There are plenty of Sun Belt Conference players to watch in week 1. Talented teams and talented players abound from the Myrtle Beach metro area to San Marcos, TX. Here is a preview of those talented players who are strapping on the helmet on Saturday.
Sun Belt Players to Watch
RB Blake Watson, Old Dominion (vs Va. Tech, Sep.2, 6 PM CST, ESPNU)
Watson rushed for 1121 yards and 8 touchdowns, gaining over 100+yards in five straight games. Against FIU, he rushed for 158 yards and 2 TDs in a 47-24 win. In addition, Watson has been named to the Doak Walker Award Watchlist for 2022.
QB Chase Brice, Appalachian State (vs North Carolina, Sep. 3, 11 AM CST, ESPNU)
Brice (a Clemson/Duke transfer) threw for 3337 yards, 27 TDs, and 11 INTs last season. He passed for 326 yards and 3 TDs in a 45-16 win over Georgia State. He completed 71% of his passes in that game.
In addition, Brice has been named to the Davey O’Brien Award and the Maxwell Award Watchlists for 2022.
WR Corey Gammage, Marshall (vs Norfolk State, Sep. 3, 2:30 CST, ESPN3)
Gammage caught 78 passes for 869 yards and 2 TDs in 2021.
QB Gunnar Watson, Troy (vs Ole Miss, Sep. 3, 3 PM CST, SEC Network)
Watson passed for 1613 yards, 8TD and 4 INTs in 2021. He threw for 350 yards and a touchdown in a 35-21 loss to Louisiana.
WR Jalen Wayne, South Alabama (vs Nicholls, Sep. 3, 4 PM CST, ESPN3)
Wayne caught 53 passes for 630 yards and 2 touchdowns last season. He gained 117 yards and a touchdown in a 41-14 win over Georgia Southern.
QB Layne Hatcher, Texas State (at Nevada, Sep.3, 4:30 PM CST, NSN)
Hatcher (an Arkansas State transfer) passed for 2423 yards, 19 TDs, and 13 INTs. His high game of the season: 444 yards and 2 TDs, and 2 INTs in 27-24 win over UL-Monroe.
LB Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, James Madison (vs Middle Tennessee St., Sep.3, 5 PM CST, ESPN+)
Tucker-Dorsey was a tackling machine with 116 stops in 2021. In addition, he made nine tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles, recovered a fumble, and intercepted four passes.
DE Justin Ellis, Georgia Southern (vs Morgan St., Sep.3, 5 PM CST, ESPN3)
Ellis posted 37 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, 5 sacks, and forced a fumble.
RB Frank Gore, Jr., Southern Mississippi (vs Liberty, Sep.3, 6 PM CST, ESPN+)
Gore rushed for 801 yards and 5 TDs last season. In addition, he also played quarterback in the final three games. He threw four touchdown passes in wins over La. Tech and FIU. As a result, Gore has been named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist for 2022.
QB Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (vs Army, Sep. 3, 7 PM CST, ESPN+)
McCall passed for 2873 yards, 27 TDs, and just 3 INTs. He completed 78% of his passes against Arkansas State in a 52-20 win. Against the Red Wolves, he passed for 365 yards and 4 TDs.
In addition, McCall has been named to the following watchlists for 2022: Maxwell Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
RB Chris Smith, Louisiana (vs Southeastern La., Sep. 3, 6 PM CST, ESPN+)
Smith rushed for 856 yards and eight touchdowns. In addition, he gained 468 yards on kick off returns (20-yard average). Against Arkansas State, he carried 24 times for 238 yards (9.92 yard average) and 2 touchdowns.
Smith has been named to the Doak Walker Award and The Wuerffel Trophy (Community Service and Leadership) watchlists for 2022.
WR Te’Vailance Hunt, Arkansas State (vs Grambling, Sep.3, 7 PM CST, ESPN3)
Hunt caught 51 passes for 740 yards and six TDs. In a loss to Coastal Carolina, he caught 6 passes for 138 yards and touchdown. In addition, Hunt is on the Biletnikoff Award watchlist for 2022.
RB Tucker Gregg/RB Jamyest Williams/QB Darren Grainger, Georgia State (vs South Carolina, Sep.3, 6:30 PM CST, SEC Nwtwork)
This trio was the catalyst that operated the #9 rushing offense in the FBS (224 yards/game): RB Tucker Gregg (953 yards, 9 TDs), RB Jamyest Williams (859 yards, 9 TDs), and QB Darren Grainger (1715 yards passing 19 TDs, 4 INTs; 646 yards rushing and 3 TDs).
Gregg and Williams have both been named to the Doak Walker Award watchlist for 2022.
LB Zack Woodard, UL-Monroe (at Texas, Sep. 3, 7 PM CST, Longhorn Network)
Woodard racked up 89 tackles, 9 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. In addition, he received All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention.
Other Sun Belt Conference Players to Watch
In addition to Georgia State ranking #9 in rushing offense, there are other SBC school who were nationally ranked in certain categories:
Passing Defense-FBS Top 30 in 2021:
- #15 Coastal Carolina-D’Jordan Strong (Bronco Nagurski Award Watchlist)
- #16 Louisiana-DB Eric Garror
- #21 Troy-S T.J. Harris
- #24 Southern Miss-DB Malik Shorts
- #28 Marshall-DB Steven Gilmore (Jim Thorpe Award Watchlist)
Rushing Defense-FBS Top 35 in 2021
- #6 Coastal Carolina-DL Josiah Stewart (Bronco Nagurski Award, Bednarik Award Watchlists)
- #9 Georgia State-DB Antavious lane
- #31 Louisiana-DL Andre Jones
- #33 Georgia Southern
- #34 Appalachian State
Total Defense-FBS Top 30 in 2021
- #22 Coastal Carolina
- #24 Troy-LB Carlton Martial, DL Javon Solomon (Bronco Nagurski Trophy
- Watchlist)
- #26 Louisiana
- #28 Appalachian State-DB Steven Jones
Thanks for reading.