Arkansas State head coach Butch Jones led the Red Wolves to their most wins since 2019 and made a bowl game for the second year in a row last season, earning himself a contract extension that should keep him in Jonesboro until 2029.
The Red Wolves went 8-5 last season, securing what was also their first winning season since 2019. They beat Bowling Green in the 68 Ventures Bowl, and finished No. 3 in the Sun Belt Conference’s West Division. Their win total has improved every year since Jones took over in 2021.
With one of the Sun Belt’s most experienced and productive quarterbacks throwing to a deep group of receivers, Arkansas State is hoping to ride a high-powered offense to another bowl game, and maybe even a shot at the conference title.
Arkansas State Football’s Sun Belt Title Betting Odds
Arkansas State’s odds to win the Sun Belt are +300, via BetMGM.
Arkansas State Football’s Betting Odds & Over/Under Win Total
- Arkansas State’s win total Over/Under is 5.5.
- Under 5.5 is at -160.
- Over 5.5 is at +135.
Arkansas State Football’s 2025 Schedule
8/30 vs. Southeast Missouri
9/6 @ Arkansas
9/13 vs. Iowa State
9/20 @ Kennesaw State
9/27 @ ULM
10/4 vs. Texas State
10/14 @ South Alabama
10/25 vs. Georgia Southern
11/1 @ Troy
11/8 vs. Southern Miss
11/20 vs. Louisiana
11/29 @ Appalachian State
Bold indicates Sun Belt contests
Key Arkansas State Football Returners
2024 All-Sun Belt Conference 2nd Team
WR Corey Rucker
3rd Team
DE Bryan Whitehead
K Clune Van Andel
Arkansas State Football 2025 Preview
A lot of new faces on defense will have to come together quickly, but Arkansas State’s offense has the potential to be one of the most improved units in the Sun Belt this season.
Jaylen Raynor Is Back As Arkansas State’s Quarterback
There’s no quarterback controversy in Jonesboro. Jaylen Raynor is back for his third season as the starter, and he’s ready to build on a career year.
Raynor posted a career-high 2,783 passing yards and threw 16 touchdowns last season. He made his first career start four games into the 2023 season, finished with 2,543 yards and 17 touchdown passes and was named Sun Belt Freshman of the Year.
He isn’t the biggest guy – checking in at 6-foot and 201 pounds – but Raynor is a dual-threat quarterback. He has run for 767 yards and eight touchdowns the past two seasons.
Corey Rucker Leads Arkansas State’s Talented Group Of Wide Receivers
Redshirt senior Corey Rucker is already one of the most prolific wide receivers in Arkansas State history. He enters the season with the most career receiving yards (3,037) in program history and ranks No. 2 in career touchdown catches (23) and career receptions (180).
Rucker has been the Red Wolves leading receiver in each of the past three seasons, and he posted career highs last fall in receptions (69) and receiving yards (1,053). He also led the team with seven touchdown catches last fall.
He’ll be joined this year by a pair of transfers in JJ Harrell (Mississippi State) and Nana Burris (Stetson/FIU). Harrell, a redshirt freshman, was a consensus four-star recruit coming out of high school. Burris, a fifth-year senior, enters the season with 1,499 career receiving yards and nine touchdown catches.
Running back Ja’Quez Cross should also play a big role in the passing game again this year. He caught 35 passes for 228 yards and was the team’s second-leading rusher with 638 yards last season.
Arkansas State’s Defense Is In Rebuild Mode
Safety Trevion Thomas racked up 79 tackles and a team-high five interceptions last season, but he’s one of many defensive starters the Red Wolves have to replace this year.
The coaches turned to the transfer portal to fill a lot of those holes. Most of the team’s 21 transfers play on defense, including six in the secondary.
That group is led by former Utah State cornerback Avante Dickerson, who played in 20 games for the Aggies the past two seasons. He was a four-star recruit coming out of high school and began his college career at Oregon.
Arkansas State also added former Marshall safety AG Mghee, who started all 13 games for the Thundering Herd last year and finished with 54 tackles.
Michigan State transfer Aaron Alexander should step in as one of the team’s top linebackers. The defensive front is led by defensive end Bryan Whitehead, who earned all-conference honors last season after leading the team with 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks.
Arkansas State Football Season Prediction
I don’t predict Arkansas State will win the Sun Belt Championship, but I do think they will win more than 5.5 games.
Raynor, Rucker, and the Red Wolves are going to be hard to stop in the passing game, and Cross showed his versatility last year. If the offensive line and defense can step up, the Red Wolves could give Texas State a run for its money in the Sun Belt West.
The Sun Belt is a tough conference to make it through unscathed, but Arkansas State doesn’t play James Madison, and I think it has a chance to go 3-1 in non-conference play, including a potential upset of in-state foe Arkansas. The rest of the Red Wolves’ non-conference schedule includes Iowa State, Kennesaw State, and Southeast Missouri.
