The head coaches in the Sun Belt Conference didn't pick Arkansas State as favorites to win the football title this season, but judging by the preseason All-Sun Belt teams released Friday, coaches and selected members of the media think the Red Wolves have the most talented players.
ASU placed 11 players in 12 spots on the two preseason All-Sun Belt teams, the most of any league team.
Preseason All-Sun Belt Conference teams
• Teams picked by the Sun Belt’s 11 head coaches and selected members of the media.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Taylor Lamb, Appalachian State
RB Matt Breida, Georgia Southern
RB Larry Rose III, New Mexico State
WR Dijon Paschal, Arkansas State
WR Robert Davis, Georgia State
WR Penny Hart, Georgia State
TE Gerald Everett, South Alabama
OL Parker Collins, Appalachian State
OL Jemar Clark, Arkansas State
OL Colton Jackson, Arkansas State
OL Andy Kwon, Georgia Southern
OL Antonio Garcia, Troy
DEFENSE
DL Waylon Roberson, Arkansas State
DL Ja’Von Rolland-Jones, Arkansas State
DL Bernard Dawson, Georgia Southern
DL Jay Ellison, Georgia Southern
DL Rashad Dillard, Troy
LB Eric Boggs, Appalachian State
LB John Law, Appalachian State
LB Xavier Woodson-Luster, Arkansas State
DB Cody Brown, Arkansas State
DB Bobby Baker, Georgia State
DB Savion Brown, Louisiana-Lafayette
DB Jeremy Reaves, South Alabama
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Austin Rehkow
K Austin Rehkow
RS Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Matt Linehan, Idaho
RB Marcus Cox, Appalachian State
RB Elijahn McGuire, Louisiana-Lafayette
WR Callen Hightower, Idaho
WR A’Jalen Holley, Louisiana-Monroe
WR Johs Magee, South Alabama
TE Keith Rucker, Georgia State
OL Colby Gossett, Appalachian State
OL Devin Mondie, Arkansas State
OL Anthony McMeans, New Mexico State
OL Curtis Williams, South Alabama
OL Ryan Melton, Texas State
DEFENSE
DL Darrius Sapp, Georgia Southern
DL Shawanye Lawrence, Georgia State
DL Karmichael Dunbar, Louisiana-Lafayette
DL Taboris Lee, Louisiana-Lafayette
LB Khari Lain, Arkansas State
LB Otha Peters, Louisiana-Lafayette
LB Roman Buchanan, South Alabama
DB Chris Humes, Arkansas State
DB Blaise Taylor, Arkansas State
DB Tracy Walker, Louisiana-Lafayette
DB Tre’ Hunter, Louisiana-Lafayette
DB Kalen Jackson, South Alabama
SPECIAL TEAMS
P Lumi Kaba, Texas State
K Aleem Sunanon, South Alabama
RS Xavier Johnson, South Alabama
ASU, which was picked to finish second to Appalachian State in a poll released Thursday, placed eight players on the first team and four on the second. South Alabama placed eight total players on the two teams, while preseason favorite Appalachian State and Louisiana-Lafayette each had six players picked.
Georgia Southern and Georgia State, picked to finish third and fourth, respectively, each had five players picked. Idaho had four, while New Mexico State, Troy, Louisiana-Monroe and Texas State each had two picked.
The Red Wolves' defense was represented most, a year after they forced a conference-best 34 turnovers.
Defensive linemen Waylon Robers and Ja'Von Rolland-Jones, linebacker Xavier Woodson-Luster and defensive back Cody Brown were each picked to the first team. Rolland-Jones led the Sun Belt with 8 1/2 sacks last year, the most of any returning player, while Woodson-Luster had 71 tackles and Brown had three interceptions.
Linebacker Khari Lain, who had 78 tackles, safety Chris Humes and cornerback Blaise Taylor were each picked to the second team.
Taylor also was a first-team pick as a return specialist. The junior averaged 13.4 yards per punt return with one touchdown last year..
ASU lost its offensive coordinator, quarterback, leading rusher and top two receivers from last year's team that set a Sun Belt record with 520 points scored. But the Red Wolves' offense still had representatives on the all-conference teams.
Wide receiver Dijon Paschal, who caught 28 passes for 541 yards and 3 touchdowns last year, and offensive linemen Jemar Clark, from McCrory, and Colton Jackson, from Ozark, were picked to the first team. Offensive lineman Devin Mondie was picked to the second team.
New Mexico State running back Larry Rose III, who rushed for a league-high 1,651 yards last season, was picked as the Offensive Player of the Year. Appalachian State linebacker John Law was named Defensive Player of the Year.
A'Jalen Holley, a Hot Springs Lakeside graduate who is now a wide receiver at Louisiana-Monroe, was picked to the second team.
Sports on 07/23/2016