2023 Football Roster
Roster
Preston Jr., Shawn

Jersey Number 7
Shawn Preston Jr.
- Position:
- S
- Height:
- 6-0
- Weight:
- 205
- Class:
- Graduate Student
- Hometown:
- St. James, La.
- High School/Previous School:
- St. James HS
Bio
Career Honors
2024 Hula Bowl
2023 Phil Steele All-SEC (Fourth Team)
2023 PFF Team of the Week: Overall Defensive Grade of 90.7 (Week 8 at Arkansas)
Career Notes & Records
Appeared in 54 career games, making 26 starts … 206 career tackles and 17 career pass deflections ... five career interceptions with two career fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles … Career-best 65 tackles during the 2020 season.
2023 (Graduate Season)
Appeared in 12 games with 11 starts … Recorded 59 tackle, 23 solo and 36 assisted … Forced two fumbles while recovering one … Career-best three interceptions with three pass breakups … According to PFF, earned a career-best coverage grade of 82.3 and a career-best defensive grade of 81.1 … PFF defensive grade ranked sixth in the SEC among safeties while his coverage grade ranked seventh ... SE Louisiana (9/2): Notched a trio of tackles … Arizona (9/9): Recorded multiple career-highs in tackles for loss (2.0) and forced fumbles (1) … Picked off a pass … Had one quarterback hurry … LSU (9/16): Had six tackles … at South Carolina (9/23): Forced a fumble in opponent territory … Finished with four stops … Alabama (9/30): Tallied seven tackles including one for a loss … Western Michigan (10/7): Picked off a pass in the fourth quarter … Had six tackles including a split tackle for loss … at Arkansas (10/21): Recorded an interception for the second straight game ... Recovered a fumble … Had a pass breakup and a tackle for loss as well … at Auburn (10/28): Made five tackles ... fifth game this season with at least five tackles … Kentucky (11/4): Totaled three tackles … at Texas A&M (11/11): Notched four tackles … Southern Miss (11/18): Had three tackles including a split tackle for loss … Ole Miss (11/23): Broke up a pair of passes for the third time in his career … Had eight tackles.
2022 (Senior Season)
Appeared in 13 games with four starts ... Finished with 27 tackles including two tackles for loss ... Had one interception, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery ... Memphis (9/3): Tallied one tackle and a fumble recovery in State’s season-opening win over Memphis ... at LSU(9/17): Totaled one tackle ... Bowling Green (9/24): Had an interception and returned in 20 yards ... Also logged a pair of tackles ... Texas A&M (10/1): Made three stops against the Aggies ... at Alabama (10/22): Had five tackles including one for a loss ... Logged two pass breakups as well ... Auburn (11/5): Set a season-high with six tackles including one tackle for loss ... Georgia (11/12): Recorded a pair of tackles ... ETSU (11/19): Logged two tackles ... vs. Illinois (1/2): Made four stops.
2021 (Junior Season)
Appeared in 11 games while making four starts ... Totaled 29 tackles and one interception on the year ... Louisiana Tech (9/4): Tallied three tackles, including one solo stop, in the season-opening win over the visiting Bulldogs ... Kentucky (10/30): Finished the game with four tackles, two solo and two assisted ... Came down with an interception on the night that was one of three Bulldog interceptions on the night ... at Arkansas (11/06): Tallied nine tackles during the game ... Part of a defense that had six tackles for loss and four sacks ... Tennessee State (11/20): Registered seven total tackles, including three solo stops, and a pass break-up in the win ... Ole Miss (11/25): Tallied two solo tackles in the Egg Bowl.
2020 (Sophomore Season)
Appeared in 10 games with six starts ... Registered 65 total tackles on the season, including 35 solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and four pass break-ups ... at LSU (9/26): Finished with a career-best 11 tackles to lead the team ... All 11 tackles came in the second half ... Arkansas (10/3): Posted five tackles ... Logged his first career tackle for loss ... Texas A&M (10/17): Recorded three tackles and one pass break-up ... Owned the team's top coverage grade (78.9), according to PFF ... at Alabama (10/31): Totaled seven tackles ... Combined with Landon Guidry on a fourth-quarter tackle for loss ... Vanderbilt (11/7): Finished with four tackles, all in the first half ... at Georgia (11/21): Recorded five tackles, including one and a half for loss ... Part of a defense that tallied 11 tackles for loss ... Helped hold Georgia to eight yards rushing, the fewest yards allowed by State in an SEC game since at least 2006 ... at Ole Miss (11/28): Totaled a game-high 12 tackles ... Eight of 12 tackles were solo ... Auburn (12/12): Logged six stops ... Added two pass breakups ... Missouri (12/19): Chipped in five tackles ... vs. Tulsa (12/31): Had seven tackles ... Six of his seven stops were solo ... Added one pass break-up.
2019 (Redshirt Freshman Season)
Appeared in seven games with one start … Recorded 25 tackles and two pass break-ups … Logged first career start against Abilene Christian (11/23) ... at No. 7 Auburn (9/28): Totaled three tackles – all solo … Had one pass break-up ... No. 2 LSU (10/19): Made five stops ... at Texas A&M (10/26): Posted five tackles – four solo ... No. 5 Alabama (11/16): Chipped in four tackles ... Abilene Christian (11/23): Made first career start … Notched a season-high eight tackles and one pass break-up.
2018 (True Freshman Season)
Appeared in one game … Redshirted his initial year with the program ... Stephen F. Austin (9/1): Made collegiate debut … Recorded one solo stop.
High School
Prepped at St. James High School under head coach Robert Valdez … Consensus Three-star prospect … Ranked No. 38 prospect in Louisiana, regardless of position, by 247Sports … Led the Wildcats to an 9-4 record and the third round of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 3A playoffs as a senior … Appeared on ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown’s “You Got Mossed” segment hosted by NFL veteran Randy Moss after a one-handed touchdown catch in St. James’ playoff win over Madison Prep Academy … As a senior, made 78 tackles with 18.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions … Returned one interception for a touchdown … As a junior, totaled 45 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five pass break-ups … Scored two defensive touchdowns … Committed to MSU on July 7, 2017.
Personal
Born Shawn David Preston Jr. on Dec. 22, 1999 … Son of Lori and Shawn Preston Sr. … Has one younger brother: Shazz … Brother, Shazz, plays wide receiver at Alabama ... Majoring in Interdiscipinary Studies … Has a pet bulldog.
Social Media
Twitter – @Savage7even
Instagram – savage7even
2024 Hula Bowl
2023 Phil Steele All-SEC (Fourth Team)
2023 PFF Team of the Week: Overall Defensive Grade of 90.7 (Week 8 at Arkansas)
Career Notes & Records
Appeared in 54 career games, making 26 starts … 206 career tackles and 17 career pass deflections ... five career interceptions with two career fumble recoveries and two forced fumbles … Career-best 65 tackles during the 2020 season.
2023 (Graduate Season)
Appeared in 12 games with 11 starts … Recorded 59 tackle, 23 solo and 36 assisted … Forced two fumbles while recovering one … Career-best three interceptions with three pass breakups … According to PFF, earned a career-best coverage grade of 82.3 and a career-best defensive grade of 81.1 … PFF defensive grade ranked sixth in the SEC among safeties while his coverage grade ranked seventh ... SE Louisiana (9/2): Notched a trio of tackles … Arizona (9/9): Recorded multiple career-highs in tackles for loss (2.0) and forced fumbles (1) … Picked off a pass … Had one quarterback hurry … LSU (9/16): Had six tackles … at South Carolina (9/23): Forced a fumble in opponent territory … Finished with four stops … Alabama (9/30): Tallied seven tackles including one for a loss … Western Michigan (10/7): Picked off a pass in the fourth quarter … Had six tackles including a split tackle for loss … at Arkansas (10/21): Recorded an interception for the second straight game ... Recovered a fumble … Had a pass breakup and a tackle for loss as well … at Auburn (10/28): Made five tackles ... fifth game this season with at least five tackles … Kentucky (11/4): Totaled three tackles … at Texas A&M (11/11): Notched four tackles … Southern Miss (11/18): Had three tackles including a split tackle for loss … Ole Miss (11/23): Broke up a pair of passes for the third time in his career … Had eight tackles.
2022 (Senior Season)
Appeared in 13 games with four starts ... Finished with 27 tackles including two tackles for loss ... Had one interception, two pass breakups, and one fumble recovery ... Memphis (9/3): Tallied one tackle and a fumble recovery in State’s season-opening win over Memphis ... at LSU(9/17): Totaled one tackle ... Bowling Green (9/24): Had an interception and returned in 20 yards ... Also logged a pair of tackles ... Texas A&M (10/1): Made three stops against the Aggies ... at Alabama (10/22): Had five tackles including one for a loss ... Logged two pass breakups as well ... Auburn (11/5): Set a season-high with six tackles including one tackle for loss ... Georgia (11/12): Recorded a pair of tackles ... ETSU (11/19): Logged two tackles ... vs. Illinois (1/2): Made four stops.
2021 (Junior Season)
Appeared in 11 games while making four starts ... Totaled 29 tackles and one interception on the year ... Louisiana Tech (9/4): Tallied three tackles, including one solo stop, in the season-opening win over the visiting Bulldogs ... Kentucky (10/30): Finished the game with four tackles, two solo and two assisted ... Came down with an interception on the night that was one of three Bulldog interceptions on the night ... at Arkansas (11/06): Tallied nine tackles during the game ... Part of a defense that had six tackles for loss and four sacks ... Tennessee State (11/20): Registered seven total tackles, including three solo stops, and a pass break-up in the win ... Ole Miss (11/25): Tallied two solo tackles in the Egg Bowl.
2020 (Sophomore Season)
Appeared in 10 games with six starts ... Registered 65 total tackles on the season, including 35 solo tackles, 3.0 tackles for loss and four pass break-ups ... at LSU (9/26): Finished with a career-best 11 tackles to lead the team ... All 11 tackles came in the second half ... Arkansas (10/3): Posted five tackles ... Logged his first career tackle for loss ... Texas A&M (10/17): Recorded three tackles and one pass break-up ... Owned the team's top coverage grade (78.9), according to PFF ... at Alabama (10/31): Totaled seven tackles ... Combined with Landon Guidry on a fourth-quarter tackle for loss ... Vanderbilt (11/7): Finished with four tackles, all in the first half ... at Georgia (11/21): Recorded five tackles, including one and a half for loss ... Part of a defense that tallied 11 tackles for loss ... Helped hold Georgia to eight yards rushing, the fewest yards allowed by State in an SEC game since at least 2006 ... at Ole Miss (11/28): Totaled a game-high 12 tackles ... Eight of 12 tackles were solo ... Auburn (12/12): Logged six stops ... Added two pass breakups ... Missouri (12/19): Chipped in five tackles ... vs. Tulsa (12/31): Had seven tackles ... Six of his seven stops were solo ... Added one pass break-up.
2019 (Redshirt Freshman Season)
Appeared in seven games with one start … Recorded 25 tackles and two pass break-ups … Logged first career start against Abilene Christian (11/23) ... at No. 7 Auburn (9/28): Totaled three tackles – all solo … Had one pass break-up ... No. 2 LSU (10/19): Made five stops ... at Texas A&M (10/26): Posted five tackles – four solo ... No. 5 Alabama (11/16): Chipped in four tackles ... Abilene Christian (11/23): Made first career start … Notched a season-high eight tackles and one pass break-up.
2018 (True Freshman Season)
Appeared in one game … Redshirted his initial year with the program ... Stephen F. Austin (9/1): Made collegiate debut … Recorded one solo stop.
High School
Prepped at St. James High School under head coach Robert Valdez … Consensus Three-star prospect … Ranked No. 38 prospect in Louisiana, regardless of position, by 247Sports … Led the Wildcats to an 9-4 record and the third round of the Louisiana High School Athletic Association Class 3A playoffs as a senior … Appeared on ESPN Sunday NFL Countdown’s “You Got Mossed” segment hosted by NFL veteran Randy Moss after a one-handed touchdown catch in St. James’ playoff win over Madison Prep Academy … As a senior, made 78 tackles with 18.0 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks, four forced fumbles and two interceptions … Returned one interception for a touchdown … As a junior, totaled 45 tackles with 3.0 tackles for loss, four interceptions, one forced fumble, two fumble recoveries and five pass break-ups … Scored two defensive touchdowns … Committed to MSU on July 7, 2017.
Personal
Born Shawn David Preston Jr. on Dec. 22, 1999 … Son of Lori and Shawn Preston Sr. … Has one younger brother: Shazz … Brother, Shazz, plays wide receiver at Alabama ... Majoring in Interdiscipinary Studies … Has a pet bulldog.
Social Media
Twitter – @Savage7even
Instagram – savage7even
FOOTBALL | Jeff Lebby Postgame vs. Southern Miss
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Brylan Lanier INT
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Fluff Bothwell TD
Saturday, August 30
FOOTBALL | Ferrie 55-yard FG
Saturday, August 30