Sun Belt Conference football coaches poll, awards, first and second team

David Eckert, Hattiesburg American

The Sun Belt Conference's 14 football coaches released their annual preseason poll ahead of the conference's Media Days scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday in New Orleans.

Southern Miss has been picked to finish fifth among the seven teams in the West Division leading into its first season in the conference.

Coaches poll

East Division

1. App State – 94 points (10 first-place votes)

2. Coastal Carolina – 77 points (2)

3. Georgia State – 68 points (1)

4. Marshall – 62 points

5. Georgia Southern – 35 points (1)

6. James Madison – 31 points

7. Old Dominion – 25 points

West Division

1. Louisiana – 95 points (12)

2. South Alabama – 79 points (2)

3. Troy – 76 points

4. Texas State – 41 points

5. Southern Miss – 40 points

6. Arkansas State – 37 points

7. ULM – 24 points

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Preseason awards

Offensive Player of the Year

Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Jr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

Defensive Player of the Year

Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina (So., DL – Everett, Mass.)

First Team Offense

QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Jr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)

RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (RS So., RB – Cleveland, Ohio)

RB – Camerun Peoples, App State (RS Jr., RB – Lineville, Ala.)

OL – Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina (Jr., OL – Lakeland, Fla.)

OL – Dalton Cooper, Texas State (So., OL – Prague, Okla.)

OL – Austin Stidham, Troy (Sr., OL – Russellville, Ala.)

OL – Malik Sumter, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Irmo, S.C.)

OL – Cooper Hodges, App State (RS Jr., OL – Glen St. Mary, Fla.)

TE – Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion (RS Jr., TE – Camp Hill, Pa.)

WR – Ali Jennings III, Old Dominion (Jr., WR – Richmond, Va.)

WR – Kris Thornton, James Madison (RS Sr., WR – Manassas, Va.)

WR – Tez Johnson, Troy (So., WR – Pinson, Ala.)

First Team Defense

DL – Josaiah Stewart, Coastal Carolina (So., DL – Everett, Mass.)

DL – Javon Solomon, Troy (So., DL – Tallahassee, Fla.)

DL – Zi’Yon Hill-Green, Louisiana (RS Sr., DL – New Iberia, La.)

DL – Will Choloh, Troy (Sr., DL – Lawrenceville, Ga.)

LB – Carlton Martial, Troy (Sr., LB – Mobile, Ala.0

LB – Blake Carroll, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Lawrenceville, Ga.)

LB – Kivon Bennett, Arkansas State (RS Sr., LB – Fort Lauderdale, Fla.)

DB – Darrell Luter Jr., South Alabama (Sr., DB – Hattiesburg, Miss.)

DB – D’Jordan Strong, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., DB – Batesville, Miss.)

DB – Antavious Lane, Georgia State (RS Jr., DB – West Palm Beach, Fla.)

DB – Eric Garror, Louisiana (Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)

DB – Keith Gallmon Jr., South Alabama (Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)

First Team Special Teams

K – Seth Keller, Texas State (Jr., K – Colleyville, Texas)

P – Rhys Byrns, Louisiana (Sr., P – Rye, Australia)

RS – Johnnie Lang, Arkansas State (RS Sr., RS – Palmetto, Fla.)

AP – Chris Smith, Louisiana (RS Jr., AP – Louisville, Miss.)

Second Team Offense

QB – Chase Brice, App State (RS Sr., QB – Grayson, Ga.)

RB – Nate Noel, App State (So., RB – Miami, Fla.)

RB – Tucker Gregg, Georgia State (Sr., RB – Chatsworth, Ga.)

OL – Travis Glover, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Vienna, Ga.)

OL – Kyle Hergel, Texas State (Jr., OL – Toronto, Ontario, Canada)

OL – Damion Daley, App State (RS Jr., OL – Columbia, S.C.)

OL – Pat Bartlett, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Newtown, Pa.)

OL – Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion (RS Jr., OL – Waxhaw, N.C.)

TE – Aubry Payne, Georgia State (RS Sr., TE – Locust Grove, Ga.)

WR – Te’Vailance Hunt, Arkansas State (Sr., WR – Texarkana, Texas)

WR – Jalen Wayne, South Alabama (Sr., WR – Spanish Fort, Ala.)

WR – Boogie Knight, ULM (Gr., WR – Jefferson, Ohio)

Second Team Defense

DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy (Jr., DL – Delta State, Nigeria)

DL – Thomas Gore, Georgia State (RS Jr., DL – Nashville, Tenn.)

DL – Jerrod Clark, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., DL – Dorchester, Mass.)

DL – Justin Ellis, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., DL – Roswell, Ga.)

LB – Nick Hampton, App State (RS Jr., LB – Anderson, S.C.)

LB – Abraham Beauplan, Marshall (RS Sr., LB – Boynton Beach, Fla.)

LB – Andre Jones, Louisiana (RS Sr., LB – Varnado, La.)

LB – Trey Cobb, App State (Sr., LB – Waycross, Ga.)

DB – Steven Jones Jr., App State (RS Sr., DB – Rockingham, N.C.)

DB – Derrick Canteen, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., DB – Evans, Ga.)

DB – Steven Gilmore, Marshall (Sr., DB – Rock Hill, S.C.)

DB – TJ Harris, Troy (Sr., DB – Leesburg, Ga.)

Second Team Special Teams

K – Calum Sutherland, ULM (6th Yr., K – Keller, Texas)

P – Anthony Beck II, Georgia Southern (RS Sr., P – Guyton, Ga.)

RS – Camron Harrell, Southern Miss (Sr., RS – Bradley, Ill.)

AP – Amare Jones, Georgia Southern (5th Yr., AP – Frisco, Texas)

Reach Southern Miss writer David Eckert at deckert@gannett.com or on Twitter @davideckert98.

This article originally appeared on Hattiesburg American: Sun Belt Conference football coaches poll, preseason awards, first and second team

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