NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) — JMU football is expected to be the top dog again this season in the Sun Belt Conference’s eastern division, but the league’s coaches have less faith in rival ODU.

The Monarchs were picked at the league’s media days in New Orleans to finish last in the division, behind preseason No. 1 JMU (four 1st place votes), No. 2 Appalachian State (four 1st place votes, but three fewer points than JMU), No. 3 Coastal Carolina (three first place votes, No. 4 Marshall (two first place votes), No. 5 Georgia Southern (one first place vote) and No. 6 Georgia State.

Defending Sun Belt champion Troy is the favorite to win the conference’s western side, after getting 10 first place votes from the coaches. South Alabama, Louisiana, Southern Miss. Texas State, Arkansas State and Louisiana-Monroe round out the rest of the West.

JMU, which is still ineligible to play in either the conference championship game or a bowl game due to NCAA rules for teams transitioning between divisions, had three players named to the conference’s preseason first teams, offensive lineman Nick Kidwell, defensive lineman James Carpenter and punter Ryan Hanson. And Portsmouth native Taurus Jones was named to the All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense

ODU meanwhile does have the Sun Belt Preseason Defensive Player of the Year in junior linebacker Jason Henderson after he led the country with 186 tackles last season. He was named to the First Team in 2022. ODU’s punter, Ethan Duane, was named to All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams.

Here’s the full list of preseason rankings:

2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
 
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.) 
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
RB – La’Damian Webb, South Alabama (Sr., RB – Opelika, Ala.)
RB – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., RB – Miami, Fla.) 
OL – Isaiah Helms, App State (Sr., OL – Hudson, N.C.) 
OL – Khalil Crowder, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., OL – Carrollton, Ga.) 
OL – Travis Glover, Georgia State (RS Sr., OL – Vienna, Ga.)
OL – Nick Kidwell, James Madison (RS Sr., OL – Knoxville, Md.) 
OL – Logan Osburn, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Ona, W.Va.) 
TE – Neal Johnson, Louisiana (Sr., TE – Mesquite, Texas) 
WR – Jared Brown, Coastal Carolina (RS So., WR – Lilburn, Ga.) 
WR – Sam Pinckney, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr., WR – Greenwood, S.C.)
WR – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern (5th Yr., WR – McDonough, Ga.) 
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – James Carpenter, James Madison (RS Jr., DL – Roanoke, Va.) 
DL – Owen Porter, Marshall (RS Sr., DL – Huntington, W.Va.)
DL – TJ Jackson, Troy (Jr., DL – Millbrook, Ala.) 
DL – Richard Jibunor, Troy (Sr., DL – Delta State, Nigeria) 
LB – JT Killen, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., LB – Lake Wylie, S.C.)
LB – Marques Watson-Trent, Georgia Southern (RS Jr., LB – Beaver Falls, Pa.) 
LB – Eli Neal, Marshall (Sr., LB – Memphis, Tenn.) 
LB – Jason Henderson, Old Dominion (Jr., LB – Dingmans Ferry, Pa.) 
DB – Micah Abraham, Marshall (RS Sr., DB – Tampa, Fla.) 
DB – Yam Banks, South Alabama (Jr., DB – Ridgeland, Miss.)
DB – Jay Stanley, Southern Miss (Sr., DB – Greenwood, Miss.)
DB – Reddy Steward, Troy (Sr., DB – Decatur, Ala.)
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Dominic Zvada, Arkansas State (So., K – Chandler, Ariz.)
P – Ryan Hanson, James Madison (RS Jr., P – Elgin, Texas) 
RS – Milan Tucker, App State (RS Jr., RS – Lehigh Acres, Fla.) 
AP – Frank Gore Jr., Southern Miss (Jr., AP – Miami, Fla.) 
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Carter Bradley, South Alabama (Sr., QB – Jacksonville, Fla.) 
RB – Rasheen Ali, Marshall (RS So., RB – Cleveland, Ohio) 
RB – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., RB – Marietta, Ga.) 
OL – Damion Daley, App State (RS Sr., OL – Columbia, S.C.)  
OL – Will McDonald, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr., OL – Matthews, N.C.)
OL – AJ Gillie, Louisiana (RS Jr., OL – Natchitoches, La.) 
OL – Ethan Driskell, Marshall (RS Jr., OL – Louisville, Ky.)
OL – Daniel King, Troy (Jr., OL – Cairo, Ga.) 
TE – Jjay Mcafee, Georgia Southern (6th Yr., TE – Charleston, S.C.) 
WR – Tyrone Howell, ULM (6th Yr., WR – Idabel, Okla.) 
WR – Caullin Lacy, South Alabama (Jr., WR – Mobile, Ala.) 
WR – Devin Voisin, South Alabama (Sr., WR – Crestview, Fla.)
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Javon Denis, Georgia State (RS Sr., DL – Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
DL – Wy’Kevious Thomas, South Alabama (RS Jr., DL – Riverdale, Ga.) 
DL – Jalen Williams, Southern Miss (Sr., DL – Tylertown, Miss.) 
DL – Jordan Revels, Texas State (Sr., DL – Houston, Texas) 
DL – Javon Solomon, Troy (Jr., DL – Tallahassee, Fla.)
LB – Jontrey Hunter, Georgia State (RS Sr., LB – Tampa, Fla.)
LB – Jordan Veneziale, Georgia State (Sr., LB – Dallas, Ga.)
LB – Taurus Jones, James Madison (RS Jr., LB – Portsmouth, Va.) 
DB – Bryquice Brown, Georgia State (RS Sr., DB – Dorchester, Mass.) 
DB – Keith Gallmon Jr., South Alabama (RS Sr., DB – Mobile, Ala.)
DB – Jaden Voisin, South Alabama (RS Jr., DB – Crestview, Fla.)
DB – Dell Pettus, Troy (Sr., DB – Harvest, Ala.) 
 
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Diego Guajardo, South Alabama (Sr., K – Spanish Fort, Ala.) 
P – Ethan Duane, Old Dominion (Jr., P – Melbourne, Australia) 
RS – Matthew McDoom, Coastal Carolina (So., RS – Winter Garden, Fla.) 
AP – Kimani Vidal, Troy (Jr., AP – Marietta, Ga.) 
 
2023 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
East Division
1. James Madison – 78 Points (4)
2. App State – 75 Points (4)
3. Coastal Carolina – 71 Points (3)
4. Marshall – 68 Points (2)
5. Georgia Southern – 52 Points (1)
6. Georgia State – 31 Points
7. Old Dominion – 17 Points
 
West Division
1. Troy – 92 Points (10)
2. South Alabama – 85 Points (4)
3. Louisiana – 64 Points
4. Southern Miss – 62 Points
5. Texas State – 36 Points
6. Arkansas State – 33 Points
7. ULM – 20 Points