The Louisiana Ragin Cajuns have held serve over the Sun Belt West Division since the league was split into divisions and are projected to hold serve once again in 2021.
The Sun Belt Conference voted the Cajuns to take the West Divison for the fourth straight season, receiving nine first-place votes with the closest being Arkansas State, who received one.
Louisiana also saw nine players named to the preseason All-Sun Belt teams, headlined by offensive lineman O’Cyrus Torrence, safety Bralen Trahan, and punter Rhys Byrns being named first-team All-Sun Belt.
Quarterback Levi Lewis, offensive lineman Max Mitchell, and linebacker Lorenzo McCaskill all were named to the second-team preseason All-Sun Belt teams.
Below is the 2021 Preseason Sun Belt awards, teams, and coaches poll.
2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON AWARDS
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year
Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS So., QB – Indian Trail, N.C.)
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
Carlton Martial, Troy (Jr., LB – Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Offense
QB – Grayson McCall, Coastal Carolina (RS So. – Indian Trail, N.C.)
RB – Camerun Peoples, App State (Jr. – Lineville, Ala.)
RB – Destin Coates, Georgia State (Sr. – Tallahassee, Fla.)
OL – Baer Hunter, App State (Super Sr. – Clemmons, N.C.)
OL – Shamarious Gilmore, Georgia State (RS Sr. – Riverdale, Ga.)
OL – Cooper Hodges, App State (Jr. – Glen St. Mary, Fla.)
OL – Austin Stidham, Troy (Jr. – Russellville, Ala.)
OL – O’Cyrus Torrence, Louisiana (So. – Greensburg, La.)
TE – Isaiah Likely, Coastal Carolina (Sr. – Cambridge, Mass.)
WR – Jalen Tolbert, South Alabama (Jr. – Mobile, Ala.)
WR – Jaivon Heiligh, Coastal Carolina (Sr. – Venice, Fla.)
WR – Sam Pinckney, Georgia State (RS Jr. – Greenwood, S.C.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Defense
DL – Jeffery Gunter, Coastal Carolina (RS Sr. – Durham, N.C.)
DL – CJ Brewer, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr. – Bowdon, Ga.)
DL – Demetrius Taylor, App State (Super Sr. – Miami, Fla.)
DL – Will Choloh, Troy (Jr. – Lawrenceville, Ga.)
LB – Carlton Martial, Troy (Jr. – Mobile, Ala.)
LB – D’Marco Jackson, App State (Sr. – Spartanburg, S.C.)
LB – Silas Kelly, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr. – Mount Airy, Md.)
DB – Derrick Canteen, Georgia Southern (RS So. – Evans, Ga.)
DB – Shaun Jolly, App State (Sr. – Stone Mountain, Ga.)
DB – D’Jordan Strong, Coastal Carolina (Sr. – Batesville, Miss.)
DB – Bralen Trahan, Louisiana (RS Jr. – Lafayette, La.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team Special Teams
K – Noel Ruiz, Georgia State (Sr. – Wilson, N.C.)
P – Rhys Byrns, Louisiana (Jr. – Melbourne, Australia)
RS – Chris Smith, Louisiana (RS So. – Louisville, Miss.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Offense
QB – Levi Lewis, Louisiana (Sr. – Baton Rouge, La.)
RB – JD King, Georgia Southern (Fifth-Year Sr. – Fitzgerald, Ga.)
RB – Daetrich Harrington, App State (Sr. – Douglasville, Ga.)
OL – Trey Carter, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr. – Monroeville, Ala.)
OL – Max Mitchell, Louisiana (Jr. – Monroe, La.)
OL – Dylan Bradshaw, Troy (Sr. – Enterprise, Ala.)
OL – Willie Lampkin, Coastal Carolina (So. – Lakeland, Fla.)
OL – Aaron Dowdell, Georgia Southern (Sixth-Year Sr. – Fairburn, Ga.)
TE – Roger Carter, Georgia State (Sr. – Columbia, S.C.)
WR – Thomas Hennigan, App State (Super Sr. – Greensboro, N.C.)
WR – Marcell Barbee, Texas State (Jr. – Pueblo, Colo.)
WR – Cornelius McCoy, Georgia State (Sr. – Deerfield Beach, Fla.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Defense
DL – Zi’Yon Hill, Louisiana (RS Jr. – New Iberia, La.)
DL – Hardrick Willis, Georgia State (RS Sr. – Jonesboro, Ga.)
DL – Dontae Wilson, Georgia State (Sr. – Jefferson, Ga.)
DL – Nico Ezidore, Texas State (Jr. – Garland, Texas)
LB – Lorenzo McCaskill, Louisiana (RS Jr. – Detroit, Mich.)
LB – Teddy Gallagher, Coastal Carolina (Super Sr. – Los Angeles, Calif.)
LB – Brendan Harrington, App State (Jr. – Pittsboro, N.C.)
DB – Antavious Lane, Georgia State (RS So. – West Palm Beach, Fla.)
DB – Quavian White, Georgia State (Sr. – Greer, S.C.)
DB – Keith Gallmon, South Alabama (Jr. – Mobile, Ala.)
DB – Eric Garror, Louisiana (Jr. – Mobile, Ala.)
Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team Special Teams
K – Massimo Biscardi, Coastal Carolina (Sr. – Downingtown, Pa.)
P – Anthony Beck II, Georgia Southern (RS Jr. – Guyton, Ga.)
RS – Khaleb Hood, Georgia Southern (Jr. – McDonough, Ga.)
2021 SUN BELT CONFERENCE FOOTBALL PRESEASON COACHES POLL
East Division
T1. Coastal Carolina (6) – 44
T1. App State (4) – 44
3. Georgia State – 24
4. Georgia Southern – 20
5. Troy – 18
West Division
1. Louisiana (9) – 49
2. Arkansas State (1) – 38
3. South Alabama – 27
4. Texas State – 25
5. ULM – 11