Spring football practice is in session or on the cusp across the country, and the American is no exception. The conference will not experience any change in terms of its makeup heading into 2026, though there is plenty to discuss regarding coaching and personnel changes as spring kicks off. Many new faces will grace some of the biggest teams with the league, and it's worth keeping an eye on the college football news and college football depth charts as they roll in.
American Athletic Conference Spring Football Storylines
Arguably the best of the non-power conferences, the AAC has lost some of its talent to power conference schools, graduation and more. Let's dive into the teams and their biggest storylines for spring ball.
Army Black Knights Spring Preview
Finding backfield complement to Hellums
After duking it out early in the season with DeWayne Coleman, Cale Hellums emerged as the starter for the Black Knights and finished the season with a strong effort, compiling 304 carries for 1,223 yards and 18 touchdowns on the ground while throwing for 684 yards and a 4:3 TD:INT ratio.
The problem: There wasn't a true weapon alongside him like Kanye Udoh was for Bryson Daily in 2024. Udoh was seemingly a rare talent to come through West Point, landing at Arizona State via the transfer portal last season. Nobody who lined up behind -- or beside, as triple-option offenses go -- Hellums managed more than 95 carries (Noah Short) in 2025. Short is gone, as is Hayden Reed, the two biggest weapons from the backfield last season.
So, who are we looking at this spring?
Well, Carson Smith (55 carries), Jake Rendina (40 carries) and Brigs Bartosh (44 carries over seven games before injury) returnthe most production among Army's backfield options from 2025, and freshman Godpower Nwawuihe is also a name to watch after going off for 171 yards and two touchdowns on 12 carries in the Black Knights' bowl game. However, that group posted a combined one catch last season, while Short handled 32 himself. One player to watch on that front is Samari Howard, who finished with 13 carries and 11 catches in 2025.
I'm not anticipating a back to claim an Udoh-like role in this offense in 2026, but it will be worth monitoring how reps are divvied up in the backfield this spring and fall.
Charlotte 49ers Spring Preview
Transfers slated for impact
The 49ers struggled to put up points consistently in 2025, ranking 133rd nationally (out of 136 FBS teams) with just 14.3 points per contest.
As a result, there was little to get excited about on the fantasy front in this offense. While the quarterback position will largely be unchanged with Conner Harrell and Gayson Loftis, that isn't true at the other positions.
Sean Brown
The staff attacked those spots in the portal this offseason, adding Jaden Barnes from Appalachian State and Cam Pedro from Southeast Missouri State and Tank Boston to the fold at wideout and Chance Williams and Kahamani Alexander to join Jariel Cobb in the backfield.
Needless to say, Charlotte will need some of these new pieces to contribute to take a step forward on offense, so it's worth keeping an eye out for any buzz this spring.
East Carolina Pirates Spring Preview
Reloading via portal after key departures
East Carolina experienced some success in 2025, and with it, the transfers come. Signal-caller Katin Houser elected to transfer to Illinois this offseason, London Montgomery transferred to Florida, and Yannick Smith headed to SMU. On top of that, Anthony Smith and Marlon Gunn have graduated, leaving the Pirates without the majority of their production from last season.
Out with the old, in with the new, it seems. Emory Williams (Miami) and Mitch Griffis (Texas Tech/Wake Forest) join the QB room with some Power Five experience in tow. Meanwhile, Ashton Gray (North Texas) and Michael Allen (Marshall/UNLV/NC State) come in after each racking up more than 50 carries at their respective schools last season. Brock Spalding and Jaquaize Pettaway headline the returners at wide receiver, but the Pirates still added Landon Sides (North Texas) and Ray Ray Joseph (Miami), Ja'Keith Hamilton (Furman), and Jeremiah Melvin (Wake Forest) to bolster what was a productive offense in 2025.
Needless to say, transfers figure to play major roles on offense in 2026.
Florida Atlantic Owls Spring Preview
Backfield clears for Shields-Dutton
FAU plays fast, leading the FBS with 78.2 plays per game on offense during the 2025 campaign. While the team also led FBS with a 62.0 pass play percentage, it's worth noting that the uptempo offense led to a combined 243 rush attempts among the top three running backs in Gemari Sands (105), Kaden Shields-Dutton (84), and Xavier Terrell (54).
Well, Sands is off to Florida State, and Terrell has elected to move down a level to play at FCS Northern Iowa. Thus, the backfield is there for the taking for Shields-Dutton, who served as one of the two primary options down the stretch alongside Sands.
The uptempo play likely means there will be some backfield substitutions, but the question becomes how much of the workload in 2026 lands on Shields-Dutton's shoulders. He was the clear top option near the goal line last season, racking up six rushing TDs to a combined one from Sands and Terrell, and he could have a fantasy-relevant season on deck if he can absorb enough of the totes. Figuring out if there are viable options behind him is something worth keeping an eye on this spring.
Memphis Tigers Spring Preview
Who replaces Lewis under center?
Brendon Lewis was productive in his lone season with the Tigers, throwing for 2,673 yards and 16 touchdowns (seven interceptions) while adding 152 totes for 664 yards and nine touchdowns as a runner, while playing banged up for part of the season.
He's out of the quarterback picture heading into 2026, and there's seemingly a clear pair set to duke it out for the starting gig.
The experienced quarterback joining the fold is Marcus Stokes, a transfer from D-II West Florida, where he racked up 3,297 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns and 10 rushing scores, who lost an offer to Florida due to off-field issues. Challenging him will be Air Noland, a former four-star recruit with stops at Ohio State and South Carolina under his belt. He has just three pass attempts to his credit through two collegiate campaigns, but he should receive an opportunity to vie for the starting job.
Memphis typically runs out one of the better G5 rosters, so this is certainly a situation worth monitoring.
Navy Midshipmen Spring Preview
Life after Horvath
Horvath has been a staple under center for the Midshipmen the last pair of seasons, throwing for a combined 25 touchdowns and rushing for another 33, surpassing 1,200 rushing yards in each of the campaigns.
Now, it' s Braxton Woodson's time to shine under center for Navy after waiting his turn. Woodson saw some action in each of the last three campaigns, rushing for 414 yards and six touchdowns over seven appearances last year.
It will be worth keeping an eye on how the senior is taking to the starting job this spring and into the fall. He's certainly displayed some ability in limited action, but he hasn't held a full-time starting job to date.
North Texas Mean Green Spring Preview
New head coach and scheme incoming
The Mean Green put together an impressive 2025 campaign, finishing the year with a 12-2 record, falling short of a potential CFP berth with a loss to Tulane in the AAC Championship Game. On top of that, head coach Eric Mooris accepted a job at Oklahoma State, taking a hefty chunk of the contributors from last season with him.
In comes Neal Brown, who led West Virginia prior to a one-year stop at Texas last year. The Mountaineers weren't quite as uptempo nor as pass-heavy under Brown as the Mean Green were a season ago, but it remains to be seen how a one-year stop in Austin could impress on Brown's philosophy.
There is plenty of talent still on this roster, with Tayven Jackson joining from UCF and Jahiem White, who was recruited by Brown out of high school, coming over from Morgantown.
It will be worth monitoring how things play out in camp, but it's worth noting that there will likely be a shift in the fantasy production again this spring.
Rice Owls Spring Practice Preview
What can Brown do for Rice?
Like most teams in the conference, there is significant turnover for the Owls, but the most notable omission from the 2026 offensive skill group is likely Chase Jenkins, the team's leader under center. Four total quarterbacks saw some action under center during 2025, but only Lucas Scheerhorn and Patrick Crayton return. Both struggled in their action last season.
Enter Jacurri Brown, who boasts limited action through four collegiate seasons, but he's proven to be a weapon as a runner, averaging 7.6 yards per attempt and 8.9 yards per attempt on the ground in his last two seasons at UCF. Before UCF, he spent two seasons at Miami, where he also saw some action under center.
Brown figures to be the heavy favorite to inherit the starting duties under center from Jenkins in an offense that emphasizes the run game from the quarterback position. It will be worth monitoring to ensure Brown is taking command of that spot, but he's a promising fantasy asset in that landscape if he claims the job.
USF Bulls Spring Preview
Big shoes to fill under center
Gone from USF is one of the program's more prolific fantasy quarterbacks, Byrum Brown. While he had a tough season in 2024 due to injury, Brown bounced back from a down year to post the best of his career in 2025, racking up 3,158 passing yards and a 26:7 TD:INT ratio and 175 carries for 1,008 yards and 14 rushing scores.
As these things go, NIL called, and he's moved on to Auburn to play out the remainder of his career, leaving a massive void atop the depth chart.
Temple Owls Spring Preview
Replacing the backfield Seniors
Despite a rough ending to the season that saw the Owls lose four straight to miss out on bowl eligibility, the team received some surprising production under center from Evan Simon, who threw for 2,097 yards and a 25:2 TD:INT ratio. Less surprising was Jay Ducker's production, racking up 157 carries for 809 yards and seven scores on the ground and adding 23 catches for 105 yards and a pair of scores as a receiver.
Both of the pair are gone, and there is some uncertainty about who will claim the job at each position. Hunter Smith may be the most likely candidate to claim the lead role at running back after handling 62 totes a season ago, but freshman Keveun Mason also showed some promise with 28 carries for 167 yards and a touchdown, and the staff also added Sam Brown as a transfer from Rutgers.
The quarterback position likely includes two primary candidates: Jaxon Smolik and Ajani Sheppard. Unlike the running back spot, the quarterbacks have very little in the way of production, combining for just two pass attempts in their respective careers. This starting job certainly looks to be open for the taking from the pair and any others who should step up, so it's worth keeping an eye out for who emerges.
Tulane Green Wave Spring Preview
McClure destined for stardom?
First things first, we must mention that there is an obvious change here atop the team with head coach Jon Sumrall bolting for the Florida job following the 2025 campaign. That said, Sumrall comes from a defensive background. Offensive coordinator Joe Craddock joined him in Gainesville, but passing game coordinator Will Hall elected to stay behind and claim the head job in New Orleans.
Now, on to additional business. Quarterback is certainly another position worth watching. It will be tough to replace Jake Retzlaff, but Zeon Chriss and Kadin Semonza will battle for that honor -- Chriss seems the likely favorite.
Still, I want to shift the focus to the running back room. The Green Wave didn't ignore the position this offseason, adding Jaylin Lucas, but there seems to be a budding backfield candidate here in Jamauri McClure, whom I'm keeping a close eye on. He's a bit undersized at 5-10, 190 pounds, but McClure really came into his own down the stretch in 2025. He racked up 75 carries for 490 yards and a pair of rushing scores over the final five contests, including 84 yards on 15 carries versus Ole Miss in the CFP first-round matchup.
McClure will have another full offseason to develop, and he seems the likely candidate to take on the leading role. Without Retzlaff in tow to command a heavy dosage of passing, it wouldn't be shocking to see McClure see a huge leap in rush attempts in 2025, but I want to make sure he's taking that step in the spring and the fall, and it will be interesting to see if he puts on any weight to potentially better handle a heavier workload.
Tulsa Golden Hurricane Spring Preview
Open season in RB room
Running back was the most valuable fantasy position among this group, though tight end Brody Foley (gone to Louisville) was arguably in the conversation as well. Dominic Richardson's (212 carries for 1,065 yards and five touchdowns) departure leaves a huge void atop the running back room, not to mention top backup Ajay Allen is gone as well.
The staff wasted no time plucking talent from the transfer portal, adding four backs who could prove to be factors in 2026.
Trequan Jones joins the fold after amassing 792 rushing yards and six touchdowns on 105 carries at Old Dominion last year. Damari Alston also joins the mix after handling 30-plus carries at Auburn in each of the last three seasons. DJ McKinney also jumps in after 111 carries for 464 yards and seven touchdowns at New Mexico last year, and Seth Davis rounds out the list of transfers, coming in from Mississippi State. Sevion Morrison transferred in prior to 2025 but missed the season due to injury, so he could also stake a claim to carries.
There is a lot to sort out here, with the potential for a healthy dose of totes if a back can separate himself.
UAB Blazers Spring Preview
Sorting through a mess in spring
Well, gone is head coach Trent Dilfer, but offensive coordinator Alex Mortensen will take over the starting job after serving as an interim head coach down the stretch in 2025.
Jalen Kitna is gone, presumably leaving Ryder Burton as the favorite to start in 2026. However, he wasn't that impressive in his opportunity last season, so we can't rule out an open competition in the spring and fall for the starting job.
Also gone are the top three running backs from last season in Jevon Jackson, Solomon Beebe, and Isaiah Jacobs, who handled almost all of the carries from the Blazers' running back room. The team added Roderick Robinson, Ja'Vin Simpkins and Braylon McReynolds to help address a lack of depth at that position.
Oh, and start wideout Iverson Hooks transferred to Oregon, while Brandon Hawkins graduated and Corri Milliner transferred to North Texas.
Needless to say, this spring figures to hold a lot of sway in shaping the depth chart for 2026.
UTSA Roadrunners Spring Preview
Searching for the next McCuin
While it's unlikely the Roadrunners will find another Devin McCuin (transferred to Ohio State) on the 2026 roster, the spring session will help them discover who will attempt to fill the biggest of shoes. David Amador returns and figures to head the wideout position, but there aren't really established options behind him on the depth chart.
Some of the options we can consider:
- Willie McCoy - Played only four games last year, so he's presumably eligible to return in 2026, and there hasn't been any mention of him entering the transfer portal. The official roster hasn't surfaced yet, but he could be in the mix.
- AJ Wilson - Notched 30 receptions for 523 yards and four scores last year. Was a junior so should be back and a possible threat for a bigger role in 2026.
- Transfers - T.J. West, James Madison II and Zahn Coakley all transferred in from other schools this offseason. West and Madison come from power-five schools and could be candidates to factor into the wide receiver room.
- Others - There are other returning guys who have seen some action and could prove worthy of looks in 2026.
It's tough to know how things will shake out, but this is the room I'm eyeing in 2026 with the most uncertainty and some upside this spring.
