The 2022 Conference USA Football media days have arrived. Bookmark this post for updates throughout the week regarding releases, quotes and more.
There’s already a lot to unpack from Conference USA Football Media Days. The full releases can be found on the league website, this thread is for the big rocks and some up-to-date analysis and reaction from the week.
Projected Order of Finish
- UTSA (14)
- UAB (8)
- WKU
- Florida Atlantic
- North Texas
- UTEP
- Charlotte
- Middle Tennessee
- Louisiana Tech
- Rice
- FIU
I was one of the media members polled for this list and like the majority, I voted UTSA as the predicted champion this year. (My entire ballot was discussed in detail in a microcast for our Booster Level subscribers). Stay tuned for our next episode of The Roost Podcast where we’ll digest the results of the poll in detail.
Preseason “Watch” List
Conference USA continued its unique and bizarre tradition for its preseason player recognition. In most conferences, this is an all-conference team selected by the league’s head coaches or members of the media. In Conference USA, it’s a Top 5 list for every program strung together. In doing this, nobody gets left out. But to pretend that FIU and UAB have an equal number of deserving preseason honorees is unconventional at best.
That said, once again each of the conference’s head coaches submitted five players on his team to be recognized as “key players to watch ahead of the 2022 season”.
These five players were honored from Rice:
- WR Bradley Rozner
- SAF George Nyakwol
- OL Shea Baker
- DL Ikenna Enechukwu
- PR Sean Fresch
Rozner and Baker were both preseason honorees last year as well. The complete watch list is available here.
Coaches Preseason Awards
- Offensive Player of the Year: Frank Harris, QB, UTSA
- Defensive Player of the Year: Rashad Wisdom, Saf, UTSA
- Special Teams Player of the Year: Brayden Narveson, PK, WKU
Team notes
- Western Kentucky — Head coach Tyson Helton mentioned he’d previously recruited quarterback Jarrett Doege the last time he’d elected to transfer. Helton said that relationship — along with the success of Bailey Zappe at WKU last season — helped land Doege this time around.
- FIU — Wide receiver Tyrese Chambers was confident “talent was not the problem” at FIU last season. He believes better organization and some small adjustments will help the Panthers get back on track.
- FAU — Head coach Willie Taggart said the team was missing “competitive depth” last fall was part of what contributed to the late season slide. He says new reinforcements and an improved culture (“less babysitting”) will go a long way toward righting the ship in 2022.
- Louisiana Tech — The quarterback battle should be a good one in Ruston this year. Head coach Sonny Cumbie said experience in the scheme was the driving factor in bringing in transfers quarterbacks Matthew Downing and Parker McNeil. He praised Downing’s “ability to extend plays a little bit more” while saying McNeil “has the ability at times to see things over the middle of the field.” This will be a battle throughout fall camp.
- North Texas — Linebacker KD Davis said his experience in the Transfer Portal taught him the “grass isn’t always greener on the other side”. He said he believes you can get the same exposure in Conference USA as at other places.
- Middle Tennessee — It’s officially a wide open quarterback battle for the Blue Raiders. Last year’s initial starter Chase Cunningham, who was injured midseason, will battle Nicholas Vattiato for the starting job. Head coach Rick Stockstill has not named a starter at this time.
- UTEP — Head coach Dana Dimel says returning starter Gavin Hardison has “complete freedom” to check any play and will enable UTEP to lean more heavily on the passing game this season.
- UTSA — Head coach Jeff Traylor seems aware of the increased scrutiny placed on the team this season. “The climb up is always fun, because nobody expects you to do anything,” he said. “But once you get there, staying there is the hardest part.”
- Rice — The Owls believe they finally have the depth they’ve been searching for along both lines. Guard Shea Baker said it would be “really good for the body and really good for the soul” to not have to take every rep and being able to help push the younger players behind him.
- UAB — Offensive lineman Will Rykard doubled down on comments from interim head coach Bryant Vincent, saying the goal of the offensive line this year is “to go out there this year and prove that we’re the best in the conference, best in the country.” Vincent maintained the UAB front five was the best o-line unit in the conference.
- Charlotte — Chris Reynolds intimated it was a no-brainer when it came to his decision to return to Charlotte this season, expressing gratitude for the coach Will Healy, the program and the culture. Then he said this:
.@CharlotteFTBL QB Chris Reynolds just challenged Joey Chestnut to an eating contest live at @ConferenceUSA Media Days. That just happened. pic.twitter.com/fT4MbILXK6
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 27, 2022
From the Conference USA Football office
Conference USA commissioner Judy McLeod discusses the future of the league and the potential for further expansion. pic.twitter.com/zRssBFMKPj
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 27, 2022
From Rice football…
.@RiceFootball head coach Mike Bloomgren talked through some notable new faces for the Owls this season, noting RB Dean Connors as someone who could quickly become a household name in C-USA. pic.twitter.com/nxv9Id1T2d
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 27, 2022
.@RiceFootball has depth in the trenches on both sides this season, and that means limiting the reps of key players.
Shea Baker called it "really good for the body and really good for the soul." pic.twitter.com/eNvmTeHHqX
— The Roost (@AtTheRoost) July 27, 2022
