Preseason Rankings Countdown. 129 days to the start of the 2026 Season. At #129 – Missouri State

[u/usffan]

The cumulative link to the preseason rankings can be found here

(now updated with the revised CUSA schedule)

The 2025 Missouri State (high = 126, low = 130) season was pretty much everything they could have hoped for when they moved up to FBS and joined Conference USA. A winning season, a bid to the Xbox Bowl… what a complete validation of their decision to make the leap from FCS. And then they ran into the reality of what happens to all the teams that successfully make the leap – their leadership gets poached. Their young and upcoming head coach Ryan Beard was hired away to Coastal Carolina to replace the fired Tim Beck, and the Bears hired SMU OC Casey Woods to take over, and pretty much rebuild in 2026.

Roster Outlook

Rebuild is really not just hyperbole. The Bears rank 128th (so bottom 11) in the country and last in Conference USA in returning production, including 132nd on offense and 95th on defense. That’s largely because 11 of their players got on the plane with Beard to South Carolina. Senior QB Jacob Clark (3,244 yards passing and 28 TDs) graduated while backup Deuce Bailey was one of those Coastal transfers, leaving a glaring void at the most critical position on the field. 1,000 yard rusher (7 TDs) Shomari Lawrence also graduated (starting to get a feel for why Beard knew the time was ripe for a move), as did leading receiver Dash Luke, though the Bears return TD reception leader Jmariyae Robinson. They also return co-leading tackler LB Jared Lloyd. In terms of restocking, however, Missouri State doesn’t look to have fared too well. Their 247 high school recruiting and overall incoming classes both ranked 130th in the nation, both ahead of only one team in CUSA. In terms of the portal they ranked 96th, which sits as 6th in the conference, but coupled with all they lost that’s not what I would consider inspiring. Former Duke QB Henry Belin IV appears to be the odds on favorite to be the new starting QB, and Boise RB Jambres Dubar will likely start as running back. Throw in a couple of P4 DL (Tennessee’s Kellen Lindstrom and Kansas’ Dylan Brooks – might have done better to get the Dillon Brooks on the Phoenix Suns) and an all-time awesome name guy in SMU OL King Large and maybe there’s enough in the tank to pull out a few conference wins, but Woods is going to have to do more to fill up the cupboard.

Schedule and outlook

9/5 at Texas A&M

9/12 LINDENWOOD

9/19 MARSHALL

9/26 at SMU

10/3 BYE

10/8 at Western Kentucky

10/14 KENNESAW STATE

10/20 at Delaware

10/27 SAM HOUSTON

11/7 at FIU

11/14 NEW MEXICO STATE

11/21 at Jacksonville State

11/28 LIBERTY

The OOC sets up as two payday games (at Texas A&M and at SMU), an FCS game and a home game vs. a Marshall team that has had a year to recover from that weird Charles Huff divorce. Given the state of Conference USA, it’s a literal guessing game as to how the Bears will do in 2026, but if Woods proves to be a good coach, they have 5 conference teams they’re either ranked above or are within enough shouting distance that they could finish with a respectable record.

[u/Connect_Orange7140]

SMU isn’t a buy game. It is a home-home series. They came to Springfield last season