Kearney, Neb. - The Nebraska-Kearney football team has been tabbed in two preseason national polls and four Lopers have been chosen as preseason All-Americans.

UNK, coming off a school-record 11-2 season, is ranked sixth in The Sporting News preseason Top 25.

On TSN's All-American team, junior running back Rustin Dring (Kearney H.S.) is a first-team selection. Lindy's Magazine has UNK ranked 11th in its preseason Top 25 poll with Dring and right tackle Orion Matthies (Overton) each on its 2nd-team All-American list.

Both of those magazines are now available in stores.

Finally, the Consensus Draft Services recently released its 7th annual preseason All-American team and Dring, senior receiver Kyle Kaiser (Broomfield, Colo.) and senior defensive tackle Josh Rohde (Eddyville) each earned honorable mention accolades.

That complete team is available at www.cdsdraft.com.

Despite missing basically two games due to injury, Dring ran for a school-record 1,648 yards last year and 11 TD's. He also caught 25 balls for 183 yards and a score. Matthies, coming in at 6-7 and 335 lbs., is a three-year starter and a 2009 1st-team All-RMAC selection. He joins senior left guard Stephen Goodin as UNK's returners up front.

Kaiser averaged a gaudy 24.1 yards per catch last season and is among the Lopers career leaders in all the major receiving categories. Also a dangerous return man, he has made 102 catches for 2,253 yards and 26 TD's over the last three years. Rohde, from S-E-M High School, earned All-Region honors after making 69 tackles, including 17 for lost yardage

In 2009, UNK won its third RMAC title and beat Saginaw Valley State of Michigan, 35-20, in the first round of the NCAA Division II playoffs. The Lopers begin preparations for the 2010 season on Saturday, August 7th.