After making a run to the Sun Belt Championship in 2023, some believed App State was poised to contend for a conference title in 2024.
But the season was disappointing on several levels for the Mountaineers. They went 5-6 overall, with one game canceled after Hurricane Helene. That was Shawn Clark’s first losing season as the head coach at App State, and it led to him being fired.
Now Dowell Loggains is leading the program. App State hopes things can change for the better in the near future.
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App State Football’s Sun Belt Title Betting Odds
App State’s odds to win the Sun Belt are +1600, via BetMGM. The team’s odds of winning the Sun Belt East are +900.
The Mountaineers’ betting odds of making the College Football Playoff are +3500.
App State Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
App State’s win total Over/Under is 5.5, with Under 5.5 at +140 and Over 5.5 at -165.
App State Football’s 2025 Schedule
Aug. 29 vs. Charlotte (Bank of America Stadium)
Sept. 6 vs. Lindenwood
Sept. 13 @ Southern Miss
Sept. 27 @ Boise State
Oct. 4 vs. Oregon State
Oct. 11 @ Georgia State
Oct. 18 vs. Coastal Carolina
Oct. 25 @ Old Dominion
Nov. 6 vs. Georgia Southern
Nov. 15 @ James Madison
Nov. 22 vs. Marshall
Nov. 29 vs. Arkansas State
Dec. 5 Sun Belt Championship
Bold indicates Sun Belt contests
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App State Football Aiming To Bounce Back
If App State is going to get back to a bowl game, the Mountaineers will need a strong season from their next quarterback.
Joey Aguilar, one of the top QBs in the Sun Belt the past few years, was recently named the starter at Tennessee. The Mountaineers added a few signal callers through the transfer portal.
LSU transfer AJ Swann and Iowa State transfer JJ Kohl are among the frontrunners to take over at quarterback for App State. Swann played in two games for LSU last year but started 12 of 15 contests at Vanderbilt during the two seasons prior, passing for 2,731 yards, 22 touchdowns, and nine interceptions during that time. Kohl played in four games the past two years at Iowa State, completing 13 of 16 passes for 23 yards while rushing for 54 yards during that span.
Some of App State’s best playmakers, like Ahmani Marshall and Kaedin Robinson, have also moved on.
Running back Kanye Roberts is back and was second on the team last year with 332 rushing yards while scoring one touchdown on the ground. Dalton Stroman is the team’s leading returning receiver, as he totaled 307 yards and tied for a team best with five touchdowns through the air while catching 20 passes.
Up front, Jayden Ramsey and Griffin Scroggs return after starting a combined 12 games at right guard and left guard, respectively.
App State returns a good amount of experience on defense. Most of that experience is in the secondary.
Defensive back DJ Burks is back after ranking second on the team with 58 tackles while adding three tackles for loss. Fellow DBs Jordan Favors (39 tackles, one TFL, one interception, four pass breakups, and one forced fumble in 2024), Ethan Johnson (25 tackles, three pass breakups, and one forced fumble), and Zyeir Gamble (24 tackles, one interception, and one pass breakup) are back as well.
In the front seven, linebacker Kyle Arnholt returns after recording the third-most tackles on the team with 55 with 1.5 tackles for loss. Defensive lineman Thomas Davis is back as well after recording 36 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, three sacks, and one fumble recovery.
App State had the No. 5 transfer class in the Sun Belt in 247Sports’ rankings. Following the coaching change, and after losing all nine of their all-conference performers from last year, the Mountaineers will be depending on those newcomers to help them win games this year.
App State Football Season Prediction
I predict App State won’t win the Sun Belt but will go Over 5.5 wins during the regular season.
I know last year didn’t go as Mountaineer fans hoped. I also know it can take some time for programs to find their footing following coaching changes.
But I think new head coach Dowell Loggains can help this team get to .500, even if the Sun Belt is a difficult G5 league to play in.
I don’t know if App State will get the victory against Charlotte to start the season, or if the Mountaineers will have more than one win after five games for that matter. Southern Miss and Boise State on the road and then Oregon State at home will be a difficult stretch.
But from there, after this new team has jelled, I could see App State rattling off some wins. During their last seven games of the regular season, James Madison is the only game I would count as a clear loss for App State. There’s six winnable contests during that span, and it’ll be up to Loggains and the rest of App State to coalesce by then.
But I think it’s possible, and I think we see App State in a bowl game this season.
