BALTIMORE, MD - The Johns Hopkins football team has earned a pair of preseason national rankings heading into the 2017 season as the Blue Jays are ranked fifth by Lindy's and 12th by Street & Smith's. The number five preseason ranking from Lindy's is the highest in program history.

In addition to the team rankings, the Blue Jays also placed junior offensive tackle Cameron Little on the Lindy's preseason All-America Second Team.

Johns Hopkins posted an 11-1 record, won an eighth consecutive Centennial Conference title and advanced to the second round of the NCAA Playoffs for the fourth time in the last five years in 2016. The 11 wins tied the school single-season record and the Blue Jays ended the 2016 season ranked ninth by the AFCA and 11th by D3football.com.

Little emerged as the one of the top young tackles in the nation as a sophomore in 2016. He earned Second Team CoSIDA Academic All-America, Third Team D3football.com All-South and First team All-Centennial Conference honors in his first season as a starter. With Little helping guide an offensive line that featured four new starters, the Blue Jays averaged 41.4 points and a school-record 510.1 yards per game last season.

Johns Hopkins will open the 2017 season on Friday, September 1 when the Blue Jays travel to Washington & Lee (7 pm).

2017 Street & Smith's Division III Preseason Top 15
1. Mount Union (OH) (12-2)
2. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (15-0)
3. Wisconsin-Whiteater (12-1)
4. St. Thomas (MN) (12-1)
5. Wisconsin-Oshkosh (13-2)
6. North Central (IL) (11-1)
7. John Carroll (OH) (12-2)
8. Saint John's (MN) (10-2)
9. Linfield (OR) (9-2)
10. Wheaton (IL) (11-2)
11. Washington & Jefferson (9-2)
12. Johns Hopkins (11-1)
13. Wesley (DE) (9-3)
14. Hardin-Simmons (TX) (9-2)
15. Frostburg St. (MD) (10-1)

2017 Lindy's Division III Preseason Top 10
1. Mary Hardin-Baylor (TX) (15-0)
2. Mount Union (OH) (12-2)
3. St. Thomas (MN) (12-1)
4. Saint John's (MN) (10-2)
5. Johns Hopkins (11-1)
6. Linfield (OR) (9-2)
7. John Carroll (OH) (12-2)
8. Wesley (DE) (9-3)
9. Alfred (NY) (12-1)
10. Stevenson (MD) (9-2)

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