2021 American Athletic Conference Rankings, 7-11
7. Tulsa Golden Hurricane
Why To Be Happy: It’s going to be an interesting mix of players for one of the biggest surprise teams of 2020. The hope is for star RB Shamari Brooks to be back from the the torn ACL that cost him the season, and the offensive line might quietly grow into one of the best in the AAC if the ground game can do a bit more.
What To Work On: Zaven Collins won’t be around anymore. The nation’s top linebacker was the magical playmaker who made the D special. He’s gone and so is QB Zach Smith from an offense that was hardly special, but it somehow all worked well enough to have a big year.
Bottom Line: None of it it made a whole lot of sense. There’s still enough talent returning for 2020 to be a one-off, but experience was one of the team’s biggest advantages in the run to the AAC Championship appearance – that’s gone now with every team in the league loaded with veterans.
8. Navy Midshipmen
Why To Be Happy: It might have been a rough run in 2019 on both sides of the ball, but the parts are there in the backfield to get the ground game going again. QB Xavier Arline rose up as the season went on, Jamale Carothers is a solid fullback, and there are real, live receivers who won’t get thrown to, but are there. Nine starters are expected back on defense. However …
What To Work On: It’s Navy – the running game has to be amazing. It stalled way too often, the ground game only averaged 178 yards per game, and the attack almost never controlled the action. Navy has to work on being Navy again, and that means it has to be among the best in the nation on the ground.
Bottom Line: Navy was just never, ever right from the start. Call it a blip after a brilliant 11-2 2019 season, but the offensive line has to find a few replacements and there has to be a reboot for the program to do what it does right. Head coach Ken Niumatalolo knows how to do that.
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9. East Carolina Pirates
Why To Be Happy: Leading yardage receiver Blake Prohl is taking off for the NFL. That’s it. The other ten starting offensive players are expected back, with QB Holton Ahlers strong enough and experience enough to make the O explode. The defense returns just about everyone, too, including almost all of the top tacklers, but …
What To Work On: The defense has to be more productive after allowing 447 yards per game. The D has to be a whole lot better, and the O has to stop turning the ball over after giving it up 21 times and struggling on third downs.
Bottom Line: East Carolina hasn’t been able to turn a corner. There hasn’t been a bowl appearance since 2014 and comes off another rough year. However, it won the last two games and battled hard in just enough games to be hopeful – but that’s not the first time you’ve heard that with this program over the last few seasons.
10. USF Bulls
Why To Be Happy: Yeah, QB Jordan McCloud has entered the transfer portal, but USF has an interesting group of quarterbacks to work with. Miami transfer Jarren Williams is a talent and there are plenty of other options ready to battle it out. Everyone is expected to be back on the offensive front, and the secondary is getting some instant help at corner with Christian Williams coming over from Miami and Kansas State’s Will Jones promising enough to help provide a boost.
What To Work On: Everything. The Bulls didn’t beat an FBS team. There’s experience now and even a little bit of depth, but there was no pass rush, the offensive line struggled, there were too many turnovers, no running game, and … wins. There weren’t enough wins.
Bottom Line: There’s a whole lot of hope for a big improvement in Year Two under Jeff Scott, but there are a whole slew of position battles to deal with and a whole slew of things that need fixing. However, there’s a shot this becomes one of the sneaky-good looking teams as the offseason rolls on.
11. Temple Owls
Why To Be Happy: No American Athletic Conference team is more active in the transfer portal, and it really, really needs it. Yeah, Temple lost a ton of players, but there needed to be an overhaul from last year’s awful 1-6 version. In comes QB D’Wan Mathis from Georgia, and RB Ra’Von Bonner from Illinois and RB Iverson Clement from Florida.
What To Work On: The passing game has to find something that starts to work. The Owls averaged fewer than ten yards per completion and the running game wasn’t good enough to make up for it. QB Anthony Russo is transferring to Michigan State, and this is where Mathis – a one-time great get for Georgia – should step up. He’s not alone, though, with several other options fighting for the gig.
Bottom Line: Rod Carey was a success at Northern Illinois but he’s coming off an awful second season with the Owls. There’s a TON of movement and a whole lot of new parts that have to be put together in a big hurry to make up for all of 2020’s issues.