This article is part of our Spring Practice Storylines series.
Relatively speaking, things are stable in Conference USA heading into the 2024 season. That is to say, the conference didn't lose a single team, though they did gain a new one. As the SEC and Big 10 carve out something akin to a college football hegemony, other conferences are left to vie for your attention. Maybe tuning into a Conference USA game over Texas taking on Alabama or Washington facing Ohio State is unlikely, but for fantasy purposes, Conference USA can provide you with upside, gems, diamonds in the rough, and all that good stuff. It's nice to know what to watch during the spring, so let's look at a current pressing storyline for all 10 Conference USA programs.
Florida International Spring Storyline
Can the Golden Panthers finally, FINALLY, get some viable quarterback play?
Florida International has gone 4-8 in both seasons under Mike MacIntyre, but bear in mind that in 2021, the team went 1-11, with that one win coming against Long Island University. To get to bowl eligibility, the (Golden) Panthers need better quarterback play, and for that, keep an eye on how Keyone Jenkins is looking. A MacIntyre recruit, Jenkins got a chance to emerge as the starting quarterback as a true freshman. Frankly, it was a bit of a mess. Jenkins threw 11 touchdowns and added six more on the ground (he averaged 0.4 yards per carry with sacks included, so he's not exactly an extraordinary scrambler), but he also threw 11 picks. My biggest concern is Jenkins fumbled a whopping nine times in 11 games, losing five of them. Jenkins showed up this spring, reportedly bulked up and taking a leadership role. MacIntyre notably did not bring in much in the way of competition. It looks like Jenkins will get every opportunity to be the guy for FIU.
Jacksonville State Spring Storyline
Will the offense catch up to the defense?
In their first year as an FBS team, the Gamecocks went 9-4, even getting to play in a bowl because spots needed to be filled. Rich Rodriguez's team finished 57th in defensive SP+, and 76th in offensive SP+. If Jacksonville State wants to finish with a winning record again or even improve, an offensive uptick would be nice. There are questions on defense, with a new defensive coordinator in Luke Olson taking over, but all eyes will be under center. Zion Webb was the top quarterback for the Gamecocks last year, but he's gone. When spring practices opened, five different quarterbacks saw reps. Five! That being said, there are probably only two names really in the mix. Logan Smothers, a Nebraska transfer, saw plenty of playing time last year, even taking over for Webb for a spell as Webb adjusted to FBS football. The other name is Tyler Huff, a Furman transfer who ran for 591 yards and six touchdowns in 11 games last year. To play quarterback in Rich Rod's offense, being able to run the ball is vital.
Kennesaw State Spring Storyline
Welcome to the FBS!
The Kennesaw State Owls are now an FBS team. From 2017 through 2021, the Owls were a formidable force in FCS football. The problem is this is, you know, 2024. Last year, at the FCS level, mind you, the Owls went 3-6. Now, they have to play FBS football. They have to play UTSA, Louisiana, Liberty, etc. The Owls have new coordinators on both sides of the ball. Oh, and they also need a new quarterback, as Jonathan Murphy expended his eligibility. This could be a rough transition for Kennesaw State. Expect a lot of change from last season's lineup, especially with the Owls' first "We're an FBS team!" recruiting class coming in. There could be a few freshmen dotting the two-deep.
Liberty Spring Storyline
Who steps up at receiver?
The Flames ended 2023 with a tough loss, but to be fair, that loss was to the Oregon Ducks because the Flames were playing in the Fiesta Bowl as the highest-ranked Group of Five team. Liberty was undefeated to that point and frankly seemed a step above every one of its conference mates. Jamey Caldwell is back as head coach. Kaidon Salter, who threw for 32 touchdowns and ran for over 1,000 yards with 12 rushing scores tacked on, is back. So is Quinton Cooley, who ran for 1,041 yards and 16 touchdowns. However, CJ Daniels, who had 1,067 yards and 10 touchdowns through the air, is not. Treon Sibley, who had 23 catches for 467 yards and four touchdowns, is comfortably the leading returning receiver, but keep an eye on a couple of names. Reese Smith, a West Virginia transfer, ended up missing all of 2023 with an injury. Also, after being pushed to the margins by a new coaching staff at Coastal Carolina, Tyson Mobley has reunited with Caldwell at Liberty. During the spring game for the Flames he caught a touchdown from Salter, which may speak to the plans for him in the offense.
Louisiana Tech Spring Storyline
Maybe a new-look offense will make a difference?
Call me cynical, but I don't think a Bulldogs' defense that ranked 122nd in SP+ will set the world alight. This will remain a team that fantasy-minded folks like seeing as a matchup. What about the offense? The Hank Bachmeier foray didn't work under center. Lead back Tyre Shelton is gone. The top three receivers for Louisiana Tech are gone. There is some hope, though. Running back Marquis Crosby, who effectively missed all of 2023 with an injury, was eased into action this spring. He ran for 917 yards and nine touchdowns in 2022. Jack Turner, who saw some time under center last year, entered spring practices as the starter, and it seems he will have that role when the games start. As to the receivers, head coach Sonny Cumbie mentioned Marlion Jackson and Solo Lewis by name as spring practices began and also highlighted Abdul-Fatai Ibrahim, a Bowling Green transfer. The top three receivers take 149 receptions combined with them. Somebody has to get those targets.
Middle Tennessee State Spring Storyline
A new head coach looks to right the ship
Loyalty only extends for so long in college football. Rick Stockstill took over as MTSU's head coach in 2006, but after a 4-8 season in 2023, he got the boot. Enter Derek Mason. He spent 2023 on walkabout after serving as defensive coordinator for Oklahoma State in 2022 and Auburn in 2021. Mason is best known, especially in Tennessee, for his time as the head coach at Vanderbilt. Twice, he got the Commodores bowling, which is no easy feat. Some of the notable names, starting quarterback Nicholas Vattiato and leading rusher Jaiden Credle, are back, but how will they look in a new offense? Also, a name that has popped up during spring is Omari Kelly, an Auburn transfer. Now, he had all of five catches for 101 yards at Auburn. However, with all due respect to Conference USA, it is a significant step down from SEC football. These kinds of transfers don't always pan out, but Kelly is definitely a guy to keep an eye on.
New Mexico State Spring Storyline
Life after Jerry Kill
Jerry Kill was one hell of a college football head coach. He got the Aggies bowling in his two seasons in charge. Prior to that, New Mexico State had gone bowling once…since 1961. New Mexico State is, by tradition, one of the worst FBS college football programs. Kill has retired once again. Tony Sanchez, who was utterly unremarkable at UNLV, is now the head coach. Not only is Kill gone, but Diego Pavia is as well. Pavia was the starting quarterback for the Aggies and arguably the whole offense at times. Don't be surprised if New Mexico State falls swiftly back to the two-or-three win range.
Sam Houston State Spring Storyline
Making strides in year two
Jacksonville State's move to the FBS level went smoothly. Before the Gamecocks, James Madison made the jump with aplomb. Sam Houston State's first FBS season was more of a reality check. This isn't always easy. The Bearkats started the season 0-8 and finished 3-9, with one of those wins coming against Kennesaw State, still an FCS team last year. While early defensive signs – defense being the program's calling card at the FCS level – were good, SHSU ended up 85th in SP+ defensively. Hey, that's better than 120th, which is where it finished offensively. The Bearkats will hope those were growing pains. They have made a key change offensively, as Central Michigan transfer Jase Bauer is in line as of this spring to be the starting quarterback. Bauer will look to hold off Grant Gunnell, a former Arizona quarterback with the advantage of being with the program in 2023.
UTEP Spring Storyline
A studs-up rebuild
The Miners will look more different than any Conference USA team in 2024. Dana Dimel is out as head coach, and Scotty Walden is in after getting Austin Peay into the FCS playoffs. In this transfer-heavy era, the UTEP roster was completely remade in the process. Longtime starting quarterback Gavin Hardison exhausted his eligibility, the top two running backs are gone, and so are the top three receivers. That makes UTEP's spring quite intriguing. Unsurprisingly, Walden brought along his two best offensive weapons from APSU, running back Jevon Jackson and wide receiver Trey Goodman. Eastern Kentucky transfer receiver Jaden Smith and Texas State running back transfer Calvin Hill have also arrived. The quarterback room is mostly the same aside from the lack of Hardison, but Walden's up-tempo offense is a total tonal shift. As of this spring, the quarterback competition seems wide open.
Western Kentucky Spring Storyline
A rebuild or a reload?
When Western Kentucky ported over the central figures in the Houston Baptist passing game, and Bailey Zappe set FBS records, it was remarkable, but it could have been a one-year thing. All the major players were elsewhere by the time that season was over. The Hilltoppers managed to continue to excel through the air, though. Austin Reed was no Zappe, but he had three 71 touchdowns across his two seasons as the starting quarterback. Malachi Corley emerged as a real fantasy find, and all indications are Corley is going to be a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Of course, that means the Hilltoppers are losing a second-round talent, and Reed is also gone. Can Western Kentucky reload the passing game again? The expectation is for Dalvin Smith, who had 50 catches for 513 yards and six touchdowns last year, to just kind of step into Corley's role. What's really intriguing, though, is the new quarterback. TJ Finley went from LSU to Auburn to Texas State, but with the Bobcats last year he completed 67.4 percent of his passes for 3,439 yards, 24 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. He was playing with a team utterly laden in transfers but had no issues hitting the ground running. When Texas State brought in Jayden de Laura, Finley decided to plug himself into the WKU passing machine, which I believe will remain a passing machine. The funny part is that de Laura didn't even stick around at Texas State, decommitting and entering the NFL Draft. Score one for the Hilltoppers.
