University of Southern Mississippi Athletics
Photo by: Joe Harper
C-USA Football Predicted Order of Finish Announced; Eagles Picked 4th in West
7/19/2021 12:42:00 PM | Football
DALLAS – A panel of media members that cover Conference USA schools forecast a rematch of the 2020 C-USA Championship Game, selecting Marshall and last year's conference champions, UAB to win their divisions, respectively.
The Golden Eagles, which finished 3-7 and 2-4 in league play last season, were selected to finish fourth in the West Division under first-year coach Will Hall. The program returns 50 letterwinners from last year's squad, including 26 starters – nine on offense, 10 on defense and seven on special teams.
Southern Miss, a five-time C-USA champion, won two of its final four contests last season and the two losses were by three points each. The squad ended the season with a 45-31 victory over Florida Atlantic at The Rock.
The 17th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held in the first week of December. The 2021 C-USA Football season kicks off Saturday, August 28.
EAST DIVISION
WEST DIVISION
OFFENSE
QB Grant Wells, RS Fr., Marshall
QB Bailey Zappe, GS, WKU
RB Frank Gore, Jr., Fr., Southern Miss
RB Sincere McCormick, Jr., UTSA
RB DeWayne McBride, So., UAB
RB D'Vonte Price, Sr., FIU
RB Marcus Williams, Jr., GS, Louisiana Tech
WR Jason Brownlee, Jr., Southern Miss
WR Jacob Cowing, So., UTEP
WR Jarrin Pierce, RS Sr., Middle Tennessee
WR Brandon Robinson, RS Sr., Florida Atlantic
WR Bradley Rozner, RS Jr., Rice
WR Jyaire Shorter, RS So., North Texas
WR Victor Tucker, RS Sr., Charlotte
OL Shea Baker, RS Jr., Rice
OL Jacob Brammer, RS Jr., North Texas
OL Spencer Burford, Sr., UTSA
OL Bobby DeHaro, RS Jr., UTEP
OL D'Mitri Emmanuel, RS Sr., Charlotte
OL Arvin Fletcher, RS Sr., Southern Miss
OL Lyndell Hudson, Jr., RS So., FIU
OL Alex Mollette, RS Sr., Marshall
OL Joshua Mote, Jr., Louisiana Tech
OL Jordan Palmer, Jr., Middle Tennessee
OL Nick Saldiveri, RS So., Old Dominion
OL Cole Spencer, RS Jr., WKU
OL Kadeem Telfort, RS Jr., UAB
OL Khalique Washington, Sr., Southern Miss
OL Isaac Weaver, Sr., Old Dominion
OL Nick Weber, RS Jr., Florida Atlantic
DEFENSE
DL Praise Amaewhule, RS So., UTEP
DL Evan Anderson, Fr., Florida Atlantic
DL Jamare Edwards, RS Jr., Marshall
DL Jordan Ferguson, RS Jr., Middle Tennessee
DL Elijah Garcia, RS Sr., Rice
DL Jaylon Haynes, Sr., UTSA
DL DeAngelo Malone, Sr. WKU
DL Antonio Moultrie, RS Jr., UAB
DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DL Davon Strickland, RS So., FIU
DL Markees Watts, Sr., Charlotte
LB Trey Baldwin, Sr., Louisiana Tech
LB KD Davis, Jr., North Texas
LB Tyler Murray, RS Sr., Charlotte
LB Jordan Young, Sr., Old Dominion
DB Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Richard Dames, Sr., FIU
DB Zyon Gilbert, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB Steven Gilmore, Jr., Marshall
DB Joe Joe Headen, Sr., Old Dominion
DB Dy'Vonne Inyang, Sr., UTEP
DB Antwon Kincade, Sr., WKU
DB Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB Naeem Smith, Sr., Rice
DB BeeJay Williamson, So., Louisiana Tech
DB Rashad Wisdom, Jr., UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Briggs Bourgeois, RS Jr., Southern Miss
K Jonathan Cruz, Sr., Charlotte
K Brayden Narveson, RS So., WKU
K Nick Rice, Sr., Old Dominion
P Lucas Dean, Jr., UTSA
P Kyle Greenwell, Jr., UAB
P Matt Hayball, RS Jr., Florida Atlantic
P Tommy Heatherly, Sr., FIU
P Kyle Ulbrich, RS Jr., Middle Tennessee
PR Justin Garrett, RS Sr., UTEP
PR Smoke Harris, So., Louisiana Tech
PR Talik Keaton, RS So., Marshall
LS Nate Durham, RS Jr., North Texas
LS Campbell Riddle, Jr., Rice
The Golden Eagles, which finished 3-7 and 2-4 in league play last season, were selected to finish fourth in the West Division under first-year coach Will Hall. The program returns 50 letterwinners from last year's squad, including 26 starters – nine on offense, 10 on defense and seven on special teams.
Southern Miss, a five-time C-USA champion, won two of its final four contests last season and the two losses were by three points each. The squad ended the season with a 45-31 victory over Florida Atlantic at The Rock.
The 17th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held in the first week of December. The 2021 C-USA Football season kicks off Saturday, August 28.
EAST DIVISION
- Marshall (17)
- Florida Atlantic (6)
- WKU (1)
- Charlotte
- Middle Tennessee
- FIU
- Old Dominion
WEST DIVISION
- UAB (15)
- UTSA (9)
- Louisiana Tech
- Southern Miss
- Rice
- North Texas
- UTEP
(first place votes in parentheses)
OFFENSE
QB Grant Wells, RS Fr., Marshall
QB Bailey Zappe, GS, WKU
RB Frank Gore, Jr., Fr., Southern Miss
RB Sincere McCormick, Jr., UTSA
RB DeWayne McBride, So., UAB
RB D'Vonte Price, Sr., FIU
RB Marcus Williams, Jr., GS, Louisiana Tech
WR Jason Brownlee, Jr., Southern Miss
WR Jacob Cowing, So., UTEP
WR Jarrin Pierce, RS Sr., Middle Tennessee
WR Brandon Robinson, RS Sr., Florida Atlantic
WR Bradley Rozner, RS Jr., Rice
WR Jyaire Shorter, RS So., North Texas
WR Victor Tucker, RS Sr., Charlotte
OL Shea Baker, RS Jr., Rice
OL Jacob Brammer, RS Jr., North Texas
OL Spencer Burford, Sr., UTSA
OL Bobby DeHaro, RS Jr., UTEP
OL D'Mitri Emmanuel, RS Sr., Charlotte
OL Arvin Fletcher, RS Sr., Southern Miss
OL Lyndell Hudson, Jr., RS So., FIU
OL Alex Mollette, RS Sr., Marshall
OL Joshua Mote, Jr., Louisiana Tech
OL Jordan Palmer, Jr., Middle Tennessee
OL Nick Saldiveri, RS So., Old Dominion
OL Cole Spencer, RS Jr., WKU
OL Kadeem Telfort, RS Jr., UAB
OL Khalique Washington, Sr., Southern Miss
OL Isaac Weaver, Sr., Old Dominion
OL Nick Weber, RS Jr., Florida Atlantic
DEFENSE
DL Praise Amaewhule, RS So., UTEP
DL Evan Anderson, Fr., Florida Atlantic
DL Jamare Edwards, RS Jr., Marshall
DL Jordan Ferguson, RS Jr., Middle Tennessee
DL Elijah Garcia, RS Sr., Rice
DL Jaylon Haynes, Sr., UTSA
DL DeAngelo Malone, Sr. WKU
DL Antonio Moultrie, RS Jr., UAB
DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DL Davon Strickland, RS So., FIU
DL Markees Watts, Sr., Charlotte
LB Trey Baldwin, Sr., Louisiana Tech
LB KD Davis, Jr., North Texas
LB Tyler Murray, RS Sr., Charlotte
LB Jordan Young, Sr., Old Dominion
DB Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Richard Dames, Sr., FIU
DB Zyon Gilbert, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB Steven Gilmore, Jr., Marshall
DB Joe Joe Headen, Sr., Old Dominion
DB Dy'Vonne Inyang, Sr., UTEP
DB Antwon Kincade, Sr., WKU
DB Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB Naeem Smith, Sr., Rice
DB BeeJay Williamson, So., Louisiana Tech
DB Rashad Wisdom, Jr., UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K Briggs Bourgeois, RS Jr., Southern Miss
K Jonathan Cruz, Sr., Charlotte
K Brayden Narveson, RS So., WKU
K Nick Rice, Sr., Old Dominion
P Lucas Dean, Jr., UTSA
P Kyle Greenwell, Jr., UAB
P Matt Hayball, RS Jr., Florida Atlantic
P Tommy Heatherly, Sr., FIU
P Kyle Ulbrich, RS Jr., Middle Tennessee
PR Justin Garrett, RS Sr., UTEP
PR Smoke Harris, So., Louisiana Tech
PR Talik Keaton, RS So., Marshall
LS Nate Durham, RS Jr., North Texas
LS Campbell Riddle, Jr., Rice
Players Mentioned
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