App State Mountaineers College Football Preview 2026

App State Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Dowell Loggains (2nd year at App State, 5-8)
• Best Case / Worst Case: Everything clicks, push for a spot in the Sun Belt Championship/Another losing season
• Key Player: Colton Phares, LB Jr.
• 2025 Record: 5-8
• Biggest Question: Can the defense stop anyone? 

App State Key 2025 Stats

• Penalties: App State 88 for 816 yards, Opponents 67 for 645 yards
• 123rd in the nation in third down conversions (32.97%)
• 126th in the nation in interceptions thrown (15)

Offense

Head coach Dowell Loggains is a former NFL offensive coordinator. His offenses are supposed to crank up the passing game, move fast, and put up points in bunches.

The offense was okay, but certainly nothing amazing considering the expectations.

The passing attack put up a ton of yards, but there were too many problems. And now, talent-wise, the Mountaineers are all but starting over.

What’s Working

Quarterbacks want a piece of this offense. AJ Swann (Mississippi State) and JJ Kohl (FIU) are gone after combining for close to 3,000 yards through the air last year.

There are plenty of quarterbacks around to give it a shot, with UCLA transfer Henry Hasselbeck and Purdue transfer Malachi Singleton coming in to try taking over.

The yards were there through the air. Big passing days didn’t necessarily translate into wins, but the Mountaineers threw for over 300 yards five times.

Wide receivers want the big numbers in this attack, with five good-looking transfers coming in, led by Semaj Fleming from Boston College and Dazmin James from Cal.

It’s possible to run the ball in this offense. The passing game took center stage, but App State was good when it committed to the ground attack. It was 4-2 when running more than 35 times, and 1-7 when it didn’t.

What Needs Work

Third down conversions were a rumor. Everything started out fine, and there were a few games when things clicked, but the Mountaineers failed to hit the 40% mark on third down conversions in ten of their last 11 games.

By comparison, the 2024 team converted 43% of the time.

Total and complete turnover. A few offensive linemen are back to battle for time, but for the most part, the offense will be full of brand new parts in a system that’s not exactly easy. It might take a bit to get the timing down.

Can the Mountaineers just not turn the ball over? They were 3-0 - beating Marshall, Oregon State, and Georgia State - when they didn’t give the ball away.

Interceptions were a massive problem with 15 on the season - going 0-4 when throwing two or more. Keep things moving and stay in control of games. This year’s team won’t be good enough to overcome big mistakes.

Player to Watch

J'Marion Burnette, RB Jr.
The quarterbacks might take center stage in the battle for who’ll run the attack, but the offense has to use the 6-2, 225-pound Burnette as a featured star right away.

He got a little bit of work in at Houston, but in this offense, he has the upside to be a force in a rotation with 618-yard, six-touchdown sophomore Jaquari Lewis.

Defense

The defense didn’t hold up.

The Mountaineers didn’t have the worst defense in the Sun Belt, but it wasn’t too far off. The pass defense, though, was the worst by far, even with a decent pass rush. There’s help coming in from the portal, but there’s a ton of work to do.

What’s Working

It wasn’t amazing, but the pass rush was okay. Leading sacker Kevin Abrams-Verwayne is done, but Aiden Benton and Caleb Sandstrom are back after tying for second with 3.5 sacks. The pressure came from several spots and was spread out - it should keep rolling.

Colton Phares is one of the best linebackers in the Sun Belt. The 225-pound junior is a guided missile who everything will work around. Keshawn Thomas (Old Dominion) and Alex Mitchell (Middle Tennessee) are good-sized linebackers coming in to help.

When the App State defense was good, the team won. The three best performances came against three of the weakest teams on the schedule - Lindenwood, Charlotte, and Georgia State - but it started by stopping the run.

It doesn’t have to be a brick wall, but just hold teams to around 350 yards or fewer - middle of the pack nationally - and the results will come.

What Needs Work

The pass defense. The Mountaineers were 130th in the nation in pass defense, giving up 200 yards or more in ten of the 13 games. The problem wasn’t even the deep shots - they were hammered by midrange throws. Teams that were able to hit 60% of their passes almost all won.

Size. There are a few big parts for the inside, but the line relies on quickness more than bulk. The Mountaineers need a few anchors who can hold up and let all the athletic linemen work.

Third down stops. The takeaways led to wins - App State went 4-1 when coming up with multiple turnovers - but the defense still struggled way too much to get off the field.

Everyone got fat on the Mountaineers moving the chains - no one in the Sun Belt was held to under a 40% conversion rate.

Player to Watch

Colton Phares, LB Jr.
A bulked up safety with great range and hitting ability, the Second Team All-Sun Belt playmaker went from being a nice reserve and special teamer to 101 tackles with two sacks, 9.5 tackles for loss, and three picks.

Keys to the Season

The Mountaineers have to do everything they want to do better.

Better passing, better attacking on both sides of the ball, and most of all be sharper. There were too many penalties, too many turnovers, and not enough production on third downs.

They have to do all the little things right, and then start getting the big things to work.

Player Who Needs To Shine

Malachi Singleton, QB Jr.
Or Henry Hasselbeck, or Tommy Ulatowski. One of the transfer portal quarterbacks has to take the job and make it his. There are options, but the Loggains offense needs a star who can be more efficient and get this thing moving.

Biggest Concern

The run defense.
There are plenty of things to work on, but stopping the run is at the top of the list.

The Mountaineers were far worse in pass coverage, but everything started with being unable to hold up against teams that could consistently pound away - they went 1-7 against teams that ran more than 33 times.

Biggest Game

Old Dominion, October 10
It’s the Sun Belt opener coming after a week off to prepare. The Monarchs were what App State should’ve been last season - a ten-win program that got nasty on defense and had a fun offense.

It was a tough 24-21 loss for the Mountaineers last season, and with road games against Coastal Carolina and Georgia Southern up next, along with a home date against James Madison, ODU is a must-win moment.

Transfer Portal

There are a ton of moving parts with the 2026 Mountaineers - almost too many.

As is the case with most Group of Five programs, the good players were picked off by the Power Four teams, and App State is trying to find the talent looking to break out. The coaching staff will have to rely on all of the new guys to jell quickly.

Best Signing

Malachi Singleton, QB (Purdue)
Not to keep highlighting him - especially considering other quarterback prospects are in the mix - but he really does have the style that can change around the offense.

Biggest Loss

Saint Farrior, DT (Auburn)
He didn’t start, and he only made 15 tackles in his first season, but he’s a 330+ pound anchor type who can rotate in and take up space. The Mountaineers desperately need more bulky players like him.

Other Names to Know

• Keyshawn Thomas, LB (Old Dominion)
• J’Marion Burnette, RB (Houston)
• Greydon Grimes, OT (Kansas)

CFN Season Prediction

It’ll be tough to get back to the winning ways without night-and-day improvements in too many areas.

With most teams going into the second season under a head coach, it’s easy to see where things might be better and stronger, but there’s so much turnover and so many moving parts that this is one of those predictions that might change wildly just before the season.

CFN Prediction: 5-7

The Mountaineers should beat Maine and Charlotte in Boone, and they need to take down Georgia State and ULM.

That’s a decent base of four wins, but they’ll likely be the underdogs against everyone else. There aren’t two home games in a row to create any momentum.

- 2026 Sun Belt Win Total Predictions