Despite no longer having any Florida-based schools in its conference, Sun Belt football teams have long taken advantage of the South Florida pipeline.
As the 2026 college season approaches, let’s take a look at some former South Florida high school players poised to thrive this fall. Today, we’re covering the Sun Belt’s East Division, which consists of seven schools: Appalachian State, Coastal Carolina, Georgia State, Georgia Southern, James Madison, Marshall, and Old Dominion.
For this list, we are defining South Florida as Palm Beach, Broward, and Miami-Dade counties. Given the current state of college athletics and the ever-changing rosters in the transfer portal era, we have included only schools that have publicly released official 2026 rosters. As a result, James Madison is not on this list. Although Old Dominion lists eight Florida-born players on its 2026 roster, none are from South Florida.
Appalachian State
Ja’Den McBurrows, DB, St. Thomas Aquinas, R-Jr.: McBurrows played his first four seasons at Michigan, winning a championship in 2023. He looked sharp in his first three games with the Mountaineers, picking off a pass and recording two tackles for loss. Don’t be surprised to see McBurrows contend for Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year if he stays healthy.
Jackson Grier, WR, St. Thomas Aquinas, R-Jr.: Grier had a 19-yard catch and a 32-yard kick return after transferring from Boise State. Let’s see what the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Grier can do in his second Mountaineers campaign.
Jaquari Lewis, RB, Chaminade-Madonna, So.: Now is the time to buy high on Lewis, who rushed for 618 yards and six touchdowns as a true freshman. The 5-foot-10, 205-pound Lewis also added 32 catches for 192 yards, earning added playing time as the season progressed. Get ready to see him enjoy a stellar sophomore season.
Coastal Carolina
Daughtry Richardson, OT, Miami Central, R-Sr.: A four-star prospect and elite offensive line prospect, Richardson initially signed with Florida State. He played the last two years at FAU, serving as one of the Owls’ lone bright spots. Now, he joins a Coastal Carolina squad chasing its seventh bowl game appearance.
Robby Washington, WR, Palmetto, R-Jr.: Previously a consensus four-star prospect who played his first two seasons at Miami, Washington attempted to do it all at Coastal. Washington finished with 29 catches, 278 yards, and three touchdowns, while also picking up 31 yards on seven carries. He even threw a 12-yard touchdown against Georgia Southern last November.
Tray Brown, LB, Cardinal Gibbons, R-Sr.: A three-time state champion in high school, Brown has spent his entire career at Coastal Carolina. Despite racking up 11 ½ tackles for loss and 2 ½ sacks last year, he was surprisingly omitted from the All-Conference team. Something tells us that won’t be the case this season.
Georgia Southern
Bre’Lan Mareus, RB, Monarch, R-Fr.: Mareus, who scored nine all-purpose touchdowns as a senior at Monarch, joined the Eagles as a walk-on last summer. Can he find a path to playing time?
Georgia State
Deandre Duffus, OL, Chaminade-Madonna, R-Jr.: Duffus initially signed with Maryland as a three-star interior line offensive prospect. Although he sparsely played in two seasons with the Terrapins, Duffus worked his way into 10 games and started six at Georgia State last year.
Jaydon Hood, LB, St. Thomas Aquinas, R-Sr.: Hood arrives at Georgia State after a five-year career at Michigan, where he primarily contributed on special teams. He had a career-high 13 tackles during the Wolverines’ 2023 championship season.
Kyle Washington, WR, Chaminade-Madonna Prep, So.: Washington had six receptions for 75 yards as a true freshman. We’re optimistic about what the 5-foot-8, 170-pound Washington has in store for his second college season.
Marshall
Josh Pierre-Louis, DB, The Benjamin School, Gr.: Pierre-Louis will end his college career with Marshall after stops at N.C. State, Iowa Western C.C., and West Georgia. All you ever need is one opportunity, though, and Pierre-Louis has the talent and motivation to take full advantage.
Zion Turner, QB, St. Thomas Aquinas, R-Sr.: Turner flashed at UConn as a freshman in 2023, finishing with 1,407 yards, nine touchdowns, and 10 picks over 13 games. However, he’s thrown only one touchdown across three schools since the start of 2023.
Which Sun Belt football players are you excited to watch this season? Let us know in the comment section!
Check back later this week for our write-up on the Sun Belt West Division!
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