RICHMOND, Va. – For the first time in program history a Stony Brook student-athlete has been named CAA Football Preseason Offensive Player of the Year as redshirt senior running back Ty Son Lawton takes home the honor for the Seawolves. Additionally, Lawton, graduate offensive lineman Kyle Nunez, and redshirt sophomore linebacker Tyler King were selected to the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team.
 
After being selected to the prestigious East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 List earlier in the month, Lawton is the first member of the Stony Brook football program to earn a CAA Football Preseason Player of the Year honor. The conference annually selects a Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year.
 
Lawton finished the 2021 season as the CAA's leading rusher with 1,088 yards on 216 carries and was tabbed to the All-CAA First Team. His 1,088 rushing yards were the 10^th-most in a single-season in program history and the most since Donald Liotine ran for 1,148 yards in 2018.
 
The running back led the league in rushing yards per game with 98.9 and was second in rushing touchdowns with 10. At the conclusion of the regular season, he ranked ninth in all of NCAA FCS in rushing, 11^th in rushing yards per game, and tied for 24^th in rushing touchdowns.
 
Lawton ran for a career-high 192 yards and two touchdowns vs. Delaware on October 16, 2021. In that game he registered a 99-yard touchdown run, which was the longest play from scrimmage in program history, tied for the longest play in CAA history, tied for the longest rush in all of FCS, and tied for the longest play from scrimmage in all of FCS last season.
 
Nunez has been a staple on the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team as this is the third year in a row that he has earned the recognition. Last season, he helped lead the Seawolves to 10 100-plus yard rushing performances and as a result was selected to the All-CAA Second Team. The Seawolves ran for 200 yards or more in three games in 2021 and racked up a season-high 321 rushing yards in the 36-14 win over UAlbany to reclaim the Golden Apple in the season finale.
 
He has been tabbed to an All-CAA team four years in a row and last season marked the third time that he claimed Second Team honors. Nunez helped the running game average 176.1 yards per game, the second-most in the CAA last season and the Seawolves rushed for 19 touchdowns as a team, which were tied for the second-most in the conference.
 
King adds the Preseason All-Conference accolade to his mantel as he is coming off of a season in which he was named a Phil Steele Freshman All-American, HERO Sports Freshman All-American, earned All-CAA Second Team honors, and was one of 23 finalists for the 2021 Stats Perform FCS Jerry Rice Award, which was presented to the national FCS freshman player of the year.
 
The linebacker registered 95 tackles (50 solo, 45 assists), 12.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, one interception, and one forced fumble in 11 games. King led all CAA rookies in total tackles and ranked sixth overall. His 50 solo tackles were the second-most in the conference last season.
 
The CAA also released the 2022 predicted order of finish as voted on by league head coaches and media relations directors. Stony Brook was picked to finish seventh and registered 151 points in the poll.
 
1. Villanova – (16 first-place votes) – 270
2. Delaware – (7 first-place votes) – 235
3. Rhode Island – 224
4. Richmond – 219
5. William & Mary – (2 first-place votes) – 206
6. Elon – (1 first-place vote) – 191
7. Stony Brook – 151
8. Maine – 134
9. New Hampshire – 117
10. Monmouth – 105
11. Towson – 81
12. UAlbany – 64
13. Hampton – 31
 
The Seawolves are set to kick-off the 2022 season on Thursday, September 1, at 7 p.m., against Rhode Island at LaValle Stadium. Tickets are on sale now to be a part of the action on Long Island.
 
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