2026 American Conference Media Days: Top Storylines and Players to Watch

The American Conference will welcome its members to the Tampa Bay area on July 23 for the 2026 Media Days. Yet, ahead of that day, there are plenty of storylines to dive into. In this joint column from Mackenzie Neglia and myself (Brandyn Pokrass), we will get you ready for all of the action coming up in 2026.

2026 American Conference Media Days: Top Storylines and Players to Watch

The Coaching Changes: Who Can Keep Building Momentum? (By Mackenzie Neglia)

Alex Mortensen, UAB

After serving as UAB’s interim head coach for the second half of the 2025 season, Mortensen has been promoted to leading the program full-time. Utilizing his experience of working with the Blazers, including being the previous offensive coordinator, this will still be a learning experience for the first-time head coach. UAB is hoping Mortensen can continue work in stabilizing the program, developing the offense, and maintaining steady progress toward a successful season.

Charles Huff, Memphis

As Ryan Silverfield made the move to Arkansas, Charles Huff arrived in Memphis after successful coaching stops at both Marshall and Southern Miss. Taking the reins, Huff wasted no time rebuilding the Tigers in the portal, furthering his reputation of leading physical and disciplined football teams. While Memphis has been a notable powerhouse in the conference for quite some time, roster turnover and proper execution may arise as one of their biggest challenges. If everything goes smoothly, the Memphis Tigers have all of the tools to be in the conversation and make a run at the American Conference Championship.

Neal Brown, North Texas

Neal Brown steps in to take on one of the toughest rebuilding jobs after North Texas lost its coaching staff, quarterback, and the majority of its starting roster following a 12-win season and competing in the conference championship. Brown brings notable coaching experience from Troy and West Virginia, along with a reputation for building stacked and balanced teams. While the Mean Green may not be able to immediately replicate last season’s offensive dominance, Brown’s experience should help in successfully rebuilding and establishing new ground after a large roster overhaul. 

Brian Hartline, South Florida

In a somewhat similar situation to North Texas, Brian Hartline begins his head coaching career at USF after establishing himself as one of college football’s premier recruiters and wide receiver coaches. He takes in a South Florida program coming off arguably their best season in recent years, but one that has still fallen short of its ultimate goals. Along with this, he faces the challenge of replacing multiple key contributors, while implementing his own vision. Hartline and his staff attacked the transfer portal aggressively, and established one of the American’s strongest incoming classes. With talent across the roster and expectations that continue to be elevated, the Bulls have the potential to make a statement and contend for the conference championship if everything falls into place. 

Will Hall, Tulane

Will Hall has taken over a Tulane program that has been consistently successful in recent seasons. After previously serving on John Sumrall’s staff in 2025 and leading Southern Miss, Hall offers a sense of understanding, as well as room to add his own twist to things. Although the Green Wave will need to replace several key starters, Hall’s familiarity with how the program has previously operated should ease the transition. Despite the coaching change, Tulane is still expected to remain among the conference’s top contenders in 2026.

Can Teams like FAU, Temple, and Tulsa Emerge as Contenders?

In the American Conference, there are plenty of teams that could be considered legitimate contenders.

Army and Navy have the talent to test and beat any team in the conference. Tulane, Memphis, and USF, despite dealing with coaching changes, have the financial backing and roster talent to be top-tier contenders. East Carolina, which retained their head coach, should be expected to compete despite losing plenty of 2025 contributors.

The beauty of the American Conference, though, is that there are always teams that can emerge from the shadows as new contenders. And in 2026, three teams to watch are Florida Atlantic, Temple, and Tulsa.

Florida Atlantic Owls

FAU has a returning production percentage of 64 (per ESPN), which ranks as the 19th-best rate in the entire country. Caden Veltkamp and Easton Messer return as one of the best QB-WR combinations in the country. Kaden Shields-Dutton, Dom Henry, and Vincent Fiacable return as other key pieces on offense. Defensively, CJ Doggette, Josh Roberts, and Wilky Denaud return to man the trenches for the Owls. Linebacker Leon Hart Jr., one of the Owls’ leading 2025 tacklers, also returns.

The Owls pair this returning production with a very solid transfer portal class. Whether at running back with Leonard Farrow or in the trenches with Blake Burris, FAU did a solid job addressing its needs.

To contend in 2026, FAU needs to clean up the glaring issues it had on both sides of the ball while improving on the successes it had.

The offense, in my opinion, should not be an issue for the Owls. The scheme should take another step forward in Zach Kittley‘s second season. And, expect Veltkamp to make key improvements and the running game to be much better behind a new-look offensive line. The wideouts will be dynamic, including Branden Hoch, who could be one of the breakout wideouts in the American.

However, that same offensive line has to be much better in pass protection. The turnovers need to be reduced by a considerable margin, and Kittley, for all of his successes, needs to find a way to be a more consistent and balanced play caller.

Defensively, the trenches need to be much better in every facet. FAU’s new additions should help them stop the run better. However, they need to be more aggressive in attacking ball carriers. The Owls were too passive in this area at times in 2025, allowing opponents to rip off big gains consistently. In the secondary, the unit simply needs to be consistent. For all of their successes early in games, the big plays flowed like water in crunch time and in the second halves of games.

At the end of the day, it all comes down to execution for FAU. They have the talent to beat the majority of the conference opponents on their schedule, but their flaws are the exact same ones that could sink them again in 2026. The Owls will be exciting one way or another in 2026, but if it all comes together in a positive direction, they could be a dangerous force in the conference.

Temple Owls

Moving up the East Coast, Temple shares some similar traits to FAU, including being a dark-horse team that could emerge in 2026.

Quarterback is a bit of a question mark, but there is plenty of talent in the room for head coach K.C. Keeler to utilize. Ajani Sheppard, a Washington State transfer who spent time at Rutgers, is a dynamic athlete who could see his passing potential unlocked in the Temple offense. Jaxon Smolik, a Penn State transfer, is his main competition at the position. With a great spring game and some upper-tier upside at the position, he could give the Owls a supercharged version of Evan Simon if he wins the job.

No matter who is at quarterback, though, Temple’s weapons will help them not fully falter under the pressure.

Sam Brown V, a Rutgers transfer, brings some of the best upside at the running back position in the American Conference. At his best, Brown V has the speed and power to carry an offense down the field and contribute in a variety of ways. Kevun Mason, a second-year player for the Owls, should bring some very nice upside to the position alongside Brown V and the other depth options.

At wideout, JoJo Bermudez Sr. and Colin Chase bring returning production at the position. Bermudez Sr. is an elite weapon in space, while Chase displayed some very nice route running and overall receiving ability in 2025. Jayce Freeman Sr., a Stony Brook transfer, brings plenty of experience and a big-bodied weapon that the Owls can use in a variety of ways.

Regardless of position, Peter Clarke might be the best player on Temple’s offense and one of the best tight ends in the country. A Phil Steele and Athlon Sports First Team All-Conference selection, Clarke has great route running and smoothness at the position. He plays with great strength in the passing game, whether as a pass catcher or pass blocker. In the run game, Clarke has constantly improved and should be a nice contributor for the Owls as a blocker this year. With his all-around skill at the position, Clarke is one of the true mismatch threats in the American and could be a real game changer.

The real test for Temple’s contention chances, though, will be the team’s defense.

Even with a great offense in 2025, the unit struggled to hold down its opponents, allowing 35.4 points per game. They lost multiple games where the offense was firing on all cylinders, and when the offense struggled, the unit did not always do enough to keep the team in games.

The Owls return some defensive contributors from last season, namely Curly Ordonez at linebacker and Avery Powell at defensive back. They have some very intriguing players who could see action across the unit. In the trenches, possible contributors range from Penn State defensive line transfer Kaleb Artis to a towering second-year player in Cameron Jones. Eric Stuart brings nice experience at linebacker, while Kolin Dinkins, another Penn State transfer, provides some fun versatility all over the defense.

In all likelihood, Temple is probably a fun team that makes improvements from last year and continues building some momentum. That foundation will be built by an offense that can score with the best teams in the American, no matter who is at quarterback.

The deciding factor for the Owls, though, will be their defense. If that unit takes strides in limiting points and causing more turnovers, it will have a chance to surprise plenty of people this season. Temple, no matter what happens on the field, will be a very intriguing team to watch every week this season.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Looking at Tulsa this season, they share a major similarity to FAU in one key category: returning production.

In ESPN’s rankings, Tulsa came in at 23rd in the country, bringing back 63-percent of its 2025 production. On offense, this stems from multiple returners on the offensive line, such as Ian Mays on the interior and Cam East at tackle. They also return quarterback Baylor Hayes, who showed plenty of talent in his freshman season and is poised to take a big leap in his second year.

Defensively, the Golden Hurricane return a standout cornerback in Elijah Green, have a possible star in the making at linebacker in Dax Collins, and a very solid presence at defensive line in Tai Newhouse.

Tulsa, under Tre Lamb, did a very good job adding to the roster in the transfer portal as well. Devin Hightower, a UAB transfer, should be an instant contributor at linebacker. Seth Davis and Damari Alson, coming over from Mississippi State and Auburn, add some big upside to the running back room. Malachi Preciado will be a great addition to the offensive line, while Jimmy Calloway should add some instant juice to the wide receiver group.

The Golden Hurricane also have some very intriguing breakout candidates, whether it is tight end Luke Tevis and wideout Josh Smith on offense or safety Zach Williams on defense.

In 2026, Tulsa has the potential to take a major step forward in the American Conference and in college football as a whole. They will be tested early in the season with games against Oklahoma State and Arkansas. In conference play, they face both service academies, along with Tulane and a fellow sleeper in Florida Atlantic.

Tre Lamb’s team showed some major growth in year one, and expect that to continue in year two. Like Temple and FAU, I am very intrigued to see what Tulsa does this season.

What is the Future of the American Conference?

The winds of change are not swirling just yet, but their time is quickly approaching. And in light of potential realignment, the question of the American Conference and future becomes all the more pressing ahead of the 2026 media days.

Memphis has already shown its hand and desires, with its all-out push to make it into the Big 12 coming into the light last season. South Florida has made it very clear, both through their words and actions, that they intend to rise up the ranks of the conference hierarchy. It is not out of the question that Tulane would intend to do the same, especially considering their massive level of success as a football program over the last four seasons. FAU, a school that has found plenty of success in basketball, could start to make a case for itself if the football program capitalizes on the same potential and continues to tap into the resources in Boca Raton.

If multiple, or even one of those schools makes a move, it could spark other schools to reevaluate their standing in the American. East Carolina, with the goal of rekindling rivalries, could aim to move to a conference with more in-state schools. Rice and UTSA could eventually view the Pac-12, which holds multiple Texas programs within it, as a more feasible option for their schools.

In the blink of an eye, the American could go from the best non-autonomy conference to one that will have to fight for its survival. And that poses the question: what is the conference’s plan?

Will they look to add more members, whether it is a James Madison from the Sun Belt or a Western Kentucky from Conference USA? Can they ensure to member schools that there is a benefit to being in the American when other opportunities arise? Is there action the conference can take to make sure they continue what looks to be an upward trajectory?

These questions, frankly, are not and should not be a priority in 2026. But as early as next season, the winds of change could start to get louder. And when that time arrives, it will be fascinating to see how the American Conference takes action.

Players to Watch

Ahead of the 2026 American Conference Media Days, both myself and The League Winners’ Mackenzie Neglia highlighted some players to watch across the conference.

Mackenzie’s Players to Watch

Braxton Woodson, QB, Navy

Following Blake Horvath’s tenure at Navy, Braxton Woodson had essentially been seen as the next man up. Now, it’s his time to shine.

Entering this season, Woodson is a team captain and has proved he possesses dual-threat capabilities. Seeing action in 10 games in 2025, Woodson especially showcased his talent as a rusher, carrying the ball 44 times for 414 yards and six touchdowns. After providing relief in pivotal contests, he anchors one of most explosive triple-option offenses in the league and is expected to do big things throughout the 2026 season.

Easton Messer, WR, Florida Atlantic

Returning for his second season with FAU, Messer is highly anticipated to be a showstopper in the conference once again. Transferring in from Western Kentucky alongside starting quarterback Caden Veltkamp, the two quickly became one of the most go-to connections in the conference. The ceiling has only raised, as Messer is one of the most recognizable offensive weapons in the conference. He is primarily relied upon in motion and makes dynamic plays across the field, making it difficult for any and all of his opponents. In 2025, he recorded 104 receptions for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns. 

C.J. Hicks, DE, South Florida

A massive addition to the USF Bulls’ defense, C.J. Hicks follows head coach Brian Hartline from Ohio State. The former five-star recruit brings unique athleticism and a heavy pass rush to Tampa. Hicks is expected to have a breakout season as a member of the Bulls’ defense. During his four seasons as a Buckeye, playing in 44 games, he totaled 42 tackles and 4.0 tackles-for-loss. With an abundance of opportunity in 2026, he has the potential to become one of the most disruptive defenders in the American.

Jamauri McClure, RB, Tulane

The Green Wave offense became even more dynamic with McClure in the rotation. With a versatile running style, he is one of the most intriguing and potentially dangerous backs to be on the lookout for. He possesses a very high yards-per-carry average of  6.5.

In 2025, he showed that he can provide relief. This was especially true in the later parts of the season, recording 83 carries for 540 yards and two touchdowns. As a redshirt sophomore, McClure may be on the younger side but is expected to handle a much bigger role this season.

Owen McCown, QB, UTSA

Returning for another season as the Roadrunners’ offensive leader, Owen McCown is entering 2026 as one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the American Conference. After taking over the starting role, McCown has showcased his mobility and ability to maneuver plays, while ensuring his presence is felt throughout the field.

Starting all 13 games in 2025, McCown completed 277 of 410 passes for 2,995 yards and 30 touchdowns. His command of the UTSA offense makes them a force to be reckoned with. With expectations high for the 2026 season, he looks to lead the Roadrunners efficiently once again, being the center of one of American’s top offenses. 

Brandyn’s Players to Watch

Caden Vetkamp, QB, Florida Atlantic

Caden Veltkamp is an early front-runner for the best quarterback in the conference in 2026. At his best, his arm strength and accuracy are elite, allowing him to unleash the full potential of Zach Kittley’s offense. He is fearless in the pocket, and when the Owls get to the red zone, he is a force that can make great things happen with his legs as a runner.

How Veltkamp’s shoulder holds up will be a major question, as well as the overall play of the team’s offensive line and run game. The quarterback will also need to reduce the turnovers and be a bit smarter with the football. But if he is at full strength, Veltkamp should be expected to have a great season.

Bryson Rodgers, WR, South Florida

USF has plenty of players who could emerge at the wideout position in 2026, and one of the main players to watch is Bryson Rodgers. An Ohio State transfer, Rodgers has the speed, route-running, and overall ability to be an instant contributor for the Bulls. With his familiarity with Hartline, Rodgers should be able to hit the ground running from the start of Week 1. No matter who plays quarterback for the Bulls, look for the wideout to be a key target.

Sam Brown V, RB, Temple

Despite never being “the guy” for Rutgers, Sam Brown V showed plenty of talent over his time with the Scarlett Knights. The running back has impressive power and vision, along with some underrated speed. He breaks contact with ease and makes defenders miss on a pretty consistent basis. If he stays healthy this season, Brown V should easily eclipse his high marks of 374 yards and three touchdowns in a season. Look for him to potentially break out this season.

Peter Clarke, TE, Temple

Clarke has the skill and potential to not only be one of the best tight ends in the conference, but one of the best in the country. Catching six touchdowns last season, Clarke has the strength and body control to be a force all over the field. While not always having the chance to show it off, Clarke also has some nice burst and overall athleticism at the position. As a blocker, Clarke is a stout pass blocker (one pressure allowed in 2025) and took massive strides as a run blocker in the team’s new offensive scheme last season. With another offseason to develop and refine his game, Clarke has the potential to be a game-wrecker for Temple.

Jack Bousum, DL, Army

Heading into his second year as a contributor for the Black Knights, Jack Bousum has the talent and potential to take a major leap in 2026. A third-team All-American Conference selection in 2025, the defensive lineman notched 29 tackles and 4.5 sacks, along with 25 pressures. Bousum has the ability to play stout run defense and win as a pass rusher with power, with his best game coming in last year’s Army-Navy game. Possessing the frame to get even better and add to his skillset, I could see a world where Bousum puts himself on a similar path to Navy’s Landon Robinson.

Wilky Denaud, DL, Florida Atlantic

One of the Owls’ main returners on defense, Denuad is in a position to take a leap in 2026 at a new position. Shifting to an interior defense line position, FAU should be able to take advantage of Denuad’s strengths more often in 2026. He has the power and hand usage to win as a run defender, while also having the burst to create pressure as a pass rusher. Denaud spoke over the spring about his comfort level playing his new position, and I am very intrigued to see how he looks when fully settled in. If it all clicks for Denaud, he could be a game-changing presence for the Owls.

Za’Quan Bryan, CB, South Florida

For my last player to watch, I am calling my shot with USF’s Za’Quan Bryan. Coming to Tampa from Minnesota, Bryan had 57 tackles, 10 pass break-ups, two tackles for loss, two forced fumbles and an interception in 26 games played for the Golden Gophers. The cornerback has great coverage instincts, can make tackles in space, and has great play recognition. Within DC Josh Aldridge’s defense, Bryan has the potential to be a standout and help the Bulls’ unit elevate to a new level.