Complete OAC Preseason Polls (.pdf)

CANTON, Ohio -- The Baldwin Wallace University football team was picked to finish fifth both by the Ohio Athletic Conference Coaches and the OAC Media poll at the 2015 OAC Football Media Day at the Pro Football Hall of Fame and Museum. BW is coming off of a 5-5 record in 2014.

Click Here to view photo gallery of OAC Football Media Day.

"Every season is a challenge," said 14th-year Yellow Jacket Head Coach John Snell, who enters the season with a career record of 82-50. "Ultimately, we will be judged by how our student-athletes conduct themselves both in the classroom and perform on the football field.

"Our goals at BW never change," said Snell. "Each year we set out to win championships.  Our first goal is to win the prestigious Ohio Athletic Conference title.  Our feeling is that if we can win the OAC title, we have what it takes to win the NCAA Division III national title.

"This season, we need to go out and compete at the highest level each and every week if we want to accomplish our goals," continued Snell, who has 154 student-athletes, 22 lettermen and 10 starters coming to pre-season camp which begins on August 16 in Berea.

Offensively, six starters return, including quarterbacks Tyler Moeglin (Louisville/ St. Thomas Aquinas) and Robbie Plagens (Rocky River), running back Issac Reed III (Lehigh Acres, Fla./ Lehigh), rotating wideouts Tyler Wolf (Fremont Ross) and Mike Waggoner (Stow) and linemen Josh Lane (Rootstown), Anthony Lautanen (Mentor) and Alex Kurtz (Sterling/ Smithville).

Defensively, four starters return, including two-time Academic All-OAC tackle/ end Lawrence Wolfe (Creston/ Norwayne), middle linebacker Tyler Burdorff (Painesville/ Riverside), rotating ends Andy Schultz (North Royalton) and Jake Maurer (Brunswick), outside linebacker John McElfresh (Bradenton, Fla./ Manatee), cornerback Nate Ferster (Olmsted Falls) and safety Theodore Washington (Orlando, Fla./ First Academy).

The special teams Academic All-OAC placekicker/ punter Joe Simonis (Hinckley/ Medina Highland) and Washington on kickoff returns.

BW opens its season on September 12 at Bluffton University at 1:30 p.m. The Yellow Jackets open OAC play on Sept. 19 when they travel to Ada to play Ohio Northern University at 7 p.m. BW opens its home schedule on Saturday, Sept. 26 when it hosts Cleveland cross-town rival John Carroll University in the battle for the Cuyahoga Gold Bowl Trophy on Family & Community Day on Tressel Field at The George Finnie Stadium at 2 p.m.