CFN Preseason All-Sun Belt Football Team, Top 30 Players: Preview 2022

Who are the best players in the Sun Belt going into the 2022 college football season? They’re highlighted in the CFN 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt team and top 30 players

Who are the best players in the Sun Belt going into the 2022 college football season? They’re highlighted in the CFN 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt team and top 30 players.


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2022 Preseason CFN Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year

QB Grayson McCall, Jr. Coastal Carolina

The star in the emergence of Coastal Carolina football, McCall has been one of the nation’s most efficient and effective passers over the last two seasons hitting 71% of his throws for close to 5.400 yards with 53 touchdowns and six picks.

He’s able to run – 870 yards and 11 career touchdowns – hit the deep ball, and get the high-octane attack rolling at will. Coastal Carolina has some rebuilding to do, but McCall will make everyone around him better.

2022 Preseason CFN Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year

LB Carlton Martial, Sr. Troy

The newly configured Sun Belt is loaded with do-it-all linebackers, but no one does-it-all more more than Martial. He’s not all that big, but the 5-9, 210-pound flash gets all over the field as a bit of a hybrid playmaker.

Going into his fifth season, he already has 443 tackles, ten sacks, 47.5 tackles for loss, and five picks with seven forced fumbles on the resumé.

College Football News 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: Offense

QB Grayson McCall, Jr. Coastal Carolina

RB Rasheen Ali, Soph. Marshall

RB Nate Noel, Jr. Appalachian State

WR Ali Jennings, Jr. Old Dominion

WR Kris Thornton, Sr. James Madison

TE Zack Kuntz, Jr. Old Dominion

OT Cooper Hodges, Sr. Appalachian State

OG Khalil Crowder, Sr. Georgia Southern

C Malik Sumter, Sr. Georgia State

OG Willie Lampkin, Jr. Coastal Carolina

OT Austin Stidham, Sr. Troy

College Football News 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: Defense

DE/EDGE Javon Solomon, Soph. Troy

DT Zi’Yon Hill, Sr. Louisiana

DT Will Choloh, Sr. Troy

DE Josaiah Stewart, Soph. Coastal Carolina

LB Kivon Bennett, Sr. Arkansas State

LB Nick Hampton, Sr. Appalachian State

LB Carlton Martial, Sr. Troy

CB Derrick Canteen, Jr. Georgia Southern

S Antavious Lane, Jr. Georgia State

S Anthony Wilson, Jr. Georgia Southern

CB Steven Gilmore, Sr. Marshall

College Football News 2022 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team: Special Teams

PK Seth Keller, PK Jr. Texas State

P Rhys Byrns, Sr. Louisiana

KR LaMareon James, Soph. Old Dominion

PR Isaiah Paige, Soph. Old Dominion

CFN 2022 Team Previews
Appalachian State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina 
Georgia Southern | 
Georgia State | James Madison
LouisianaMarshall | Old Dominion |
South Alabama
Southern Miss
Texas State | Troy | ULM
Sun Belt Predictions For Every Game | CFN Preview 2022
Bowl Projections | Preseason Rankings

College Football News 2022 Preseason Top 30 Sun Belt Players

30. Nick Kidwell, OT Jr. James Madison

29. Steven Jones, CB Sr. Appalachian State

28. Hayes Maples, LB Jr. Southern Miss

27. Cooper Hodges, OT Sr. Appalachian State

26. James Blackman, QB Sr. Arkansas State

25. Micah Abraham, CB Jr. Marshall

24. Zack Kuntz, TE Jr. Old Dominion

23. Keith Gallmon, S Sr. South Alabama

22. Malik Sumter, C Sr. Georgia State

21. Javon Solomon, LB/EDGE Soph. Troy

20. Darren Grainger, QB Sr. Georgia State

19. Willie Lampkin, OG Jr. Coastal Carolina

18. Eric Garror, Sr. CB/KR Louisiana

17. Quavian White, CB Sr. Georgia State

16. Kris Thornton, WR Sr. James Madison

15. D’Jordan Strong, CB Sr. Coastal Carolina

14. Anthony Wilson, S Jr. Georgia Southern

13. Austin Stidham, OT Sr. Troy

12. Zi’Yon Hill, DT Sr. Louisiana

11. Derrick Canteen, CB Jr. Georgia Southern

10. Abraham Beauplan, LB Sr. Marshall

9. Antavious Lane, S Jr. Georgia State

8. Steven Gilmore, CB Sr. Marshall

7. Kivon Bennett, LB Sr. Arkansas State

6. Darrell Luter, CB Sr. South Alabama

5. Nick Hampton, LB Sr. Appalachian State

4. Josaiah Stewart, DE Soph. Coastal Carolina

3. Carlton Martial, LB Sr. Troy

2. Rasheen Ali, RB Soph. Marshall

1. Grayson McCall, QB Jr. Coastal Carolina

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CFN 2022 Team Previews
Appalachian State | Arkansas State | Coastal Carolina 
Georgia Southern | 
Georgia State | James Madison
LouisianaMarshall | Old Dominion |
South Alabama
Southern Miss
Texas State | Troy | ULM
Sun Belt Predictions For Every Game | CFN Preview 2022
Bowl Projections | Preseason Rankings

College Football News Preseason All-Sun Belt Football Team: Preview 2021

Preview 2021: Previewing and looking ahead to the Sun Belt season. College Football News Preseason All-Sun Belt Team & Top 30 players.

Preview 2021: Previewing and looking ahead to the Sun Belt season with the College Football News Preseason All-Sun Belt Team & Top 30 players. 


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2021 Sun Belt Team Previews
East Appalachian St | Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern | Georgia State | Troy
West Arkansas St | Louisiana | Texas St
South Alabama | ULM
2021 CFN Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
2021 CFN Sun Belt Top 30 Players


2021 Preseason CFN Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Year

QB Grayson McCall, Soph. Coastal Carolina

There are a whole lot of good quarterbacks in the Sun Belt. Louisiana’s Levi Lewis has been around for forever, Arkansas State’s Layne Hatcher might throw for a bazillion yards, South Alabama is getting in transfer Jake Bentley, Georgia Tech transfer James Graham is a perfect fit for Georgia Southern, and Georgia State’s Cornelious Brown is outstanding.

Until Grayson McCall starts to screw up, he’s the guy.

Brilliant in the program’s breakout season, he completed 69% of his throws for close to 2,500 yards and 26 touchdowns with just three picks, and he ran for seven touchdowns. Now he’s a year older, his team is every bit as good, and he should once again be special.

2021 Preseason CFN Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year

LB Carlton Martial, Jr. Troy

Just 5-9 and 210 pounds, he’s not built to be a big linebacker who can do huge things, he’s as pound-for-pound tough as any defender in the Sun Belt. The only player in the conference to averaged ten or more tackles per game – and one of two to average more than nine – he hit everything with 113 stops coming off a 126-tackle season. Just assume 100 more tackles are coming.

2021 CFN Preseason All-Sun Belt Team
2021 CFN Sun Belt Top 30 Players

NEXT: CFN 2021 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team

Preview 2020: College Football News All-Sun Belt Team

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the Sun Belt season with the College Football News All-Sun Belt Team & Top 30 players. 

Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the Sun Belt season with the College Football News All-Sun Belt Team & Top 30 players. 


Contact/Follow @ColFootballNews  

2020 CFN All-Sun Belt Team
2020 CFN Top 30 Sun Belt Players

2020 Preseason CFN Sun belt Offensive Player of the Year

QB Levi Lewis, Sr. Louisiana

Flip a coin here, and either answer is right between Appalachian State QB Zac Thomas and the left-hander from Louisiana who has figured out how to run the Ragin’ Cajun offense so well.

Lewis is a smallish 5-11 and 190 pounds, and he doesn’t run a ton – 410 yards and four scores in his three seasons – but he’s accurate, he can hit the downfield plays, and he progressed into a terrific passer after taking over the job full-time last season.

Four interceptions – that’s it. He threw 26 touchdown passes, connected on 64% of his throws, and he winged it around the yards for over 3,000 yards. This year, he has the talent around him to do even more.

2020 Sun Belt Team Previews
East Appalachian State | Coastal Carolina
Georgia Southern | Georgia State | Troy
West Arkansas State | Louisiana
South Alabama | Texas State | ULM


CFN in 60 Video: Coastal Carolina Preview
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2020 Preseason CFN Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year

DE Tarron Jackson, Sr. Coastal Carolina

There are few more active defensive linemen in college football.

The Sun Belt has plenty of good quarterbacks coming into the season, but there’s a premium in the conference on a 6-2, 270-pound versatile force up front who’s quick off the ball and can hold up against the run.

He not only finished second on Coastal Carolina last year with 60 tackles, but he came up with a Sun Belt-high ten sacks with 13 tackles for loss to go along with nine quarterback hurries.

That’s what the guy does.

He made 58 tackles with 11 tackles for loss as a sophomore, and he’ll be the league’s most disruptive force up front once again.

NEXT: CFN 2020 Preseason All-Sun Belt Team