The Good, the Bad, the Ugly: Athlon Sports All-Conference Team Projections

“The Good, the Bad, the Ugly,” is going to take a short break from previewing position groups throughout the conference to look at Athlon Sports Preseason All-Conference Selections. Athlon takes a deep dive, going as far as picking four teams. Let’s take a delve into theses projections and see which teams should be optimistic and which have cause for concern.

The Good

Boise State’s Offense

According to Athlon, Boise State has the two best running backs in the conference (Ashton Jeanty and George Holani) and the second best quarterback (Taylen Green). Wide receivers Latrell Caples and Stefan Cobbs were featured on the second team, and Billy Bowens was on the fourth team. There may be a few concerns on the offensive line, but overall the offense is stacked and should put up some pretty impressive numbers.

San Jose State Poised to Surprise

I like this Spartan squad and think they have a real chance to make a run this season. With first-team quarterback Chevan Cordeiro under center and some talent at the skilled positions (Justin Lockhart and Kairee Robinson), I think this team has a chance to make some real noise. Like the Broncos, I do have some concerns on the defensive side of the ball, but the potential is there.

The Bad

Boise State’s Defense

Usually these preseason lists are filled with Bronco defenders. That is not the case this year. DJ Schramm is the only lock and the rest of the defense is fairly inexperienced. It will be interesting to see how this unit responds. They won’t have time to ease themselves in, as they will face a top ten Washington team opening weekend.

Air Force’s Offense

Everett Smalley is projected as an all-conference offensive lineman, but recent news has surfaced and Smalley is no longer a member of the Falcon football team. This team has a ton of holes to fill on the offensive side of the ball. Luckily, they have a workable schedule and should have a championship caliber defense.

The Ugly

Colorado State Barely Represented

Jay Norvell was expected to be the coach that saved the Colorado State football program. If Athlon’s projections are any indication of what we should expect from the Rams this fall, their fan base should be worried. They have the best wide receiver in the conference (Tory Horton), but the falloff is steep after Horton. It looks like this team could be in for another rough year.

Fresno State Underrepresented?

The defending champions have only one first team all-conference representative in defensive back Cam Lockridge. There are a lot of question marks around this team, as they have hit the transfer portal hard this offseason. Will the Bulldogs be reloading or rebuilding?

What are your thoughts on Athlon’s preseason selections? Leave your thoughts in the comments below.