The former Sun Belt football powerhouse appears to have designs for return to glory

There’s a story about Tom Hanks that after playing roles in Joe Versus the Volcano and The Burbs, he was no longer interested in “playing jerks.” But why mess up a good thing? Hanks had a niche that was making him a good living. Some guys would kill for a starring role in Dragnet! Six Oscar nominations and two wins later, it appears that taking his career seriously was a good move for Tom Hanks.

This anecdote has little to do with Appalachian State football except to say that it appears that Dowell Loggains and the program is tired of playing the Sun Belt East jerk, goofing around while James Madison, Coastal and even Old Dominion have eclipsed the Mountaineers as SBC sheriffs.

Appalachian State’s absence from championship form has not exactly been a long sabbatical. The Mountaineers claimed the championship in 2019 and fell just short in 2023, losing to Troy in the SBC Championship. But since that season, the Mountaineers have chalked up consecutive 5-win seasons, leaving their fans with teeth chronically gnashed. However, fans may have reason to unclench their jaws.

Checking in on 2027 recruiting, I could not help but note Appalachian State’s early haul – 8 three-star athletes, including running back Arwin Jackson who had fielded offers from Florida State, Auburn and Georgia Tech. This is on top of carding the 2026 season’s best recruiting class. This year’s transfer class isn’t bad either, featuring 34 3-start athletes

“We targeted team captains and leaders,” Coach Loggains has said about his staff’s recruiting efforts, which doesn’t seem especially mind-blowing, but you can’t expect a coach to surrender the key ingredients to his secret sauce. As an assistant at Arkansas, he developed a reputation as a “top 25” recruiter. His NFL experience likely helps. What one has to believe that the nind-boggling high expectations of Appalachian State and its fans have given Loggains the support he needs to rack up recruiting wins.