Overview on 2020 Sun Belt Conference Recruiting and QB Commitments
Written by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
Life in the Sun Belt Conference is never easy with teams out east like Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, Georgia State, and Troy and out to the west with Arkansas State and Louisiana-Lafayette. Those slugfest games on the gridiron extend onto the recruiting trail where SBC programs also have to compete for top talent against the likes of the SEC and ACC. All the intricacies that go into filling a recruiting class makes a look inside the SBC very interesting, especially looking at the quarterback position.
Top to bottom, Sun Belt Conference teams are sitting pretty ahead of the early signing period nearing full classes. Troy leads the way in total number of commitments (19) followed by Louisiana (16), Appalachian State (15), and Coastal Carolina (16). But the next four are in close proximity with Louisiana-Monroe (14) and South Alabama (14) neck-and-neck followed by Arkansas State (11) and Georgia Southern (11). Texas State has the biggest ground to cover with six commits, and perhaps the most difficult overlapping battle grounds against the Big 12, SEC, Conference USA, and the American Athletic Conference. Georgia State, Appalachian State, Louisiana, and Troy each have 15 three-star commits attached to their class vaulting their status in the recruiting rankings.
With most teams hoping to build upon a class from the quarterback position, to this point Arkansas State leads the SBC with the top rated 2020 quarterback in Brett Nezat. Nezat is that prototypical pro-style gunslinger stretching the tape to 6-4.5 and weighing in at 225. He heads to the Red Wolves with a wealth of experience after playing for Alabama’s Saraland High School against 6A competition. In 2019, the Spartans posted a 10-1 helping Nezat earn three-star recruiting status rated as the No. 41 pro-style QB in the class.
Of the 10 SBC teams, four (Coastal Carolina, Georgia Southern, Louisiana, and Texas State) are without QB commits. As the world may seemingly be turning to a dual-threat appearance in the college football ranks, each of the six commitment talents under center are pro-style passers.
Sun Belt East Division
Appalachian State – Navy Shuler – Christ School (NC) – pro-style No. 68
Coastal Carolina – no QB commit
Georgia Southern – no QB commit
Georgia State – Mikele Colasurdo – Chapman (SC) – pro-style No. 70
Georgia State – Ahmon Green – Westwood (SC) – pro-style No. 82
Troy – Kyle Toole – Lee County (GA) – pro-style No. 56
West Division
Arkansas State – Brett Nezat – Saraland (AL) – pro-style No. 41
Louisiana – no QB commit
Louisiana-Monroe – Garrett Kahmann – West Monroe (LA) – pro-style No. 84
South Alabama – Elijah Gainey – Flower Branch (GA) – pro-style No. 71
Texas State – no QB commit
Photo credit: SBC; SBC logo