CUSA Preview for 2025

 

CUSA has 12 teams in it and this conference is a bit of  mystery for this coming season. Here are the teams in my order of finish in 2025.

 

CUSA ALL First Team

Quarterback- Maverick McIvor – Western Kentucky

Running back- Jo’Nathan Silver – Delaware

Running back- Vaughn Blue – Liberty

Tight End- Eli Finley – Liberty

Wide Receiver- Matthew Henry- Western Kentucky

Wide Receiver- Kenny Odom – UTEP

 

CUSA Conference Championship Liberty over WKU

CUSA Preview and Predictions

1. Liberty–  The Flames are coached by Jamey Chadwell . He is now in his third season in Lynchburg. They went 8-4 in 2024 and things are looking even better in 2025. Quarterback appears to be in the hands of transfer Ethan Vasko from Coastal Carolina. However, running back position appear to have talent but lacks game time experience. Look for Georgia Tech transfer Evan Dickens to get the bulk of carries  and scoring chances with RB Vaughn Blue. This team has the players to dominate inferior competition but not the top programs every year. They play at 25,000 seat Williams Stadium and will begin their season on August 30th against Maine.
2. Western Kentucky-The Wildcats are coached by Tyson Helton and they play their home contests at I.T. Smith Stadium and at full capacity, it seats 22,113 fans. Second year head coach went out and hired a new offensive coordinator from Houston Baptist and he brought a long quarterback Maverick McIvor. . McIvor threw for 3,828 yards and 30 touchdowns in 2024. This team lost plenty due to transfer via the portal. It;s not out of the question that this team can overtake Liberty for the conference championship. This team opens on August 23rd at home against Sam Houston.
3. Jacksonville State- First year head coach Charles Kelly has an embarrassment of too many quality quarterbacks. It appears that former Kentucky -Rutgers transfer Gavin Wimsati is the leading candidate but he has Memphis transfer Cade Cunningham, trturnn Cade Creel and his top freshman Jack Moran. Two experience wide receivers return with senior Michael Pettway and junior Jordan McCants. Junior Cam cook is the top running back  for the Gamecocks. This team is in Jacksonville Alabama and plays in the Am first Stadium which seats 22.250 fans. They open on on the road at UCF.
4. UTEP- In his first season as the head coach for the Miners, head coach Scotty Walden went 3-9 overall in 2024. That is likely not good enough in El Paso. Things look slightly better and this team may get a bowl bid. Skyler Locklear appears to have won the quarterback job to start the season. He will have a couple of wide receivers back to help in junior Kenny Odom and senior Kam Thomas. The defense will be good enough to keep them in games. This team plays at the Sun Bowl and it seats 51,500 fans. They open on on August 30th at Utah State,
5. Delaware- The Blue Hens are transitioning into the FBS and they have two quarterbacks that have started for them in the past. Junior Nick Manicuci and senior Zach Marker give head coach Ryan Carty the chance to use that experience to secure wins. Wide receiver and former Michigan transfer returns as a productive player in 2024. The Blue Hens play at Delaware Sadium with 18,500 seats and is in Newark. They open their season on August 28th at home versus Delaware State.
6. Louisiana Tech- Evan Bullock comes in as the quarterback after redshirting his freshman season. He will find experienced running back junior Omiri Wiggins as his primary ball carrier and wide receiver Davis Gandy, a transfer from Sacramento State. Head coach Sonny Cumbie enters year four and needs to finish above the .500 mark to be sure to keep his job. The Bulldogs play at Joe Aillet Stadium in Ruston, LA. and it seats 28, 52 fans. Their opening game is schedule for August 30th at home versus SE Louisiana,

 

 

Games To Watch in CUSA

Aug, 23- Sam Houston @ WKU     Oct.15  UTEP @ Sam Houston

Sept. 6 Liberty @ Jacksonville State  Nov. 15 Middle Tennessee @ WKU

Sept. 20 James Madison @ Liberty     Nov. 22 Sam Houston @ Middle Tennessee

Sept 27 WKU @ Missouri State         Nov. 22   New Mexico @ UTEP

Oct. 3  Delaware @ WKU       Nov 29 WKU @ Jacksonville State

Oct. 8 Missouri State @ Middle Tennessee    Nov 29  Kennesaw State @ Liberty

 

7. Sam Houston- The Bearcats are coached by Phil Longo entering his first year in Huntsville, Texas. Hunter Watson, a senior, returns as quarterback after tossing 12 touchdowns along with nine rushing touchdowns in 2024. Two receivers will be key to success in senior Qua’Vex Humphreys and senior Michael Phoenix, Jr. Transfer Kaleb Black from Arizona State will be ready when needed. Running backs are basically all transfer players with Elijah Green from Indiana and Alton McCaskill from Arizona State.  This team plays home contests at Shell Energy Stadium which seats 20,556 fans. Their opener is on the road at Western Kentucky on August 23rd.

8. FIU-The Panthers play at Pitbull Stadium and it seats 20,000 fans. They will open their season  home on August 28th at home against Bethune Cookman. Head coach is Willie Simmons.Quarterback Keyone Jenkins returns at the quarterback spot after throwing for 4971 yards wuith 33 touchdowns . Keyone also can run and option well and is a leader. Look for Kejon Owens to be a force in his fifth season and the primary ball carrier. The portal losses were substantive for F

 

9. Middle Tennessee – The Blue Raiders wen 3-9 in 2024 and head coach Derek Mason will get a second season with senior Nicholas Vattiato at quarterback. after tossing for 3,092 yards but the team never scored more than 24 points in a game all year. The ground game was a definite weakness last season by ab\veraging a dismal 89 yards per game.  The rushing game will feature sophomore Jekail Middle Brook after he amassed 273 yards on the ground and two touchdowns. the Blue Raiders lost nine players thought the portal and now This team likely should have been lower than 9th in the conference. They open at home against Austin Peay on August 30th and play at Floyd Stadium with 27,303 seats.

10. Missouri State – Ryan Beard enters his third season as the head coach for the Bears. They were 8-4 in 2024.Quarterback Jacob Clark returns after his record setting season last year. He threw for 3,604 yards and 26 touchdowns  and threw only six interceptions. Senior Shomari Lawrence, a transfer from FIU will get the bulk of the carries and wide receiver Imariyae Robinson will get the pass chances to score. They play at Robert W Plaster Stadium which seats 17, 500 fans. They open on August 30th at USC.

11. New Mexico State-Logan Fife has transferred to he Aggies and hopes to get them more than the three wins they got in 2024. The running backs are transfers with Kadarious Callaway and Dijon Stanley. A Central Michigan transfer, Gavin Harris comes in at the tight end spot. Head coach Tony Sanchez enter his second season at Las Cruces and it transfer reliant to old on to his job. The Aggies play at Aggie Memorial Stadium and it seats 28.853 fans. They open their season at home against Bryant on August 30th

12. Kennesaw State- The State Owls won only two games last year. Head coach Jerry Mack is in his first year in Kennesaw GA and he put his team on the back of quarterback senior Dexter Williams II. Tykeem Wallace, senior returns as the only scorer in the roster. Look for the defense to be the strong point. This is a rebuilding type year for Kennesaw State, They play at Fifth Third Stadium with 10,200 seats and open on the road on August 29th at Wake Forest.

 

Check out other conference previews HERE.