ORANGEBURG, S.C. — South Carolina State red-shirt junior linebacker Jordan Franklin continues to receive national recognition heading into the 2026 season after earning a spot on the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Third Team and being named to the Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List.

Franklin, a first-team All-MEAC selection in 2025, was among the nation's top Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) players recognized on the prestigious Stats Perform Preseason All-America Team. The 101-player squad features 26 returning postseason All-Americans, including 10 first-team selections, representing all 13 FCS conferences and 53 institutions nationwide.

In addition to his All-America recognition, Franklin was selected to the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List. The award, presented annually, honors the top defensive player in NCAA Division I FCS football. Franklin is one of just 30 players across the country named to this year's watch list.

A cornerstone of South Carolina State's championship defense, Franklin emerged as one of the Bulldogs' top defensive leaders and playmakers during the 2025 campaign. His standout performance helped lead SC State to its second consecutive Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC) championship and the Cricket Wireless HBCU National Championship in Atlanta.

Franklin paced the Bulldogs with 62 total tackles, including 42 solo stops and 20 assisted tackles. He also led the team with 12.0 tackles for loss totaling 52 yards while adding 2.0 sacks for 26 yards. The Waynesboro, Georgia, native tied for the team lead with two interceptions, recorded four pass breakups, forced one fumble and recovered one fumble during the championship season.

Franklin and the defending MEAC champion Bulldogs will open the 2026 season looking to capture a third consecutive conference title while building on one of the nation's top defensive units.

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South Carolina State University is a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I level intercollegiate athletic program. The university currently fields teams in 16 sports: women's golf, women's bowling, women's volleyball, men's and women's tennis, men's and women's cross country, men's and women's basketball, men's and women's indoor track & field, softball, men's and women's outdoor track and field, women's soccer and football with all teams competing in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference (MEAC), except for women's soccer. 
 
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