College football 2016: Conference USA preview

Second in an 11-part series

Southern Mississippi’s rise into a Conference USA heavyweight came at the cost of losing former coach Todd Monken, who parlayed his magic act with the Golden Eagles into the offensive coordinator position with the NFL's Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

That’s a disappointing development for Southern Miss, of course, but it also sends a signal to the rest of the conference: It can always get better.

It wasn’t so long ago that Southern Miss was the cellar dwellar of Conference USA, a once-proud program rooted in nearly unimpeachable consistency fallen on the rockiest of hard times. With Monken’s deft touch, the Golden Eagles went from afterthought to the top of the league’s West Division.

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Take note if you’re one of the following: Florida Atlantic, Florida International, Charlotte, Texas-San Antonio, Texas-El Paso and North Texas. As bad as things have been for this group, a turnaround is just around the corner, with the Golden Eagles as evidence.

Projected order of finish

Rank among the FBS' 128 teams in parentheses

EAST

1. Marshall (No. 33)

2. Western Kentucky (No. 49)

3. Middle Tennessee State (No. 69)

4. Old Dominion (No. 88)

5. Florida Atlantic (No. 84)

6. Florida International (No. 95)

7. Charlotte (No. 123)

WEST

1. Louisiana Tech (No. 40)

2. Southern Mississippi (No. 45)

3. Rice (No. 64)

4. UTSA (No. 99)

5. UTEP (No. 108)

6. North Texas (No. 126)

College football 2016: American Athletic Conference preview

Preseason all-conference team

OFFENSE

QB: Nick Mullens, Southern Miss

RB: Ray Lawry, Old Dominion

RB: Anthony Wales, Western Kentucky

WR: Richie James, Middle Tennessee

WR: Taywan Taylor, Western Kentucky

TE: Jonnu Smith, Florida International

OL: Forrest Lamp, Western Kentucky

OL: Chandler Brewer, Middle Tennessee

OL: Cameron Tom, Southern Miss

OL: Michael Selby, Marshall

OL: Clint Van Horn, Marshall

DEFENSE

DL: Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic

DL: Gary Thompson, Marshall

DL: Dylan Bradley, Southern Miss

DL: Jaylon Ferguson, Louisiana Tech

LB: T.J. Ricks, Old Dominion

LB: Anthony Wint, Florida International

LB: T.J. McCollum, Western Kentucky

CB: Jeremy Cutrer, Middle Tennessee

CB: Michael Minter, Middle Tennessee

S: D’Nerius Antoine, Southern Miss

S: Xavier Woods, Louisiana Tech

SPECIALISTS

K: Jonathan Barnes, Louisiana Tech

P: Dalton Schomp, Florida Atlantic

RET: Kylen Tower, Western Kentucky

Best units

Quarterback: Southern Miss. The team’s offseason coaching change — from Monken to Jay Hopson — is somewhat concerning, but Nick Mullens’ 2015 season paints him as the league’s undisputed top quarterback.

Running back: Western Kentucky. The Hilltoppers’ quarterback change will place added emphasis on a deep and experienced backfield.

Wide receiver and tight end: Louisiana Tech. No team in Conference USA can match the Bulldogs’ one-two punch of Trent Taylor and Carlos Henderson.

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Offensive line: Marshall. Senior Clint Van Horn’s projected return at right tackle after an injury-marred season adds another all-conference contributor to the league’s strongest offensive front.

Defensive line: Southern Miss. The group is anchored by tackle Dylan Bradley, who will make things easier on fellow linemen such as Darian Yancey and Ja’Boree Poole.

Linebacker: Marshall. The league’s best defense touts a very strong line — second only to the Golden Eagles’ front — in addition to this linebacker corps and a standout secondary.

Secondary: Marshall. An influx of talent from February’s signing class adds depth and athleticism to a grouping already heavy in both categories.

Special teams: Louisiana Tech. Kicker Jonathan Barnes gives the Bulldogs a leg up in those hard-fought conference games often decided by a single possession.

National award candidates

Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback): Nick Mullens, Southern Miss. Mullens has the potential to put up numbers similar to former Western Kentucky quarterback Brandon Doughty, the league’s best player a season ago.

Biletnikoff Award (best wide receiver): Richie James, Middle Tennessee. After a superb freshman season, James will look to improve upon his numbers while drawing the lion’s share of attention from opposing defenses.

Rimington Trophy (best center): Cameron Tom, Southern Miss. Tom is Conference USA’s best offensive lineman and one of the best centers nationally, though he earns little publicity outside of the conference.

Ted Hendricks Award (best defensive end): Trey Hendrickson, Florida Atlantic. Hendrickson is yet another Conference USA player flying in under the radar, though his sack totals and disruptive tendencies should have the Owls’ senior on the national map in 2016.

Chuck Bednarik Award (best defender): Hendrickson. This is a tall order for any player off the Power Five landscape, but Hendrickson has the best chance at earning this level of notoriety coming out of the conference.

Ranking the starting quarterbacks

1. Nick Mullens, Southern Miss. The only question centers on how quickly Mullens and the offense mesh with the Golden Eagles’ new coaching staff.

2. Brent Stockstill, Middle Tennessee. A revelation as a freshman last season, the head coach’s son is destined to rewrite the school’s record book.

3. Chase Litton, Marshall. Much like Stockstill, Litton is ready to build upon an impressive rookie season in 2015 and challenge for all-conference honors.

4. Alex McGough, Florida International. While not quite up to the standard of Conference USA’s top three quarterbacks, McGough is the clear leader of the FIU offense after his solid sophomore season.

5. Jared Johnson, UTSA. The reigning Southland Conference Offensive Player of the Year at Sam Houston State before transferring into UTSA during the offseason, Johnson already stands as the most talented and productive quarterback in program history.

6. Mike White, Western Kentucky. The redshirt junior White’s past starting experience at South Florida — which includes 15 starts as freshman and sophomore — is a major bonus as the Hilltoppers look to replace record-setting Brandon Doughty.

7. Ryan Higgins, Louisiana Tech. The starter in 2013 before filling a backup role the past two seasons, Higgins’ returning to the starting lineup will be aided by the Bulldogs’ terrific receiver corps, but Higgins' status could be in question following a DWI on Aug. 4.

8. David Washington, Old Dominion. He’s the starter if recovered from a major knee injury late last season — with tears to his ACL, MCL and meniscus — but if Washington isn’t ready, ODU will turn to sophomore Shuler Bentley.

9. Tyler Stehling, Rice. Stehling has a solid frame and just enough experience in a reserve role to be a solid contributor under center, but it’s imperative that Rice find a productive running game to take pressure off the senior.

10. Alec Morris, North Texas. After arriving in Denton as a graduate transfer from Alabama, Morris will put up numbers in Seth Littrell’s offense — though wins might be too much to ask.

11. Kevin Olsen, Charlotte. The junior-college transfer will give a boost to Charlotte’s weak passing game, but there’s ample room for improvement.

12. Jason Driskel, Florida Atlantic. Driskel wasn’t great as a freshman thrust into spot duty last season, though that experience should come in handy as he becomes the Owls’ starter.

13. Zack Greenlee, UTEP. Greenlee, a transfer from Fresno State, unseated Ryan Metz, who made five starts for the Miners a year ago.

Top newcomers

Marshall LB Davon Durant. Once a five-star prospect off the JUCO ranks, Durant landed at Marshall after being dismissed from Arizona State last summer.

Western Kentucky DT Chris Johnson. Adding Johnson as a JUCO transfer will give the Hilltoppers a physical presence along the interior of a defensive line retooling after the loss of three starters.

Western Kentucky DE Nick Dawson-Brents. Likewise with Dawson-Brents, a transfer from Louisville slated to hold down a starting role on the outside.

Charlotte QB Kevin Olsen. Arriving in time to participate in spring drills placed Olsen in the driver’s seat to claim the starting job at quarterback.

UTSA WR Dannon Cavil. Cavil, who began his career at Oklahoma before transferring to UTSA prior to last season, is one key part of the Roadrunners’ in-progress roster overhaul under a new coaching staff.

Games of the year

Rice at Western Kentucky, Sept. 1. The Owls will look to bounce back from a disappointing 2015 season by notching a momentum-starting victory at WKU to open the year.

Western Kentucky at Louisiana Tech, Oct. 6. A potential preview of the conference title game will provide a strong barometer for each team heading into the meat of league play.

Middle Tennessee at Missouri, Oct. 22. This might be the league’s most intriguing game of the nonconference season, as the Blue Raiders have the offensive firepower to defeat a Southeastern Conference opponent on the road.

Louisiana Tech at Southern Miss, Nov. 25. After last year’s sloppy loss to the Golden Eagles, the Bulldogs will have no shortage of motivation heading into the regular-season finale.

Western Kentucky at Marshall, Nov. 26. Once again, look for this game to decide the East Division.

Best chance at the Playoff

There is no hope for the College Football Playoff, but Conference USA should have its champion in the mix for an access bid to a New Year’s Six bowl.

And there are five primary contenders to consider. The first is Southern Miss, which has the weapons on both sides of the ball to claim another divisional crown yet must weather the learning curve stemming from its offseason coaching change.

The second is Louisiana Tech, which has the good fortune to combine several pockets of excellence — on both lines, at receiver, on special teams — with a friendly schedule; the Bulldogs draw Massachusetts and South Carolina State in nonconference play and face UTEP, Rice and UTSA at home.

The third and fourth contenders are Middle Tennessee and Western Kentucky, two locks for postseason play with just enough question marks to trail Marshall, which should be viewed as the league’s strongest team heading into September.

There’s much to like about the Thundering Herd, from the play of sophomore quarterback Chase Litton through a defense poised to lead the conference in most major categories. And then there’s the schedule: Marshall plays seven games at home, where it has been nearly unbeatable during the past five years, and gets also-rans such as Florida International, Old Dominion and North Texas on the road.

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