Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2026 College Football Preview
Posted June 6, 2026
2025 Recap
Record – 6-7
ATS – 6-7
The Chanticleers had things looking DANDY at 6–3 before completely falling apart down the stretch — allowing 59, 51, and 45 points in three consecutive losses to close out the regular season. GLUG GLUG GLUG, indeed. The Teal Machine then limped into the bowl game and got spanked to finish at a disappointing 6–7. That makes two straight losing seasons for a program that was one of the darlings of the Group of Six not too long ago.
New HC Ryan Beard arrives from Missouri St with a full staff, a roster stuffed with portal additions, and a mandate to get Coastal Carolina back on track. It’s a rebuild, but the energy is different — and the expectation is clear.
Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2026 Outlook
OFFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Sun Belt):
- Scoring: 22.2 PPG (#12 Sun Belt)
- Total Offense: 325.4 YPG (#12 Sun Belt)
- Rushing: 155.9 YPG (#8 Sun Belt)
- Passing: 169.5 YPG (#12 Sun Belt)
- Sacks Allowed: 24 (#8 Sun Belt)
Those are dreadful offensive numbers — and the passing attack was especially anemic. Ranking 12th in the Sun Belt in passing offense is unacceptable, and fixing the THROW GAME is clearly the top priority for new OC Nick Petrino.
The quarterback battle is wide open and genuinely intriguing. Missouri St transfer Deuce Bailey looked sharp during spring practices and currently appears to be the frontrunner, but Arkansas transfer Trever Jackson has a legitimate CANNON for an arm and could push hard for the job. Whoever wins the starting role steps into a much better situation if Petrino’s system can unlock the passing offense.
The backfield will be a committee led by Dominic Knicely and Rice transfer Daelen Alexander, with additional depth from WOO PIG transfer Rodney Hill and Oklahoma St transfer Jaden Allen-Hendrix. The wide receiver room was a major weakness last season, with no player topping 350 receiving yards or 3 touchdowns. One of the more interesting additions is Tristian Gardner from Missouri St, who posted a strong freshman year (30 catches, 465 yards, 6 TDs) and followed his former head coach to Conway. Veteran Robby Washington returns as a familiar face, while the tight end group has some promise but remains largely unproven.
Up front, the offensive line underwent a near-total rebuild with minimal returning experience. New OL coach Nick Gilbert has aggressively attacked the portal, highlighted by 6-6, 315-pound tackle Mason Barton from Jackson St. Improving pass protection and creating a more physical identity will be critical.
DEFENSE
2025 By The Numbers (Sun Belt):
- Scoring Defense: 33.1 PPG (#13 Sun Belt)
- Total Defense: 443.8 YPG (#12 Sun Belt)
- Rush Defense: 208.0 YPG (#12 Sun Belt)
- Pass Defense: 235.8 YPG (#9 Sun Belt)
- Sacks: 19 (#11 Sun Belt)
Those defensive numbers were brutal — near the bottom of the Sun Belt across the board. Giving up 45, 51, and 59 points in three straight games to close the season tells you everything you need to know. New DC L.D. Scott follows head coach Ryan Beard over from Missouri St, and while he’s a well-respected defensive mind and DL coach, he’s walking into a full rebuild.
Up front, the defensive line has very little returning production, but the Chanticleers attacked the portal hard for size and experience. It’s good to have DE Ibrahim Diawara back in the fold. One name to watch is Missouri St transfer DE Mitchell Toney, who posted 3 sacks and 6 QBH last year. If he can bring that production to the Sun Belt, Scott has something to build around. The edges currently look more promising than the interior.
At linebacker, there’s some stability with senior Tray Brown (#4 tackles, 2.5 sacks) anchoring the group alongside other veteran bodies. The secondary, however, is one of the biggest concerns on the roster. It’s undergoing a major portal overhaul, and it’s tough to project how this group will perform with so many new faces. Senior Ja’Marion Wayne (#2 tackles, INT) is a welcome returning presence, but this unit will need to come together quickly.
SPECIAL TEAMS
South Carolina St transfer Nico Cavanillas Alti steps in to replace departed kicker Kian Afrookhteh (15/19 FG LY), but there’s more stability in the punting game with the return of Emile Sebafundi. With added speed at wide receiver and in the defensive backfield, the return game should also get a boost this season.
Schedule Analysis
Overall — Tough opener at West Virginia but the other three non-conference games are winnable. The Sun Belt docket is BRUTAL — a rough draw from the West (Arkansas St, at Louisiana) and having to face both Marshall AND James Madison on the road makes the conference schedule a serious challenge. The November gauntlet is particularly nasty featuring four consecutive tough games culminating with that trip to Harrisonburg.
Potential ATS Trouble Spot — at Marshall (Oct 10)
REVENGE is a dish best served COLD, yo.
Marshall will be fired up for revenge after getting smoked 44-27 in Conway last year, and it’s never easy to play in Huntington.
Season Win Total
Market consensus – June 6
Over 4.5 -150
Under 4.5 +120
MEGALOCKS says:
No leanage.
Too many new faces, not to mention a brand-new coaching staff, to get a firm read on the situation. The schedule makes us tilt slightly to the under, but we’ll almost certainly pass on this market.
Note – Our official list of season win total investments will be posted in the blog section of the website.
MEGAmazing Tidbits
Coastal Carolina’s rise to national prominence exploded during the PLANDEMIC season of 2020, when the Chanticleers went a blazing 11-1 and rocketed all the way up to No. 9 in the AP Poll — the highest ranking in program history. For a school tucked away in Conway, South Carolina, it was an absolute CINDERELLA run that put the Chanticleers on the map in a major way.
Conway, South Carolina is a charming river town of roughly 30,000 people located about 15 miles from Myrtle Beach. Its historic City Hall was designed by Robert Mills, the same architect behind the Washington Monument. Historic architectural knowledge BOMBS coming in HOT.
MEGALOCKS Forecast:
There’s not a whole lot of teams in the entire FBS dealing with more change than Coastal Carolina right now. New head coach Ryan Beard did excellent work at Missouri St, but it’s probably asking too much to expect him to turn things around immediately in Year 1. The roster has been completely gutted, the QB situation is still a mystery box, and the defense doesn’t have a ton of proven difference makers either.
The Sun Belt schedule is going to be a grind. While the non-conference slate isn’t overly brutal, the conference docket is loaded, and that’s going to make for a tough year. We expect the Chanticleers to fall short of bowl eligibility in 2026, but there’s reason to believe they’ll look significantly better in 2027 once Beard gets his guys in place and the roster stabilizes.
Coastal….CAROLINA!