Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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Ten Must-Watch Non-Conference FCS Games in 2026
College football is four months away and the schedules for most teams are all but set in stone. This year the FCS will again feature some notable non-conference games that will very likely determine the fates of several of its squads when the dust settles. It’s been seen several times before that early-season results can… […]
2026 NFL Draft: American Conference prospects to watch
For the fourth-straight year, the American Conference did not produce a first-round NFL Draft selection. Although that streak remains in tact, the conference remains rich in talent for the six remaining rounds, similar to previous years. In 2025, the American generated six draft picks with East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. and Tulane cornerback Caleb […]
UCF DE Malachi Lawrence selected 23rd overall by Dallas Cowboys at 2026 NFL Draft
For the first time since 2018, a UCF Knight is off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft. With the 23rd pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence was the fifth Big 12 player and fourth defensive end to hear his name called on the stage in Pittsburgh […]
2026 NFL Draft: Sun Belt prospects to watch
It’s NFL Draft day. 257 players will watch their NFL dreams come to fruition from Thursday night through Saturday evening in Pittsburgh, PA, forever remembering the moment their name is called on stage. How many of those 257 will hail from the Sun Belt Conference? In 2025, the answer was one — the league’s smallest […]
North Texas loses 2027 home game vs. Texas Tech, adds road trip at TCU
Last October, a never-before-seen atmosphere was observed at North Texas. For a Friday night contest against a ranked South Florida squad, a record 31,386 spectators flocked into DATCU Stadium to make Denton, TX the capital of the college football universe for one night. A similar atmosphere was potentially on the horizon in 2027 as reigning […]
Shadre Hurst eager to paint final chapter at Houston
A canvas and assortment of paintbrushes inhabit Shadre Hurst’s residence. It’s a hobby the offensive guard enjoys when he’s not sealing a defender or dropping back into pass protection. Hurst spent his four previous years of college in New Orleans, and as he shifts westward on the bayou from Tulane to a new setting in […]
FCS Throwbacks: McNair Dazzles in Final Home Game
The dominoes in college football often fall in peculiar ways, leading to unexpected stories. Such was the case for the ultra talented Steve McNair in 1991. A star in a variety of sports at Mount Olive High School in Mississippi, McNair made himself a sought after recruit in not only the college football ranks but […]
2026 NFL Draft: Conference USA prospects to watch
Conference USA is flying under the radar this draft season. It was one of two FBS conferences, along with the two-team Pac-12, to generate zero selections to the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. And with the transfer portal and conference realignment impacting the conference, the CUSA is witnessing a decline in draft selections. From 2016 […]
Rice Owls 2026 Spring Football Notebook
The Rice Owls were one of the more recent college football teams to take the field, participating in the Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl vs. Texas State. Despite the bitter 41-10 result in Fort Worth, the bowl appearance was a stellar result for Rice in year one of the Scott Abell era. The first-year head […]
Jacurri Brown aims to be perfect QB fit for Rice’s option scheme
When the Rice Owls launched a coaching search in the fall of 2024, one of the objectives of the search involved implementing a unique, signature brand of football in the American Conference. Scott Abell provided that, installing his Rice gun choice scheme — a spread option attack which inflicted plenty of damage for Davidson at […]
Fair or Not Montana’s Bobby Kennedy Has the Toughest FCS Job in 2026
Some of the biggest offseason news in the FCS this winter was the sudden… or seemingly sudden… departure of former Montana head coach Bobby Hacuk back in February. Hauck, who had coached the Grizzlies for 18 seasons over two different stints… decided to call it a career, at least in terms of head coaching. A […]
Houston Cougars 2026 NFL Draft Prospect Report
The Houston Cougars are fresh off a breakthrough 10-3 season under Willie Fritz. And when the wins start rolling in, that often correlates with NFL Draft success. Last year, Houston finished without a drafted player for the first time since 2015 (although first round selection Matthew Golden originally attended Houston before transferring to Texas). This […]
10 FCS Prospects to Watch Ahead of the NFL Draft
The 2026 NFL Draft is just a few weeks away and there will be several hundred players from around the country hoping to get their names called in Pittsburgh. Several of those players will be looking to make the extra big jump from FCS to the pros. Last season the subdivision sent eight of its […]
Why West Georgia Could be an FCS Sleeper in 2026
It is no secret that Georgia is one of football’s hotbeds. From recruiting to storied programs, the state has churned out some of the sport’s most iconic names and teams throughout the years. When you think of Georgia football, though, you almost certainly think of the heavy hitters. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. The Yellow […]
Running back? Receiver? Eli Heidenreich is Navy’s most unique prospect yet
There is no position lonelier than a wide receiver in a service academy offense. There are many years in the not too distant past where the leading receiver at Army, Navy, or Air Force fails to attain the 250-yard threshold in an entire season. And then there’s Eli Heidenreich, a born and raised Pittsburgher who […]
Moonshine Throwdown is back: WKU and Marshall schedule 2031, 2032 games
An old Conference USA rivalry with plenty of lore and signature moments returns to the light. The “Moonshine Throwdown” was a victim of conference realignment, but the rivalry will now be renewed in a non-conference setting. On Monday, Mar. 30, Marshall and Western Kentucky announced a home-and-home series for 2031 and 2032. The first meeting […]
FIU, Pitbull remain committed to partnership despite skepticism
The rapper Armando Christian Pérez, colloquially known as “Pitbull” once famously uttered the words, “Me not working hard? Yeah right picture that with a Kodak.” And the Kodaks were out in full force last week, as Pitbull’s partnership with Florida International University’s football team was brought into public questioning. On March 25, David Covucci, the […]
Every Former FCS Player on 2026 UFL Rosters
The UFL season will get underway on Friday when with eight teams vying for the league’s third-ever championship that will take play in June. The eight squads have compiled their rosters, all of which feature an abundance of former FCS players from around the country. Here’s who will be playing where this Spring: Birmingham Stallions […]
Is the FCS Championship Montana State’s to Lose?
Last year Montana State took home its first FCS national title in over four decades in one of the more dramatic football games you’ll ever see. A gutsy 35-34 overtime victory against Illinois State vaulted the Bobcats to the mountain top and now they enter the 2026 season as the odds on favorites to do […]
Four Games that will Decide the Missouri Valley in 2026
The big news of the FCS offseason has been the departure of North Dakota State to the FBS. With the Bison gone, the Missouri Valley Conference title race became the most intriguing one practically overnight. Gone are the days of the green and gold dominating the league and, naturally, the question of who will step […]
Prairie View A&M Looks to Build on Terrific 2025 Season
It didn’t take long for folks in Prairie View to realize that the Tremaine Jackson hire was a home run for their football team. In fact, it took less than a year. Jackson, who came in after leading Division II’s Valdosta State to the national championship game just one season prior, took a Panthers team […]
Tim Pernetti remains American commissioner after NFLPA interest
The Wolf of Wall Street clip where Leonardo DiCaprio’s character Jordan Belfort announces he is not leaving has become commonplace in the sports world. Travis Kelce used it to confirm his return for the 2025 NFL season. Giannis Antetokounmpo used it last month to affirm is loyalty to the Milwaukee Bucks. And now American Conference […]
Sun Belt 2026 schedule release: Dates, notes, and trivia
On Friday, Mar. 13, the Sun Belt became the penultimate FBS conference to unveil its 2026 football schedule. The 2026 Sun Belt schedule features 14 teams, although one notable change has been made since 2025. Texas State fled to the Pac-12 and that vacancy is to be filled by Louisiana Tech no later than July […]
FCS Throwbacks: Kupp Leads EWU in Gallant Effort vs. Oregon
There aren’t many people out there these days who don’t know about Cooper Kupp. The Los Angeles Rams star turned Seattle Seahawk in a two-time Super Bowl champion and just wrapped up his ninth season in what has been an illustrious NFL career. He has made himself a household name for those who are any […]
CUSA and Sun Belt begin custody battle over Louisiana Tech
The Louisiana Tech Bulldogs are currently scheduled to play 20 American football games next year from Sept. 5 through Nov. 28. Twenty. This won’t be the case when schedules are finalized, but Louisiana Tech finds itself in a heated custody battle between the Conference USA and Sun Belt. The Bulldogs have belonged to the CUSA […]
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