
Sun Belt Conference preview: James Madison looks to close deal this time
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Bill ConnellyJun 13, 2025, 08:30 AM ET
Close- Bill Connelly is a writer for ESPN. He covers college football, soccer and tennis. He has been at ESPN since 2019.
James Madison has won 28 games in three seasons, while South Alabama has won 24. Louisiana has four 10-win seasons in the past six years, Troy has five in the past nine, and Appalachian State has five in the past 10. Hell, even with a recent stumble, Coastal Carolina has two in the past five.
Texas State is coming off its two best FBS seasons. Georgia Southern is coming off its best season in four years, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe their best in five and Marshall its best in nine. Even Georgia State has five winning seasons in the past eight years.
Nearly everyone in the Sun Belt has reached solid to great heights of late. Considering the immutable fact that someone has to lose every football game, that’s an awfully impressive sign of parity and general conference health.
At the moment, though, there’s a bit of a leadership void: Troy lost its head coach after winning the 2022 and 2023 Sun Belt titles and fell off last fall, and damned if Marshall doesn’t look primed to do exactly the same after last season’s title run. Does that mean it’s James Madison’s turn? The Dukes dropped the baton in 2024, falling out of contention thanks to a pair of maddening two-point losses. If they stumble again, will that leave the door open for Louisiana? Texas State? South Alabama? Another team?
Someone has to come out on top. Let’s preview the Sun Belt!
Every week through the summer, Bill Connelly will preview another FBS conference, ultimately including all 136 FBS teams. The previews will include 2024 breakdowns, 2025 previews and team-by-team capsules.
Earlier previews: MAC | Conference USA | Mountain West
2024 recap
Last season, the best teams on paper weren’t the best in close games, and that made the Sun Belt race an awfully surprising one. James Madison and Texas State both finished in the SP+ top 50, but they each went 1-2 in one-score Sun Belt finishes, and late defensive stumbles left them on the outside of the conference race. South Alabama hinted at major upside but couldn’t close games out either.
Louisiana was next up on the SP+ hierarchy and used a six-game winning streak to earn a spot in the Sun Belt championship game, but a pair of late-season QB injuries rendered its offense incompetent in the title game. And while everyone else was stumbling late, Marshall peaked: The Thundering Herd ranked 82nd in SP+ with just a 5-3 record heading into Week 11 but won their last five games by an average of 35-19 and grabbed the title, all while an evidently contentious school/coach relationship was pushing Charles Huff out the door. (He landed at Southern Miss.)
It was an odd season, in other words. And if I have any say in the matter, 2025 will be just as odd.
Continuity table
The continuity table looks at each team’s returning production levels (offense, defense and overall), the number of 2024 FBS starts from both returning and incoming players, and the approximate number of redshirt freshmen on the roster heading into 2025. (Why “approximate”? Because schools sometimes make it very difficult to ascertain who redshirted and who didn’t.) Continuity is an increasingly difficult art in roster management, but some teams pull it off better than others.
We’re quickly growing accustomed to a new head coach bringing some of his old players with him. But we’ve got an extreme example of that going on at Southern Miss in 2025: When USM hired Huff the day after Marshall’s Sun Belt championship win, so many Marshall players entered the transfer portal that the school had to opt out of its Independence Bowl berth.
When the dust settled, 50 Marshall players had entered the portal in the winter and spring windows, and 21 of them had landed at Southern Miss. About one-fourth of the Golden Eagles’ roster played in Huntington last year. And despite new Herd head coach Tony Gibson bringing in 55 transfers of his own, Marshall heads toward the 2025 season with the lowest returning production averages in the country. The Herd officially return three starters from last year’s champ, while Southern Miss, which went 1-11 last season, returns five. Mind-blowing stuff.
Other interesting continuity notes: Despite losing star running back Ahmad Hardy to Missouri, ULM’s production numbers are good after a refreshing 5-7 campaign in Bryant Vincent’s first season at the helm; Georgia Southern hit the 60% mark as well; and at the other end, App State is starting over: After suffering their first losing season at the FBS level, the Mountaineers will have a new head coach (Dowell Loggains) and approximately 17 new starters.
2025 projections
SP+ basically declares JMU the favorite, then shrugs. The Dukes were frustrating but frequently awesome in 2024, and they return exciting dual-threat quarterback Alonza Barnett III — assuming full health after a late-season injury, anyway — plus a loaded running back room and, despite losing star defensive end Eric O’Neill to Rutgers, maybe the conference’s most proven set of defensive personnel. They deserve the top spot, and if they stumble again, I have absolutely no idea who should be next on the list.
Meanwhile, the projections for Marshall and Southern Miss serve as a reminder that, despite making lots of adjustments to how I go about creating SP+ projections, it’s really hard to get a statistical read on what either the Herd or Golden Eagles might be capable of in 2025. I would expect Southern Miss to be a prime overachievement candidate, while Marshall really might struggle to even rank 87th.
Indeed, after JMU up top, SP+ gives nine teams between a 5% and 11% chance of winning the conference title. As with last year, whoever wins its close games and peaks in November will have an excellent chance.
Five best games of 2025
Here’s where I typically share the five conference games that feature (a) the highest combined SP+ ratings for both teams and (b) a projected scoring margin under 10 points. But since all the top games (and the top nonconference game) feature James Madison — the Dukes have quite the road slate ahead — I tweaked the approach a bit. Here are five big games, if not the five best as defined above.
James Madison at Liberty (Sept. 20). For all we know, this one might have College Football Playoff implications. JMU and Liberty have been two of the more steadily strong Group of 5 programs over the last two or three years, and both stumbled at inopportune times in 2024.
JMU’s schedule is a road-heavy delight, from top to bottom. The Dukes visit Louisville and Liberty in September, then visit Texas State, Marshall and Coastal Carolina over the back half of the season. Throw in home games against Georgia Southern and Louisiana and a late November visit from Washington State, and you’ve got one unique slate.
Georgia Southern at James Madison (Sept. 27). SP+ is optimistic about Georgia Southern’s chances of becoming a contender in 2025, and this game will be a pretty solid prove-it opportunity in that regard.
South Alabama at Troy (Oct. 4). South Alabama might have lost more talent than anyone else in FBS in the spring portal window, but the Jaguars still return quite a bit, and Troy’s continuity levels are solid after a setback season. Depending on how well Texas State handles roster turnover, the winner of this one could become Louisiana’s biggest competitor in the West Division. (That’s right: The Sun Belt still has divisions! And makes actual geographic sense!)
Louisiana at James Madison (Oct. 11) and Louisiana at South Alabama (Nov. 1). Like JMU, Michael Desormeaux’s Ragin’ Cajuns will need to be road warriors to fulfill their potential.
Conference title (and, therefore, CFP) contenders
Head coach: Bob Chesney (second year, 9-4 overall)
2025 projection: 49th in SP+, 8.5 average wins (6.0 in the Sun Belt)
Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Liberty, Jacksonville State, Sam Houston … we’ve seen plenty of excellent FCS-to-FBS transitions through the years. But JMU might turn out to be the gold standard in this regard. The Dukes began FBS life with five straight wins and an AP poll appearance, and it was a genuine surprise that they didn’t play for the Sun Belt title in their first season eligible last year. The next time they finish outside of the SP+ top 50 will be the first, and they aren’t projected to do so in 2025.
It would be even brighter, potentially, if we knew Alonza Barnett III would be 100%. The junior QB combined 2,598 passing yards (and a 26-to-4 TD-to-INT ratio) with 669 non-sack rushing yards last year before injuring his leg against Marshall. He was cleared only for non-contact drills this spring, and his status remains unclear. Heading into his second season after succeeding Curt Cignetti, Chesney took no chances, bringing in two QB transfers: Richmond’s Camden Coleman and Matthew Sluka;. Sluka is known primarily for his NIL-related opt-out at UNLV last season, but before that he was a star for Chesney at Holy Cross, leaving as the Crusaders’ No. 2 career rusher and No. 5 career passer and a two-time Walter Payton Award finalist (top player in FCS). Chesney and offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy love a nice, durable dual-threat QB, and both Sluka and Coleman (to a degree) qualify if Barnett isn’t ready.
The RB corps might be one of the best in the FBS. George Pettaway and backups Wayne Knight and Jobi Malary combined to average 22 carries per game and 6.0 yards per carry, and Ayo Adeyi, injured for most of 2024, was a 1,000-yard rusher at North Texas in 2023. The line in front of them does have to replace three starters, but right tackle Pat McMurtrie is the only returning player on the first-team All-Sun Belt list, three other returning veterans have starting experience, and Chesney brought in former North Carolina center Zach Greenberg and all-Patriot League selection Cam McNair (Holy Cross), among four transfers. He also dipped heavily into the portal to find pass catchers: Sure-handed slot man Yamir Knight will be joined by both former power conference reserves in Braeden Wisloski (Maryland) and 6-foot-4 Isaiah Alston (Iowa State) and FCS starters Landon Ellis (Richmond), Nick DeGennaro (Richmond) and Jaylan Sanchez (Villanova).
Chesney also was pretty aggressive on defense, adding 13 transfers to a lineup that boasts some proven pieces — 315-pound tackle Immanuel Bush, linebacker Trent Hendrick, safety Jacob Thomas, nickel DJ Barksdale — but returns only seven of the 19 players who saw at least 200 snaps in 2024. Again, he dipped heavily into the FCS ranks, bringing in stars such as defensive end Xavier Holmes (12.5 TFLs at Maine), tackle Andrew Taddeo (7.5 TFLs at Colgate), linebacker JT Kouame-Yao (11.5 TFLs at Shepherd), safety Curtis Harris-Lopez (9.5 TFLs and nine passes defended at Holy Cross) and corner TJ McGill (six passes defended as a freshman at William & Mary), plus former blue-chip defensive end Aiden Gobaira (Notre Dame).
There are enough new pieces here that success isn’t guaranteed, but the combination of proven talent and proven smaller-school playmakers — especially at a school that has more than proven that FCS stars can become FBS stalwarts — makes JMU the preseason conference favorite. It’s up to the Dukes to close the deal this time.
Head coach: Major Applewhite (second year, 7-6 overall)
2025 projection: 76th in SP+, 7.3 average wins (5.2 in the Sun Belt)
As a redshirt freshman, Gio Lopez ranked seventh among G5 quarterbacks in Total QBR. He’s a North Carolina Tar Heel now. As a true freshman, Fluff Bothwell was a bolt of lightning, gaining 924 yards in just 124 combined rushes and receptions and scoring 13 times. He’s now a Mississippi State Bulldog. Right tackle Malachi Carney (Georgia Tech) … edge rusher Aakil Washington (SMU) … cornerbacks Lardarius Webb Jr. (Wake Forest) and Amarion Fortenberry (Kansas State) … injured cornerback Ricky Fletcher (Ole Miss) … nickel back Jordan Scruggs (West Virginia) … even kicker Laith Marjan (Kansas). A whole bunch of South Alabama players flashed major potential, then got plucked away in the transfer portal. Offensive coordinator Rob Izell (Wake Forest) basically did too.
Players moving up and down the ladder with lightning speed is a symptom of the portal era, and few schools had more players move up than Major Applewhite’s USA. If you look solely at who they don’t have, in fact, it’s hard to envision the Jags playing a major role in the Sun Belt race in 2025.
If you look at who they do have, however, they might still have a chance:
• Quarterbacks Bishop Davenport and Zach Pyron (Georgia Tech) both have starting experience and have flashed dual-threat capabilities.
• Veteran running back Kentrel Bullock had 984 rushing and receiving yards (5.9 per touch) despite sharing touches with Bothwell.
• Left tackle Jordan Davis is an all-conference contender and one of three returning starters up front. Applewhite managed to hold on to most of last year’s two-deep, in fact, and added six O-line transfers.
• Defensive tackle Ed Smith IV made 7.0 tackles at or behind the line last year and has strong pass rushing chops for his size, and 334-pound Stephen Johnson (McNeese State) is one of four defensive line transfers.
• Linebacker Blayne Myrick is among the most proven run stoppers in the league.
Few of Applewhite’s defensive transfers have a disruptive track record like JMU’s — defensive end IBK Mafe (St. Thomas) and corner Jayvon Henderson (East Tennessee State) are the most promising in that regard — but most of them are higher-upside youngsters who might develop into solid pieces. (Of course, that also might mean they get plucked away.) If either Davenport or Pyron are ready to shine and an unproven receiving corps provides some semblance of value, it sure seems like there’s enough talent here to at least continue a three-year run of bowl eligibility. Sun Belt contention will require quite a few newcomers and youngsters to break through. Considering how many did last year, there’s a chance.
Head coach: Clay Helton (fourth year, 20-19 overall)
2025 projection: 78th in SP+, 7.3 average wins (5.0 in the Sun Belt)
Clay Helton served as an early model of how portal life can work when he arrived at Georgia Southern in 2022, immediately reset the Eagles’ entire identity with a batch of key transfers and still managed to upset Nebraska and double their win total. I don’t want to overstate his success — he’s basically .500 through three years — but in an increasingly volatile G5 environment, he’s produced stable results. And despite offensive inconsistency, last year was his best yet: Georgia Southern inched up to 76th in SP+ and won eight games.
In 2025, Helton and the Eagles boast a promising combination of proven pieces and intriguing new ones. Quarterback JC French threw too many interceptions last year (11) and must improve in that regard, but in slot receivers Dalen Cobb and Josh Dallas (combined: 1,213 yards and 10 TDs), tight end River Helms (Western Kentucky) and returning third-down back OJ Arnold, the Eagles have the components of an efficient attack. That’s doubly true when you see that they have the most proven interior line in the league: Both guards, Pichon Wimbley and Caleb Cook, are all-conference contenders. A little big-play boost would be great — Dallas did average 13.4 yards per catch, and incoming transfer Dylan Gary (West Georgia) averaged 16.9 in FCS — but there are proven commodities here for coordinator Ryan Aplin.
The defense was too bend-don’t-break for my taste, but it was also the most competent defense yet for Helton and coordinator Brandon Bailey: The Eagles’ No. 91 defensive SP+ ranking was their best since 2020. Helton was evidently confident enough in what he’s returning that he mostly aimed young in the portal, bringing in five redshirt freshmen or sophomores (all former high-three or four-star recruits) among eight transfers. Senior linebacker Brendan Harrington (Appalachian State) should provide stability, but this year’s success will be driven primarily by returnees like 340-pounder Latrell Bullard up front and nickel Ayden Jackson and corners Tracy Hill Jr. and Chance Gamble in the back.
The upside here isn’t enormous, but big-play prevention and an efficient offense should drive another bowl season at worst. And if JMU indeed falters again, the Eagles’ high floor and solid veterans might make them the most likely team to take advantage in the East division. We’ll know what we need to know pretty early on: Their rough nonconference schedule (at Fresno State, at USC, Jacksonville State) will either beat them down or properly prepare them for a Sun Belt slate that begins with a trip to JMU.
Head coach: Michael Desormeaux (fourth year, 23-18 overall)
2025 projection: 74th in SP+, 7.5 average wins (4.9 in the Sun Belt)
After going 34-5 with three consecutive SP+ top-50 finishes from 2019 to 2021, Louisiana took a brief step backward in transitioning from Florida-bound Billy Napier to Michael Desormeaux. But after back-to-back six-win seasons, Desormeaux’s Ragin’ Cajuns were ready to roll again last fall. At least, they were until QB injuries wrecked their plans. They survived one injury (to Ben Wooldridge) while starting 10-2 and rising as high as 34th in SP+, but a second one (to Chandler Fields) spelled doom; in their last two games, the Ragin’ Cajuns were outscored by a combined 65-6 against Marshall and TCU.
It was a sign of confidence from Desormeaux that he didn’t load up on transfers despite losing about eight offensive and seven defensive starters. In that regard, a lot of Louisiana’s fate will be determined by players who were also in a Louisiana uniform last season. Running backs Bill Davis and Zylan Perry (combined: 1,491 rushing yards and 13 TDs), right guard Jax Harrington (6-foot-4, 327 pounds), disruptive defensive lineman Jordan Lawson (5.5 sacks at 293 pounds) and edge rusher Cameron Whitfield (11.5 TFLs) are all all-Sun Belt contenders. But the Cajuns are mostly starting over in both the receiving corps (which lost six of last year’s top seven) and the secondary (which lost last year’s top four). Sophomore safety Kody Jackson seems like a keeper, but transfers might tell the tale in both the passing game and pass defense.
Among the seven transfers Desormeaux brought in are three former blue-chippers in quarterback Walker Howard (Ole Miss), receiver Shelton Sampson Jr. (LSU) and cornerback Curley Reed III (Washington). Howard was a top-50 prospect in the 2022 class, Sampson was top-75 in 2023, and both looked good in the spring. If they’re difference-makers, and both Reed and Richmond transfer Trae Tomlinson are solid at corner, Louisiana immediately becomes the West division favorite again. But if they aren’t, I’m not sure they have what they need.
Then again, maybe that’s just me overreacting to last year’s late offensive collapse. Like Napier, Desormeaux has proven himself in the recruiting department, and the Cajuns are all but guaranteed to have some of the highest levels of athleticism and physicality in the conference. The offense has ranked 50th or better in offensive SP+ five times in six years, and while the defense has slipped recently, it still has three top-50 finishes in five seasons. The bar here is high, and the combination of depth and blue-chip additions might give them a chance to clear it.
A couple of breaks away from a run
Head coach: Gerad Parker (second year, 4-8 overall)
2025 projection: 86th in SP+, 6.6 average wins (4.8 in the Sun Belt)
With a combination of deep and experienced line play and big-play potential, Troy won back-to-back Sun Belt titles in 2022 and 2023; the Trojans ranked in the defensive SP+ top 30 in both seasons and rose to 26th overall in 2023. In two seasons, Jon Sumrall proved that, with the right set of hands in charge, this chip-on-shoulder program can absolutely shine.
Gerad Parker could still prove himself, but he had very little chance in 2024. Virtually every proven playmaker was gone, as were most of both lines. The offense remained efficient thanks primarily to quarterback Matthew Caldwell, receiver Devonte Ross and running back Damien Taylor, but the Trojans stopped making big plays and started allowing a ton of them, and almost nothing worked during a 1-7 start.
The offense clicked late as Troy won three of its last four, but Caldwell (Texas), Ross (Penn State) and Taylor (Ole Miss) all departed for big-time schools. The Trojans have solid experience and excellent size in the trenches: Left guard Eli Russ (6-foot-4, 313 pounds) will anchor the offensive line, tackle Julian Peterson (eight TFLs at 310 pounds) leads the defensive front, and Parker added five power-conference transfers on the two lines. They will look the part physically, and veteran quarterback Goose Crowder, who began 2024 as the starter, should be decent. But the skill corps is drastically unproven. Three receiver transfers — Rara Thomas (Georgia), Tray Taylor (Coastal Carolina) and Kristian Tate (Delta State) — will need to click, and former blue-chipper (and 2024 transfer) Mojo Dortch will need to provide more than the two catches and minus-2 yards he managed last season. The running back corps, meanwhile, is almost completely devoid of known quantities.
Between Peterson, linebacker Jordan Stringer and safety Justin Powe, the spine of the defense should be solid, and the run defense should be disruptive. But even with Powe and a delightful nickel in Devin Lafayette, Troy ranked just 112th in yards allowed per dropback and 126th in completion rate allowed last season. As with the receiving corps, transfers — corners Kaleno Levine (Missouri State) and Jaquez White (Washburn), safeties Steven Sannieniola (Vanderbilt) and David Daniel-Sisavanh (Georgia) — will play a big role in propping up the pass defense and telling Troy’s tale in 2025.
Head coach: G.J. Kinne (third year, 16-10 overall)
2025 projection: 93rd in SP+, 6.1 average wins (4.1 in the Sun Belt)
It’s weird that we’ve gotten this far and haven’t yet brought up the team that finished 48th in SP+ and nearly beat CFP-bound Arizona State last year, right? That probably tells you how much of last year’s Texas State team is no longer in San Marcos. G.J. Kinne both inherited and defied perennially low expectations at TXST in each of the last two years, and he’ll have a chance to do so again after losing his offensive coordinator (Mack Leftwich), starting quarterback (Jordan McCloud), leading rusher (Ismail Mahdi), top three receivers, three offensive line starters and 14 of the 18 defenders with at least 250 snaps last season.
Kinne is a fearless transfer portal aficionado. He brought in another 36 transfers this season, including three quarterbacks (Pitt’s Nate Yarnell, SMU’s Keldric Luster and former Auburn blue-chipper Holden Geriner), eight skill corps guys and 19 defenders. This year’s transfer haul is a mix of semi-proven G5 or smaller-school guys — running back Greg Burrell (UNLV), slot receiver Tiaquelin Mims (Southern Miss), linebackers Ayden Jones (Prairie View A&M) and Cole Nilles (Bryant), corners Jaden Rios (East Texas A&M) and Malik Willis (Campbell), safety Javis Mynatt (Wofford) — and young and unproven power-conference transfers. There are some former blue-chippers like Geriner, receiver Mavin Anderson (Cal), defensive tackle Bryce Carter (Virginia) and linebacker Terrence Cooks (TCU) in the mix as well.
Kinne has quickly grown accustomed to asking members of a transient roster for immediate contributions, but when it came time to replace the Texas Tech-bound Leftwich, he went with a familiar face: Landon Keopple is a former small-school coordinator who joined up with Kinne about five years ago and understands Kinne’s modern spread as well as anyone.
A Kinne team is going to score points, but defensive improvement was a key piece of last year’s first-ever top-50 finish. Coordinator Dexter McCoil returns star end Kalil Alexander (11 run stops, 6.5 sacks), and corner Trez Moore and safeties Ryan Nolan and Darius Jackson were decent rotation pieces last year, but most of the 2025 lineup will be new. That’s an opportunity for improvement or regression. My guess is that the Bobcats defy projections once again, but if the defense falls off, that will be difficult.
Head coach: Tim Beck (third year, 14-12 overall)
2025 projection: 95th in SP+, 6.0 average wins (4.1 in the Sun Belt)
The Coastal Carolina of the last couple of years — with Tim Beck replacing Liberty-bound Jamey Chadwell in 2023 — has reminded me a lot of the first couple of Louisiana teams after Billy Napier: fine but distinctly underwhelming. After slipping to 74th in SP+ in Chadwell’s final season, the Chanticleers held steady at 68th in 2023 but last season slipped to an injury-plagued 99th, with both the offense and defense regressing. Lineup stability was a huge impediment: Only four players started all 13 games.
Nothing feels definitively wrong with the Chants, but you could see the talent coming together at Louisiana, and the Cajuns’ offense was consistently solid even during the two-year lull. Things appear a little less proven at Coastal: Neither unit has been consistent, quarterback Ethan Vasko (Liberty) and running back Braydon Bennett (Virginia Tech) transferred, and of 24 defenders who started at least one game (again: serious lineup instability here) only six return.
But I love what Beck did in the portal this offseason, especially on defense. He landed five players who made at least five TFLs at their last school — ends Noah Arinze (New Mexico State) and Jordan Mack (Seton Hill), linebackers Luke Murphy (Eastern Michigan) and Dontae Lunan (Albany) and safety Jacob Robinson (Emory & Henry) — and added four former blue-chippers as well: end Darrion Henry-Young (Kentucky), safety DeAndre Boykins (North Carolina) and corners Ja’Marion Wayne (Missouri) and Robby Washington (Miami). Throw in decent holdovers in tackle Sawyer Goram-Welch, linebacker Shane Bruce and big safety Xamarion Gordon, and it feels like there’s a lot to work with here.
I’m less blown away by the additions on offense, though each of two quarterbacks, Emmett Brown (San Jose State) and MJ Morris (Maryland), seems to have decent potential. But quantity could create quality: Among three veteran wideouts (Jameson Tucker, Cameron Wright and Bryson Graves), Ball State transfer Malcolm Gillie and three FCS transfers who combined for 2,151 yards last year (Western Illinois’ Eli Aragon, West Georgia’s Karmello English and Furman’s Colton Hinton), a strong receiving corps should come together. And up front, some combination of six linemen with starting experience, four transfers and a JUCO should create a solid two-deep. Breakthrough coming? I can’t promise that, but it does feel like the ingredients have added up.
Head coach: Dowell Loggains (first year)
2025 projection: 98th in SP+, 6.2 average wins (4.0 in the Sun Belt)
Appalachian State doesn’t do “losing seasons.” Before 2024, the Mountaineers’ last sub-.500 season came in 2013, when they stumbled to 4-8 in their final FCS campaign and their first year after the legendary Jerry Moore’s retirement. The time before that? 1993! But things fell apart for Shawn Clark last fall, and App State looked like far more of an also-ran than we’re used to.
In an existential moment, schools often look within for the answer, asking someone with deep ties to rally the program and save the day. App State went in the other direction. Dowell Loggains spent the first 16 years of his coaching career in the NFL before moving to the college ranks in 2021. In 2023-24, he served as South Carolina’s offensive coordinator. In the year before his arrival, the Gamecocks ranked 25th in offensive SP+; in his two seasons there, they were 58th and 35th, respectively.
He can recruit, though. Loggains’ first App State roster lost more than 40 players to the transfer portal, but among the more than 30 incoming transfers are a number of former high-three or four-star recruits: quarterbacks AJ Swann (LSU) and JJ Kohl (Iowa State), running backs Rashod Dubinion (Arkansas) and Khalifa Keith (Tennessee), receiver Davion Dozier (Arkansas), tight end Izayah Cummings (Louisville), linebacker Brayshawn Littlejohn (Missouri), corner Emory Floyd (South Carolina), nickel Ja’Den McBurrows (Michigan) and others. Loggains also dipped into the FCS well to land a few transfers, including 1,000-yard receiver Jaden Barnes (Austin Peay) and defensive end Joseph Bakhole (East Tennessee).
Few on the roster have actually proven themselves at the FBS level. Offensive guards Jayden Ramsey and Griffin Scroggs and defensive ends Thomas Davis and Shawn Collins are good, and the secondary is experienced if nothing else. Swann, Kohl and freshman Noah Gillon evidently all had solid moments in spring practice — funny how everyone’s always good in spring ball, huh? — and no one’s going to doubt the athletic potential of this roster. The potential seems to give the Mountaineers a pretty high ceiling, and the drastically unproven roster gives them a scary-low floor. This school doesn’t know how to handle losing because it hasn’t had to; that makes this just about the most interesting team in the conference in 2025.
Head coach: Butch Jones (fifth year, 19-31 overall)
2025 projection: 100th in SP+, 5.3 average wins (3.6 in the Sun Belt)
There was a time when Arkansas State openly talked about becoming the Boise State of the South. Hell, back in 2012, as the Red Wolves were finishing up a second straight 10-win season, attendance was topping 31,000, nearly BSU-esque levels. The Red Wolves averaged 9.3 wins while hiring three straight single-year up-and-comers (Hugh Freeze, Gus Malzahn, Bryan Harsin), then settled into a 7.3-win average in seven seasons under Blake Anderson. When he stumbled, ASU chose someone on the other side of the age-and-ambition line: former Tennessee head coach Butch Jones, who has averaged 4.8 wins. Attendance has perked up as the win total has improved, but it was still 28% lower last year than it had been a decade earlier.
That makes capitalizing on last year’s eight-win campaign pretty important. Fans were treated to five home wins, all in dramatic fashion; it was the kind of season that can rekindle interest. It was also almost impossible to replicate. SP+ basically saw a four-win team that accidentally won eight games, and then that team lost about 17 starters. Jones has to stare up at a much higher bar while rebuilding his roster again.
ASU’s offense is generally perky under coordinator Keith Heckendorf, and that shouldn’t change with quarterback Jaylen Raynor, 1,000-yard receiver Corey Rucker and running back Ja’Quez Cross joined by fun newcomers like receiver Jaylen Bonelli (Wagner).
But the defense is completely starting over. Just one starter returns (plus another from 2023), and Jones had to find a lot of portal answers. I do think he found some good ones: End Demarcus Hendricks (Texas A&M-Kingsville) and tackle Cody Sigler (West Alabama) were double-digit TFL guys, and cornerback Joedrick Lewis (SE Missouri State) had a huge season in 2023. The two primary returning pieces — end Bryan Whitehead and linebacker Javante Mackey — are disruptive too, and players like tackle Gavin Ransaw (Coastal) and safety AG McGhee (Marshall) should be useful. ASU hasn’t ranked in the double digits in defensive SP+ since 2018, but there’s some talent here. Still, if last year’s good fortune turns, it’s going to be awfully hard for ASU to approach eight wins.
Head coach: Ricky Rahne (fifth year, 20-30 overall)
2025 projection: 103rd in SP+, 4.8 average wins (3.6 in the Sun Belt)
Be it Bobby Wilder (2014-19) or Ricky Rahne (2021-present) leading the way, Old Dominion seems to have found its level.
Wilder: 31-42 (.425 win percentage), 106.5 average SP+ ranking
Rahne: 20-30 (.400 win percentage), 103.5 average SP+ ranking
Rahne’s results have been more consistent, for better (no 1-11 seasons like Wilder) or worse (exactly seven losses in three of four years), but on average the product has remained the same.
If you squint just right, however, you might see hints of progress. ODU’s No. 95 SP+ ranking last year was its best since 2016, and six of seven losses were by a touchdown or less (including a season-opening 23-19 defeat to South Carolina). The Monarchs are in the top half of the conference in returning production too. The offense improved despite having to start three different quarterbacks, and redshirt freshman Colton Joseph looked promising there in eight starts. The offensive line is experienced and physical, and thanks to the return of all-world tackling machine Jason Henderson — see chart below — after a 2024 injury, the defensive front six returns four guys capable of double-digit TFLs: linebackers Henderson, Koa Naotala and Mario Thompson and defensive end Kris Trinidad.
The Monarchs have quite a few proven entities, but progress in 2025 will be determined by the success of two rebuilds: those of the skill corps and secondary.
Last season, eight ODU RBs and WRs touched the ball at least 20 times; seven are gone. Running back Devin Roche is now the grizzly veteran of the skill corps despite a) being a sophomore and b) producing just 326 yards from scrimmage in 2024. Rahne brought in a pair of transfers (former Utah/Tulane WR Sidney Mbanasor and former Florida TE Dawson Johnson), but he’s hoping he struck gold in the overlooked JUCO ranks, where he grabbed one running back, four WRs and a tight end.
It’s a similar story in the secondary. Seven of last year’s top eight are gone, leaving part-time starting safety Mario Easterly and a pair of potentially promising former reserves in Jeremy Mack Jr. and Daevon Iles. Rahne again brought in a pair of four-year transfers and a big load of five JUCOs (including onetime TCU signee Kollin Collier).
Head coach: Tony Gibson (first year)
2025 projection: 99th in SP+, 5.7 average wins (3.4 in the Sun Belt)
The balance of power doesn’t usually change much in college football, but it can shift in a heartbeat in the Sun Belt. Both the 2021 (Louisiana) and 2023 champions (Troy) lost their head coaches and won seven fewer games as defending champs. And now the 2024 champion is starting over like almost no one ever has.
With Charles Huff’s departure and the player exodus that followed, Marshall is looking at the following:
• No passer on the roster threw for a yard last season.
• No returnee rushed for a yard.
• Two returnees caught passes.
• Those responsible for 49 of 65 O-line starts are gone.
• One of eight defensive linemen with at least 50 snaps returns.
• The total linebacker snaps returning is three.
• Two of 13 DBs with at least 30 snaps return.
This is mind-boggling turnover. In response, Marshall elected to lean heavily into its West Virginia roots. Glenville State graduate Tony Gibson, former defensive coordinator at NC State and West Virginia (and, back at the turn of the century, West Virginia Tech), leads the way. Glenville State grad Rod Smith, former protege of current and former WVU head coach Rich Rodriguez, is the offensive coordinator. Marshall graduate (and three-time former Marshall assistant) Shannon Morrison is the defensive coordinator. I guess if your roster has no roots whatsoever in the area, you should find coaches who do.
Gibson & Co. did their best to find experience where they could. In Zion Turner (UConn/Jacksonville State) and Carlos Del Rio-Wilson (Florida/Syracuse), they grabbed QBs with a combined 2,039 career passing yards. Running backs Jo’shon Barbie (McNeese State) and Tony Mathis Jr. (WVU/Houston) each have more than 1,000 career rushing yards. Among 10 receiver transfers, Adrian Norton (Akron) and Ben Turner (West Liberty) each had more than 800 yards last year. Three offensive linemen and nine defenders saw heavy smaller-school action, and a few — 6-foot-9 offensive lineman Tyler McDuffie (Hampton), 320-pound defensive tackle Naquan Crowder (California-PA), linebacker Jalen Marshall (Wofford), corners Boogie Trotter (Tennessee State) and Louikenzy Jules (Charleston), safety Cam Smith (Jackson State) — played at a particularly high level.
You can find talent on this roster, but almost none of it suited up in Kelly green and white last year. That makes the Thundering Herd almost impossible to project.
Just looking for a path to 6-6
Head coach: Bryant Vincent (second year, 5-7 overall)
2025 projection: 116th in SP+, 4.4 average wins (2.8 in the Sun Belt)
In the new House settlement, schools will be allowed to share up to $20.5 million in revenue with its athletes in a given year. Louisiana-Monroe reports total revenue of around $20 million in a given year. This school is wonderfully bull-headed in its insistence on playing FBS ball, which makes the rewards for doing so both rare and wonderful. The Warhawks’ 2012 season, in which they beat a top-10 Arkansas team on the way to eight wins, is one of my favorite underdog campaigns of the 21st century. They haven’t bowled since.
Going 5-7 last year was a genuine victory, though it came with the disappointment of a 5-1 start and an 0-6 finish. Bryant Vincent helped to resurrect the UAB program and brings serious underdog bona fides to the table; he found relative success with a combination of a run-heavy offense and the school’s best defense in six years.
The defense returns 11 of the 17 players with at least 200 snaps, including stars in end Kevontay Wells, OLB Billy Pullen and corner David Godsey Jr. Vincent added eight transfers and six JUCOs as well, so depth should be solid. On offense, sophomore quarterback Aidan Armenta returns, but that only means so much because ULM is going to run the ball as much as it’s allowed to.
Ahmad Hardy transferred after rushing for 1,351 yards as a freshman, but his success drew in four running back transfers — including Richmond 1,300-yard rusher Zach Palmer-Smith — and freshman D’Shaun Ford, one of the most highly touted recruits ULM has seen. Three of six regular linemen return, in addition to one transfer and three JUCOs. Last year’s rushing-and-D formula will be this year’s rushing-and-D formula.
Head coach: Dell McGee (second year, 3-9 overall)
2025 projection: 114th in SP+, 3.7 average wins (2.4 in the Sun Belt)
All things considered, Dell McGee did one hell of a job last season. Hired after spring practice had already begun in February 2024, he navigated through massive post-spring turnover, then crafted a team capable of upsetting Vanderbilt in September and Texas State in November. His Panthers weren’t good — between those upsets were seven straight losses — but they were occasionally spicy, and things ended up merely bad, not apocalyptic.
McGee is still searching for stability in Year 2. He needed two tries to land a defensive coordinator — he went with Travis Pearson when Deron Wilson left for Florida after two weeks — and he lost nearly 40 more transfers. Depth could be an issue, but there’s upside. Quarterback Christian Veilleux and explosive receiver Ted Hurst both return, and McGee added a stable of exciting RB transfers, led by Jordon Simmons (6.0 yards per carry at Akron) and former blue-chippers Branson Robinson (Georgia) and Djay Braswell (South Carolina). The offensive line returns only one starter but welcomes six transfers and two JUCOs.
Thanks to Hurst and a solid secondary, GSU created bigger big plays than its opponents. But safety D-Icey Hopkins is the only regular defensive back returning, and McGee signed an almost conservative three transfers and two JUCOs. There’s experience in the front six, but last year’s best unit is starting over.
McGee had to know what he was getting himself into when taking the job, and while he’s still navigating through bumpy waters, his team should flash some upside if it can survive a rough early stretch — among their first five games are trips to Ole Miss and Vandy and visits from Memphis and JMU — with morale intact.
Head coach: Charles Huff (first year)
2025 projection: 128th in SP+, 3.4 average wins (2.1 in the Sun Belt)
What happens when you graft one-quarter of last year’s Sun Belt championship roster onto the worst roster in the conference? We’re going to find out! Two years after a semi-promising 7-6 campaign, everything fell apart for Will Hall at Southern Miss last season as the Golden Eagles plummeted to 1-11 and 133rd in SP+. That Charles Huff so quickly fled Marshall for USM might speak to the strange relationship he had with his former employer, but that’s Southern Miss’ gain. After signing more than 50 transfers in addition to the normal freshman/JUCO signing class, Huff has almost completely flipped the roster in six months. The only returning starters: receiver Davis Dalton, right tackle Greg Nunnery and defensive tackle Brodarius Lewis. Hell, they’re almost the only returnees from the two-deep.
Former Marshall players — especially quarterback Braylon Braxton, receivers Chuck Montgomery and Carl Chester and defensive backs Josh Moten, Ahmere Foster and Ian Foster — will be key to early success, such as it exists. Offensive coordinator Blake Anderson brought some players from his recent Utah State head coaching stint, too, most notably receiver Grant Page and guard Aloali’i Maui. SP+ is setting the bar low because things like “recent history” still tend to matter more often than not. But as with Marshall, this is a total, unprojectable roster reset.
After winning between six and nine games every year from 1994 to 2010, Southern Miss has been dramatically unstable for nearly 15 years. Even if Huff steadies the ship, it’s probably going to take him a bit. But if nothing else, the Eagles should enjoy a bit more upside in 2025.
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Sports
Need an ace to win big? Here’s why the Mets won’t overpay for one
Published
16 hours agoon
August 6, 2025By
admin
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Jorge CastilloAug 6, 2025, 07:00 AM ET
Close- ESPN baseball reporter. Covered the Washington Wizards from 2014 to 2016 and the Washington Nationals from 2016 to 2018 for The Washington Post before covering the Los Angeles Dodgers and MLB for the Los Angeles Times from 2018 to 2024.
NEW YORK — David Stearns was about to disappear into the New York Mets‘ clubhouse Monday afternoon when he stopped to answer questions about the one potentially prominent flaw remaining on his roster after the trade deadline: the starting rotation.
The glaring inability of Mets starters to pitch deep into games over the past two months — David Peterson is the only one to log at least six innings in an outing during that span — prompted fans to plead for the Mets’ president of baseball operations to fortify the rotation. After he elected not to acquire a starting pitcher at the trade deadline, the talk has turned to potentially improving from within by promoting Brandon Sproat or Nolan McLean, two standout pitching prospects excelling in Triple-A.
“I think it’s always a combination of when, developmentally, those guys are ready,” Stearns said. “And also when there’s the need and how to fit it on the roster. And so we may get to the point where we decide that it’s the best thing to do to bring one or both of them here. But we’re not at that point right now.”
The Mets’ front office acted aggressively ahead of last Thursday’s deadline, acquiring three top-tier relievers (Ryan Helsley, Tyler Rogers and Gregory Soto) to strengthen a taxed bullpen, and a veteran center fielder (Cedric Mullins) to improve the lineup. But while Stearns said he “engaged” teams on starting pitchers — including Washington Nationals All-Star left-hander MacKenzie Gore, sources told ESPN — he determined the costs were too high.
The Mets were far from the only World Series contender to not bolster their starting rotation in a deadline with an exorbitant trade demand for the few available. But the difference between most of those clubs and the Mets is that refusing to pay the going rate for elite major league starting pitchers — whether in free agency or via the trade market — has been a fundamental principle in Stearns’ roster-building.
One of the mysteries surrounding Stearns’ move to New York after a hugely successful seven-year run leading the small-market Milwaukee Brewers was how he would use owner Steve Cohen’s deep pockets. The Mets have spent large sums of money — they gave Juan Soto the richest contract in North American sports history in December — but Stearns has remained disciplined and methodical in building his pitching staff, preferring starting pitchers he says he believes have untapped potential.
After an unexpected run to the National League Championship Series without a true ace last fall, the Mets head into the stretch run this season with the same missing ingredient.
“I think there are multiple ways to build a pitching staff and we focused on the back end of the pitching staff, the bullpen,” Stearns said. “We’re really happy with the arms we were able to acquire who are going to pitch out of our pen and we have confidence, not only in the stars who are here who we think are going to keep us competitive and help us win games, we are also pleased with the development of how some of the guys in Triple-A are progressing. And we understand that they could … be part of the mix going forward if needed.”
The Mets strongly pursued Yoshinobu Yamamoto before last season and offered him a contract similar to the 12-year, $325 million deal — the largest ever for a pitcher — Yamamoto signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers. But Yamamoto was an outlier — not just an already highly accomplished pitcher in Japan, but, just as importantly, only 25 years old. That rare combination of age and talent met Stearns’ criteria to offer an expensive long-term contract.
Ultimately, the Mets signed Sean Manaea to a one-year deal with an option and Luis Severino to a one-year contract for the rotation, then opted for a similar blueprint this past winter, choosing not to strongly pursue any of the top three starting pitchers (Corbin Burnes, Max Fried and Blake Snell) on the free agent market.
Stearns instead re-signed Manaea to a three-year, $75 million deal (the biggest contract Stearns has given to a starting pitcher), inked Clay Holmes to a three-year, $38 million deal (with an opt-out after 2026) to convert him from a reliever to a starter, gave Frankie Montas a two-year, $34 million contract (with an opt-out after this season), and added Griffin Canning on a one-year deal.
“I still think it’s really valuable and there have been teams that I’ve been around in my career that have had one or multiple ace-level starters on their staff and got bounced early in the playoffs and that can be tough to figure out sometimes too,” Stearns said last month. “So, you’d always like to have the horse at the front of the rotation, there’s no question. But it’s not the only way to build a rotation, it’s not the only way to win a playoff series, it’s not the only way to win a World Series.”
The moves have so far yielded mixed results.
The Mets’ rotation led the majors with a 2.84 ERA and ranked 14th in innings pitched through June 7, when they were 41-24 and led the NL East by 3½ games. Since then, Mets starters rank 24th in ERA (4.74) and 28th in innings pitched. The club has a 22-27 record during the stretch and now trails the Philadelphia Phillies by 2½ games in the division.
Injuries have played a factor in the drop-off, with four starters landing on the injured list in June. Kodai Senga, who signed a five-year, $75 million deal in 2022 — a year before Stearns’ arrival in Queens — strained his hamstring and sat out nearly a month. Canning had been a strong contributor until a ruptured left Achilles tendon ended his season, and Tylor Megill (elbow) and Paul Blackburn (shoulder) are still working their way back.
Manaea, who began the season on the IL, has made only five starts since his return last month, the most recent Monday against the Cleveland Guardians, when he dominated for five innings before surrendering five runs in the sixth. Montas, who has posted a ghastly 6.68 ERA in seven starts, is in danger of losing his rotation spot when Blackburn and Megill are activated.
Holmes, meanwhile, hasn’t logged more than 5⅓ innings in a start since June 7 against the Colorado Rockies, and has already doubled his previous career high for innings in a season. And Senga yielded four runs over four innings Saturday, marking the fourth straight start he has failed to pitch into the sixth.
“We haven’t gotten consistency out of the starting pitching,” Mets manager Carlos Mendoza said Monday. “I think that’s where it starts every night. It starts on the mound, and we haven’t been able to get some quality starts.”
One of Sproat and McLean, if not both, could soon get the call to help. McLean has a 2.81 ERA in 15 games (12 starts) for Triple-A Syracuse after posting a 1.37 ERA in five games for Double-A Binghamton to begin the season. Sproat has emerged from early-season struggles with a dominant stretch for Syracuse, holding opponents to two earned runs in 33 innings over his past six starts.
The two 24-year-old right-handers, both drafted and developed by the Mets, have seemingly checked the necessary boxes in the minors. They could give the big league rotation the push it needs for the final stretch. For now, they and the Mets’ fan base wait.
Said Stearns: “I think they’re getting close.”
Sports
2025 SEC football preview: Power Rankings, top players, must-see games
Published
19 hours agoon
August 6, 2025By
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In the past six years, four of the College Football Playoff national champions have been SEC teams. Will 2025 be the season that yet another SEC team claims the title?
Texas, Georgia and Alabama all enter the season with new starting quarterbacks. Texas’ Arch Manning is under some very bright lights as we wait to see whether he lives up to the hype in his new starting role. Georgia’s Gunner Stockton got a taste at starting quarterback, stepping up in the 2025 Sugar Bowl after now-Miami quarterback Carson Beck got injured in the 2024 SEC championship game. And Alabama’s Ty Simpson has a big season ahead as Alabama looks to make a run at the CFP after just missing it last season.
Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer joins Oklahoma this fall after ranking No. 1 in the top 100 transfers list from the 2024-25 transfer cycle. Could Oklahoma bounce back after a seven-loss season last year?
We’re here to get you caught up on the SEC by breaking down the conference’s CFP outlook, Power Rankings, must-see games, top freshmen, key transfers and numbers to know.
Jump to:
CFP outlook | Must-see games
Freshmen | Transfers
Numbers to know
Power rankings
CFB outlook
Should be in: The SEC will attempt to restore its dominance after its teams failed to win each of the past two national championships. The league claimed four in a row from 2019 to ’22 and sent three teams (Georgia, Texas and Tennessee) to the CFP in 2024. Alabama was the first team left out of the 12-team bracket. The Longhorns should be right back in the mix, especially if former five-star quarterback Arch Manning is as good as advertised. Texas returns three potential All-Americans — edge rusher Colin Simmons, linebacker Anthony Hill Jr. and safety Michael Taaffe — from a defense that ranked No. 3 in the FBS in scoring defense (15.3 points) last season. Georgia will also be breaking in a new starting quarterback, as Gunner Stockton is replacing Carson Beck, who left for Miami. The Bulldogs will have four new starting offensive linemen, and they’re counting on Zachariah Branch (USC) and Noah Thomas (Texas A&M) to upgrade their receiver corps. The Crimson Tide will be looking to bounce back from a four-loss campaign in coach Kalen DeBoer’s first season, and their defense, led by an imposing front seven, should be good enough to get them back into the race for an SEC title. Ty Simpson is another first-year starting quarterback, and he’ll have plenty of weapons and a stout offensive line supporting him. — Mark Schlabach
In the running: LSU brings back the SEC’s most accomplished quarterback in Garrett Nussmeier, who threw for 4,052 yards with 29 touchdowns in 2024. With tailback Caden Durham and receiver Aaron Anderson returning, the Tigers should again be as explosive as any offense in the league. The question, of course, is whether LSU’s defense will be able to slow down opponents. The Tigers should be better after adding a plethora of defenders from the transfer portal, especially if Harold Perkins Jr. can stay healthy. Texas A&M is one of the few SEC contenders that won’t be breaking in a new quarterback. Marcel Reed was solid as a freshman, and if he can cut down on mistakes in his second season, the Aggies might be a big surprise. With tailbacks Amari Daniels and Le’Veon Moss running behind an offensive line that brings back five seniors, Reed won’t have to do too much. Ole Miss was in the running for a CFP bid until losing at Florida late in the 2024 season, and coach Lane Kiffin has used the transfer portal again to reload his roster. The Rebels will be breaking in a new quarterback, Austin Simmons, and they’re going to be relying on myriad transfers to rebuild their defense. They’ll play at Georgia and Oklahoma and get LSU, South Carolina and Florida at home. — Chris Low
Long shots: In what figures to be a big season for Oklahoma coach Brent Venables, the Sooners added former Washington State quarterback John Mateer and running back Jaydn Ott from Cal. The defense should be solid, and if new offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle can turn things around, the Sooners might be a sleeper. The Sooners play Texas in Dallas and South Carolina, Tennessee and Alabama on the road. South Carolina brings back one of the league’s best players in quarterback LaNorris Sellers, but it will have to replace its entire offensive line, leading rusher and most of its top playmakers on defense. Tennessee will be looking for a return to the playoff. Nico Iamaleava is out as quarterback, and Joey Aguilar comes in after spending the spring at UCLA. The Vols will again need Tim Banks’ defense to carry the load. Missouri has the most manageable schedule in the league, and this may be Eliah Drinkwitz’s best defense. The Tigers play eight of their 12 games at home and avoid Georgia, LSU and Texas. Florida will also be improved and has the quarterback and defense to make a run. But, whew, that schedule. — Schlabach
Must-see games
From Bill Connelly’s SEC conference preview
Here are the 10 games — eight in conference play, plus two of the biggest nonconference games of 2025 — that feature (A) the highest combined SP+ ratings for both teams and (B) a projected scoring margin under 10 points.
Texas at Ohio State (Aug. 30) and LSU at Clemson (Aug. 30). I have so many questions about each of these four teams, and I’m so happy that they’ve basically paired off with each other to help answer them. Toss in Alabama at Florida State in between the noon ET kickoff in Columbus and the evening kickoff in Clemson and you’ve got yourself a solid SEC headliner for each time slot on the first Saturday of the season.
Georgia at Tennessee (Sept. 13). The Bulldogs and Volunteers meet in September for the first time since 2018. Good. I like my UGA-Tennessee games early, when they can spark the largest possible existential crises.
Alabama at Georgia (Sept. 27). A rematch of the second-best game of 2024*. Aside from Ohio State-Michigan, no game did a better job of reminding us that huge college football games will still be huge and delightful even if the national title stakes are dampened by a bigger playoff.
(* Bama gets a rematch of the best game of 2024 the next week when Vandy comes to town.)
LSU at Ole Miss (Sept. 27). Is it too late to redraw the schedules? Between the Bama-Georgia and Oregon-Penn State main events and an undercard of LSU-Ole Miss, Indiana-Iowa, TCU-Arizona State and USC-Illinois (and, on top of everything else, South Dakota at North Dakota State), Week 5 might actually be too big! Goodness.
Texas at Florida (Oct. 4). Texas benefited from an easier slate (relatively speaking) in 2024, with just three regular-season opponents finishing in the SP+ top 20. But if Florida and Oklahoma improve as projected this fall, the Horns are looking at five such games, only one of which is in Austin. That’s the opposite of easy.
Ole Miss at Georgia (Oct. 18). Ole Miss might have enjoyed the single best performance of the regular season in last year’s 28-10 walloping of the Dawgs. That the Rebels turned right around and lost to Florida, eventually eliminating them from CFP contention, has to be one of the biggest on-field regrets of the past 50 years in Oxford.
Alabama at South Carolina (Oct. 25). South Carolina began turning its season around with a near-comeback win over Bama in 2024. This will be the Gamecocks’ third straight game against a projected top-20 team, so the season might have already gone in a couple different directions by the time Bama gets to town.
LSU at Alabama (Nov. 8). Bama crushed LSU in Baton Rouge last season, then pulled an Ole Miss and fell victim to a devastating upset two weeks later. Considering the expectations and pressure both of these teams are dealing with, this game could have playoff stakes and/or hot seat stakes. Or both?
Texas at Georgia (Nov. 15). Georgia was the only SEC hurdle Texas couldn’t clear last season. There’s obviously a chance this will be the first of two UGA-UT matchups in a four-week span.
Three freshmen to watch
Dallas Wilson, WR, Florida
Wilson showed up instantly by catching 10 passes for almost 200 yards and two touchdowns in Florida’s spring game. No matter who starts at quarterback on Week 1 for the Gators, there’s a good chance they’ll develop a quick connection with Wilson. The 6-foot-4 Florida native has a massive catch radius, 10-inch hands and surprising breakaway speed given his frame. He runs a legitimate 4.5 40-yard dash and has the shiftiness to pick up yards after the catch, making him a nightmare matchup who should see the field early in The Swamp.
David Sanders Jr., OT, Tennessee
Rarely does Tennessee turn a starting offensive line spot over to a freshman, but Sanders has all the developmental markers of an impactful tackle right out of the gate in Rocky Top. He was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year as a junior, a rare accolade for an offensive lineman, and was the No. 7 recruit in the Class of 2025. Tennessee coaches challenged Sanders to put on weight after he enrolled early and he answered the call. The freshman now checks in at 6-6, 305 pounds with an exceptional combination of athleticism, lower body flexibility and reaction skills. Sanders will have every opportunity to win the starting right tackle spot on a Volunteers line that needs to replace four starters from last year as they retool in search of a national championship.
DJ Pickett, CB, LSU
At 6-4, Pickett has a monster frame and legitimate speed after recording a 10.7 100-meter time in high school, where he was a district sprinting champion. If he can carry over his momentum from spring practice into fall camp, Pickett has a shot to earn a starting job in Brian Kelly’s overhauled secondary. Pickett impressed LSU coaches with his combination of elite athleticism and playmaking. The five-star corner has a high ceiling and his combination of size and speed rarely seen on the boundaries in the SEC. — Billy Tucker
Three top transfers
These selections are based on Max Olson’s ranking of the top 100 transfers from the 2024-25 transfer cycle.
Transferring from: Washington State | Top 100 rank: 1
HT: 6-1 | WT: 219 | Class: Redshirt sophomore
Background: After spending two years behind Cam Ward, Mateer put together an impressive breakout season in 2024 that has made him one of the most coveted starting QBs in the country. Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns on 65% passing and ranked sixth among FBS starters with 1,032 rushing yards (excluding sacks) while scoring 15 rushing TDs. He’s explosive and fearless when he’s on the run, forcing 58 missed tackles according to ESPN Research (most among FBS QBs) with 22 rushes of 15 or more yards. The Little Elm, Texas, native went 8-4 as a starter, leading the Cougars as high as No. 18 in the College Football Playoff rankings, with a top-five expected points added (EPA) per dropback among FBS starters. Washington State put together a strong offer to bring Mateer back in 2025, but he chose to move on via the portal and has an opportunity to be the most impactful player in this portal cycle for 2025. — Max Olson
Scout’s take: Mateer is a true Air Raid guy in the passing game. He excels in rhythm and timing throws and is very decisive. He’s a very tough player to rush because he gets the ball out of his hand. He’s a solid runner who can get out of trouble and extend plays. He plays with a high confidence level and raises the play of the people around him. — Tom Luginbill
What he brings to Oklahoma: Much-needed swagger. Oklahoma hired Washington State offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle on Dec. 2, which made Mateer-to-OU the worst-kept secret in portal recruiting. Miami and others made a strong push, but Mateer couldn’t turn down a chance to join his coaches in Norman and play on a big stage next season. The Sooners have added a lot of talent via the portal to try to get things fixed, but Mateer will inject a ton of playmaking ability and confidence into their offense. — Max Olson
Transferring from: Georgia Tech | Top 100 rank: 6
HT: 5-11 | WT: 190 | Class: Sophomore
Background: Singleton was an instant difference-maker for Georgia Tech’s offense when he arrived, earning Freshman All-America honors in 2023 and finishing second for the ACC’s Offensive Rookie of the Year honor. The three-star signee from Douglasville, Georgia, caught 104 passes for 1,468 yards and scored 10 offensive touchdowns over the past two seasons. Singleton also ran track for the Yellow Jackets with a personal record of 10.32 in the 100-meter dash this spring. He has the talent to become an early-round draft pick and was one of the most coveted players in the portal. — Olson
Scout’s take: Singleton might be one of the best route runners and fastest overall players to enter the transfer portal. He’s really good in the underneath passing game, where he can turn screens and 5-yard catches into big chunk gains. He also has elite straight-line speed to get behind the defense and plucks most balls thrown in his vicinity. What made him such a high commodity in the portal are the intangibles. He’s a great blocker and tough player. — Billy Tucker
What he brings to Auburn: After the program’s fourth consecutive losing season, coach Hugh Freeze and the Tigers assembled an impressive transfer recruiting class that they hope will flip their fortunes in 2025. This is a significant win over Texas, Ole Miss and several other SEC foes; Singleton should play a high-target role for the Tigers as they replace talented pass catchers KeAndre Lambert-Smith and Rivaldo Fairweather. — Olson
Transferring from: USC | Top 100 rank: 8
HT: 5-10 | WT: 175 | Class: Sophomore
Background: Branch lived up to five-star hype right away with the Trojans and was one of the most dangerous all-purpose playmakers in the country in 2023. The No. 7 overall recruit became the first USC freshman to earn first-team All-America honors in program history. He was dominant in the return game (774 yards, two TDs) during his debut season and turned 89 touches on offense into 910 yards and four TDs over his two years at USC. He entered the portal along with his older brother, USC safety Zion Branch. — Olson
Scout’s take: One of the fastest players in the 2023 class, Branch quickly transitioned into one of college football’s most electrifying players as a true freshman at USC. He ran a verified 4.41 40 and had 100-meter track times in the 10.3 range coming out of national power Bishop Gorman in Las Vegas. That speed transferred to the field immediately as a returner in 2023. His special teams production dipped as a sophomore, but that might be more related to opponent scheme than any diminishing skill. In the passing game, he’s what you’d expect: a big-play weapon in the screen game, jet sweeps and on quick slants and crossers that get him the ball in space. He’s an underneath mismatch and a great YAC target. — Tucker
What he brings to Georgia: Branch is a big-time upgrade for a Georgia offense that must replace leading receivers Arian Smith and Dominic Lovett. The Bulldogs led all FBS teams with 36 receiver drops last season, according to ESPN Research, and will need Branch to be a reliable difference-maker for new starting QB Gunner Stockton. — Olson
Numbers to know
3: According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, three of the four teams with at least a 10% chance of winning the national championship are in the SEC: Texas at 24%, Georgia at 18% and Alabama at 11%. (The fourth team is Ohio State of the Big Ten at 11%.)
0: The number of new head coaches in the SEC this season, marking just the fourth time that has happened since the league expanded to 12 teams in 1992. There also were only four coordinator changes this offseason after more than half of the SEC’s coordinators were replaced following the 2023-24 season.
+250: The odds of Texas winning the SEC championship, according to ESPN BET, which are the longest odds for an SEC favorite in at least 15 years. The preseason favorite has gone on to win the SEC title in six of the last 10 seasons. — ESPN Research
Power Rankings
Steve Sarkisian loves his roster, and he has plenty of reason to be excited with Manning, receivers DeAndre Moore Jr. and Ryan Wingo, and tailbacks Quintrevion Wisner and CJ Baxter returning. The Longhorns will have to replace four starting offensive linemen and fill some holes on the defensive front.
Stockton got a taste of being the starting quarterback in the second half of last season’s SEC championship game and a CFP quarterfinal and did an admirable job. If Georgia’s offensive line plays better and his receivers are more dependable, Stockton should be fine running the offense.
DeBoer’s first season didn’t go as planned, but replacing Nick Saban at Alabama would have been a nightmare for any coach. DeBoer’s track record of success is too good for the Crimson Tide not to bounce back in Year 2.
4. LSU Tigers
The Tigers are probably going to score a lot of points, and if Brian Kelly can figure out how to turn around his defense, they might be a legitimate SEC title and CFP contender. LSU has dropped five straight season openers, three under Kelly, and it plays at Clemson on Aug. 30.
The Aggies went 8-5 in Mike Elko’s first season after starting 7-1, and if the longtime defensive coordinator can figure out how to improve a unit that allowed 5.5 yards per play in 2024, they might be a CFP dark horse. The offense might be spectacular and pound teams in the running game if quarterback Marcel Reed continues to grow as a passer.
Lane Kiffin loves to score points, but the Rebels were in the CFP hunt in 2024 because of their defense, which ranked No. 2 in the FBS in scoring defense (14.4 points), behind only national champion Ohio State. If Austin Simmons takes care of the ball, the Rebels might be better than anticipated.
The SEC schedule gets a little harder for the Vols this season, with the Alabama and Florida games both being on the road. The Georgia game on Sept. 13 is also earlier than usual, albeit at home, as Tennessee breaks in a new quarterback. The defense should again be very good and keep the Vols in games, but they’re going to need more explosive plays on offense if they’re going to make the playoff again.
Mateer was a massive get in the transfer portal for the Sooners, who simply couldn’t score a year ago. They were held to 20 or fewer points in seven of their 13 games. Oklahoma addressed several other needs on offense in the portal, and Venables is taking over the play-calling duties on defense. A four-game stretch from Oct. 11-Nov. 1 against Texas in Dallas, South Carolina on the road, Ole Miss at home and Tennessee on the road will define OU’s season.
The two lingering questions with the Gators, who came back from the dead a year ago, are whether or not ultra-talented quarterback DJ Lagway can stay healthy for the season and how they navigate a killer schedule again. Florida plays six teams ranked nationally in the preseason polls.
The Gamecocks might have a bona fide star in Sellers, but they’re having to replace many of the key pieces around him, as well as several difference-makers on defense. South Carolina plays a five-game stretch against LSU (road), Oklahoma (home), Alabama (home), Ole Miss (road) and Texas A&M (road) in October and November.
11. Missouri Tigers
If the Tigers were more proven at quarterback, they’d probably be ranked a lot higher. Even so, don’t be surprised if Drinkwitz’s club makes a serious run at double-digit wins for the third straight season, which has never happened in school history. Penn State transfer Beau Pribula and Sam Horn, who missed all of last season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, are competing for the starting quarterback job.
12. Auburn Tigers
This should be Hugh Freeze’s best team on the Plains, and the Tigers could be one of those teams that makes a lot more noise during the season than some outside of the program are expecting. So much will depend on quarterback Jackson Arnold, who’s getting a reset after transferring from Oklahoma. He has a deep and talented receiving corps, and edge rusher Keldric Faulk leads a defense that needs to be better at getting off the field in key situations.
Arkansas is another team that has a chance to be much improved, although the final record might not reflect it. The Hogs have one of the trickier schedules in the league, and some new faces need to step up on defense. But returning quarterback Taylen Green is dynamic as both a passer and runner and should be even better in his second season under offensive coordinator Bobby Petrino.
This is no diss to Clark Lea and the Commodores to be ranked this low. They reveled in proving people wrong a year and may do the same again this year, especially if they can stay healthy. Quality depth has always been a problem for Vanderbilt. What’s not a problem is its quarterback. Diego Pavia returns after a terrific debut season on West End. His teammates feed off his energy and toughness.
Mark Stoops, in his 13th season at Kentucky, is the dean of SEC coaches. He has built the Wildcats’ program from the ground up, but they dipped to 4-8 a year ago and 1-7 in the SEC. That’s after winning 10 games in 2018 and 2021 and going to eight straight bowl games. The Wildcats need to regain their tough, blue-collar approach and get consistent play from transfer quarterback Zach Calzada (on his fourth different team) if they’re going to bounce back in 2025.
16. Mississippi State Bulldogs
It has been a whirlwind for second-year Mississippi State coach Jeff Lebby, who has had to completely overhaul the roster, 80% consisting of players in their first or second year in the program. Lebby is excited by what he has seen from quarterback Blake Shapen, who missed most of last season with a shoulder injury. The home schedule for the Bulldogs is one of the toughest in the country. Four playoff teams from a year ago (Arizona State, Tennessee, Texas and Georgia) visit Starkville. — Schlabach, Low
Sports
Kraken mascot has run-in with bear at video shoot
Published
19 hours agoon
August 6, 2025By
admin
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Associated Press
Aug 5, 2025, 06:18 PM ET
SEATTLE — Seattle Kraken forward John Hayden and the team’s blue-haired troll mascot had a close call with a brown bear during a promotional video shoot in Alaska.
Hayden and the mascot named Buoy were on a fly-fishing outing in Katmai National Park as part of a trip promoting youth hockey when the bear approached, video released by the team shows.
Knee-deep in a shallow river, they wore waders and other fly-fishing gear. Hayden had been fishing, but a guide quickly took the rod from him.
The bear charged toward the mascot, splashing water, but turned away before making contact as Hayden, Buoy and the film crew waded back to shore through a gentle current.
Brown bears commonly feast on salmon in the Brooks River in Katmai National Park, gobbling them as they leap upstream over Brooks Falls to spawn. The park, nearly 300 miles (485 km) southwest of Anchorage and inaccessible by road, is home to the annual “Fat Bear Week” contest celebrating the bears as they fatten up for the winter.
The NHL team said it didn’t intend to involve the bear in filming, but included it in a video posted to social media. Organizers had hired guides for safety.
“Bears are everywhere at Brooks Falls and, like, this is their territory,” said Kraken Partnership Marketing Director Melissa O’Brochta, who also recorded the encounter from shore. “They’re also super used to seeing humans. So I wasn’t scared.”
A troll might have been a different story.
“I want to blame it on Buoy,” Hayden said on the video afterward. “They were pretty interested in his look.”
The run-in happened on June 25 as part of an annual trip organized by the Bristol Bay Native Corporation in Anchorage, Alaska, with events that promote youth ice hockey. Alaska does not have its own NHL team; the closest teams are in Seattle and Vancouver, Canada.
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