If the members of the Elon football team need any extra motivation heading into the 2021 season all they have to do is turn their attention to the Colonial Athletic Association’s Preseason Poll. 

After finishing with a 1-5 record during an injury-plagued spring season, Elon was picked to finish 12th in the 12-team league. It’s the first time the Phoenix were picked at the bottom of the poll since 2015.

“You can’t pay attention to preseason rankings,” said Elon quarterback Davis Cheek, who missed the entire spring season following his second ACL surgery in three years. “At the end of the day it doesn’t matter. It’s not going to affect how we train, prepare, do anything in the summer. We’re going to go play the first game with everything we’ve got. … I think that we’re a really good football team, and we’ve got a lot to prove.”

Elon coach Tony Trisciani said the team’s injury situation allowed him to give many younger players game experience during the spring season, but that it was difficult for the team -- especially the offense -- to improve significantly from week to week.

“The juggling of personnel and the depth during the spring was not good for us,” he said. “We’ve got talented players. We need to get better at what we do and be more consistent with that group (offense).

“We’ve been a team that’s been competing in the CAA and finished over .500 the last three years prior to this spring season, so I’m confident with where we’re at and our ability to compete and push our program this fall.”

Defense

Defensive lineman Tristen Cox, a senior, junior linebacker Devonte Chandler and junior defensive back Cole Coleman are among the players Elon will build around on defense. 

Cox was named Elon’s Most Valuable Player following the spring season, when he started all six games at nose tackle. He’s a four-year starter with 102 career tackles, including 10 tackles for loss.

Chandler recorded 28 tackles in four games during the spring, and has been productive throughout his college career. He enters the fall season with 73 tackles (3.5 sacks) in 21 games.

Like Cheek, Coleman was an honorable mention pick on the CAA Preseason All-Conference Team. Coleman has 175 tackles since joining the program.

“The areas where we’re strong … you look at our defensive line and it’s a veteran group with Torrence Williams and Tristen Cox -- and Marvin Pearson played a lot of snaps,” Trisciani said. “I expect those guys to be disruptive.” 

Offense

Elon was not only without Cheek for the spring season, the Phoenix also played without backup QB Joey Baughman after Baughman suffered a leg injury during the second game of the spring.

The good news is Cheek is back, and he gives Elon one of the most experienced and talented QBs in the CAA. Cheek has 29 career starts (17 wins) and enters the fall ranked 10th among active FCS quarterbacks in career passing yards (5,624). He’s thrown 34 TD passes and has a 60 percent completion rate.

One of Cheek’s top targets will likely be tight end Donovan Williams, a graduate transfer from UConn who caught 12 passes for 125 yards and a TD in four games during the spring before he missed the final two games with an injury.

Elon will need more from its running game, which averaged 3.0 yards per carry in its six spring games. The Phoenix lost three four-year starters on the offensive line following the 2019 season, and used three freshmen on the line in the spring.

“When you take Davis Cheek out of the mix and his ability to distribute the ball around the perimeter in an RPO offense like we are, it makes it easier for people to load the box,” Trisciani said. “I expect to see some significant growth from our group up front.”

Special Teams

This unit should be among the team strengths. Sophomore safety Tre’Von Jones was selected to the Preseason All-Conference Team as a kick returner. He had 165 return yards during the spring, which ranked second in the CAA. In addition, Jones led the team with 46 tackles in the spring.

Elon also has a reliable place-kicker in Skyler Davis, a junior who has made 34 of his 46 field goal attempts, and 74 of 75 PATs during his college career. His longest field goal is from 50 yards.

Schedule

Sept. 4 vs. Wofford (2 p.m.)

Sept. 11 at Campbell (6 p.m.)

Sept. 18 at Appalachian State (3:30 p.m.)

Sept. 25 vs. William & Mary (2 p.m.)

Oct. 2 at Richmond (2 p.m.)

Oct. 9 at Maine (noon)

Oct. 23 vs. New Hampshire (2 p.m.)

Oct. 30 at James Madison (2 p.m.)

Nov. 6 vs. Villanova (2 p.m.)

Nov. 13 at Towson (2 p.m.)

Nov. 20 vs. Rhode Island (2 p.m.)