— By Bill Cornwell
First-year Marshall football head coach Tony Gibson hopes his first Thundering Herd team outperforms expectations.
The Sun Belt Conference Preseason Coaches Poll released Monday has Marshall projected to finish sixth among seven teams in the league’s East Division.
The low expectations for this fall are at least somewhat a repeat of the 2024 preseason Sun Belt poll, when Marshall was picked to finish fifth. The Herd then went on to win the Sun Belt Championship.
James Madison is picked to win the Sun Belt East Division, while Louisiana is the selection to repeat as West Division champion.
Sun Belt East Division picks also include Georgia Southern second, Appalachian State third, Coastal Carolina fourth, Old Dominion fifth and Georgia State seventh.
In the West, Texas State was picked to finish behind Louisiana. The third through seventh spots in order are occupied by: Arkansas State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Troy and UL Monroe.
Two Marshall players have been singled out as Sun Belt Preseason All-Conference selections.
Junior tight end Toby Payne was a first team All-Conference selection. The Poca native played in 13 games in 2024, caught 17 passes for 168 yards with six touchdowns and was a key blocker for a top 20 rushing attack and the kickoff return unit, which was among the nation’s best as well.
Payne was named to the Allstate/AFCA Good Works Team and Wuerffel Trophy Watch List last week.
Junior offensive lineman Jalen Slappy is a second-team Preseason All-Conference pick. Slappy started all 13 games at right guard last year.
The Sun Belt Conference Coaches also chose the league’s major award winners.
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year is Southern Miss quarterback Braylon Braxton, who led Marshall to the league title last season. Braxton was the Sun Belt Newcomer of the Year in 2024 after throwing for 1,624 yards and 19 touchdowns, while rushing for 610 yards and four scores. Braxton followed former MU head coach Charles Huff to Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
The Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year is South Alabama junior linebacker Blaine Myrick. He was a second-team all-conference pick in 2024 as he averaged 7.7 tackles per game to rank fifth in the conference. The Fairhope, Alabama native tallied 101 tackles with eight for loss and a pair of sacks.
Arkansas State kicker Clune Van Andel is the Sun Belt Special Teams Preseason Player of the Year. Van Andel was a third-team all-league pick in 2024. He went a perfect 17-for-17 on field goal tries and 18-for-18 on point-after attempts in conference action a year ago. The Grand Rapids, Michigan product went 21-of-25 on field goal attempts and 33-for-33 on extra-point tries for the season.
Sun Belt Conference Football Media Days open Tuesday and continue through Wednesday in New Orleans. Gibson, Slappy and MU defensive back Cam Smith will meet the media Wednesday.
2025 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
(First-Place Votes)
East Division
1. James Madison – 94 Points (11)
2. Georgia Southern – 76 Points (1)
3. App State – 60 Points
4. Coastal Carolina – 49 Points (1)
5. Old Dominion – 48 Points
6. Marshall – 42 Points (1)
7. Georgia State – 23 Points
West Division
1. Louisiana – 86 Points (6)
2. Texas State – 78 Points (6)
3. Arkansas State – 64 Points (1)
4. South Alabama – 50 Points (1)
5. Southern Miss – 47 Points
6. Troy – 43 Points
7. ULM – 24 Points