Arkansas State: The Red Wolves return 1st team All-Sun Belt quarterback Fredi Knighten and his 3,277 yards passing with 24 TD to the nation's 40th ranked passing attack. Knighten is also a terror running the football with 779 yards and another 11 TD on the ground. Knighten is not alone in the backfield with 2nd team All-Sun Belt running back Michael Gordon (159/1,100/13TD) as well as redshirt sophomore Johnston White (95/514/6TD) toting the football. The Red Wolves had the 27th ranked rushing attack in the FBS with 216.4 yards per game.
Georgia Southern: The defending Sun Belt champion Eagles bring back the key ball carriers from the nation's #1 ranked rushing attack in 2014 with 381.1 yards per game on the ground. Junior quarterback Kevin Ellison (2nd team All-Sun Belt) is the architect for the Eagles with 172 carries for 1,096 yards and 12 TDs on the ground to go along with 1,001 yards passing and another 5 touchdowns. The rushing star for the Eagles is junior running back and 2014 1st team All-Sun Belt honoree Matt Breida (171/1,485/17TD). Breida averaged 8.68 yards per carry, ranking as one of the best ypc averages for a starting running back. In case having Breida in the backfield is not enough, the Eagles also trot out sophomore and Sun Belt All Newcomer Team member Alfred Ramsby (148/691/12TD).
South Alabama: Needing a quarterback to lead the Jaguars into the 2015 season, South Alabama lucked out and got a talented on in UAB transfer Cody Clements. The JUCO transfer was very good in his only year at UAB with 2,227 yards passing and 14 TD in leading the Blazers to a 6-6 record. Clements' arm has the chance to make South Alabama much better than the 96th ranked passing team in the nation. The Jaguars have a duo of running backs in senior Terrance Timmons, a 75 carry, 403 yard, 4 TD season last fall as well as sophomore Xavier Johnson and his 81/438/1TD 2014 season.
Appalachian State: Boasting one of the nations more balanced offenses in the nation with 241.8 yards on the ground and 219.8 yards in the air per game, Appalachian State returns one of the most talented backfields in the Group of Five conferences. At quarterback, the Mountaineers bring in 2014 Sun Belt freshman of the year Taylor Lamb at quarterback. The sophomore passed for 2,381 yards and 17 touchdowns to go along with another 483 yards and 4 touchdowns on the group for Appalachian State. At running back, the Mountaineers are led by 2nd team All Sun Belt honoree Marcus Cox. The junior running back toted the ball 255 times for 1,415 yards and 19 touchdowns during the 2014 season. Giving Cox help in the backfield is sophomore Terrence Upshaw who carried the ball 112 times for 573 yards and 4 touchdowns.
Georgia State: One of the least balanced offenses in the country, Georgia State returns true a gunslinger in senior quarterback Nick Arbuckle. The Panthers quarterback threw for 3,283 yards and 23 touchdowns but was all but invisible due to the general struggles for the Panthers throughout the 2014 season. Arbuckle led the Panthers to the 26th ranked passing offense in the nation at 279 yards per game. Georgia State had very little luck rushing the ball in 2014 but return redshirt sophomore Kyler Neal and his 40/209/1TD season last fall. At 96.3 yards on the ground per game, it can only get better for the Panthers in 2015.
New Mexico State: Ranking in the mid 50s in both rushing and passing the football, New Mexico State was still able to produce not only a 2,500 yards passer but also a 1,000 yard rusher in the 2014 season. Tyler Rogers led the Aggies with 2,779 yards passing and 19 touchdowns while also toting the rock for another 200 yards and 2 touchdowns last fall in his first year as a starter. Flanking Rogers in the backfield is sophomore running back Larry Rose. The pleasant surprise for the Aggies in 2014 was Rose with 186 carries for 1,102 yards and 9 touchdowns. Xavier Hall shold also see the ball after rushing for 342 yards and 5 touchdowns last fall.
Idaho: Sun Belt teams have the bad habit of being one extreme or another on offense. Idaho is no exception with the 31st ranked passing attack in the nation but the 96th ranked rushing attack. Leading a 1-10 team as a freshman, Matt Linehan impressive with a 221-379 passing, 2,540 yard, 11 TD season that earned him honorable mention All-Sun Belt. Linehan needs to improve his passing touchdown numbers but that will only improve if the Vandal running game can be feared. Leading the charge for a rushing attack that had only 141.9 yards per game is senior running back and Honorable mention All-Sun Belt honoree Elijhaa Penny. Penny, a robust 254 pounds last fall, put up 589 yards on the ground with 12 touchdowns and is surprisingly agile for a man of his size.
Texas State: For a team that went 7-5 with the 20th ranked rushing attack in the nation and top 35 nationally in points scored per game, the Bobcats oddly had very little buzz during the 2014 season. Junior quarterback Tyler Jones leads the Bobcats into the 2015 season with a 246-376 passing, 2,670 yard, 22 TD season last fall. In addition to his ability to toss the ball all over the field, Jones was elusive carrying the ball as well with 166 carries for 539 yards and 6 touchdowns. Helping Jones carry the ball is senior running back Robert Lowe and his 185/1,091/12TD season from 2014. Lowe is also very useful in the passing game with 24 catches for 207 yards and 1 touchdown last fall.
Troy: Long known to be an excellent offensive team, Troy struggled significantly in 2014 with the 93rd ranked passing attack in the nation at 198.8 yards in the air per game. On the positive side, those numbers came from a 2014 freshman in Brandon Silvers. The now sophomore was 191-271 in the air for 1,836 yards and 11 touchdowns. The mobile quarterback also added 196 yards and 5 touchdowns on the ground for a rushing offense that carried the ball for 164.5 yards per game. The Trojans have a pair of running backs that split duties in 2014 with junior Jordan Chunn (111/505/6TD) and senior Brandon Burks (96/584/3TD) combining for 1,089 yards and 9 touchdowns on the season. The duo should carry the majority of the load again in 2015.
Louisiana: Despite losing do everything quarterback Terrence Broadway from 2014, the Ragin' Cajuns are still strong in the offensive backfield due to the play of running back Elijah McGuire. the junior was nothing short of amazing in 2014 with 1,264 yards rushing and 14 TD, 45 catches for 468 yards and 2 TD, and a 7.7 yards average in punt returns. No player in the Sun Belt was more important for his team than McGuire as evidenced by his Sun Belt Player of the Year, Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year, 1st team All-Sun Belt RB, and 1st team All-Sun Belt All Purpose honors. Luckily for junior quarterback Brooks Haack, if he wins the job, the Ragin' Cajuns were not strong in the air so not too much is expected from the quarterback position other than keeping the defense from completely keying on McGuire on every play.
Louisiana-Monroe: With every other team in the Sun Belt returning at least one significant starter at either quarterback or running back, Louisiana Monroe is the exception with 3,181 yard passer Pete Thomas gone to graduation. Expected to take his spot at quarterback is Brayle Brown, a quarterback that saw the playing field in all 12 games as a backup. Brown passed foe 172 yards and 1 touchdown to go along with 15 yards on the ground. Those numbers are a far cry from Thomas but are building blocks for Brown to improve upon in 2015. Even being the 126th ranked rushing game in 2014 with 69.5 yards per game on the ground, the Warhawks have virtually no experience toting the football with Nathan Meadors Jr. (6/25yd) and Kaylon Watson (9/31 yd) coming back as the most experienced running backs.
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