Carlton Martial, the NCAA’s all-time tackles leader, and defensive coordinator Shiel Wood are both gone but the unit’s top three pass rushers and all-league corner Reddy Steward return. The Trojans rode an incredible defense through a 12-win season that included a 6-1 record in one-score games. He made an immediate impact and guided the Trojans to a Sun Belt championship, their first since 2009. Troy, South Alabama set to square off for Sun Belt West titleĪfter three losing seasons under Chip Lindsey, Troy made a change and hired Jon Sumrall. Elsewhere, Georgia State appears to be trending in the wrong direction after three straight bowl trips from 2019 to 2021, while Old Dominion could be in for another long year. The WR corps took some losses, but the Thundering Herd should be able to run the ball behind an experienced line.Ī potential surprise contender in the East is Georgia Southern, which transitioned from a run-dominant offense to Clay Helton’s pass-happy scheme and surprisingly got to a bowl game. On offense, Cam Fancher emerged at QB late in the season and electric RB Rasheen Ali is back from injury. The defense was excellent and should be among the SBC’s best even though coordinator Lance Guidry left for Miami. Marshall, meanwhile, had its own up-and-down season that included a win over Notre Dame and loss to Bowling Green. This team will get back to a bowl, but can it get back to the top of the league? App returns RB Nate Noel, its top four receivers and has a strong offensive line, but has to replace QB Chase Brice and some major contributors on defense. It was a wild season that included a 63-61 loss to North Carolina, a road win over Texas A&M and a win over Troy on a Hail Mary. (Photo by Chris Bernacchi/Diamond Images via Getty Images)Īpp State is coming off its worst season as an FBS member - 6-6 with two wins over FCS teams. With JMU ineligible, Appalachian State and Marshall look like Coastal’s main competition for the East.Īfter a foray into the transfer portal, Grayson McCall is back at Coastal Carolina for another season under new coach Tim Beck. The majority of last year’s offensive line is back and the defense looks strong even after DE Isaac Ukwu’s late transfer to Ole Miss. Jordan McCloud and Alonza Barnett are competing for the starting QB job, while the Dukes added a slew of transfers at the skill positions. JMU is still one of the better teams in the Sun Belt, though maybe not as good as last year with QB Todd Centeio gone. JMU went 8-3 in its first year as an FBS member but remains ineligible to compete for the conference title due to NCAA rules. Unfortunately, James Madison is not one of them. When you couple that with a mediocre defense that lost DE Josaiah Stewart to Michigan and DT Jerrod Clark to the NFL, it could open the door for other contenders in the Sun Belt East. Beyond just McCall, Beck inherits a loaded offense but brings a more generic system compared to the unique attack employed by Chadwell. Star quarterback Grayson McCall is back, but it’s fair to wonder if Chanticleers could be in for a bit of a rebuilding year.Ĭoach Jamey Chadwell departed for Liberty and the school hired longtime assistant Tim Beck as his replacement. Previously: AAC, ACC, Big Ten, Big 12, C-USA, MAC, Mountain West, Pac-12 Sun Belt East is loaded and Coastal Carolina is vulnerableĬoastal Carolina went a combined 22-3 in 20 but took a step back last year, finishing 9-4. The Sun Belt is going to be extremely competitive this season. Troy and South Alabama are considered a step above the rest of the West, but the East is loaded with five different schools receiving first-place votes to win the division in the annual preseason poll. Troy is the current betting favorite, but West Division foe South Alabama is right on Troy’s tail.
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