2026 Sun Belt Season Preview: East Division
· Yahoo Sports
In an era of bizarre, geographically-inconvenient superconferences and the loss of regional rivalries, the Sun Belt Conference remains true to the roots of college football. It’s the only FBS league that still consists of divisions. The geography makes sense. Historic rivalries remain, while new ones develop. And the quality of football is only improving.
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The Sun Belt drew headlines in 2025 for producing its first-ever College Football Playoff participant, as conference champion James Madison crashed the field as the No. 12 seed. With more eyes on the Sun Belt than ever, the league looks forward to its follow-up act in 2026, although there is one significant change — Louisiana Tech replaces Texas State.
There’s no shortage of storylines in the Sun Belt East Division. Appalachian State eyes a bounceback to winning ways, Coastal Carolina starts anew with Ryan Beard, Georgia Southern brings in one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country, Georgia State receives a blank slate, James Madison looks to sustain its dominance under Billy Napier, Marshall features the conference’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, and Old Dominion wants to build on its best season ever.
Here is a team-by-team glance at all seven teams in the division for the 2026 season:
Appalachian State Mountaineers
2025 record: 5-8 overall, 2-6 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: lost to Georgia Southern in Birmingham Bowl, 29-10
Appalachian State joined the FBS in 2014. Through its first 10 seasons, the program never experienced a losing record. Now the Mountaineers are coming off back-to-back losing seasons, hitting a new low of 5-8 last season. App State still accrued valuable bowl experience in Dowell Loggains’ first year at the helm thanks to unforeseen opt-outs by Notre Dame, Iowa State, and Kansas State, but in the Birmingham Bowl, the Mountaineers ultimately succumbed to arch rival Georgia Southern for the second time in a single season.
There is notable shakeup within App State’s roster and coaching staff. Loggains brought in two new coordinators this offseason, hiring South Carolina assistant quarterbacks coach Mike Anthony to run the offense and Samford special teams coordinator Tyler Zielenske. After losing AJ Swann and JJ Kohl to the transfer portal, the Mountaineers also start anew at quarterback. Dual-threat Malachi Singleton, who posted 797 passing yards, 202 rushing yards, and accounted for 10 touchdowns at Purdue and Arkansas, is the likely candidate to take the reins.
2025 was an uncharacteristically rough year for the Mountaineers’ run game, but running back could be one of their strongest position groups in 2026. They reload with longtime transfers Ja’Quez Cross (Arkansas State), J’Marion Burnette (Houston) and Treyaun Webb (Florida), while retaining Jaquari Lewis and Kanye Roberts — the latter of whom missed all of 2025 due to a fall camp injury.
Middle linebacker Colton Phares gives the defense a star to build around. The Second Team All-Sun Belt selection did everything for the unit last year, contributing team-highs in tackles (101), tackles for loss (9.5), and interceptions (3). Aiden Benton is another returning starter who can cause havoc in the defensive front after ranking second on the team in sacks a year ago.
What App State must revamp the most is its secondary. The Mountaineers ranked 130th nationally by allowing 268 passing yards per game. This need was addressed primarily through the portal, with additions including cornerbacks Ja’Cari Henderson (UCF) and Joe Reddish (Virginia Tech) and safeties Cary Grant (Charlotte), Kaleb Purdy (Tennessee Tech), and Eric Adams (NC Central).
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers
2025 record: 6-7 overall, 5-3 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: lost to Louisiana Tech in Independence Bowl, 23-14
Coastal Carolina was the only Sun Belt program to fire its head coach last season. The Chanticleers have steadily regressed record-wise every season since 2020, falling from 11-1 to 6-7 over the timespan — a concerning trend which led to the removal of Tim Beck. Taking the reins in Conway, SC is Ryan Beard, who successfully facilitated Missouri State’s transition to the FBS and led the Bears to seven wins in their inaugural season.
Beard brought significant Missouri State influence halfway across the country to the Atlantic Coast. Nine assistant coaches and 11 players followed the 37-year old head coach to the Sun Belt. Among those transfers is quarterback Deuce Bailey, who made one start in 2025 and has the most FBS experience of the four candidates in an open QB competition that also features Arkansas transfer Trever Jackson, JUCO standout Tre Guerra, and true freshman Osiris Lopez. Beard will aim to replicate the passing game success that worked at Missouri State, which finished 16th in passing offense last year — contrasting significantly to Coastal Carolina’s 117th-place finish.
There is significant retooling across the entire offense, which is the expectation for a program undergoing a coaching change. The offensive line will be primarily transfer-led, with Central Michigan starting center Apisa Poumele and Florida Atlantic tackle Daughtry Richardson among the team’s most significant roster additions.
Meanwhile, the receiving corps is looking for a new standout after nobody surpassed 330 receiving yards last season. Primary candidates for this role include Kennesaw State transfer Clayton Coppock Jr. and Missouri State transplant Tristian Gardner, who produced 465 receiving yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman.
Coastal Carolina had its share of defensive struggles in 2025, surrendering at least 45 points in five of 13 contests. New defensive coordinator L.D. Scott will oversee the improvement, and he’ll inherit four returning starters from the 2025 Chanticleers, all of whom ranked among the team’s top seven tacklers. Cornerback Ja’Marion Wayne is one name to watch from that group, returning to the teal turf recording 61 tackles, six pass breakups, and two forced fumbles. From the Missouri State contingent of the defense, defensive end DJ Wesloak could be an immediate star after ranking first on the Bears in sacks and tackles for loss.
Georgia Southern Eagles
2025 record: 7-6 overall, 4-4 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: defeated Appalachian State in Birmingham Bowl, 29-10
Clay Helton enters year five at Georgia Southern, and his first four seasons all produced records in the range from 6-7 to 8-5. Helton attained a new achievement last December, raking in his first bowl victory with the program after handling rival Appalachian State in Birmingham. But even with Georgia Southern’s coaching stability and consistent bowl eligibility, the Eagles must replace a significant amount of production.
Not a single offensive starter returns, with the program’s all-time leading passer JC French IV darting to Cincinnati and First Team All-Sun Belt guard Caleb Cook transferring to South Florida. However, Georgia Southern managed to replace those two stars with experienced transfers. Guard Mo Clipper Jr. was one of Charlotte’s most effective players during an otherwise bleak 1-11 season, while seventh-year senior Max Johnson is the likely QB1, with Weston Bryan and Turner Helton as potential challengers.
Georgia Southern represents Johnson’s final act after stints at LSU, Texas A&M, and North Carolina. The longtime quarterback owns careers stats of 24 starts, 6,355 passing yards, 49 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, and a 60.7 completion percentage, and he triumphantly returned to action last fall after suffering a debilitating injury in the 2024 opener. Under Helton and offensive coordinator Ryan Aplin, Georgia Southern has consistently been among the top Sun Belt passing offenses, giving Johnson a solid foundation for his redemption arc.
The Eagles had a 1,000-yard rusher and 1,000-yard receiver in 2025, and the skill position players must be replenished too. Incumbent backups David Mbadinga and Terrance Gibbs are candidates to take over at running back. Taylor Bradshaw, who finished sixth in receiving yards last season (131), is the returning leader in the category and will lead that unit alongside Josh Dallas, who missed majority of 2025 due to hip injury, and Illinois transfer Ashton Hollins.
Defense is where Georgia Southern needs to see the most growth in 2026 after finishing 120th in scoring defense, 133rd in passing defense, 108th in rushing defense, and 134th in total defense. Retaining First Team All-Sun Belt edge rusher MJ Stroud (6.5 sacks, 15.5 TFL) was a massive win for the program after Stroud briefly entertained the transfer portal. Second-leading tackler Brandon Tyson and pass breakups leader Tracy Hill Jr. are other notable returning pieces who will work under new coordinator Mike Mutz, who arrives from FCS Stephen F. Austin.
Georgia State Panthers
2025 record: 1-11 overall, 0-8 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: did not qualify
Georgia State was one of four FBS programs that did not defeat fellow FBS competition in 2025, sharing that unwanted designation with UMass, Charlotte, and Oklahoma State. Despite a 4-20 overall record and 1-15 conference mark across two seasons, the program is giving Dell McGee an opportunity to engineer a turnaround in 2026.
It was a season characterized by poor defensive play, as the Panthers finished third-to-last nationally in scoring defense and fourth-to-last in total defense. Hoping to find a remedy, Georgia State hired two co-defensive coordinators in the winter, onboarding former Duke analyst Cam Clark and former Youngstown State defensive coordinator John Haneline. The revamped defense brought in a slew of small-school additions, with many arriving from the FCS and JUCO levels. Other notable arrivals include former Michigan linebacker Jaydon Hood (26 career tackles) and former South Carolina safety Keenan Nelson (13 tackles) — a pair of seniors looking for expanded playing time in their final year of eligibility.
The offense isn’t in a bad starting place under second-year coordinator Hue Jackson. The unit simply needs to crack down on giveaways after finishing a -11 in turnover margin in 2025. Georgia State ranked 38th nationally in passing offense and leading passer Cameran Brown returns. Last year, he split time with TJ Finley and Christian Veilleux, but this year, the job is fully belong to him. Brown delivered 13 touchdowns to one interception, completing 64.9 percent of attempts and hitting a season-high 280 yards against Georgia Southern. He can run too, checking in second on the team with 284 rushing yards in 2025.
Georgia State’s backfield gets a significant makeover, losing its top four running backs but restocking with transfers Savion Hart (FCS Georgetown), Lanear McCrary Jr. (Division II Shorter), and Jaylen Poe (Northern Illinois). The receiving corps must replace third-round NFL Draft pick Ted Hurst but consists of solid experience, including tight end Grant Hollier who finished third on the roster in receiving yards (288) and DJ Riles who finished third among wide receivers (176).
Georgia State opens with FCS opponent North Carolina A&T, giving the Panthers a perfect opportunity to match their 2025 win total out of the gate. Another reason for optimism — this is one of the rare Sun Belt teams with quarterback continuity, providing a foundation for the program to produce its first winning campaign since 2023.
James Madison Dukes
2025 record: 12-2 overall, 8-0 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: defeated Troy in Sun Belt Championship, 31-14; lost to Oregon in CFP First Round, 51-34
James Madison is the standard of the conference, one season removed from serving as the first-ever Sun Belt representative in the College Football Playoff. Despite losing an entire coaching staff and all but three starters, the Dukes enter 2026 as Sun Belt favorites, and they’ve earned that label after four years of sustained success at the FBS level.
JMU handled its last coaching transition with poise, seeing zero drop-off from the Curt Cignetti era to the Bob Chesney era. Chesney departed for UCLA this offseason, and Billy Napier takes over. Napier was formerly the king of the conference, winning four-straight Sun Belt West Division titles at Louisiana from 2018-21. The landscape of college football — particularly roster movement — has dramatically shifted since Napier last dominated the Sun Belt, and he will have to deal with a refurbished roster as he takes over the reigning conference champs.
The Dukes are reloading heavily through small-school transfers with tremendous upside. Wide receivers Jeremiah Harrison (East Tennessee State) and Corey Scott (West Florida), offensive linemen Frankie Tinilau (East Tennessee State) and DJ Fox (Wisconsin-River Falls), defensive end Kei’Trone Simpson (Lamar), and defensive backs Jayon Harvey (Findlay) and Damier Minkah (Shepherd) are among the potential starters hailing from the FCS, Division II, and Division III levels.
James Madison also must figure out its quarterback situation after starter Alonza Barnett III transferred to UCF. The Dukes are balancing three candidates — Camden Coleman, JC Evans, and Arrington Maiden. Coleman was previously a starter at Richmond, totaling 3,192 yards and 26 touchdowns across from 2023-24 before sitting behind Barnett last season. Evans is another incumbent backup with mobility as a signature element of his game, while Maiden arrives from Memphis after firing 10 passes and recording 13 rushing attempts as a second-string quarterback.
Not all production from the 2025 playoff run is lost. The Dukes retain key playmakers including wide receiver Braden Wisloski (26 receptions, 358 yards, 4 TD), Second Team All-Sun Belt center Zach Greenberg, starting defensive end Amar Thomas (43 tackles, 6.5 TFL, 2.5 sacks), and outside linebacker Gannon Weathersby (57 tackles, 2.5 TFL). These will be the new team leaders as James Madison aims to retain its standard under Napier.
Marshall Thundering Herd
2025 record: 5-7 overall, 3-5 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: did not qualify
Marshall won the Sun Belt crown and secured 10 wins in 2024. After an unexpected coaching change from Charles Huff to Tony Gibson, 2025 saw a regression to average for the Thundering Herd. Marshall certainly had its moments in a 5-7 campaign. Four of its wins were convincing, double-digit dominations — including a 24-point shellacking of 10-win Old Dominion. But the Thundering Herd lost countless heartbreakers, squandering a 13-point lead and losing to Missouri State by one, falling to Louisiana in double-overtime, losing to Appalachian State by two on a late field goal, and missing bowl eligibility in late November in a 5-point defeat to Georgia Southern.
The Herd’s prospects look brighter in 2026, and that can be traced to the quarterback position. Carlos Del Rio-Wilson is the Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year after a spectacular first season as a starter, totaling 2,043 passing yards, 17 touchdown passes, five interceptions, 660 rushing yards, and six rushing touchdowns. With the dual-threat QB leading the charge, Marshall finished 37th in scoring offense last season, while particularly excelling in the run game.
The preseason hype is more than just a returning quarterback. Marshall brings back six offensive starters including All-Sun Belt guard Jalen Slappy, All-Sun Belt tight end Toby Payne, and wide receivers Adrian Norton and De’Andre Tamarez. Payne, Norton, and Tamarez all recorded 25+ receptions for 360+ yards a year ago, giving Del Rio-Wilson an established corps entering 2026.
Although Marshall excelled through the air offensively, its opponents also excelled through the air against its defense. The Thundering Herd allowed 262 passing yards per game (127th in FBS), finishing bottom 10 nationally in yards per attempt surrendered. Free safety Daytione Smith (50 tackles, 3 interceptions) and nickel Josh Pierre-Louis (35 tackles, 1.5 TFL) are returning starters in the secondary, and they’ll hope the additions of safety Terrente Hinton (NC State) and three-year starting cornerback Charles McCatherens (Buffalo) bolster the unit.
Elsewhere on the defense, Javae Gilmore is a name to watch after registering 63 tackles and a team-high 11.5 tackles for loss at outside linebacker last year. The defensive front also takes on another NC State transfer in edge rusher Kelvon McBride, who should pair nicely opposite side of Braydin Ward, who led the team with 5.0 sacks in 2025. Solving this side of the ball could be what flips the Herd from 5-7 to potential Sun Belt contenders in Gibson’s second year.
Old Dominion Monarchs
2025 record: 10-3 overall, 6-2 Sun Belt
2025 postseason: defeated South Florida in Cure Bowl, 24-10
Old Dominion is proof that patience with a head coach can pay dividends. Ricky Rahne took over prior to the 2020 season, which the Monarchs opted out of. Rahne did not produce a single winning season in the four following years from 2021-24, but everything clicked last fall and ODU is fresh off its best campaign in program history.
The Monarchs collected 10 victories and stunned a quality South Florida team in the Cure Bowl. Their only losses? National champion Indiana (only by 13), CFP-bound James Madison, and Marshall. However, there is a price to success in the Sun Belt, and Old Dominion lost several stars to the transfer portal, headlined by Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year Colton Joseph.
Joseph elevated ODU with his dual-threat abilities in 2025, posting 2,624 passing and 1,007 rushing yards. A preview of the position’s future came in the Cure Bowl, when Quinn Henicle attained 127 passing yards and 107 rushing yards in his lone start of the season. He’ll compete in a fall camp battle with Washington State transfer Jaxon Potter, whose game is more passing-oriented — giving the Monarchs two distinct options at quarterback.
The Monarchs’ quality offensive line was ransacked by the portal, but they used the transfer market to reload, landing several established starters from the FCS and JUCO levels, including Raykwon Goldthwaite, Bubba Craig, Brayden Walker, and Kendrick Hall. Old Dominion produced the country’s No. 7 rushing offense in 2025 thanks in large part to its blockers, and the new batch looks to replicate that success. They’ll pave the way for running back Devin Roche, who accumulated 630 rushing yards on a 5.7 average last year.
As sharp as Old Dominion’s rushing attack was, perhaps the most unheralded aspect of the 2025 Monarchs was their commanding defense. ODU ranked 14th in the FBS in both scoring defense (18.5 points allowed per game) and total defense (455 yards allowed per game), particularly excelling against the run. Four defensive starters, headlined by defensive end Chris Forbes and safety Mario Easterly, return to a unit which held eight of 13 opponents to 10 points or fewer. Taking it a step further, five opponents didn’t even exceed seven points on the 2025 Monarchs, which was a defining feature of their 10-win season.