After a thrilling 2022 crusade for the Tigers, they take the number 4 spot on the D3football.com pre-season top 25 poll. Three different Tiger players were also named to the pre-season All-America team by D3football.com.
 
Trinity returns 17 total starters from a team that won their first back-to-back Southern Athletic Association title in school history. The 2022 season also saw the Tigers make a second round appearance in the NCAA III Playoffs for the first time in over a decade. The Tigers stormed through the regular season, defeating all opponents by a combined score of 404 points to just 137 points by opponents. Unfortunately for the Tigers, they would be defeated in the second round by UMHB for the second straight season.
 
The number 4 pre-season ranking for the Tigers marks the highest in school history, with their next highest ranking being at number 9 in 2022. The three preseason All-American honorees is only the second time that the Tigers have put more than two players on the All-American list. 
 
Tiger football's fifth-year linebacker Caleb Harmel (Burton, Texas /  Burton) lands on the First-Team for the second year in a row. Junior return specialist BJ Stewart (Shreveport, Louisiana / Woodlawn) also received a First-Team nod for the first time in his career. Finally, fifth-year quarterback Tucker Horn (Graham, Texas / Graham) gets a Second-Team vote after being left off the list in 2022.
 
While the offense took a big hit with the loss of offensive guard Wyatt Bush, the Tiger offense returns nine starters on an offense that averaged over 30 points a game last season. The Tiger offense tore through SAA opponents, ultimately nine Tigers collected All-SAA accolades while three of them also received D3football.com All-Region honors. Among the returners, the Tigers will be looking to the 2022 SAA Offensive Player of the Year, Tucker Horn, and First-Team All-SAA wide receiver Ryan Merrifield (Austin, Texas / Vandergrift) to lead the offense. 
 
The coveted Tiger defense returns eight starters from a unit that was ranked top 10 nationally in 2022. The 2022 Tiger defense was a steel curtain, finishing top 5 in the country for rushing yards per game (55.2) and red zone defense (.542). The 2022 season also featured two shutouts, four 7-point games, and eleven All-SAA honorees. Despite the loss of All-SAA performers Ezra Gore and Malik Ross, the Tigers bring back 2022 All-American linebacker Caleb Harmel, All-Region defensive lineman Harris Good (Fort Worth, Texas / Paschal), and First Team All-SAA cornerback Trey King (Round Rock, Texas / Round Rock). 
 
The Tigers start their season on the road against the nationally ranked St. Johns (MN) Johnnies at 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 2nd. This will be just the second meeting between the two teams, with the last game being in 2002. This will be a mirror image of the previous clash between the two. The last match-up featured the same rankings (#4 Tigers, #6 Johnnies). However, another Tiger was also featured in that game. Head Coach, Jerheme Urban, was a member of that 2002 Tiger squad; where he took a kickoff to the house en route to a 41-34 Tiger victory. 
 
The Johnnies won't be the only top-10 opponent to face off against the Tigers in 2023, though. The first game at Tiger Stadium for 2023 will feature another battle between the Tigers and the Crusaders of Mary Hardin-Baylor. The Tigers hold a 4-9 record against the Crusaders, with seven of those games coming in the NCAA Playoffs. The roar of the crowd will be booming at Tiger Stadium as these two powerhouses will face off at 6:00 PM on Saturday, September 9th.
 
After these matchups, the Tigers will begin their back-to-back SAA Championship defense on the road against Birmingham-Southern at 12:00 PM on Saturday, September 16th. Then the Tigers hit a pivotal point in their schedule on the road against second ranked Berry College (Ga.) Vikings at 1 PM (ET) on Saturday, September 30th and then at home against third ranked Colonels of Centre College on Saturday, October 7th at 11:00 AM, based on the pre-season SAA Coaches Poll. The Tigers will finish up the 2023 regular season at home against Hendrix College on November 11th.