Wheaton, Ill. – The Wheaton football team is ranked second in the yearly Division III preseason poll in the 2020 edition of the Street & Smith's College Football season preview magazine. The ranking is the highest Wheaton has ever been placed in the annual preseason magazine. Additionally, defensive tackle Jake Holaday was named a preseason All-American by the publication.

Wheaton posted a 12-1 record in 2019, tying the program's single-season record for victories in a season at 12. The Thunder won the 2019 CCIW Championship with an undefeated 9-0 record in conference play. Wheaton advanced to the Quarterfinals of the NCAA Division III Playoffs for the fourth time in program history. The Thunder completed 2019 ranked in the top-five of 11 different NCAA Division III statistical categories, including leading Division III in three categories: total defense, scoring defense and passing efficiency defense.
 

2020 Street & Smith's Preseason Top-25
RANK	INSTITUTION
1.)	North Central College
2.)	WHEATON COLLEGE
3.)	UW-Whitewater
4.)	University of Mount Union
5.)	Mary Hardin-Baylor
6.)	Saint John's (Minn.)
7.)	Delaware Valley
8.)	Muhlenberg
9.)	Salisbury University
10.)	Central College (Iowa)
11.)	UW-Oshkosh
12.)	Chapman University
13.)	Susquehanna University
14.)	Union (N.Y.)
15.)	Bethel University(Minn.)
16.)	Aurora University
17.)	Brockport
18.)	Middlebury College
19.)	Texas Lutheran University
20.)	Linfield University
21.)	Case Western Reserve University
22.)	John Carroll University
23.)	University of St. Thomas (Minn.)
24.)	Wartburg College
25.)	Wesley College