Senior quarterback Cade Brister, who’s coming back from an injury, was one of three QB’s picked for the All-OVC preseason all-conference team. (Photo courtesy: Lindenwood Athletics)
Cedric Williams
Senior Editor
Back in July, the Ohio Valley Conference announced its 2022 Preseason Football All-Conference Team, and three members of the Lindenwood University squad were selected to join the team.
Senior quarterback Cade Brister, senior safety Kai Ross, and senior transfer wide receiver Kobe Smith were the Lindenwood players named to the All-OVC preseason team.
Brister, who is entering his final season at Lindenwood and coming back from an injury that ended his 2021 season early, was one of three QBs named to the team (along with Tennessee State’s Draylen Ellis and Murray State’s D.J. Williams — the 2021 OVC Freshman of the Year).
An O’Fallon, Mo. native, Brister has his name all over Lindenwood’s quarterback record book. In 31 games, as the Fort Zumwalt North High product has thrown for nearly 8,000 yards and 70 touchdowns, while adding more than 1,400 yards and 20 scores on the ground.
After winning the 2019 Great Lakes Valley Conference Offensive Player of the Year award and Lindenwood sitting out the 2020 campaign due to the Covid pandemic, Brister was on track to have another successful season in 2021. He had 1,572 passing yards and 10 passing touchdowns, along with 317 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.
Unfortunately, the LU signal-caller suffered a torn ACL in Week 7 and missed the rest of the season. He’ll be back this year though, and is expected to lead Lindenwood just as he always has.
Ross, who had scholarship offers from several OVC schools coming out of high school, was a unanimous first-team All-GLVC selection last year, after leading the Lions with six interceptions, to go along with 64 tackles and two fumble recoveries.
The 6-foot-2, 205-pound senior and Huntington Beach, Calif. native, was also named a second-team Academic All-American, and has also been drawing the eye of NFL scouts, who think Ross might be a player worth selecting in next year’s draft.
Smith was named to the OVC’s Newcomers to Watch List, after transferring to Lindenwood for the 2022 season.
The talented 6-foot-2, 175-pound wideout from Compton, Calif., spent three seasons at San Diego State, where he hauled in 83 passes for 979 yards and six touchdowns. Smith’s best season came in 2019, when he led the Aztecs with 691 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Lions fans will get their first chance to see Brister, Ross, Smith, and the rest of the entire squad, when Lindenwood opens the 2022 season — the program’s first as a member of NCAA Division I-FCS, on Saturday, September 10, with a road game against Houston Baptist. That game will kickoff at 6 p.m.
Lindenwood’s first home game will come the following week, when the Lions will host Keiser University at Hunter Stadium, on Saturday, September 17. That game will also kickoff at 6 p.m.
| 2022 Lindenwood Lions Football Schedule |
| Sat., September 10 — at Houston Baptist — 6 pm |
| Sat., September 17 — vs. Keiser — 6 pm |
| Sat., September 24 — at Tennessee-Martin — 6 pm |
| Sat., October 1 — vs. Southeast Missouri State — 1 pm |
| Sat., October 8 — at Central Arkansas — 4 pm |
| Sat., October 15 — at Eastern Illinois — 2 pm |
| Sat., October 22 — vs. Murray State — 1 pm |
| Sat., October 29 — vs. William Jewell — 1 pm |
| Sat., November 5 — at Tennessee Tech — 1:30 pm |
| Sat., November 12 — vs. McKendree — 1 pm |
| All Lindenwood home games will be played at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium |