*2023 Record in Parenthesis
*Rosters are Subject to Change
East Division
1. James Madison (11-2)
Good News- new HC Bob Chesney brings an impressive 111-46 record to Harrisonburg having won at nearly every level of collegiate football
Bad News- the Dukes must replace reigning Sun Belt Player of the Year Jordan McCloud at QB as well as All-American pass rusher at DL in Jalen Green (15.5 sacks)
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 8.5
2. App State (9-5)
Good News- Mountaineers’ senior QB Joey Aguilar dazzled in his debut season throwing for 3,757 yards 33 TD’s and gets top target back in senior WR Kaedin Robinson
Bad News- the defense returns six starters up front which may or may not be a good thing after allowing 178.4 rush yards per game in 2023
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 8.5
3. Coastal Carolina (8-5)
Good News- the Chanticleers the O-line, which led the Sun Belt in sacks allowed, returns 3 starters
Bad News- three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year Grayson McCall at QB departed for NC State and on defense the top 3 tacklers from last year must be replaced
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 6.5
4. Old Dominion (6-7)
Good News- All-American senior LB Jason Henderson led the nation with 14.2 tacklers per game while also recording 19.5 TFL
Bad News- the Monarchs ranked dead last in the nation in sacks allowed last season surrendering 4.77 per game
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 4.5
5. Marshall (6-7)
Good News- senior DT TyQaze Leggs (7.5 TFL) anchors the Thundering Herd D-line
Bad News- the QB position is unsettled following the departure of Cam Fancher to FAU and the backfield lost 1,000-yard rush Rasheen Ali to the NFL
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 5.5
6. Georgia St. (7-6)
Good News- new Panthers HC Dell MGee has a fair share of playmakers to work with on defense
Bad News- the same can’t be said on offense with three-year starting QB Darren Granger gone as well as last year’s leading rusher and receiver
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 4.5
7. Ga. Southern (6-7)
Good News- the D-line returns 4 starters and senior first-team All-Sun Belt selection Marques Watson-Trent (122 tackles) is back at LB
Bad News- all 3 of the Eagles’ QB candidates have little to no experience at the FBS level
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 5.5
West Division
1. Texas State (8-5)
Good News- HC GJ Kinne led the Bobcats to their first winning season in 10 years in the Sun Belt and snatched last year’s conference POY in senior transfer QB Jordan McCloud (JMU)
Bad News- punter is a question mark and will 7 returning starters be enough to improve last year’s 112th ranked scoring defense
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 8.5
2. Louisiana (6-7)
Good News- senior Chandler Fields and junior Ben Wooldridge are both capable QB’s with plenty of experience
Bad News- the Ragin’ Cajuns must improve on their 2-5 mark in one possession games in order to contend for a Sun Belt crown
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 7.5
3. Troy (11-3)
Good News- the Trojans will field one of the top kicking games in the Sun Belt
Bad News- new HC Gerad Parker, formerly the offensive coordinator at Notre Dame, is winless in 6 career games and faces a major rebuild following losses at key positions on both sides of the ball
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 6.5
4. Arkansas St. (6-7)
Good News- reigning Sun Belt Freshman of the Year Jaylen Raynor (22 total TD’s) is back at QB along with 8 other starters on offense
Bad News- the Red Wolves were awful on defense and losing pass rusher Keyron Crawford (5.5 sacks) is a big blow
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 6.5
5. South Alabama (7-6)
Good News- redshirt freshman QB Gio Lopez gained valuable experience including bowl MVP honors while stepping in for injured starter Carter Bradley last year
Bad News- the Jaguars’ new staff was dealt Sun Belt favorites Appalachian State and Louisiana on the road along with LSU in the non-conference
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 6.5
6. Southern Miss. (4-8)
Good News- the Golden Eagles turn to Clay Bignell to fix a porous defense following a very successful short stint as defensive coordinator at FCS Eastern Illinois
Bad News- 1,131-yard rusher Frank Gore Jr. will be sorely missed in the backfield
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 4.5
7. ULM (2-10)
Good News- second-team All-Sun Belt senior DT Adin Huntington will again be a force on the Warhawks’ D-line
Bad News- first-year HC Bryant Vincent faces plenty of uncertainty on offense with just 1 starter back from last year
OVER/UNDER TOTAL WINS 2.5
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South Alabama (Sun Belt)- New HC Major Applewhite takes over a roster decimated by graduation and the transfer portal. With a challenging front end of the schedule the Jaguars' hopes for a third straight bowl bid could end abruptly.
Ga. Southern (Sun Belt)- The Eagles rode QB Davis Brin (3,781 pass yards, 24 TD's) to bowl eligibility in 2023. With no proven commodity to replace Brin and a schedule that features 10 bowl participants from last year, third-year HC Clay Helton (12-14) could be coaching to keep his job come November.
2023 FBS Statistical Rankings
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