Sun Belt Conference Football Power Rankings - Week 1

G5 Football Daily Staff | Aug 27, 2024

Dec 16, 2023; Orlando, FL, USA; Appalachian State Mountaineers quarterback Joey Aguilar (4) hands off to Appalachian State Mountaineers running back Anderson Castle (1) against the Miami (OH) Redhawks in the third quarter in the third quarter during the Avocados from Mexico Cure Bowl at FBC Mortgage Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports / Nathan Ray Seebeck-USA TODAY Sports

1.       App State

2.       Texas State

3.       James Madison

4.       Arkansas State

5.       Marshall

6.       Louisiana

7.       Coastal Carolina

8.       Old Dominion

9.       South Alabama

10.   Troy

11.   Southern Miss

12.   Georgia Southern

13.   Georgia State

14.   Louisiana-Monroe

---

 RELATED: Conference USA Football Power Rankings - Week 1

---

The Sun Belt has garnered plenty of preseason headlines and with good reason.

This year’s crop of teams feature a pair of clubs who are realistic contenders to earn the Group of Five College Football Playoff spot.

Between an App State team that won nine games last season are return all-conference quarterback Joey Aguilar and several standout talents like Kaedin Robinson, Nate Johnson and Jordan Favors, the Mountaineers are primed to make another run at an SBC crown.

Right on their heels are last year’s surprise in Texas State.

GJ Kinne was lucky to land Jordan McCloud out of the transfer portal after losing last year’s standout signal-caller in TJ Finley and with pieces like Ben Bell and Joey Hobert surrounding McCloud, the Bobcats are most people’s pick to either challenge for or win the league.

The rest of the bunch features James Madison, who landed former North Texas star running back Ayo Adeyi to hold down the run game, Arkansas State who return quarterback Jaylen Raynor and Marshall, who have the pieces to be a surprise contender in the league.

In the back end, it will be an uphill climb for Bryant Vincent and Will Hall and Louisiana-Monroe and Southern Miss, respectively. The Sun Belt has a strong case to be made as the nation’s top G5 league and could land 6-7 teams in postseason play.