Southern Miss Higher Than Expected? Our Staff's Sun Belt Predictions Are In

With the 2026 college football season right around the corner, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI staff got together to vote on and predict the Sun Belt East and West Divisions and season awards.

Southern Miss Golden Eagles players react after an interception during a college football game between Southern Miss and Troy at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

HATTIESBURG, Miss. – Can Southern Miss exceed expectations in Year 1 under head coach Blake Anderson?

That's one of the biggest questions for the Golden Eagles entering the 2026 college football season, and it's one our staff answered a little differently than the coaches did in the Sun Belt Football Preseason Coaches Poll. After submitting ballots for every team in both divisions, as well as the conference's major postseason awards, the Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI staff came away with a preseason poll that gives the Golden Eagles a slightly more favorable outlook than the official coaches poll.

How the Voting Worked: Each staff member ranked every team in both Sun Belt divisions. First-place votes were worth 14 points, second place 12, third place 10, fourth place 8, fifth place 6, sixth place 4 and seventh place 2. Staff members also voted for the conference's Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year, Special Teams Player of the Year and Coach of the Year.

Sun Belt East Division

Aug 30, 2025; Athens, Georgia, USA; Georgia Bulldogs defensive back KJ Bolden (4) in action against the Marshall Thundering Herd at Sanford Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Voting results for the Sun Belt East Division: 1. Marshall (52 points), 2. James Madison (46 points), 3. Old Dominion (44 points), 4. App State (26 points), T5. Coastal Carolina (24 points), T5. Georgia Southern (24 points), and 7. Georgia State (8 points).

Although JMU received two first-place votes in this poll, overall, the staff believes a new champion will emerge from the East Division this year. With redshirt-senior QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson returning for the 2026 season, we expect Marshall to claim a spot in the conference championship game just two years removed from the program recovering from the Charles Huff mass exodus to Southern Miss in 2024.

Sun Belt West Division

Troy Trojans wide receiver DJ Epps (18) runs the ball while defended by Southern Miss Golden Eagles nose tackle Isaiah Gibson Sr. (7) during a college football game between Southern Miss and Troy at M.M. Roberts Stadium in Hattiesburg, Miss., on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. Troy defeated Southern Miss 28-18. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Voting results for the Sun Belt West Division: 1. Troy (56 points), 2. Arkansas State (42 points), 3. Louisiana (38 points), 4. Southern Miss (36 points), 5. Louisiana Tech (26 points), 6. South Alabama (18 points) and 7. UL-Monroe (8 points).

Troy was the unanimous pick from our staff to win the West Division this year due to the Trojans having a good portion of returning talent and adding some Power 4 talent from the transfer portal. One year removed from falling to James Madison in the Sun Belt Championship Game, it wouldn't shock us to see the Trojans get over the hump this year after going through that experience.

Southern Miss received second-place, third-place, fourth-place and fifth-place votes in this poll. This season will be a challenge for the Golden Eagles, given how many new and inexperienced (at least from a DI perspective) players are on the roster. However, Coach Anderson and his staff have already done an excellent job of establishing this program's culture and expectations going forward. We'll see how much that translates into accelerating the chemistry growth of this Southern Miss roster.

“I’m a little bit of a psycho in that sense,” Anderson told Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI when asked about how he balances the challenges his team faces while also refusing to lower expectations. “I only know one way: be the best you can be every day. We know the result we want is to win a championship, and I’m not gonna give us excuses to say it’s ok to not get that done."

Offensive Player of the Year

Louisiana’s Ragin Cajuns Lineman Fitzgerald West Jr 68 has Herd Quarterback Carlos Del Rio-Wilson 7 in his sights as the Cajuns take on Marshall Thundering Herd at Our Lady of Lourdes Stadium in Lafayette, LA. Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

We mentioned Marshall's starting QB Carlos Del Rio-Wilson earlier, and it should come as no surprise that we have him winning the Sun Belt's Offensive Player of the Year award.

Last season, Del Rio-Wilson completed 171 of 256 passes for 2,043 yards, 17 touchdowns and five interceptions. On the ground, he added 661 rushing yards and six touchdowns. The Thundering Herd's experienced, dual-threat QB is going to be hard to stop in 2026.

Others who received a vote for this award: Ethan Hampton (USM).

Defensive Player of the Year

Troy Trojans Athletics

Troy's senior defensive end/linebacker Donnie Smith was our overall pick for Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year. In 2025, the Greenville, Mississippi native racked up 44 tackles (20 solo), including 11 sacks and a forced fumble. Smith came to Troy as the No. 1-rated JUCO linebacker in the country from East Central CC, and that talent certainly translated to the DI level.

Others who received a vote for this award: Kolbe Fields (LA Tech) and MJ Stroud (GASO).

Special Teams Player of the Year

Southern Mill Athletics

In what might be the most surprising result of our poll, at least to outsiders looking in, Southern Miss sophomore kicker Creighton Wilbanks was voted as the Special Teams Player of the Year.

Halfway through his freshman season, Wilbanks took over as the full-time kicker, finishing 9-of-14 with a season-long 52-yard field goal in the Golden Eagles' 22-10 win over Louisiana on Oct. 18, 2025. Despite Southern Miss losing to Western Kentucky in the New Orleans Bowl, the Mandeville, Louisiana native personally finished the year strong by tying the Golden Eagles' record for most field goals attempted (4) and made (3) in a bowl game.

Others who received a vote for this award: Evan Crenshaw (Troy).

Coach of the Year

Troy Trojans Athletics

Troy head coach Gerad Parker was our overall pick for Sun Belt Coach of the Year. After being so close to winning a conference title last year, Parker and the Trojans are motivated to get it done this year, and they have the talent to make it happen.

We will say, though, if Southern Miss can avoid any major injuries and perform as well as we think it can, Blake Anderson could end up being a dark-horse pick for Coach of the Year by season's end. A lot has to go right, but we believe the opportunity will be there.

Others who received a vote for this award: Blake Anderson (USM), Tony Gibson (Marshall).

Stay tuned to Southern Miss Golden Eagles On SI for more USM preseason football coverage leading into fall camp.