SMITHFIELD, R.I. – With the college football season just around the corner, the Bryant University football team saw five of its players named to the 26th annual USA College Football FCS Preseason All-American team, the organization released on Thursday.

Senior wide receiver Chad Ward (Delray Beach, Fla.), senior offensive lineman Abe M'Bodj (North Beach, Md.) and junior offensive lineman George Smith (Thomaston, Conn.) were named to the first team, while junior quarterback Dalton Easton (Miami, Fla.) and senior running back Ricardo McCray (Middletown, R.I.) were second team selections.

Ward is coming off an outstanding junior season in which he set career highs with 46 receptions, 667 receiving yards and five touchdowns. In his career, Ward has 105 passes for 1,432 yards and eight touchdowns.

M'Bodj and Smith anchored Bryant's offensive line last fall and helped the Bulldogs boast one of the top running games in the conference. The Black and Gold averaged 179.9 yards per game on the ground, the most in the NEC.

Easton enjoyed a stellar season in 2014, his first as Bryant's starting signal caller. He started all 11 games, completing 156-of-291 passes for 2,007 yards, 20 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. Easton set a program single game record with five touchdown passes against Saint Francis U. last season.

McCray returns for his final year in Smithfield this fall and is one of the most explosive and dynamic players in the league. Last fall, McCray carried the ball 147 times for 814 yards and 10 touchdowns and also caught 30 passes for 366 yards and four touchdowns. He was also explosive on kick returns, finishing in the top five in the country in kick return average (32.5).

The Bulldogs open the 2015 season on Saturday, Sept. 5 when they host American International at Bulldog Stadium.