Sun Belt Conference Football Power Rankings: plenty of preseason headlines and with good reason

1.       App State

2.       Texas State

3.       James Madison

4.       Arkansas State

5.       Marshall

6.       Louisiana

7.       Coastal Carolina

8.       Old Dominion

9.       South Alabama

10.   Troy

11.   Southern Miss

12.   Georgia Southern

13.   Georgia State

14.   Louisiana-Monroe

The Sun Belt Conference is making waves in preseason discussions, and it’s easy to see why!

This year’s lineup includes two teams that are strong contenders for a Group of Five spot in the College Football Playoff. Appalachian State, coming off a nine-win season, boasts all-conference quarterback Joey Aguilar and standout players like Kaedin Robinson, Nate Johnson, and Jordan Favors, positioning them well for another shot at the SBC title.

Following closely are Texas State, last year’s surprise team. Coach GJ Kinne successfully recruited Jordan McCloud from the transfer portal after the departure of last season’s standout, TJ Finley. With talented players like Ben Bell and Joey Hobert, the Bobcats are favored by many to compete for the championship.

Other notable teams in the mix include James Madison, who added former North Texas star running back Ayo Adeyi to strengthen their rushing attack, Arkansas State with returning quarterback Jaylen Raynor, and Marshall, which has potential to become a surprising contender.

Meanwhile, Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss, led by Bryant Vincent and Will Hall, will face challenges in their journey through the season. The Sun Belt could very well establish itself as the top G5 conference in the nation, possibly sending 6-7 teams to postseason play!