadina Okezie-Okeke, sophomore offensive lineman Ricky Lee and junior linebacker Branden Bailey received Preseason All-MEAC Third Team honors.
 
Totten (Apex, N.C.) ranked third in the conference in rushing with 768 yards and seven touchdowns in 2018, averaging 5.5 yards per carry to earn All-MEAC First Team recognition. In two seasons, he has amassed 1,486 rushing yards to rank 15th on NCCU's career rushing list, averaging 5.63 yards per carry with 12 career rushing touchdowns.
 
Royster (Chesapeake, Va.) led the MEAC and ranked ninth in the nation (FCS) with four forced fumbles a year ago, tied for second in the conference and ranked 15th in the nation with a team-high 17.0 tackles for a loss, and tied for fifth in the league with a team-best 5.0 sacks. The 2018 All-MEAC Third Team pick finished third on the squad with 58 total takedowns, 39 of which were unassisted. He broke the school record for most tackles for loss in a game with 6.0 TFL versus Prairie View A&M in the MEAC/SWAC Challenge, while adding 5.0 stops for a loss at S.C. State.
 
Cox (Summerville, S.C.) tied for sixth in the conference with 4.5 sacks, to go along with 6.5 stops for a loss, 26 total tackles and a forced fumble as a Third Team All-MEAC honoree last season.
 
Dale (Morehead City, N.C.) started seven games on the offensive front last season before being sidelined with an injury.
 
Okezie-Okeke (Woodstock, Ga.) started all 11 games in his first college season as a center, grading out at 85 percent of his blocking assignments with five pancake blocks.
 
Lee (Jacksonville, Fla.) started all 11 games at right tackle as a true freshman, grading out at 83 percent of his blocking assignments with three pancake blocks.
 
Bailey (Deerfield Beach, Fla.) ranked fourth on the team with 51 tackles, including 6.5 hits for a loss with a solo sack, two pass break-ups and two forced fumbles.
 
For a complete list of the 2019 Preseason All-MEAC Football Teams, visit MEACsports.com.
 
Predicted Order of Finish
 
The MEAC also announced its predicted order of finish for the 2019 football season, as voted by the conference's head football coaches and sports information directors.
 
After finishing sixth in the MEAC standings last season with a conference record of 3-4 and an overall mark of 5-6, NCCU is predicted to finish fifth this year. The Eagles are positioned behind Howard, Florida A&M, Bethune-Cookman and North Carolina A&T, but ahead of South Carolina State, Norfolk State, Morgan State and Delaware State.
 
Here is the MEAC predicted order of finish for 2019 (first-place votes in parentheses):
 
1.            North Carolina A&T State (12)
2.            Bethune-Cookman (1)
3.            Florida A&M (2)
4.            Howard
5.            North Carolina Central (1)
6.            South Carolina State
7.            Norfolk State (1)
8.            Morgan State (1)
9.            Delaware State