Cullowhee, N.C. – Western Carolina redshirt senior defensive back Ken Moore Jr. continued to collect preseason honors on Wednesday, earning his second preseason All-America nod with a first-team selection on the 2026 Preseason FCS All-American Team, selected and released by FCS Football Central on SI.
 
The FCS Football Central honor for Moore Jr. accompanies a second-team preseason All-America nod from Stats Perform FCS announced on July 13. At Tuesday's SoCon Football Media Day, the Miami, Fla., native was selected to the first-team All-Southern Conference as a defensive back by the league's head coaches. He also appeared on the preseason watch list for the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award, which is given annually to the nation's top defensive player at the NCAA FCS level.
 
Moore Jr. is the first Catamount to earn a preseason nod from FCS Football Central since QB Cole Gonzales was a second-team preseason All-America honoree ahead of the 2024 season, the publication's first year naming a team in its current organization. Transfer LB Antoine Williams was a third-team preseason defensive selection in 2023 by The Bluebloods, the precursor to the current state.
 
A first-team All-SoCon postseason selection in 2025, Moore Jr. finished sixth on the Catamount squad with 43 total tackles, including 28 solo stops and a career-best 5.5 tackles for loss with a sack. He recorded three of his eight career interceptions last fall, ranking third in the SoCon. Moore returned one of his picks 64 yards for a touchdown against Furman, earning SoCon Defensive  Player of the Week plaudits.
 
Moore Jr. has 96 career tackles over 35 games played both as a cornerback and nickelback in the defensive secondary. His 24 career pass breakups are tied for the sixth-most in program history entering his final season.
 
Moore Jr. was one of five players from The Southern Conference recognized on the FCS Football Central preseason squad this season, including three on the first team and two on the second. WCU's honoree was joined by Furman's Joshua Stoneking on the first-team defense, with VMI punter Ben Shrewsbury named to the first-team on special teams. Tennessee Tech multi-purpose back MJ Flowers was a second-team honoree on offense, while Brayden Smith of Mercer was a second-team all-purpose back honored on second-team special teams.
 
Stoneking was named the SoCon Defensive Player of the Year, while Mercer's Smith was dubbed the conference's top offensive player by the league's head coaches.
 
This year's FCS Football Central on SI preseason All-America team features 83 players representing 11 conferences and 40 schools. Nine players from last year's postseason first-team return on the 2026 preseason listing. Defending champion Montana State leads all teams with 10 selections, followed by UC Davis and South Dakota State with six honorees each.
 
Western Carolina football student-athletes officially report for 2026 fall camp on Wednesday, July 29, with practice opening the following morning, on Thursday, July 30, with the first of two helmet-only practices as part of the acclimation period. WCU opens the season at home, under the lights on Saturday, Aug. 29, by hosting Eastern Kentucky, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.
 
Riding the momentum of three consecutive seven-win seasons – and four straight winning records at season's end – season tickets for the 2026 home schedule remain on sale now through the Catamount Athletics ticket office on the first floor of the Ramsey Center, by phone at (828) 227-2401, and online at CatamountSports.com.
 
Single-game tickets and parking for the 2026 home opener against EKU are on sale now, with the remaining five home dates available for purchase beginning Tuesday, July 28.
 
Keep track of everything related to Catamount football and WCU Athletics through its social media outlets on Facebook (FB.com/CatamountSports, FB.com/WesternCarolinaFootball), Twitter (@catamounts, @CatamountsFB), and Instagram (wcu_catamounts, catamountsfb).
 
Important Dates in Catamount Athletics & Catamount Football:
Tuesday, July 28 – Single-game tickets and parking for remaining five home dates on sale
Tuesday, July 28 – Harris Regional Hospital press conference, 11:30 a.m. (Ramsey Center)
Wednesday, July 29 – Catamount Football student-athletes report for fall camp
Thursday, July 30 – First football 2026 preseason practice (8:30 a.m., helmet only)
Wednesday, Aug. 5 – Women's Soccer Exhibition – vs. Georgia State (CAC, 7 p.m.)
Saturday, Aug. 8 – Women's Soccer Exhibition – vs. Wright State (CAC, 2 p.m.)
Thursday, Aug. 13 – Women's Soccer Season-Opener – vs. Winthrop (CAC, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 14 – WCU Freshman Convocation (Ramsey Center)
Monday, Aug. 17 – First day of classes for the 2026 fall semester – Cullowhee
Friday, Aug. 21 – Volleyball Exhibition – vs. Anderson (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Friday, Aug. 21 – Catamount Shootout Golf Tournament (Marion Lake Club, Nebo, N.C.)
Saturday, Aug. 29 – Catamount Football season-opener vs. Eastern Kentucky (7 p.m.)
Tuesday, Sept. 8 – Volleyball Home Opener – vs. Gardner-Webb (Ramsey Center, 6 p.m.)
Sept. 13-15 – Men's Golf – JT Poston Invitational – (Waynesville Inn & Golf Club)
Friday, Oct. 2 – Bob Waters Memorial Golf Tournament – (Sequoyah  National, Cherokee)