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If improvement is wanted commitment is needed

I may be stepping off in it here, but what I'm about to say I believe to be true.

If the fan base wants to see success in athletics, and want to see the program as a whole rise to a different level, it is going to take a commitment from everyone.

It is going to take a financial commitment from boosters, donors, and fans to provide funding for the betterment of the athletic department.

It is going to take a commitment from administration to utilize that support to bring the best available coaches and resources into the program.

It is going to take everyone.

All too often I see people demanding change and improvements while they are saying they are holding back support until they get what they want. I can't buy into that. It isn't going to work that way.

If we want to see improvement it is going to take commitment.

A-State Football A major issue that MUST be addressed if football is going to be successful

There is a lot of discussion ongoing about what needs to be done for Arkansas State to have success in football. There are several things that have to be done, but one is a glaring issue.

NIL money.

I’ve done some research this week and have learned that most of the successful SBC schools have $1-$1.5 million in the NIL collective.

It is my understanding that Arkansas State does not.

The days of college football as we know it are over with. This is no semi-pro ball and solid players have to be bought.

It doesn’t matter who the coach is or isn’t, Red Wolf Nation is going to have to step up and start raising money for the collective here.

Donations can be made at: https://impacktclub.com/

SUN BELT BOASTS 14 PERCENT INCREASE IN REPRESENTATION ON NFL ROSTERS ENTERING 2023 SEASON

NEW ORLEANS — Alumni of Sun Belt football programs are well-represented on National Football League (NFL) rosters entering the 2023 season. With 87 Sun Belt alumni earning roster spots, the league boasts a 14 percent increase in representation over the 2022 campaign.

Forty-eight will don NFL uniforms during the league’s opening weekend as part of their team’s 53-man active roster—also an increase over Week 1 a year ago.

Each of the Sun Belt’s conference-record nine 2023 NFL Draft picks made an NFL team, with six on active rosters, two on injured reserve lists and one on a practice squad.

Every Sun Belt program is represented by multiple former standouts on NFL rosters—led by 13 from App State. Three other teams—Louisiana (10), Old Dominion (10) and Southern Miss (10)—claim double-digit representation.

The Mountaineers and Ragin’ Cajuns also lead the way with seven alums on active rosters, where they are followed closely by Georgia Southern (6), Old Dominion (6) and Southern Miss (6).

Twenty-four Sun Belt alums will open the 2023 season on their respective team’s 16-man practice squad. Fifteen will begin the campaign on injured or other reserve lists.

Sun Belt alumni dot 28-of-32 NFL rosters, including multiple former standouts on 26 teams. Three teams—the Atlanta Falcons (6), Denver Broncos (5) and New Orleans Saints (5)—claim five-or-more Sun Belt alumni on their rosters.

The 2023 NFL regular season commences on Thursday, Sept. 7, when the Detroit Lions visit the reigning Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. Two Sun Belt alumni—Jerick McKinnon out of Georgia Southern and Nazeeh Johnson out of Marshall—earned rings with the Chiefs in Super Bowl LVII and remain with Kansas City heading into the 2023 campaign.

Demario Davis of the New Orleans Saints via Arkansas State and Jeremy Reaves of the Washington Commanders via South Alabama represented the Sun Belt in the 2023 Pro Bowl Games. Both Davis—Second Team All-Pro linebacker—and Reaves—First Team All-Pro special teamer—were named to the AP All-Pro teams following the 2022 season. Davis was also a First Team All-Pro pick in 2019 and a Second Team All-Pro honoree in 2020 and 2021.

The Sun Belt has been represented in each of the past five Super Bowls and had an alumnus on all 14 playoff rosters a year ago.

App State
Akeem Davis-Gaither – LB, Cincinnati Bengals
* Darrynton Evans – RB, Miami Dolphins
Nick Hampton – LB, Los Angeles Rams
* Tae Hayes – CB, Baltimore Ravens
^ Cooper Hodges – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars
D’Marco Jackson – LB, New Orleans Saints
* Shemar Jean-Charles – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Shaun Jolly – DB, Los Angeles Rams
Kendall Lamm – OL, Miami Dolphins
Sam Martin – P, Buffalo Bills
Ryan Neuzil – OL, Atlanta Falcons
* Henry Pearson – FB, Green Bay Packers
^ Jalen Virgil – WR, Denver Broncos

Arkansas State
Demario Davis – LB, New Orleans Saints
Blake Grupe – K, New Orleans Saints
^ Forrest Merrill – DL, Denver Broncos
Kirk Merritt – WR, New Orleans Saints

Coastal Carolina
* Lance Boykin – CB, Seattle Seahawks
* C.J. Brewer – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Jerrod Clark – DL, Los Angeles Chargers
* Jeff Gunter – DL, Cincinnati Bengals
* Tarron Jackson – DL, Philadelphia Eagles
Isaiah Likely – TE, Baltimore Ravens

Georgia Southern
Darrell Baker Jr. – CB, Indianapolis Colts
Tyler Bass – K, Buffalo Bills
Matt Breida – RB, New York Giants
* Raymond Johnson III – DL, Detroit Lions
Younghoe Koo – K, Atlanta Falcons
Jerick McKinnon – RB, Kansas City Chiefs
Najee Thompson – CB, Minnesota Vikings

Georgia State
^ Penny Hart – WR, Atlanta Falcons
Wil Lutz – K, Denver Broncos
Chandon Sullivan – CB, Pittsburgh Steelers
* Quavian White – CB, Arizona Cardinals

James Madison
* Ben DiNucci – QB, Denver Broncos
Mike Greene – DL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
* Dean Marlowe – S, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Jimmy Moreland – CB, New York Jets
Aaron Stinnie – OL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers
^ Josh Wells – OL, Jacksonville Jaguars

Louisiana
Percy Butler – S, Washington Commanders
Kevin Dotson – OL, Los Angeles Rams
* Eric Garror – DB, Tennessee Titans
Robert Hunt – OL, Miami Dolphins
Andre Jones Jr. – DL, Washington Commanders
* Johnny Lumpkin – TE, Indianapolis Colts
Elijah Mitchell – RB, San Francisco 49ers
Max Mitchell – OL, New York Jets
^ John Stephens Jr. – WR, Dallas Cowboys
Tracy Walker III – S, Detroit Lions

ULM
* Derrick Gore – RB, Washington Football Team
* Josh Pederson – TE, Jacksonville Jaguars

Marshall
^ Josh Ball – OL, Dallas Cowboys
^ Abraham Beauplan – LB, Minnesota Vikings
Steven Gilmore – CB, Detroit Lions
Neville Hewitt – LB, Houston Texans
^ Nazeeh Johnson – S, Kansas City Chiefs

Old Dominion
^ Broughton Hatcher – LS, Green Bay Packers
Tre Hawkins III – CB, New York Giants
* Marcus Haynes – LB, Denver Broncos
Taylor Heinicke – QB, Atlanta Falcons
* Zack Kuntz – TE, New York Jets
Rick Lovato – LS, Philadelphia Eagles
Zach Pascal – WR, Arizona Cardinals
Nick Saldiveri – OL, New Orleans Saints
Stone Smartt – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
* Oshane Ximines – LB, New York Giants

South Alabama
Gerald Everett – TE, Los Angeles Chargers
^ Darrell Luter Jr. – CB, San Francisco 49ers
Jeremy Reaves – S, Washington Commanders
Jalen Tolbert – WR, Dallas Cowboys
* Corliss Waitman – P, New England Patriots

Southern Miss
^ Cornell Armstrong – CB, Atlanta Falcons
* Natrone Brooks – CB, Atlanta Falcons
Jason Brownlee – WR, New York Jets
* TyKeem Doss – OL, Baltimore Ravens
Tim Jones – WR, Jacksonville Jaguars
^ Tarvarius Moore – S, Green Bay Packers
Nick Mullens – QB, Minnesota Vikings
Rakeem Nunez-Roches – DL, New York Giants
Eric Scott Jr. – CB, Dallas Cowboys
Quez Watkins – WR, Philadelphia Eagles

Texas State
* Levi Bell – DL, Seattle Seahawks
Aaron Brewer – OL, Tennessee Titans
David Mayo – LB, Washington Commanders

Troy
Jake Andrews – OL, New England Patriots
^ Shakel Brown – DL, Tennessee Titans

* Practice Squad
^ Injured & Other Reserve

Memphis Week

IT IS MEMPHIS WEEK!!

I have to admit, I was frustrated yesterday like a lot of others were. I didn’t expect a win by any means, but I thought there would be a better showing. Maybe I bought into hope instead of looking at the reality of the team they were facing in Oklahoma.

This week is the week I believe we should truly judge this team by. Memphis is a peer university that is going to be talented, but they are beatable.

They say the best improvements are made between game one and game two, so I’ll be looking to see what kind of things they improve on this week.

If you have tickets, show up and support the men on the team. They represent Arkansas State University.

Tough day.

Here’s my take for what it’s worth. We played a very good top 25 team. A team that should end up top 10 and in the hunt for playoffs possibly. We are the 3rd youngest team in America and we played like it. Showed flashes of very good football. I felt like our. Defense did well tackling. We didn’t allow a sack all day until second team offense was in the game. Against a Brent Venables defense non the less!!! I don’t feel like today was a great measuring stick. I don’t think the sky is falling. I think next week will be the measuring stick. Even with 2 of the best recruiting classes in the belt they are super young and need time to gel and mature. Again just my 2 cents.
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