Seven members of the Holy Cross football team earned Preseason All-Patriot League honors, the conference announced on Tuesday, July 27.

On offense, junior wide receiver Ayir Asante, senior offensive lineman Nick Olsofka and senior placekicker Derek Ng earned spots on the preseason squad. Defensively, senior defensive lineman Benton Whitley, junior linebacker Jacob Dobbs, senior defensive back John Smith and junior punter Patrick Haughney were selected to the team.

Holy Cross was also selected as the preseason favorite to win the Patriot League, earning 11 first-place votes. The two-time defending conference champions earned 71 points in the poll, finishing ahead of second-place Fordham (three first-place votes, 63 points).

All seven of Holy Cross' preseason selections were All-Patriot League honorees during the Spring 2021 season.

Asante earned second team honors for the second straight season during Spring 2021, scoring a touchdown in the Crusaders' season opener at Lehigh, with 34 receiving yards in that game. As a freshman, he also earned an honorable mention Freshman All-America nod from HERO Sports, and saw action in all 13 games with eight starts, leading the team with 48 receptions for 697 yards and six touchdowns.

A second team selection in the spring, Olsofka started all four games for the Crusaders at center. He helped anchor the Crusaders' strong offensive line, as Holy Cross averaged 22.5 points per game and 178.5 rushing yards per contest.

Ng, who was an All-Patriot League first team honoree during the spring, went 10-for-10 on extra points during the campaign while also making six field goals, including a program-record 51-yard field goal in the team's Spring 2021 season opener against Lehigh. He ranks seventh in program history with 23 career field goals made.

Whitley is a two-time All-Patriot League first team selection. This past spring, he started all four games for Holy Cross at defensive end, totaling 12 tackles, including five solo tackles, and a pair of sacks. During his career, he has totaled 62 tackles and 10 sacks.

Dobbs, a two-time All-Patriot League honoree, started all four games at linebacker for Holy Cross in the spring. Last season, he led the conference with 41 total tackles, including 25 solo tackles; throughout his career, he has totaled 134 tackles, seven sacks and four interceptions. He was selected as a HERO Sports Freshman All-American in 2019 and a Sophomore All-American during the Spring 2021 season.

Smith was an All-Patriot League first team selection during the spring; he tallied 14 tackles and three interceptions in four starts this season. He was named the Patriot League Championship Game MVP in the Crusaders' 33-10 victory over Bucknell after recording four tackles, an interception with a 58-yard return, and two pass breakups. He has 99 career tackles and seven career interceptions.

Haughney, a second team honoree during the spring, totaled 773 yards on 17 punts for an average of 43 yards per punt during the season. His longest punt of the year, 65 yards, came against Fordham.

Voting for the Preseason All-Patriot League Football Team, the offensive and defensive player of the year, and preseason poll was completed by Patriot League football head coaches and sports information directors from the seven League schools. They cannot vote for their team or student-athletes.

Holy Cross will begin its season on Sept. 4 at the University of Connecticut.

2021 Patriot League Football Preseason Poll
Holy Cross (11 first-place votes), 71
Fordham (3), 63
Lafayette, 44
Lehigh, 35
Bucknell, 30
Georgetown, 28
Colgate, 23
 
2021 Patriot League Football Preseason All-League Team
 
OFFENSE (16)*
QB: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr.
RB: Trey Sneed, Fordham, Sr.
RB: Zach Davis, Fordham, Sr.
WR: Dequece Carter, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Fotis Kokosioulis, Fordham, Jr.
WR: Ayir Asante, Holy Cross, Jr.
TE: Steven Stilianos, Lafayette, Sr.
FB/HB: Mason Gilbert, Lafayette, So.
OL: Jayvion Queen, Colgate, Sr.
OL: Nick Zakelj, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Phil Saleh, Fordham, Sr.
OL: Nick Olsofka, Holy Cross, Sr.
OL: Gavin Barclay, Lafayette, Sr.
PK: Derek Ng, Holy Cross, Sr.
RS: Coleman Bennett, Bucknell, So.
RS: Will Gruber, Colgate, Sr.
 
DEFENSE (15)*
DL: Benton Whitley, Holy Cross, Sr.
DL: Malik Hamm, Lafayette, Sr.
DL: John Coste, Fordham, Sr.
DL: Damon Washington, Lafayette, Jr.
LB: Jacob Dobbs, Holy Cross, Jr.
LB: Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Sr.
LB: Milton Braasch II, Colgate, Sr.
LB: Marco Olivas, Lafayette, Jr.
DB: John Smith, Holy Cross, Sr.
DB: Stephen Williams, Fordham, Jr.
DB: Collin Heard, Colgate, Sr.
DB: Gavin Pringle, Bucknell, Jr.
P: Patrick Haughney, Holy Cross, Jr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist: Palmer Nix, Georgetown, Sr.
Special Teams Non-Specialist: Jack Bush, Lehigh, Jr.
 
2021 Patriot League Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Tim DeMorat, Fordham, Sr., QB, Merritt Island, Fla./Viera
2021 Patriot League Football Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Ryan Greenhagen, Fordham, Sr., LB, Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII
 
*Additional return specialist and special teams non-specialist selected due to a tie in the voting