Holmes Named to Preseason All-Sun Belt Team

New Orleans, La. --- The Sun Belt Conference announced their men's soccer preseason award winners and all-conference team on Wednesday afternoon, where Ryan Holmes landed on the Preseason All-Sun Belt Team as a forward.

Last season's Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year Winner and Second Team All-Sun Belt member, Holmes led the Eagles last season in goals and total points with his ten and 22, respectively. Now a junior, he is just the second Eagle since 2012 to have double-double digit goals in a season and was thew Eagles' first Newcomer of the Year winner since 2019. His hat trick against North Florida last season was the first in eight seasons by and Eagle and just the second to do so in program history in the 21st century.

Along with the preseason awards and team, the coaches' poll was also released, seeing Southern in the eighth spot out of ten teams, with 30 votes received by the Eagles. All preseason awards, team and poll, can be found below.

2025 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Awards

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year:
Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia (Sr., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year:
Takahiro Fujita, Marshall (Jr., Nara, Japan)

Preseason Goalkeeper of the Year:
Sebastian Conlon, Kentucky (Sr., Reston, Va.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
F – Ethan Ballek, South Carolina (Sr., Timnath, Colo.)
F – Marcus Caldeira, West Virginia (Sr., Mississauga, Ontario, Canada)
F – Ryan Holmes, Georgia Southern (Jr., Milton Keys, England)
M – Agustin Lopez, Kentucky (So., Santa Fe, Argentina)
M – Isaac Scheer, West Virginia (So., Charlotte, N.C.)
M – Alexander Stjernegaard, South Carolina (Sr., Rungsted Kyst, Denmark)
M – Alejandro Velazquez-Lopez, South Carolina (So., Knoxville, Tenn.)
D – Takahiro Fujita, Marshall (Jr., Nara, Japan)
D – Carlos Hernando, West Virginia (Grad., Madrid, Spain)
D – Josh Gordon, Kentucky (Jr., Scarborough, Ontario)
GK – Sebastian Conlon, Kentucky (Sr., Reston, Va.)

2025 Sun Belt Conference Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll

1. Marshall (8) – 97
2. West Virginia (2) – 92
3. UCF - 74
4. Kentucky - 67
5. South Carolina - 65
6. James Madison - 48
7. Old Dominion - 36
8. Georgia Southern - 30
9. Georgia State - 24
10. Coastal Carolina - 17

Georgia Southern concludes their exhibition contests Friday evening (August 15th) at 5 PM against Life University. The Eagles commence their regular season away from the nest, as they head to Charlotte to play the 49ers on August 21st at 7 PM.

Schedule

Players Mentioned

Ryan Holmes

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