The pre-spring version of the CFN 2021 rankings with a first look at all the Sun Belt teams.
2021 Sun Belt Rankings: Pre-Spring
Sun Belt: East
1. Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
Why To Be Happy: All the parts are back – almost (more on that in a moment). Everything you liked about the 2020 Chanticleers should kick in again, including the shocking return of head coach Jamey Chadwell after not getting hired away yet. The offense should get ten starters back, almost everyone returns on D, but …
What To Work On: Two very, very, very important parts are off to the next level. RB CJ Marable and DT Tarron Jackson were two of the Sun Belt’s best players as two difference-makers who helped take a very good team and make it special. There are parts to try replacing them, but they were just that good.
Bottom Line: It’s not the slam dunk that you might thing that a loaded team that did all that is going to be every bit as good, or better. Appalachian State and others in the league are strong, too, but the expectations are through the roof now – and rightly so.
2. Appalachian State Mountaineers
Why To Be Happy: Nothing stops. The defensive front is back and loaded, the offensive backfield is loaded with top running backs – helped by getting Jahmir Smith from Notre Dame – and the senior receivers are coming back for new QB Chase Brice – the former Clemson Tiger and Duke Blue Devils.
What To Work On: The offensive line loses parts. Brice needs to be prove he can be a mistake-free and consistent playmaker in place of Zac Thomas, and he’ll have to do it behind a retooled front
Bottom Line: Coastal Carolina will continue to be the darling of the Sun Belt – and rightly so – but the Mountaineers are a steady quarterback away from being right back in the Sun Belt title mix.
3. Georgia State Panthers
Why To Be Happy: All 11 starters are expected to be back – or close to it – from a fantastic offense that’s bringing in even more parts from the transfer portal. At the moment, eight starters appear to be back on the defensive side, but as long as QB Cornelious Brown and the offense can keep on improving, look out.
What To Work On: The offense has to be stronger at not turning the ball over and the defense has to be better in pass coverage. The experience should help both things – the defensive losses should be up front – but there are just enough tweaks needed to be just behind the best in the East.
Bottom Line: The Panthers are rising. No one’s going to put them ahead of Coastal Carolina and Appalachian State, but they’re going to be strong enough to beat either one and be a dangerous player in the chase.
4. Troy Trojans
Why To Be Happy: There’s an interesting influx of talent coming in to go along with an already experienced team. The quarterback situation is fine, but Taylor Powell is coming in from Missouri. The running backs are good, and in comes La’Damian Webb from Florida State. As is, at the moment, all 22 starters might just be back.
What To Work On: The turnovers have to stop and the ground game has to be more dangerous. This is going to be a very good, very experienced team that should be able to hang with anyone in the league, but it has to be a whole lot tighter to challenge for the East.
Bottom Line: The parts are there to possibly win the division. The team lost four of their last five games and weren’t close to consistent enough, but watch out for a big turnaround.
5. Georgia Southern Eagles
Why To Be Happy: Losing a veteran QB like Shai Werts who knows exactly how to run this offense would be devastating, but in comes James Graham from option-era Georgia Tech. Outside of Werts, there aren’t enough big losses to need a major overhaul, but …
What To Work On: The offensive line is the one area that’s going to near reworking. Just enough is gone off the front five to need a full offseason to get right, and now throw in the new quarterback aspect in a division loaded with great QBs.
Bottom Line: Don’t get hung up on this ranking – all five teams in the division could end up in any order. As always, Georgia Southern is going to be a thorn in everyone’s side, but unlike the top teams, there are just enough missing parts to be behind the the rest of a strong division.
– 2021 Pre-Spring Sun Belt: West
2021 Sun Belt: West Rankings: Pre-Spring 7-12
2021 Sun Belt Rankings: Pre-Spring
Sun Belt: West
1. Lousiana Ragin’ Cajuns
Why To Be Happy: Well let’s just do this one more time. QB Levi Lewis is expected to return which means there’s a shot to get back almost all 11 starters on offense. It stinks to potentially lose LB Joe Dillon – he’s in the transfer portal – but just about everyone else is back on D. Best of all, Billy Napier isn’t the head coach at a Power Five program yet.
What To Work On: With all of that experience returning, now the Ragin’ Cajuns have to do what they do, only a whole lot better. There’s not a lot to complain about after losing just once, but there were a few too many close battles and fights. Now it’s time to dominate.
Bottom Line: Be really, really shocked if this isn’t another Sun Belt West championship season. Appalachian State and Coastal Carolina should be a wee bit better, but at the very least, Louisiana is in the top three and on the short list to win the Sun Belt.
2. Arkansas State Red Wolves
Why To Be Happy: Blake Anderson might have left to become Utah State’s head coach, but shhhhhhhhhhhh. Very, very quietly, Arkansas State probably just upgraded large by landing Butch Jones as the new head man. What does getting the former Tennessee head man bring? Recruiting, and it starts by landing QB James Blackman from Florida State, a few new receivers and linebackers, and it helps to keep around almost everyone on both sides of the ball.
What To Work On: The pass defense needs to be a whole lot better, the defense needs to be a whole lot better, and the team needs to learn how to win close games again.
Bottom Line: Watch out for a quick turnaround into a winning program again. Things started to slip away late in the season, but Jones coming in and the experience returning will stop the slide.
3. South Alabama Jaguars
Why To Be Happy: USA has a nice coaching staff to reboot with. Former Indiana defensive coordinator Kane Wommack was a good start as the head man, and Major Applewhite as the offensive coordinator should be interesting. In comes QB Jake Bentley from Utah – after leaving South Carolina – and almost everyone else is bay on both sides of the ball with roughly ten starters expected back on O and nine on D.
What To Work On: The lines have to be a whole lot better. The defensive front has to be able to get into the backfield, and the offensive line that couldn’t generate anything for the ground game and couldn’t pass block needs some major tweaks.
Bottom Line: Be careful – this might just be the surprise team in the Sun Belt. There are good parts in place, more are coming in, and the coaching staff should be good enough to make a big difference.
4. Texas State Bobcats
Why To Be Happy: The Bobcats went 2-10, but the team was a lot more interesting and a lot more competitive. Now there’s a bunch of interesting parts coming in from the transfer portal for the secondary, the defensive front is getting a possible anchor in Nick McCann from Texas Tech, and the O is bringing in reinforcements including NC State QB Ty Evans.
What To Work On: The defensive line has to start doing something come up with a stop. It was the statistically worst D in the Sun Belt, there wasn’t any pass rush, and it couldn’t hold serve in shootouts.
Bottom Line: This is going to be one of those X factor teams under Jake Spavital. All the new parts are coming in to go along with a team loaded with young parts. The Bobcats went through the growing pains, but a more experienced team should win the closer games.
5. ULM Warhawks
Why To Be Happy: All of a sudden, ULM’s coaching staff ramped up in a big, big way. Nothing against Matt Viator, but Terry Bowden wasn’t bad at Akron – and other spots – before being fired in 2018, and … really? Rich Rodriguez as the offensive coordinator? The O is going to work.
What To Work On: Can the new coaching staff keep everyone around? It was a miserable rebuilding season that went nowhere, and now a whole lot of parts are in the transfer portal. With the hiring of Bowden several players are sticking around.
Bottom Line: The Sun Belt is beyond loaded with experienced teams and others on the ascension. It might be a bit for the Warhawks to be any sort of a player, but with this coaching staff this will be one dangerous team.
