There is, in one way, some added stability in Conference USA. Delaware and Missouri State are in their second seasons as FBS programs. Kennesaw State, the reigning conference champs, are old hat at being an FBS team now. This is the Owls' third season at this level, after all. On the other hand, UTEP has left for the fluctuating Mountain West conference, and Conference USA remains a place where teams from bigger conferences turn to pluck coaches and players. The transfer portal landscape has hit the conference hard.
Conference USA Football Spring Storylines
Of course, that also means finding notable spring storylines for the 11 current Conference USA programs is not difficult. Let's take a look at what we can all keep an eye on as we begin paying proper attention to the landscape of college football once again.
Delaware Blue Hens Spring Preview
Will somebody step up at running back?
The Blue Hens' first season as an FBS team was a success. They went 6-6 and ended up in a bowl, winning over Louisiana. Now, Delaware didn't really have any good wins, but for a team new to this level, a winning record was a nice first step. That was with Nick Minicucci having to step in at quarterback for Zach Marker, a role he took and ran with it. The next thing Delaware needs is a running back to step up. A returning duo, Jo Silver and Viron Ellison, will be the guys with the chance to be a number-one back. Silver stuck with Delaware in the move up from FCS and ran for 652 yards with 222 yards receiving. However, he mostly had two big games, one against UConn and one in the bowl. Ellison had averaged 5.7 yards per carry with Tulsa, but that dropped to 3.9 with Delaware. Silver has the edge, but if Ellison feels more comfortable, he might step up.
FIU Panthers Spring Preview
New QB, new lead running back, new top receiver, no pressure, right?
Willie Simmons' first season with FIU was a success, as the team went 7-6. For what has traditionally been one of the worst FBS programs, that was big. Simmons' team toggled between Keyone Jenkins and Joe Pesansky under center, but Keyone Owens ran for 1,300 yards and 11 touchdowns, and Alex Perry had 840 yards and nine touchdowns to be the lead receiver. Owens and Pesansky ran out of eligibility, Jenkins is with UCF, and Perry is with Illinois. It appears to be next man up at running back and receiver, but FIU added quarterbacks through the portal. The heavy favorite to start is JJ Kohl. He struggled to find playing time at Iowa State, but last year with Appalachian State he took over as the starter and threw for 1,465 yards, 12 touchdowns, and two interceptions in essentially seven games.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Spring Preview
Paul the next star running back?
The Gamecocks run the ball a ton, and they love a true workhorse back. In 2024, Tre Stewart ran for 1,638 yards and 25 touchdowns. He moved on to the NFL, and Cam Cook took over. In 2025, Cook ran for 1,659 yards and 16 touchdowns and parlayed that into a move to West Virginia. Jacksonville State hasn't dipped into the portal, and Andrew Paul seems like he will get his shot. He didn't play a ton at Georgia, but he did see the field with the Georgia Bulldogs in 2023. Paul also hasn't played a ton for Jacksonville State, but again, this offense loves a proper lead back, and it also uses a lot of quarterback runs. If Paul is the number-one back for the Gamecocks, he has a chance to rush for over 1,500 yards, and double-digit touchdowns are highly likely.
Kennesaw State Owls Spring Preview
Hooty Hoo! And who's the new quarterback?
Kennesaw State has only had a football program since 2015; 2024 was its first FBS season, and in said season, it fired the only head coach the program had ever known. Jerry Mack took over as head coach, and in his first year, the Owls went 9-3 in the regular season and won the conference title game. Dexter Williams and, particularly, Amari Odom played well at quarterback, but both are gone. It seems we might be getting a quarterback swap situation. Odom is now with Syracuse, and Syracuse's Rickie Collins is vying to be the starter for Kennesaw State. Collins struggled as Syracuse's starter, but playing an ACC schedule is tougher than playing a Conference USA schedule. The move down could pay off for Collins and for the Owls.
Liberty Flames Spring Preview
Will Liberty's offense rebound?
The Flames flamed out in 2025, going 4-8 for a rare losing record. What went wrong? Jamey Caldwell couldn't replace Kaidon Salter under center. Ethan Vasko threw 12 picks against 10 touchdowns, and he only added 258 yards and five touchdowns on the ground. While Vasko is still around, Caldwell has brought in competition. Jaylen Henderson, in classic modern college football style, will be on his fourth team, but he once saw playing time at Texas A&M, which is good to have on one's resume. Deshawn Purdie is merely on his third program, but he has seen some starts at both Charlotte (Caldwell's old stomping grounds) and Wake Forest.
Louisiana Tech Bulldogs Spring Preview
Can Louisiana Tech run its way to success? And is that what it wants to do?
Three guys played quarterback for the Bulldogs in 2025, but they won their last three games, including a bowl game, with Trey Kukuk under center. Specifically, with Kukuk running the ball a ton. Sonny Cumbie and his offensive coordinator, Tony Franklin, tweaked the offense such that Kukuk literally ran the ball as much as he threw it. It worked, and Kukuk had 54 carries for 436 yards and five touchdowns in those three season-closing wins. Will this be the plan in 2026? We'll see during spring practices.
Middle Tennessee Blue Raiders Spring Preview
Gagliano era begins in earnest
Derek Mason is still the head coach of Middle Tennessee, and I believe it is for a single reason: At the end of the 2025 season he pulled quarterback Nicholas Vattiato for redshirt freshman Roman Gagliano, who he recruited. Gagliano played much better, the Blue Raiders won their final two games (to finish 3-9), and Mason is still standing. The young quarterback went 78-for-135 for 1,005 yards and seven touchdowns, added 166 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, and didn't turn the ball over once. What can he do for an encore as the guy for the entire season? And will it be enough to save Mason's job again?
Missouri State Bears Spring Preview
Possible change under center
Missouri State, new to the FBS, rebounded from being smashed by USC in its opener to go 7-5 under Ryan Beard. Beard then left to take the head coaching position at Coastal Carolina. The Bears have replaced Beard with Casey Woods, last seen as the offensive coordinator at SMU. Jacob Clark stuck with Missouri State in its move, and he played well at quarterback. Clark threw for 28 touchdowns against 11 interceptions, and five of those picks came against USC and SMU. However, Woods hasn't handed the job to Clark. Henry Belin from Duke and Skyler Locklear from UTEP have joined the quarterback room, so this should be a spring battle.
New Mexico State Aggies Spring Preview
Can Washington establish a rushing attack?
Sans Jerry Kill and Diego Pavia, New Mexico State has gone back to languishing. Last year, the offense was quite poor, especially the run game. Kadarius Calloway had 115 carries for 438 yards and three touchdowns, and all three led the team. As such, keep an eye on Terrell Washington. He never played a lot at Iowa, but he was an Iowa running back who saw the field some in each of the last three seasons. That's notable when considering a move from the Big Ten down to Conference USA. With Washington's age and experience, if he is able to grab the lead role he could finally give the Aggies some juice on the ground.
Sam Houston Bearkats Spring Preview
Can Longo turn the ship around in Year 2?
K.C. Keeler lifted the Bearkats from the FCS to the FBS, got them acclimated, and then moved on to Temple. Phil Longo, a longtime offensive coordinator, got his first chance to be the head man for an FBS team. It was a disaster. Sam Houston went 2-10 with a win by four points and a win by three points. The Bearkats were as bad as any FBS team, and finished 134th out of 136 teams in SP+. Longo needs to get things turned around fast to save his job, and positivity this spring would go a long way. Also, who's going to play quarterback? At present, it's basically just Landyn Locke and DJ Bailey, two young, inexperienced guys.
Western Kentucky Hilltoppers Spring Preview
QB room slated for battle
Tyson Helton is not reticent to port in a new offense, and is always down to plug in a new quarterback. However, Helton is also willing to admit when things haven't turned out. Like any sensible coach, he soured on TJ Finley and replaced him with Caden Veltkamp in 2024, for example. In 2025, Maverick McIvor was supposed to step in alongside his offensive coordinator from Abilene Christian, Rick Bowie. McIvor struggled, though, and was replaced by redshirt freshman Rodney Tisdale. He was playing well, but then struggled down the stretch himself. To that end, Helton has brought in Brock Glenn from Florida State. McIvor, Tisdale, and Glenn are all going to be in the mix.
