Lindy's Sports tabs four Red Wolves to preseason All-Sun Belt team, picks Arkansas State third in West
Arkansas State placed four players on the preseason All-Sun Belt Conference team in the 2026 edition of Lindy’s Sports College Football National Preview, while the publication projects the Red Wolves to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division this season.
Lindy’s picked Troy to win the West Division, followed by Louisiana and Arkansas State. Louisiana Tech, which begins its first season as a member of the Sun Belt in 2026, was projected to finish fourth.
In the East Division, James Madison was selected as the preseason favorite, followed by Georgia Southern, Marshall and Old Dominion.
Arkansas State’s four preseason all-conference selections include two returning standouts and two transfer portal additions expected to make an immediate impact this fall.
Senior wide receiver Chauncey Cobb was named to the preseason team after emerging as one of the Red Wolves’ top offensive weapons in 2025.
Cobb finished last season with 73 receptions for 797 yards and one touchdown while averaging nearly 11 yards per catch. He developed into one of the conference’s most reliable receivers and is expected to once again play a central role in Arkansas State’s passing attack.
Senior kicker Clune Van Andel also earned preseason recognition after putting together one of the finest kicking seasons in school history.
Van Andel became one of Arkansas State’s most dependable weapons in 2025, connecting on four field goals from 50 yards or longer and repeatedly delivering in clutch situations. His biggest moment came against South Alabama, where he drilled a 38-yard game-winning field goal to cap a Red Wolves comeback victory. He also connected on three field goals in a game five different times during the season, providing Arkansas State with one of the Sun Belt’s top special teams performers.
The other two preseason selections have yet to play a game for the Red Wolves but arrive in Jonesboro with impressive resumes.
Running back Ezell Jolly transferred to Arkansas State after a standout season at Kilgore College, where he rushed for 868 yards and 10 touchdowns in just nine games during the 2025 season. Jolly earned Second Team All-Southwest Junior College Football Conference honors and is expected to compete for a significant role in the Red Wolves’ backfield.
On the defensive side of the ball, defensive lineman Donquarius Parker joins Arkansas State from North Carolina Central after producing one of the most disruptive seasons of his collegiate career.
Parker appeared in 12 games in 2025, recording 39 total tackles, including 19 solo stops, while adding 11.5 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. His ability to create pressure in opposing backfields is expected to bolster an Arkansas State defensive front looking to continue its improvement entering the 2026 season.