Athlon Sports tabs Arkansas State as Sun Belt West runner-up entering 2026 season
Expectations continue to rise for Arkansas State entering the 2026 football season.
Athlon Sports projects the Red Wolves to finish second in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division, positioning Butch Jones’ program as one of the league’s top contenders and a legitimate threat to reach its first Sun Belt Championship Game.
The publication predicts Troy will repeat as West Division champion, followed by Arkansas State, Louisiana Tech, Louisiana, South Alabama, Southern Miss and ULM.
On the East side, Athlon projects James Madison to win the division, followed by Old Dominion, Marshall, Georgia Southern, Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina and Georgia State.
The second-place projection reflects the progress Arkansas State has made under Jones after the program rebounded from a difficult start last season.
The Red Wolves stumbled to a 1-4 record to open the 2025 campaign but finished the year by winning six of their final eight games, securing a second consecutive winning season and building momentum entering 2026.
According to Athlon Sports, that late-season surge has Arkansas State on the verge of taking another step.
“The next step for Jones is to guide Arkansas State to its first Sun Belt title game,” the publication wrote. “A goal that’s within reach in ‘26 if a couple of answers emerge on both sides of the ball.”
Those answers begin at quarterback.
Arkansas State enters fall camp searching for a replacement for Jaylen Raynor after the former starter transferred to Iowa State during the offseason.
Athlon identifies Trey Owens, Ethan Crawford, Drew Dickey and Jérémy St-Hilaire as the four quarterbacks expected to compete for the starting job during preseason camp.
Whoever emerges from that competition will inherit an offense that returns much of its supporting cast.
Running backs Devin Spencer and Kenyon Clay headline an experienced backfield, while veteran receivers Chauncey Cobb and Hunter Summers return after productive 2025 campaigns. The Red Wolves also return three starters along the offensive line, although Athlon noted the group must take a significant step forward after allowing 30 sacks and struggling to consistently establish the running game last season.
While quarterback headlines the offense, Athlon believes Arkansas State’s biggest concern entering camp resides on the defensive line.
The Red Wolves must replace several key contributors from last season, making the development of the defensive front one of the most important storylines throughout August practices.
The secondary, however, is expected to become the strength of the defense.
Athlon points to the return of safeties AG McGhee and Brandon Barnes as a major reason for optimism while highlighting the addition of former Kennesaw State safety Five Hamilton through the transfer portal.
The veteran experience in the defensive backfield should provide defensive coordinator Griff McCarley with one of the conference’s more experienced secondaries as Arkansas State looks to continue improving defensively.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in Athlon’s West Division projections is Louisiana Tech’s placement.
The Bulldogs, who begin their first season in the Sun Belt after joining from Conference USA, are projected to finish third, ahead of perennial contender Louisiana.
Louisiana is picked fourth despite remaining one of the conference’s most consistent programs over the past decade, followed by South Alabama, Southern Miss and ULM.
Athlon’s projections illustrate just how competitive the Sun Belt West has become.
With Troy returning as the favorite and Arkansas State projected immediately behind the Trojans, the division race could once again be decided during the closing weeks of the regular season.
For Jones and the Red Wolves, the preseason recognition represents another milestone in the program’s rebuilding process.
Just a few years ago, Arkansas State was attempting to climb out of the bottom half of the conference standings.
Now, national publications view the Red Wolves as one of the Sun Belt’s premier programs entering the season.
Whether Arkansas State can exceed Athlon’s expectations may ultimately depend on how quickly the quarterback competition is settled, whether the offensive line develops into a more consistent unit and how rapidly the rebuilt defensive front comes together.
If those questions are answered, the Red Wolves could find themselves playing meaningful football in November with an opportunity to compete for their first Sun Belt Championship Game appearance and their first conference championship since capturing four consecutive league titles from 2011 through 2014.