SPARTANBURG, S.C. — The Southern Conference's coaches tabbed Appalachian State University quarterback Jamal Londry-Jackson as the conference's preseason Offensive Player of the Year, the SoCon office announced on Wednesday at the league's annual football media day.

Londry-Jackson was a first-team all-conference honoree and a finalist for the Walter Payton Award (nation's top NCAA Division I FCS player) as a junior last season. He led the SoCon and ranked seventh nationally last season in both passing yards (3,278) and total offense (3,606 yards). The 3,278 passing yards were just 13 yards shy of the school record of 3,291 set by two-time SoCon Player of the Year and Payton Award winner Armanti Edwards in 2009.

Londry-Jackson headlines eight Mountaineers named to the SoCon's preseason all-conference team. In addition to the senior signal-caller, the league's coaches also voted offensive lineman Kendall Lamm, wide receivers Andrew Peacock and Sean Price, return specialist Tony Washington and defensive lineman Ronald Blair to the first team and defensive back Joel Ross and place-kicker Drew Stewart to the second team.

Appalachian State's six first-team honorees were tops in the conference and its eight overall selections were good for second behind Chattanooga's nine.

In the SoCon's preseason polls, the league's coaches picked Appalachian to finish second behind Georgia Southern while the media voted the Mountaineers third behind Georgia Southern and Wofford. Georgia Southern (57 points, six first-place votes) edged the Mountaineers (51 points, two first-place votes) by six points on the coaches' ballots while Wofford (194 points, four first-place votes) edged App State (190 points, six first-place votes) for second place in the media voting behind GSU (210 points, 15 first-place votes). Appalachian State, Georgia Southern and Wofford shared the 2012 SoCon championship with identical 6-2 conference records.

In their first year of transition to NCAA Division I FBS, Appalachian State and Georgia Southern cannot officially win the SoCon title by virtue of being ineligible for the FCS playoffs. However, both teams will play a full SoCon slate and be listed in the league standings in their final season in the conference before moving to the Sun Belt Conference in 2014.

Appalachian State opens its final FCS and SoCon campaign on Aug. 31 when it plays at fellow longtime FCS-power Montana.