Steffe, Stewart, represent UMHB Football as ASC Preseason honorees

Samuel Steffe (pictured above) will be one of UMHB’s defensive leaders in 2025 (Photo by Luke Zayas/True To The Cru/@lukezayasphotography)

BELTON — On the same day that UMHB Football received a second Preseason Top 10 national ranking—this time coming in No. 8 in the American Football Coaches Association Preseason Poll—The Cru had a pair of individual players recognized as American Southwest Conference Preseason Players of the Year. 

Headlining a strong secondary that put up gaudy numbers in last fall’s run to the national quarterfinals, cornerback Samuel Steffe was recognized as the ASC’s Tri-Defensive Player of the Year, honored alongside HSU’s Kaiden Roden and ETBU’s Dominick Williams. 

Steffe, a senior who transferred in from D2 Southwest Baptist prior to last season, comes off an All-Region campaign in which he broke up four passes and tallied 34 solo tackles, the second-most on the team behind AP All-American Durand Hill. That included four solo tackles in the upset over Linfield, the same game in which he recovered a second quarter fumble that set up UMHB’s offense for its second touchdown of the quarter. The Cru went on to win 28-18. 

In a unique occurrence, a player who has not yet suited up for The Cru garnered conference preseason honors, as B.J. Stewart, an impact transfer from Trinity University (TX), was selected as the ASC’s Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.

Stewart’s three seasons at Trinity from 2021-2023 featured numerous national accolades for the Shreveport, Louisiana native. In 2022, he ranked in the Top 10 in Division III in both kick return average (31.5 yds/return) and punt return average (17.5 yds/return), earning him an All-America honor from D3football.com, in addition to being named the SAA Special Teams Player of the Year. During that season, he returned three punts for touchdowns and did the same on a 97-yard kick return against Texas Lutheran. 

Stewart also brings a tremendous pedigree at wide receiver to the table, something that will no doubt add depth to a unit that lost several contributors following last season. As a sophomore in 2022, Stewart tallied 43 receptions, the second-most on the team, for 478 yards and three touchdowns. He added six catches for 47 yards in just two games in 2023, including three in the season-opener against UMHB.

The ASC Preseason poll didn’t feature any surprises, and as typical, followed the exact order of the 2024 standings: Hardin-Simmons, UMHB, ETBU, Howard Payne. That came even after UMHB beat HSU in Abilene in the second round of the NCAA playoffs last fall, though HSU went 2-0 against The Cru during the regular season. It was close at the top, with HSU edging UMHB by only two points, 29-27. The Cowboys picked up five first-place votes, while The Cru earned three. League head coaches and sports information directors had one vote each in the poll. 

2025 ASC Football Preseason Poll (Per the ASC’s news release)