Two members of the Miles football team have been named to the preseason All-Southern Intercollegiate Athletic Conference football team, which was released today by the conference office. Junior running back Javonta Leatherwood and sophomore linebacker Carson Pritchett have been named to the squad, which was selected by votes from each football-playing member of the SIAC.

Leatherwood, a running back from Tuscaloosa, Ala., was named to the First Team after an outstanding debut season with the Golden Bears. In 2024, despite serving in a backup role for most of the season, he led the SIAC with 11 rushing touchdowns and 12 total scores. He rushed for 411 yards, which was 10th in the conference, while his 5.3 yards per carry was sixth among qualified runners. Miles led the SIAC in total rushing yards, yards per game, yards per carry and rushing touchdowns last season.

Pritchett, a linebacker from Atlanta, was selected to the Second Team. He began last season as a reserve but found himself in the starting lineup for some the the team's biggest games. He finished the season with 33 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks on one of the top defensive units in the country. Miles finished the season as the leaders of the SIAC in points per game allowed, most sacks, interceptions, fumbles forced and fumbled recovered.

After going 10-3 and winning the SIAC with a perfect 8-0 mark in 2024, the Golden Bears were picked to finish fourth in the preseason SIAC poll behind Albany State, Clark Atlanta, and Tuskegee. Miles enters the 2025 campaign under first-year head coach Chris Goode, who will be tasked with restocking a roster that will see 20 of its 22 starters from last season depart.

The Golden Bears begin their defense of their SIAC title on Aug. 31 when they travel to Canton, Ohio to take on Virginia Union in the Black College Football Hall of Fame Classic.