Talking season is in full swing.
This week marks one of the busiest stretches of the summer for North Carolina college football teams, with multiple conferences holding Media Day events across the region. From preseason polls and all-conference teams to new mascots and rebrands, the headlines are already piling up.
On Monday, the Sun Belt released its predicted order of finish and all-conference selections (only one player for App State picked). The Southern Conference announced its Game of the Week match-ups (WCU will appear twice). And ECU and Charlotte’s conference got a name and image makeover in the leadup to its media showcase in Charlotte later in the week.
Here’s more information on what dropped on Monday, July 21 | Updated 3:30 p.m.
App State WR Dalton Stroman Named Preseason All-Conference:
Wide receiver Dalton Stroman was Appalachian State football’s only selection on the Sun Belt’s preseason all-conference team. The redshirt senior from Rockingham (Richmond Senior HS) was named second team.
Stroman has played in 37 games during his App State career, catching 60 passes for 1,078 yards and 12 touchdowns. He caught five TD passes a year ago, including a pair against Marshall. His season-long touchdown reception covered 47 yards against South Alabama.
Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton, South Alabama linebacker Blayne Myrick and Arkansas State kicker Clune Van Andel were named preseason Sun Belt players of the year (offense, defense, special teams).
Three With NC Hometowns Make All-Sun Belt
In addition to Stroman, two other players with North Carolina ties earned preseason All-Sun Belt status.
Georgia Southern linebacker Brendan Harrington from Moncure made the first-team defense. Harrington is in his seventh year of college football after playing at Northwood High and previously at Appalachian State.
James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III from Whitsett made the second-team offense. He played at Grimsley High.
👉 Click HERE to scroll to the full Sun Belt preseason all-conference team at the bottom of this story.
App State picked behind JMU, Georgia Southern in Sun Belt East
Appalachian State has been picked to finish third in the Sun Belt Conference’s East Division, according to the league’s preseason coaches poll, released Monday.
The Mountaineers are coming off a 5-6 campaign (3-5 in the Sun Belt) and have a new head coach in Dowell Loggains.
Sun Belt coaches tabbed James Madison to win the East, with Georgia Southern predicted to finish second. JMU received 11 of 14 first-place votes. The other three first-place ballots were split between Georgia Southern, Coastal Carolina and Marshall.
Louisiana was a narrow favorite over Texas State to win the Sun Belt West. Both received six first-place votes, with Arkansas State and South Alabama each getting one vote apiece.
2025 Sun Belt Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll
(First-Place Votes)
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
App State will enjoy Sun Belt spotlight Wednesday in New Orleans
Sun Belt Media Days kick into high gear on Tuesday and Wednesday in New Orleans, with each of the league’s 14 schools getting time in the spotlight.
Appalachian State and the rest of the East Division will be the focus of Wednesday’s activities. App State will take the main stage at 1:30 p.m. The Mountaineers will be represented by coach Dowell Loggains, redshirt senior offensive lineman Jayden Ramsey and redshirt senior defensive lineman Shawn Collins.
App State fans can follow all of the Sun Belt Media Day festivities on ESPN+.
Southern Conference: WCU Picked For 2 Ingles Game of the Week Broadcasts
Western Carolina’s chase for a Southern Conference championship will include two late-season appearances on the Ingles SoCon Game of the Week from Nexstar Broadcasting.
The first game will come Saturday, Nov. 15 when the Catamounts host East Tennessee State. The second comes a week later when WCU travels to VMI to conclude the regular season.
Nexstar affiliates with the opportunity to air games include ECBD (Charleston), WMYT (Charlotte), WWCW (Lynchburg/Roanoke) and WYCW (Greenville/Spartanburg/Asheville). The Ingles SoCon Games of the Week also will stream concurrently on ESPN+.
“Offering this television schedule provides the schools and the conference with the deserved exposure that make SoCon Saturday’s great,” said Melissa Leavell, advertising director for Ingles Markets. “Ingles is proud to bring these exciting games and tremendous athletes into homes across the Southern Conference marketing area.”
💡 We’re still waiting on the SoCon’s full preseason poll and preseason all-conference team.
Conference Rebrand: New Name For ECU, Charlotte’s League
East Carolina and Charlotte’s conference will have a new name. The American Athletic Conference will now be known simply as the American Conference or The American. The abbreviated “AAC” moniker also has been retired.
The league also introduced a new “ambassador” – a mascot named Soar, a strutting eagle in a red and blue American football uniform. The conference also is trumpeting a new catchphrase: Built To Rise.
Shaping the future of college athletics with innovation, competition, grit and service.
The American, Built To Rise. pic.twitter.com/53zSsKA7dl — The American (@American_Conf) July 21, 2025
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.)
