Sun Belt Conference “Media Days” begin on Tuesday in New Orleans, so the conference laid out the talking points for the media on Monday. Coastal Carolina is picked fourth in the preseason coaches poll, with James Madison favored to win the East Division. Louisiana earned the top spot in the West, just ahead of outgoing Texas State. The Bobcats are moving to the Pac-12 next year, and Louisiana Tech will take their place in the Sun Belt.
The league also announced its preseason first and second team members, which included three Chanticleers. OL Nick Del Grande earned 1st team All-SBC honors, with WR Jameson Tucker and LB Shane Bruce landing on the second team. Del Grande and Bruce will join head coach Tim Beck in New Orleans, with the Chanticleer trio set to meet the media on Wednesday.
2025 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss (RS Sr., QB – Frisco, Texas)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Blayne Myrick, South Alabama (RS Jr., LB – Fairhope, Ala.)
Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year
Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Jr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Braylon Braxton, Southern Miss (RS Sr., QB – Frisco, Texas)
RB – George Pettaway, James Madison (RS Jr., RB – Suffolk, Va.)
RB – Kentrel Bullock, South Alabama (Sr., RB – Columbia, Miss.)
OL – Nick Del Grande, Coastal Carolina (RS Jr., OL – Lancaster, Pa.)
OL – Caleb Cook, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., OL – Brunswick, Ga.)
OL – Pichon Wimbley, Georgia Southern (Sr., OL – Newnan, Ga.)
OL – Pat McMurtrie, James Madison (Gr., OL – Verona, N.J.)
OL – Zach Barlev, Old Dominion (Sr., OL – Bolingbrook, Ill.)
TE – Toby Payne, Marshall (RS Jr., TE – Poca, W.Va.)
WR – Corey Rucker, Arkansas State (RS Sr., WR – Bentonia, Miss.)
WR – Josh Dallas, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., WR – Sharpsburg, Ga.)
WR – Ted Hurst, Georgia State (Sr., WR – Savannah, Ga.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Bryan Whitehead, Arkansas State (RS Sr., DL – Bartlett, Tenn.)
DL – Latrell Bullard, Georgia Southern (Sr., DL – Smyrna, Ga.)
DL – Jordan Lawson, Louisiana (RS Sr., DL – Brandon, Miss.)
DL – Kevontay Wells, ULM (Sr., DL – Jackson, Miss.)
DL – Brodarius Lewis, Southern Miss (Gr., DL – Prattville, Ala.)
LB – Brendan Harrington, Georgia Southern (7th Yr., LB – Moncure, N.C.)
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (RS Sr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.)
LB – Blayne Myrick, South Alabama (RS Jr., LB – Fairhope, Ala.)
DB – Chance Gamble, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., DB – Fitzgerald, Ga.)
DB – Jacob Thomas, James Madison (Sr., DB – Ashburn, Va.)
DB – Tyree Skipper, Louisiana (RS Sr., DB – New Orleans, La.)
DB – Josh Moten, Southern Miss (RS Sr., DB – Waldorf, Md.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Clune Van Andel, Arkansas State (Jr., K – Grand Rapids, Mich.)
P – Alex Smith, Georgia Southern (Jr., P – Melbourne, Australia)
RS – Ian Foster, Southern Miss (RS So., RS – Brundidge, Ala.)
AP – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State (RS Sr., AP – Hampton, Ark.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (RS Jr., QB – Whitsett, N.C.)
RB – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RB – Hampton, Ark.)
RB – Bill Davis, Louisiana (RS So., RB – LaPlace, La.)
OL – Jax Harrington, Louisiana (RS Sr., OL – Erath, La.)
OL – George Jackson, Louisiana (RS Sr., OL – Stone Mountain, Ga.)
OL – Jalen Slappy, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Columbus, Ohio)
OL – Jordan Davis, South Alabama (RS Sr., OL – Fairburn, Ga.)
OL – Eli Russ, Troy (Sr., OL – Ardmore, Okla.)
TE – Kyirin Heath, Southern Miss (Sr., TE – Mansfield, Texas)
WR – Dalton Stroman, App State (RS Sr., WR – Rockingham, N.C.)
WR – Jameson Tucker, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., WR – Mauldin, S.C.)
WR – Dalen Cobb, Georgia Southern (Sr., WR – Washington, Ga.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Henry Bryant, Georgia State (RS Sr., DL – Delray Beach, Fla.)
DL – Immanuel Bush, James Madison (RS Sr., DL – Lancaster, S.C.)
DL – Kris Trinidad, Old Dominion (RS Sr., DL – Richmond, Va.)
DL – Luis Medina, Troy (Sr., DL – Summerville, Ga.)
LB – Shane Bruce, Coastal Carolina (Gr., LB – Carrollton, Ga.)
LB – Trent Hendrick, James Madison (Sr., LB – Richmond, Va.)
LB – Cameron Whitfield, Louisiana (RS Sr., LB – Houston, Texas)
LB – Koa Naotala, Old Dominion (RS Jr., LB – Newport News, Va.)
DB – Tracy Hill Jr., Georgia Southern (RS Jr., DB – Athens, Ga.)
DB – DJ Barksdale, James Madison (Jr., DB – Rock Hill, S.C.)
DB – Wesley Miller, South Alabama (RS Jr., DB – Columbia, Miss.)
DB – Devin Lafayette, Troy (Sr., DB – Brunswick, Ga.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Scott Taylor Renfroe, Troy (Sr., K – Troy, Ala.)
P – Aleksi Pulkkinen, South Alabama (Jr., P – Helsinki, Finland)
RS – Ja’Quez Cross, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RS – Hampton, Ark.)
AP – George Pettaway, James Madison (RS Jr., AP – Suffolk, Va.)