Coastal Carolina Football Preview, Best Players, Top Transfers, Season Prediction, Win Total 2024

Coastal Carolina College Football Preview 2024

When you go 31-6 over three seasons, it’s a bit tough to get excited about an eight-win campaign and a bowl victory.

Coastal Carolina has only been in the FBS for seven years. The first three seasons were okay, but they were losing campaigns. And then it all blew up in the strange 2020 season that put the program on the national map.

But head coach Jamey Chadwell took his talents to Liberty, in came Tim Beck, and the overall results were terrific.

The Sun Belt was really, really good in 2023. Just about everyone was bowl-worthy in the dead-even conference, and outside to the 13-point home loss to Georgia State there weren’t and defeats that were screamingly bad.

The Chanticleers didn’t win the Sun Belt title, but they beat Appalachian State on the road, blew out Marshall, held up against Texas State, and went on to win the Hawaii Bowl over a gritty San Jose State squad.

And that might be more of the norm - and don’t take it for granted.

It’s not easy to keep winning seasons and bowl appearances rolling - especially in a dead-even conference like the Sun Belt - but this year’s team should still be more than fine. Beck has a lot of retooling to do, though, especially with the …

Coastal Carolina Football Preview 2024: Offense

- The offense was good, but not quite as dominant as it was under the previous coaching staff. The 360 points were the fewest since 2018, and now the offense has to move on without its superstar.

Grayson McCall is off to NC State, and now the quarterback situation is up for grabs. Ethan Vasko is a talented option who threw for 779 yards and seven scores and a pick and ran for 368 yards in his limited time, but he’ll have to fight off Michigan State transfer Noah Kim. Unfortunately …

- The receiving corps that was so good last year needs an overhaul. The depth is missing, and top guy Sam Pinckney is gone. Second-leading receiver Jared Brown is gone to South Carolina, but Jameson Tucker is back on the outside after averaging over 21 yards per catch and Kyre Duplessis is a decent veteran in the slot. Kendall Karr made 23 catches and five scores - he’ll be among the Sun Belt’s better tight ends.

- The line and style of attack were great at keeping defenses out of the backfield. Three starters are back with a little shuffling going on. Nick Dei Grande is a solid left tackle, Zovon Lindsay will be back on the other side, and Zac Elam is a strong veteran who’ll work somewhere in the interior.

RB CJ Beasley left for Georgia State, but he was the No. 2 running back in the mix. Braydon Bennett didn’t get a ton of work, but he led the team with 407 yards and five scores. New Mexico transfer Christian Washington should help.

Coastal Carolina Football Preview 2024: Defense

- The defense was hit or miss, but for the most part it was good enough for most of the year. At the very least, it was stronger than the 2022 version allowing 104 fewer points.

The front three has to be replaced and the depth isn’t there, but Will Whitson was second on the team in tackles for loss and is a big 285-pound tackler against the run. There’s not a ton of bulk, but 290-pound Allen Henry is a veteran on the nose.

- There has to be more of a pass rush. That doesn’t come from a set are in the 3-3-5 style - the front three has to push into the backfield - but the linebackers make plays. JT Killen is gone from the middle, but Shane Bruce and Braylon Ryan can move on the outside.

- It the secondary isn’t the team’s biggest strength, it’s close. Leading tackler Clayton Isbell is gone from his free safety spot, but Abraham Temoney is a good veteran who should fill in fine, and Tobias Fletcher and Juan Powell should be statistical stars at the other safety spots. The corners - Matthew McDoom and Keonte Lusk - are terrific.

Key To The Coastal Carolina Football Season

Don’t be afraid to run the ball.
With a quarterback like Grayson McCall it was too easy - and prudent - to let him hit the midrange throws and use that like the ground game, but it’s not like the offense abandoned the run.

When the Chanticleers ran for more than 170 yards they went 5-0, and when they ran 35 times or more they went 8-0.

Coastal Carolina Key Player

Mason Shelton, LB Sr.
The quarterback situation is front and center without the main man around, but it’ll be fine. The defense needs more playmakers in the front six with several big losses, and that sort with the 230-pound Shelton taking over on the inside for second-leading tackler JT Killen.

Coastal Carolina Football Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Noah Kim, QB Jr.
The Chanticleers appear to be fine with Ethan Vasko under center, but Kim is a talented Big Ten quarterback who was okay at Michigan State last year before the entire program blew up. At the very least, Kim provides a terrific option in the mix.

Top Transfer Out: Grayson McCall, QB Sr.
You don’t easily replace a three-time Sun Belt Player of the Year with over 10,000 career passing yards. 70% completion rate, 88 touchdown passes, 14 picks, and over 1,100 rushing yards and 18 scores. He’ll be great at NC State.

Coastal Carolina Key Game

at James Madison, Oct. 10
The Sun Belt still has divisions, and winning the East still matters. Coastal Carolina probably can’t do that without beating James Madison, and that’s a problem. The Dukes won 56-14 last year and 47-7 in 2022. For those who didn’t major in math, that’s 103-21 in two games and two losses.

10 Best Coastal Carolina Football Players

1. Matthew McDoom, CB Jr.
2. Nick Del Grande, OT Soph.
3. Ethan Vasko, QB Soph.
4. Juan Powell, S Sr.
5. Kendall Karr, TE Sr.
6. Will Whitson, DE Sr.
7. Jameson Tucker, WR Jr.
8. Tobias Fletcher, S Sr.
9. Braydon Bennett, RB Sr.
10. Kade Hensley, PK Jr.

Coastal Carolina 2023 Fun Stats

- Penalties: Opponents 106 for 951 yards, Coastal Carolina 73 for 749 yards

- Punt Return Average: Opponents 13.11, Coastal Carolina 4.93

- Time of Possession: Coastal Carolina 31:50, Opponents 28:10

Coastal Carolina Football 2024 Win Total Prediction: What to Expect This Season

There’s a ton of work to do replacing several key parts, but the schedule isn’t all that bad - the Chanticleers should be deep in the hunt for a Sun Belt Championship appearance until the end.

But they’ll come up just short.

They’ll still go to a bowl game and will still be dangerous, but going to James Madison, Troy, Marshall, and Georgia State is just too tough, and Appalachian State is a big problem.

Missing Arkansas State, South Alabama, and Texas State from the West helps, but not playing Southern Miss and ULM doesn’t help.

There will be a nice base of sure wins to build off of, but it’ll be tough to push past the eight wins of last year.

Set The Coastal Carolina Win Total At … 6.5

Likely Wins: at Temple, William & Mary

50/50 Games: Appalachian State, Georgia Southern, at Georgia State, at Jacksonville State, Louisiana, at Marshall, Old Dominion, at Temple, at Troy

Likely Losses: at James Madison

2024 Coastal Carolina Football Schedule

Aug 31 at Jacksonville State
Sept 7 William & Mary
Sept 14 at Temple
Sept 21 Virginia
Sept 28 OPEN DATE
Oct 5 Old Dominion
Oct 10 at James Madison
Oct 19 Louisiana
Oct 26 OPEN DATE
Nov 2 at Troy
Nov 7 Appalachian State
Nov 16 at Marshall
Nov 23 Georgia Southern
Nov 30 at Georgia State

Missing: Arkansas State, South Alabama, Southern Miss, Texas State, ULM