There is so much migration in college football, you are likely to have to remake a rooting interest for a new quarterback every single season. In retrospect, the Red Wolves having three years of Jaylen Raynor was a wild anomaly not likely to be duplicated anytime soon. Two years of consistent, familiar QB play is the best we can hope for. Somewhat surprisingly, several Sun Belt programs are receiving just that (or at least something close to it).
Who’s behind center for the Sun Belt this year? Let’s see (and in some cases, make a few guesses).
Appalachian State Mountaineers: Malachi Singleton
At this time last year, the Mountaineers were set to name AJ Swann their new starter. Swann is gone, and leaves another newbie to assume the position. While UCLA Henry Hasselbeck has the pedigree, the Mountaineers are projected to go with Malachi Singleton (6’1″, 225-lbs), a former 4-star recruit who saw playing time with Arkansas and Purdue before reconnecting with Dowell Loggains in Boone.
Arkansas State Red Wolves: Trey Owens or Ethan Crawford or Drew Dickey
As we mentioned earlier, Raynor has bounced to Iowa State, leaving Butch Jones to find his first starting quarterback in three season. The offseason provided compelling options, including return backup Ethan Crawford, a dual threat athlete who transferred from Southern Miss last season and Drew Dickey, a career backup at Vanderbilt. But the contender leading out of the gate is Texas transfer Trey Owens (6’5″, 220-lb), the kind of pocket-passing game manager with which Jones has always felt most comfortable.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers: Tre Guerra or Trever Jackson or Deuce Bailey
Ryan Beard arrives to Conway fresh faced and fresh out of experienced QBs. Deuce Bailey joins Beard from Missouri State, so he knows the play book. Trevor Jackson is a redshirt transfer from Florida State/Arkansas and former 4-star prospect. We’ leaning towards Tre Guerra (6’2″, 195-lb), a junior college product who knows how to win – Guerra led Tyler Junior College to an 11-1 overall record and the Southwest Junior College Football Conference (SWJCFC) Championship last season
Georgia Southern Eagles: Max Johnson
Clay Helton could have elevated his son Turner into the position, but he went with well-traveled starter Max Johnson (6’5″ 220-lb), a SEVENTH year player who’s seen action at LSU, Texas A&M and North Carolina. Five years ago, Johnson led LSU to a 6-6 season, passing for 2,800 yards and 27 touchdowns. His thrown 14 TDs for the following four seasons, but Johnson is a proven commodity that fits Helton’s schemes.
Georgia State Panthers: Cameran Brown
The quarterback situation in Atlanta last season was a soap opera of revolving leading men, but the Panthers’ took control of the narrative this season by firmly installing Cameran Brown (6’2″, 230-lbs) behind center, who threw 13 touchdowns last year against just one pick. Coach Dell McGee will rely heavily on “Downtown Brown’s” leadership, whose college career began at West Georgia in 2023 before a brief stint at Texas A&M.
James Madison Dukes: JC Evans or Camden Coleman
Alonza Barnett III led the Dukes to an appearance is the College Football Playoffs last year. After Bob Chesney departed, Barnett bailed to UCF, leaving new head coach Billy Napier to hold auditions. The word out of camp is that the QB competition is a two man race between JC Evans and Camden Coleman, the latter a 4th year man who didn’t see a snap last season but was once a productive starter at Richmond. JC Evans (6’4″, 234-lb) is thought to have broader athletic portfolio. Used at times for his running ability last season, this may be the year Evans reveals the entire package.
Louisiana Ragin’ Cajuns: Lunch Winfield
Last year, Walker Howard was supposed to lead the Cajuns to a second SBC West title. Unfortunately, Howard was injured early in the season, leaving head coach Mike Desormeaux spinning his Rolex for a replacement. It finally landed on Lunch Winfield (6’2″, 225-lbs), who totaled twenty TDs in 2025 with his arm and feet. Now in his fourth year in Lafayette, Winfield brings a mix of ability, consistency, familiarity and experience to the huddle.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs: Blake Baker
When healthy, Blake Baker (6’5″, 220-lbs) was The Man in 2025, totaling nine touchdowns while tossing just three picks in seven starts for the Bulldogs. A three-star prospect, Baker is now in his third season as Rustin, so he’s on the same page with head coach Sonny Cumbie, who with Baker led the team to an 8-5 record last year. Opponents should be advised that Baker can run. He put up 260 yards on his feet last season.
Marshall Thundering Herd: Carlos Del Rio-Wilson
The Sun Belt Preseason Offensive Player of the Year is found behind center in Huntington. Del Rio-Wilson (6’2″, 225-lbs) is well-traveled, recruited by Florida, transferred to Syracuse, and finally landed at Marshall where he put up 2,000 passing yards and 23 total touchdowns last season. What is presumably his last season (you never know these days), Del Rio-Wilson leads what is projected to be a very, very good offense at Marshall under second-year head coach Tony Gibson.
Old Dominion Monarchs: Quinn Henicle
Henicle (6’2″, 215-lbs) is a “sort-of returner,” having been the last Monarch to start at QB for ODU – a Cure Bowl victory that saw Henicle awarded the game’s MVP. He’s no ordinary redshirt sophomore. Hencile has seen the field often, at time filling in for an injured Colton Joseph. Don’t expect to see much drop-off with Joseph, who’s now at West Virginia: Hencile is just as good a passer and runner, which he proved in 2024 by dropping 5 TDS and 459 total yards on Arkansas State.
South Alabama Jaguars: Bishop Davenport
Coach Major Applewhite has 99,000 problems to worry about in Mobile, but quarterback isn’t one of them. Davenport, who transferred from Utah State in 2024, accrued 2,00 passing yards and 19 total TDs in 2025, which was not quite enough to overcome the Jaguars’ copious defensive shortcomings. With Davenport, South Alabama has a multi-tooled weapon behind center who can manage a fairly experienced offensive unit. Too bad he can’t play linebacker.
Southern Miss Golden Eagles: Ethan Hampton
New head coach Blake Anderson will have to make “Faith, Family and Fun” work its hardest this season when he takes on an entirely new group of Golden Eagles in Hattiesburg. The consensus pick at QB appears to be Illinois transfer Ethan Hampton (6’3″ 230-lb), a former starting quarterback for Northern Illinois. However, Hampton is dinged heading into Week One, which may move Coach Anderson to roll with redshirt-senior Landry Lyddy.
Troy Trojans: Goose Crowder
When Crowder (6’2″, 214-lbs) dinged his collarbone against Memphis last season, he spent the next seven games watching Tucker Killcrease run the offense. Both Crowder and Killcrease are back, but the former is re-installed at starter. When healthy, Crowder can be effective. The former West Virginia signal caller threw for seven total touchdowns in back-to-back games against Georgia State and Southern Miss. Perhaps a full year of Goose is good for the gander.
ULM Warhawks: Aidan Armenta
There is more than one QB on the Monroe campus, but when it comes time for Bryant Vincent to name a starter, it’s gonna be Aidan Armenta. In two seasons, Armenta’s production can be described as “uneven,” tossing 18 picks in that span against 21 passing touchdowns. However, nobody knows the Warhawks offense better than Armenta, and he ended last season with three TD passes and 300 yards versus hated in-state foe Louisiana. Vincent will go with Armenta until he’s ready to roll the dice on speedy Austin Carlisle.
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