2026 Sun Belt Preseason Awards and Poll

[AppStFan1]

SUN BELT ANNOUNCES 2026 FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS & POLL

https://sunbeltsports.org/news/2026/7/1 ... -poll.aspx
NEW ORLEANS — The Sun Belt Conference announced its 2026 Preseason All-Sun Belt Teams, individual awards and Preseason Poll on Monday.

Marshall redshirt senior quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson was named the Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Troy senior defensive lineman Donnie Smith was selected as the Preseason Defensive Player of the Year and Troy senior punter Evan Crenshaw was dubbed the Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.

Del-Rio Wilson—an All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention a year ago—threw for 2,043 yards and 17 touchdowns and rushed for 660 yards and six touchdowns in 2025. The Atlanta, Ga., native is 1-of-2 returning quarterbacks in the nation to have thrown for 2,000 yards, completed 65 percent of passing attempts and rushed for 600 yards in a season. His 660 rushing yards broke a 43-year-old Thundering Herd single-season rushing record for a quarterback.

Smith—an All-Sun Belt First Teamer a year ago—led the Sun Belt and ranked eighth in the nation with 11.0 sacks in 2025. The Greenville, Miss., product was 1-of-13 players in the nation with at least 40 tackles, 10 tackles for loss and 10 sacks on the year.

Crenshaw—the reigning Sun Belt Special Teams Player of the Year and an All-Sun Belt First Team pick a year ago—averaged 45.69 yards per punt, including 21 punts of 50-or-more yards and 29 placed inside the 20-yard line. The Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla., native’s punting average ranked second-best in Trojans program history and 17th in the country. He was the first Trojan to earn multiple All-America nods at the FBS level and was 1-of-3 finalists for the Ray Guy Award—presented annually to college football’s most outstanding punter—in 2025.

Marshall paced all conference programs with nine Preseason All-Sun Belt picks, followed closely by Arkansas State (7), Georgia Southern (7) and Troy (6). 12-of-14 Sun Belt programs were represented by multiple student-athletes across the two Preseason All-Sun Belt teams.

Arkansas State paced all programs with seven First Team picks, while Marshall (6), App State (2), Georgia Southern (2), James Madison (2), Louisiana (2), ULM (2) and Troy (2) also produced multiple First Team honorees. Georgia Southern tallied a conference-high five Second Team selections, followed by four apiece from South Alabama and Troy and three each from Marshall and Old Dominion.

Fresh off its first-ever Sun Belt Football Championship Game victory and the conference’s first-ever berth into the College Football Playoff, James Madison was picked to finish atop the Sun Belt East Division and qualify for its second-straight Sun Belt Football Championship Game. The Dukes claimed 11-of-14 first-place votes, with Old Dominion (1), Georgia Southern (1) and Coastal Carolina (1) also earning first-place mentions.

Following its third Sun Belt Football Championship Game berth over the past four seasons, Troy was picked to claim the Sun Belt West Division crown and qualify for its second-straight Sun Belt Football Championship Game. The Trojans earned 12-of-14 first-place votes, with Louisiana and Southern Miss each receiving one first-place nod.

James Madison defeated Troy, 31-14, in the 2025 Sun Belt Football Championship Game, giving the East Division back-to-back outright titles for the first time since 2018 and 2019.

The Sun Belt is coming off a 2025 season in which it earned its first-ever berth into the College Football Playoff (CFP) after having six teams listed in the CFP Selection Day Rankings over the past seven seasons. The Sun Belt also paced all non-autonomy conferences in Bowl Season representation for the fourth-straight year.

The 2026 Sun Belt football season will officially kick off with Sun Belt Football Media Days on Wednesday, July 15, and Thursday, July 16.

For the third-straight year, the event will be held at the New Orleans Marriott Warehouse Arts District in downtown New Orleans, La., and will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN+. The multicast will feature two separate feeds—the traditional Sun Belt Football Media Days Show, which will incorporate portions of the Main Stage and Sun Belt Studio appearances from each team alongside analysis from hosts Matt Stewart and Rocky Boiman, and the Sun Belt Football Media Days Podium Feed, which will showcase the Main Stage appearances from each team in their entirety.

2026 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (RS Sr., QB – Atlanta, Ga.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Donnie Smith, Troy (Sr., DL – Greenville, Miss.)
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year: Evan Crenshaw, Troy (Sr., P – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Carlos Del Rio-Wilson, Marshall (RS Sr., QB – Atlanta, Ga.)
RB – Kenyon Clay, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RB – Union, Miss.)
RB – Devin Roche, Old Dominion (RS Jr., RB – Baltimore, Md.)
OL – Tristian Smith, Arkansas State (RS Sr., OL – Crossett, Ark.)
OL – Zach Greenberg, James Madison (Gr., OL – Livingston, N.J.)
OL – AJ Vinson, ULM (Sr., OL – Social Circle, Ga.)
OL – Tariq Montgomery, Marshall (RS Sr., OL – Akron, Ohio)
OL – Jalen Slappy, Marshall (RS Sr., OL – Columbus, Ohio)
TE – Toby Payne, Marshall (RS Sr., TE – Poca, W.Va.)
WR – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., WR – Clewiston, Fla.)
WR – Shelton Sampson Jr., Louisiana (RS Jr., WR – Baton Rouge, La.)
WR – Adrian Norton, Marshall (Sr., WR – Huber Heights, Ohio)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Aiden Benton, App State (RS Jr., DL – Clayton, Ga.)
DL – MJ Stroud, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., DL – Covington, Ga.)
DL – Amar Thomas, James Madison (RS Sr., DL – Upper Marlboro, Md.)
DL – Donnie Smith, Troy (Sr., DL – Greenville, Miss.)
LB – Colton Phares, App State (RS Jr., LB – Beaufort, S.C.)
LB – Noah Flemmings, ULM (Sr., LB – Austin, Texas)
LB – Kolbe Fields, Louisiana Tech (Gr., LB – New Orleans, La.)
DB – AG McGhee, Arkansas State (RS Sr., DB – Chipley, Fla.)
DB – Ja’Marion Wayne, Coastal Carolina (Gr., DB – St. Louis, Mo.)
DB – Chance Gamble, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., DB – Fitzgerald, Ga.)
DB – Brent Gordon Jr., Louisiana (So., DB – Cecilia, La.)
DB – Daytione Smith, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – East Highland Park, Va.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Sr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
P – Evan Crenshaw, Troy (Sr., P – Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla.)
RS – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., RS – Clewiston, Fla.)
AP – Chauncy Cobb, Arkansas State (RS Jr., AP – Clewiston, Fla.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Goose Crowder, Troy (Sr., QB – Gardendale, Ala.)
RB – George Pettaway, James Madison (RS Sr., RB – Suffolk, Va.)
RB – Keenan Phillips, South Alabama (Jr., RB – Bainbridge, Ga.)
OL – Tyriq Poindexter, App State (RS Sr., OL – Roanoke, Va.)
OL – Kaden Moreau, Louisiana (RS Sr., OL – Pineville, La.)
OL – Ethan Hubbard, South Alabama (RS Jr., OL – Hoover, Ala.)
OL – Kenton Jerido, South Alabama (RS Sr., OL – Tuscaloosa, Ala.)
OL – Jordon Jones, Troy (Sr., OL – Ashland, Ky.)
TE – Eli Finley, Louisiana Tech (Sr., TE – Heath, Texas)
WR – Josh Dallas, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., WR – Sharpsburg, Ga.)
WR – Nic Trujillo, ULM (Sr., WR – Rio Rancho, N.M.)
WR – Anthony Eager, South Alabama (RS Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Anthony Bynum, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., DL – Covington, Ga.)
DL – Fitzgerald West Jr., Louisiana (RS Sr., DL – Lafayette, La.)
DL – Braydin Ward, Marshall (RS Jr., DL – Montgomery, W.Va.)
DL – Chris Forbes, Old Dominion (RS So., DL – Upper Marlboro, Md.)
LB – Tray Brown, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., LB – Margate, Fla.)
LB – Brandon Tyson, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., LB – Whiteville, N.C.)
LB – Javae Gilmore, Marshall (RS Sr., LB – Amite, La.)
DB – Myles Woods, Coastal Carolina (Jr., DB – Grayson, Ga.)
DB – Jabari Tiller, ULM (Sr., DB – Sumter, S.C.)
DB – Mario Easterly, Old Dominion (RS Sr., DB – Harrisburg, Pa.)
DB – Zion Frink, Old Dominion (RS Jr., DB – Chesapeake, Va.)
DB – Justin Powe, Troy (Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)

Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Tripp Bryant, Georgia Southern (So., K – Lexington, S.C.)
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern (Sr., P – Melbourne, Australia)
RS – Xayvion Turner-Bradshaw, Marshall (RS Sr., RS – Bluefield, Va.)
AP – Jordan Lovett, Troy (Jr., AP – Statesboro, Ga.)

2026 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-Place Votes)

East Division
1. James Madison – 94 Points (11)
2. Old Dominion – 73 Points (1)
3. Marshall – 67 Points
4. Georgia Southern – 53 Points (1)
5. Coastal Carolina – 45 Points (1)
6. App State – 43 Points
7. Georgia State – 17 Points

West Division
1. Troy – 96 Points (12)
2. Louisiana – 75 Points (1)
3. Arkansas State – 69 Points
4. Louisiana Tech – 55 Points
5. Southern Miss – 47 Points (1)
6. South Alabama – 31 Points
7. ULM – 19 Points

[hapapp]

Coaches not too high on App. Not that anybody really knows what anyone really has at this point. I do tend to like it when others have low expectations of our chances.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

It will make it difficult to not exceed expectations

[AppStFan1]

It will make it difficult to not exceed expectations

That is one good thing about it. I think expectations are about 5 wins so if we just get to a bowl game we will do a little better than expected.

[Saint3333]

I'd pin that up on my office door if I were DL.

[Seattleapp]

It will make it difficult to not exceed expectations

That is one good thing about it. I think expectations are about 5 wins so if we just get to a bowl game we will do a little better than expected.

Isn’t it funny how a couple short years ago that bar was completely unacceptable. We were playoffs or bust around here.

[AppStFan1]

It will make it difficult to not exceed expectations

That is one good thing about it. I think expectations are about 5 wins so if we just get to a bowl game we will do a little better than expected.

Isn’t it funny how a couple short years ago that bar was completely unacceptable. We were playoffs or bust around here.

Agreed. I was joking but still sad that it is that way. Hopefully Loggains can exceed expectations.

[NattyBumppo'sRevenge]

It will make it difficult to not exceed expectations

That is one good thing about it. I think expectations are about 5 wins so if we just get to a bowl game we will do a little better than expected.

Isn’t it funny how a couple short years ago that bar was completely unacceptable. We were playoffs or bust around here.

Playoffs? Playoffs?!!!

[AppSt91]

I'd pin that up on my office door if I were DL.

Somebody needs to post it on Gillin’s door.

[t4pizza]

My how the mighty have fallen. Hopefully DL has this group ready to play and surprises everyone.

[Stonewall]

Don’t know if D Lo would see year three if that plays out.

[Gonzo]

Yeah he gone if that transpires. And for a perfectly good reason too, not just because he didn't play here or because he referred to outsiders as outsiders.

[Boone Goon]

I'd pin that up on my office door if I were DL.

He'd need a stool in order to hang it above the door knob!

[Boone Goon]

Is this the worst hire in App State history? ...maybe the softball coach from 3-4 cycles ago was worse...maybe!?

[T-Dog]

Satterfield went 4-8 versus an FCS schedule in his first season, so by first-year metrics, he's worse than Dowell.

He's got a press conference in NOLA and a whole bunch of radio shows tomorrow to get us excited, because right now, there ain't excitement among the fan base.

[Gonzo]

2025 Preseason Coaches Poll:

East Division
1. James Madison – 94 Points (11)
2. Georgia Southern – 76 Points (1)
3. App State – 60 Points
4. Coastal Carolina – 49 Points (1)
5. Old Dominion – 48 Points
6. Marshall – 42 Points (1)
7. Georgia State – 23 Points

West Division
1. Louisiana – 86 Points (6)
2. Texas State – 78 Points (6)
3. Arkansas State – 64 Points (1)
4. South Alabama – 50 Points (1)
5. Southern Miss – 47 Points
6. Troy – 43 Points
7. ULM – 24 Points

Actual 2025 finish:

East Division:
1. JMU
2. ODU
3. CCU
4. GS
5. Marshall
6. App St
7. GSU

West Division
1. Troy
2. USM
3. LaLa
4. Ark St
5. USA
6. ULM
**The internet has purged TxSt from the SBC history books lol**


Anyway, I'm not saying I think we're going to be good at all per se, but a preseason coaches poll is probably a bit premature for "worst hire in any sport" hyperbole. They're historically not very predictive. I wish Dowell were more likeable because there are so many older fans who hate his guts for reasons that clearly don't have a lot to do with winning and losing football games it's crazy.

[ASU07]

I absolutely agree. Never seen a man so hated after one year.

[Stonewall]

Interesting. I don’t know anyone that hates him.Or his guts.

[311neers]

Is this the worst hire in App State history? ...maybe the softball coach from 3-4 cycles ago was worse...maybe!?

Billy Jones would like a word.
Capel.
Fox.

[AppSt94]

Interesting. I don’t know anyone that hates him.Or his guts.

Agreed. The same sentiment applied to the former coach about being a nice guy, but not getting it done on the field applies here with DLo.