2024 AAC Conference Preview: Sleepers, Busts and All-Conference Teams

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Published on August 4, 2024

The American Athletic Conference was filled to the brim with fantasy stars last season, hosting some of the best players in the country at their respective positions. However, many of those stars – along with a number of other major contributors – are gone, leaving nearly every team in the AAC with massive shoes to fill. Some programs decided to lean heavily on the transfer portal, while others are relying on younger players already in the program to step up.

Similar to the 2023 season, the conference is top-heavy, especially at quarterback. Last season, the conference had some of the most productive wide receivers in the country, but with the likes of LaJohntay Wester, Luke McCaffrey and Ja'Mori Maclin all gone, 2024 may be the year where running backs take over the conference.

2024 College Football Fantasy Draft Kit

AAC All-Conference Fantasy Teams

First-Team All-AAC (Overall position rank)

QB: Byrum Brown, South Florida (3)

RB: Makhi Hughes, Tulane Tulane (15)

RB: Mario Anderson, Memphis Memphis (14)

WR: Sean Atkins, South Florida (8)

WR: Roc Taylor, Memphis Memphis (21)

WR: Devin McCuin, UTSA UTSA (44)

TE: Boden Groen, Rice Rice (31)

Second Team All-AAC

QB: Seth Henigan, Memphis Memphis (10)

RB: Dean Connors, Rice Rice (31)

RB: Kevorian Barnes, UTSA UTSA (104)

WR: Demeer Blankumsee, Memphis Memphis (46)

WR: Kamdyn Benjamin, Tulsa Tulsa (51)

WR: Damon Ward, North Texas (58)

TE: Anthony Landphere, Memphis Memphis (42)

Third Team All-AAC

QB: Chandler Morris, North Texas (13)

RB: Nay'Quan Wright, South Florida (107)

RB: Zach Evans, North Texas (116)

WR: Shazz Preston, Tulane Tulane (71)

WR: Chase Sowell, East Carolina (88)

WR: Mario Williams, Tulane Tulane (97)

TE: Alex Bauman, Tulane Tulane (47)

2024 AAC Fantasy Sleepers

Jacob Zeno, Quarterback, UAB UAB

In 2023, Zeno ranked second in the country with a completion percentage of 73.6 percent, only behind Oregon's Bo Nix. He threw for over 3,000 yards and 20 touchdowns, adding four more scores on the ground. He has a decent receiving room and a favorable schedule, so he has a chance to improve on last year's numbers. With his passing precision and another year in Trent Dilfer's system, Zeno has the best chance of any AAC quarterback to break into the seemingly locked-in top three of Byrum Brown, Seth Henigan, and Chandler Morris.

Alex Tecza, Running Back, Navy Navy

Due to Navy's offensive system and recent history of committee backfields, a Midshipmen running back carries some risk. However, Tecza was by far the team's most productive back last season and is in a good position to assume that role again. He led the team in carries, rushing yards and rushing touchdowns last season and proved he could perform versus the top teams in the conference with a 163-yard performance versus Memphis. While it's unlikely he will finish as the top running back in the conference, he will likely receive a high volume of touches and has proved that he can be productive when given the opportunity.

Zach Evans, Running Back, North Texas

Coming off of a decent season as a backup at Minnesota, Evans joined the Mean Green shortly after the 2023 season concluded. He is the clear-cut favorite to be the lead back, with both last season's top rushers, Ayo Adeyi and Oscar Adaway, leaving the program. Adeyi and Adaway split the backfield last season, combining for over 1,700 rushing yards and 12 touchdowns. It's a lucrative backfield to be a part of, and while Ikaika Ragsdale – who missed the majority of the 2023 season with an injury – will likely get a fair amount of work, Evans is set up for a productive 2024 season.

Chase Sowell, Wide Receiver, East Carolina

Sowell established himself as the Pirates' No. 1 option last season, an impressive feat for a redshirt freshman. He dealt with extremely uneven quarterback play, making his contribution of 47 receptions (on 79 targets) for 622 yards and one touchdown even more notable. Regardless of who wins the starting job between Michigan State transfer Katin Houser or Missouri transfer Eric Garcia, Sowell will have a better quarterback for the 2024 season. With a better quarterback to feed him the ball, Sowell has a great opportunity to improve on his breakout 2023 season.

Omari Hayes, Wide Receiver, Florida Atlantic

Last season's No. 1 wide receiver, Lajohntay Wester, left the Owls for Colorado in the offseason, coming off a season where he caught 108 passes (on 152 targets) for 1,168 yards and eight touchdowns. His departure leaves massive shoes to fill in the Owls' offense, and Hayes appears to be the front-runner to assume that role. He is a small and fast slot receiver like Wester, and shined in the team's spring game, posting seven receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown. While it's unlikely that he will replicate Wester's production from a year ago, even half of that production would be a very successful season for Hayes.

2024 AAC Fantasy Busts

Max Brown, Quarterback, Charlotte UNC Charlotte

Brown transferred from Florida this offseason after appearing in four games last season, throwing for 192 yards (19-of-28) and one interception. He is undoubtedly an improvement over last season's split room between Jalon Jones and Trexler Ivey, but it is not a particularly lucrative position. The 49ers ran the ball on nearly 59 percent of plays last season – even as the team went 3-9 – and threw for just over 2,000 passing yards, seven touchdowns and 16 interceptions. While Brown's talent alone will improve on the production from the quarterbacks last season, the improvement will have to be dramatic for him to turn that into a productive fantasy season.

Antwain Littleton, Running Back, Temple Temple

Coming off a couple of decent seasons at Maryland, Littleton is expected to receive plenty of opportunities with the Owls. The team split carries between three backs last season and only one – Joquez Smith – remains. Smith figures to cut into Littleton's workload some, but that isn't the main concern. After the loss of quarterback E.J. Warner to the transfer portal and three straight 3-9 seasons, the Owls are once again expected to be one of the worst teams in the conference. Similar to last season, where the team ran the ball on less than 40 percent of plays, the Owls will be playing from behind a lot, which will result in fewer rushing opportunities for Littleton. Even if he ends up being the clear-cut No. 1 option, there are many more lucrative backfields in the conference to work with.

Cartevious Norton, Running Back, Charlotte UNC Charlotte

Norton appears to be in line to start for the 49ers after transferring into the program from Iowa State. While he will likely see more work than he did in his two seasons with the Cyclones, the 49ers may utilize a committee once again. The team had five running backs record over 40 carries and none over 82, and although some of that was due to injuries, it's not a great sign for Norton. Last year's top two running backs – Terron Kellman and Hahsaun Wilson, who rushed for 198 yards and three touchdowns versus Memphis – are both returning, so it's unlikely that Norton will completely take over the backfield.

Kanye Udoh, Running Back, Army Army

Udoh is coming off a solid freshman season where he rushed 99 times for 524 yards, the most among the team's running backs. He returns in 2024 set up to be the starter, but he is not in a great position to be a productive fantasy option. Udoh only scored one of Army's 19 rushing touchdowns last season, a concerning sign for his upside in 2024. Also, his two best performances came in Week 7 (18 carries for 124 yards versus Troy) and Week 8 (21 carries for 108 yards at LSU), coincidentally the game that quarterback Bryson Daily was injured and then the game he missed due to that injury. Daily was by far the team's leader in rushing attempts, yards and touchdowns last season, and if he remains healthy, Udoh will not receive enough touches to be consistently productive.

De'Corian Clark, Wide Receiver, UTSA UTSA

Clark suffered an injury to his right leg on Nov. 7, 2022, and has had more surgeries (two) than catches (one) since then. It's an unfortunate turn of events for him after he caught 15 touchdowns across 22 games during the 2021 and 2022 seasons. While there is some optimism that he can return to the field before the season starts, there was similar optimism heading into last season, and he barely saw any action before re-injuring his leg. Even if he returns and looks like his normal self, he will not have Frank Harris throwing him the ball anymore, the quarterback he had throughout his career with the Roadrunners. His talent and past production are certainly enticing, but he's a risky asset given his injury history and a new quarterback.