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As we wait in the dog days of the offseason, here’s a question to keep in mind for each AAC team heading into 2024.

April has arrived, signifying that college football is closer than you think. We’re less than five months away from Week 1, when all 14 American Athletic Conference teams triumphantly return to the gridiron at fresh 0-0 to make their 2024 debut.

2024 is not only a new era of college football due to the 12-team playoff structure, but it’s a new era for the AAC as well. We are to avoid a repeat champion, as SMU — the holder of the conference crown — officially departs for the ACC on July 1. In exchange for losing the Mustangs, the conference adds Army to move back to an even 14 teams.

From the newcomer Army to the second-year additions like UTSA and North Texas to the longtime AAC staples like Tulane and Memphis, here is one offseason storyline to monitor during the dog days of spring football:

Army Black Knights

Where does Army fall in the 2024 AAC hierarchy?

Army head coach Jeff Monken leads the Black Knights into the AAC next season, abandoning independence after 19 seasons.

Army spent nearly two decades as college football’s roaming free spirit. The Black Knights became independent in 2005 after a brief 7-year stint in Conference USA. Now for the first time in 20 years, Army will enjoy the luxury and stability of conference membership, rather than playing its typical scattered 12-game schedule.

So where does Army fall within the hierarchy of the conference in year one? Last season was certainly a bizarre and unpredictable one for the Black Knights, which finished 6-6, deprived of bowl eligibility since two of those wins were over FCS competition. The lows of the season included dropping the opener to 2-10 ULM and losing to Troy and LSU in consecutive weeks by a combined score of 81-0. But the highs were impressive, as Army knocked off 9-4 UTSA on the road, handed a ranked No. 17 Air Force its first loss of the season, and stunned an 8-5 Coastal Carolina team in its penultimate matchup.

That being said, not many teams offer more volatility than Army, and due to its unique triple option based scheme, Jeff Monken’s squad could perform like a random number generator from week-to-week. The Black Knights actually play nine AAC opponents, since the annual Army-Navy Game reserved for the second weekend of December officially counts as a non-conference matchup since it occurs after the AAC Championship Game. However, they avoid Memphis, Tulane, and South Florida — three of the four AAC teams with winning records in 2023. Given the favorability of this schedule, can the newest AAC member reach seven or eight wins or potentially flirt with the upper echelon?

Charlotte 49ers

Is this a bowl team with an offensive leap?

Charlotte aims to improve upon its 3-9 record in 2023 as Biff Poggi enters his second season as head coach.

Charlotte made one of the most interesting coaching hires of the 2023 cycle, landing a former hedge fund manager and standout high school coach in Biff Poggi. With the coaching change also came a drastic shift in program personnel and culture. The majority of Charlotte’s two-deep last year consisted of incoming transfers, and as expected, there were initial growing pains as the 49ers stumbled out of the gate to a 1-6 record.

But midseason progress was evident as Charlotte’s defense suffocated East Carolina en route to a 10-7 victory in late October. With two returning all-conference defenders including star outside linebacker Nikhai Hill-Green and cornerback Dontae Balfour, the 49ers already have established a presence on one end of the field. The prestige of the 49ers’ defense was evident even in losses such as 22-7 to Florida, 14-0 to Navy, and even 28-7 to Rice — which suggests Charlotte is an offensive surge away from pushing bowl eligibility.

Charlotte only exceeded 25 points twice all year, and fortunately for the 49ers, both of those instances transpired in the final month of the season — a 33-26 win over Tulsa and an impressive, but heartbreaking 44-38 overtime loss to a 10-3 Memphis squad. The Tulsa win saw a career performance from quarterback Trexler Ivey, while the shootout versus Memphis featured 198 rushing yards and three touchdowns from emerging running back Hahsaun Wilson. Wilson remains on the roster and is joined by Iowa State transfer Cartevious Norton, the Cyclones’ third-most frequented ball carrier from last year. Thus, Charlotte has the tools to succeed at running back and it bolstered its offensive line through the portal, but how much can it refine the passing game? In 2024, its quarterbacks combined for seven touchdowns, 16 interceptions, and 6.1 yards per attempt, leaving plenty of room for improvement in that regard. And if that improvement happens, perhaps the 49ers are competing for win No. 6 come Thanksgiving weekend.

East Carolina Pirates

Can Mike Houston complete a second rebuild?

ECU aims to rebuild its offense with talent like WR Winston Wright Jr., who had 688 receiving yards and 5 touchdowns in 2021 for West Virginia.

East Carolina football served as a giant killer in the late 2000s and early 2010s, making an annual ritual to crush the hopes of a potent ACC team like North Carolina or Virginia Tech every September. The Pirates cracked the AP top 20 several times during this span and were an annual fixture in bowl games, but the late 2010s ushered in an era of futility, and the team resided in Davy Jones’ locker until the hire of Mike Houston.

Houston trudged through the muck with 4-8 and 3-6 campaigns in his first two seasons before finally leading the program back to bowl eligibility in 2021 — the first time in seven years. In 2022, East Carolina sustained that success, finishing 8-5 with its first bowl victory in nearly a decade. However, that was an extremely senior laden team and the Pirates lost essentially their entire starting offense and a significant portion of their starting defense heading into 2023. Replicating an 8-5 record seemed like a near impossible feat given the lack of experience residing within East Carolina’s roster. And it was. The Pirates finished 2-10 with only one FBS win over Florida Atlantic, with a notable decline in offensive production, diving from 36th to 127th in points per game.

Rebounding from a lost season is theoretically easier than ever in the 2020s considering the rise of the transfer portal, and Coach Houston utilized that to his advantage this offseason, bringing in established talent like Michigan State quarterback Katin Houser, South Carolina wide receiver O’Mega Blake, and West Virginia/Florida State wide receiver Winston Wright Jr. to revitalize the passing attack. The defense was commendable at times last year, and the Pirates filled in some of the cracks with transfers like Maryland cornerback Gavin Gibson and Missouri linebacker Dameon Wilson. Is this transfer class, combined with the returning experience, enough to catapult the Pirates back into above .500 territory? Houston already hurdled some obstacles to establish a winning culture in Greenville, but re-establishing it after a down year will be his toughest challenge yet.

Florida Atlantic Owls

Is manageable schedule enough to get FAU back to winning ways?

Tom Herman looks to lead FAU to its first winning season since 2019, when it won the Conference USA Championship Game at 11-3.

There was a three-year stretch when Lane Kiffin uncorked the sleeping giant potential of Florida Atlantic football. That stretch featured two 11-3 seasons, two Conference USA championships, and two bowl wins. That prosperous era in Boca Raton was not replicated before Kiffin’s arrival, and in the four years since his departure to Ole Miss, the Owls haven’t registered a single winning season.

Florida Atlantic made a splash hire last offseason, bringing in former Houston and Texas head coach Tom Herman to run the show. Herman was undoubtedly a winner — and a fast one — at both stops, leading the Cougars to a New Year’s Six bowl victory and top 10 ranking in year one and replicating those accomplishments with the Longhorns in his second year in Austin. His first season in Boca Raton didn’t necessarily follow the same script as the Owls finished 4-8, but they weren’t terribly far from bowl season with four one-score losses, and most of their wins unfolded in dominant fashion.

Now the calendar turns to 2024, and Herman aims to build Florida Atlantic back into the juggernaut it was in the Kiffin era. Last year, the Owls battled six teams that went bowling in 2023. This year, only two bowl teams from 2023 appear on the schedule — UTSA and South Florida — implying the notable absence of Memphis and Tulane. And the non-conference slate features Michigan State, FIU, UConn, and FCS program Wagner — a handful of winnable games for Herman’s bunch which could lead to a prosperous September. SMU capitalized on a very favorable slate of opponents last year in the AAC, so with a year acclimated to his personnel, is Herman ready to do the same in Boca Raton?

Memphis Tigers

Are the Tigers the favorite for the inaugural 12-team playoff?

Memphis QB Seth Henigan is third among active players in career passing yards, only behind Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel and Washington’s Will Rogers.

The era of the 12-team College Football Playoff is upon us. Expanded playoff is a polarizing topic, but one thing is undeniable — it provides increased access to the AAC. In 10 years operating under the 4-team model, Cincinnati was the league’s lone representative and the Bearcats needed every advantage possible — an undefeated record, scheduling a Notre Dame team that happened to finish the regular season 11-1, preseason accreditation, and simultaneous down years from the ACC, Big 12, and Pac-12 champions — just to finish in the No. 4 spot.

Five conferences receive automatic bids for this year’s CFP, and factoring in the Pac-12’s demise, history suggests the AAC is usually among those five along with the ACC, Big 12, Big Ten, and SEC. That was the case in seven of the past nine seasons, and nearly the case in 2023, but CUSA champion Liberty barely edged SMU for a New Year’s Six slot. Thus, the AAC champion will likely be involved in playoff discussions throughout the season. So why not Memphis?

Memphis is fresh off a 10-3 season, and all three losses were to 11+ win teams (Missouri, Tulane, SMU) and in relatively close contests. Ryan Silverfield’s team proved its merit in non-conference play with triumphs over Mountain West champion Boise State and Iowa State in the Liberty Bowl. They return an All-AAC quarterback Seth Henigan, who made significant leaps from year one to year two, and again from year two to year three as the starter. Henigan is one of the most polished quarterbacks in the nation, exhibiting a 32-to-9 touchdown to interception ratio, complemented by an efficient 3,883 passing yards last season. Memphis received much greater contributions from its skill position players in 2023 when compared to 2022, and the Tigers are well-equipped defensively with First Team All-AAC standout linebacker Chandler Martin. Memphis showed tremendous ability to close tightly-contested games last year, after losing several heartbreakers in the prior season. Accounting for all these factors, College Football Playoff qualification should be an attainable goal for the Tigers in the expanded field. Can they make it happen?

Navy Midshipmen

Does hosting an FCS opponent in Week 1 set tone for better season?

No program continually stumbles out of the gate more brutally in the 2020s than Navy. In 2020, BYU shellacked the Midshipmen 55-3 in the opener. Pastures weren’t any greener in 2021 when Marshall pulverized them 49-7. Things even took a turn for the worse in 2022 when Delaware of the FCS pulled off a stunning 14-7 upset in Annapolis. Then last fall, the Midshipmen debuted in Ireland where they suffered a 42-3 blowout at the hands of Notre Dame. Navy has been outscored 160-20 in its last four openers, and those dreadful starts have snowballed into disappointing seasons.

Navy qualified for bowl eligibility 15 times in the 17-year stretch from 2003 to 2019. Since 2020, the Midshipmen have not produced a single .500 season. They typically show progress throughout each year, especially on the defensive side of the ball, but it’s often too late to make a push for bowl eligibility. Navy has been plagued by three consecutive 1-3 starts, and the Midshipmen cannot let another poor performance in the opener define their season.

It starts with better tackling out of the gate. Navy allowed at least 440 yards of total offense in each of its last three season debuts against FBS competition. The struggles against the pass have been apparent, and each opening opponent averaged more than 10 yards per attempt against Navy. But this year, Navy’s tone-setter is against FCS competition as it hosts Bucknell on Aug. 31. This provides the defense a better opportunity to thrive out of the gate (similar to the 2022 Delaware game), and if Navy can keep the turnovers to a minimum, the Midshipmen can finally recreate the feeling of 1-0 for the first time in five years. Gaining that confidence and exorcising those early-season demons are a must as Navy approaches year two of the Brian Newberry era.

North Texas Mean Green

Does offense remain dominant despite mass skill position player exodus?

After losing Chandler Rogers in the portal, North Texas is reloading at the QB position with 2023 TCU starter Chandler Morris.

Don’t let consecutive 7-loss seasons fool you — North Texas has fielded some of the country’s most dominant, explosive offenses over the past two years. The Mean Green were 21st in total yardage in 2022, exhibiting a top 40 passing attack and top 25 run game. Last year in head coach Eric Morris’ first season, North Texas launched to the FBS’s sixth most productive offense — once again demonstrating tremendous balance as a top 15 passing attack and top 25 run game.

Defense has been the factor limiting the program from the win column, as evidenced by the Mean Green’s dead last FBS finish in yards allowed per game. While that certainly will be the focus for second-year defensive coordinator Matt Caponi, North Texas must ensure that it doesn’t lose its offensive luster in the process. The Mean Green lost one of the most under-the-radar quarterback transfers this offseason in Chandler Rogers, who left for Cal after an incredibly efficient year from the pocket. Rogers eclipsed 300 yards in six of his 10 starts and fired 29 touchdowns, compared to just five interceptions. But it’s not just Rogers leaving. The transfer portal took all five North Texas rushers who attained at least 70 yards last season, including 1,000-yard standout Ayo Adeyi. Three of the top four receivers, including an all-conference deep threat in Ja’Mori Maclin, are gone, leaving a massive void in the skill positions. Only one primary offensive starter returns, although that starter is right guard Gabe Blair — arguably the best at his position in the AAC.

So can Morris keep the high-octane offense flowing with a new cast of characters? The transfer portal class will do its best to keep the fire burning. Rogers’ replacement is quarterback Chandler Morris who started the majority of the season for TCU. He is joined by Zach Evans and Dalton Carnes, who made noise at running back and receiver for Minnesota and Houston, respectively, during 2023. There is experience scattered throughout this unit — it’s just a matter of time to determine if the personnel is capable of another 34 points per game caliber season.

Rice Owls

How far can this veteran laden defense lead this team in AAC play?

Rice CB Sean Fresch is one of the standouts on the Owls’ veteran laden defense. Fresch registered 50 tackles and broke up 7 passes in 2023.

In this age of the transfer portal, it’s almost impossible for a team to simply ‘run it back.’ But nobody in the FBS is doing that better than the Rice Owls, which only lost two starters to the transfer portal and zero to graduation or the NFL Draft. That makes the Owls loaded with 22-24-year old veteran talent across the unit, all equipped with vast starting experience.

In 2023, the Owls fielded a middle-of-the-pack run defense and an above-average pass defense, finishing 54th in total yards allowed at 365 per game. With an entire year of playing together, the continuity throughout that unit could lead the Owls to tremendous things in 2024. There are aspects to improve upon, such as forcing more turnovers and generating more sacks, but Rice enters year seven of the Mike Bloomgren era with a fantastic foundation. And not only do the starters return, but 20 of 22 members of the two-deep are back for the Owl defense.

The defensive line loses De’Braylon Carroll who transferred to Texas Tech, but Rice features several experienced candidates to fulfill that vacancy including Blake Boenisch and Izeya Floyd. The linebacker unit should be one of the better ones in the AAC with backfield invader Josh Pearcy back for a super senior campaign and premier run-stoppers Chris Conti and Myron Morrison manning the middle. The secondary is bolstered by fourth-year starting cornerback Sean Fresch, who set career-highs across the board in 2023, and ballhawking safety Gabe Taylor, who has 20 pass breakups, six interceptions, and four forced fumbles since 2021. There’s a lot to love about this veteran defense, and after reaching six wins for the first time since 2014 last fall, can this unit finally be the driving factor in leading Rice to a winning record?

South Florida Bulls

Are the Bulls in the upper echelon of contenders?

South Florida QB Byrum Brown was one of four FBS quarterbacks to rush for 800 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2023. He also finished third in the AAC in passing yards.

Last season, there was a clear top four in the AAC — SMU, Tulane, Memphis, and UTSA. Those four teams all hit double-digit wins when nobody else in the league notched eight. In conference play, that four-team tier separated themselves from the rest as all of their AAC losses were only to each other. The best team outside that heralded group in 2023 was South Florida — the only other school in the league to finish above .500.

Before Alex Golesh arrived last offseason, the Bulls won four games over a three-season span. Golesh instantly bucked their losing ways, lifting South Florida to 7-6 and its first bowl win in six seasons. As long as Byrum Brown remains a fixture in the offense, the Bulls possess the tools needed to be AAC contenders. The dynamic, dual-threat quarterback exhibits better escapability than any quarterback in college football, and he’s a stellar passer too, churning out four 300-yard performances with a 26-to-11 touchdown to interception ratio. But the amount of duress he faces is the offense’s greatest problem. South Florida’s offensive line did improve after Brown absorbed 22 sacks in his first five games, but the pass protection still needs further refinement in order to thrust the Bulls into Tulane and Memphis contender territory.

Defensively, South Florida was a mixed bag in 2023. If you watched its two biggest games of the year, you’d think it was a juggernaut. The Bulls limited Alabama to 17 points, producing five sacks while holding the playoff-bound Crimson Tide to 10-of-23 passing. Then in bowl season, South Florida blanked Syracuse 45-0 with four takeaways generated and 20 rushing yards allowed. But overall, the Bulls finished 112th in scoring defense and 118th in total defense, yielding at least 56 points three times in conference play. It was a blitz heavy unit, and when the sacks didn’t come, it was often disastrous in the secondary. As dynamic as Brown can be in South Florida’s warp speed, up-tempo offense, this team will go as far as its defense allows in 2024.

Temple Owls

How does Stan Drayton right this ship?

Temple head coach Stan Drayton enters year three at the helm, hoping to orchestrate an impressive turnaround.

The 2020s decade has been unkind to Temple. For the first time since their late 2000s, early 2010s independent/MAC days, the Owls strung together four consecutive losing seasons. And frankly, they haven’t been anywhere close to bowl season, posting three-straight 3-9 campaigns after assembling a 1-6 mark in 2020. The upcoming 2024 season will be the third for head coach Stan Drayton, and progress is desperately wanted in Philadelphia after several years wading in the waters of 1-7 conference records.

Even in the driest of deserts, there is always an oasis to look toward, and Temple had that the last two years with quarterback E.J. Warner in the lineup. The son of Super Bowl champion and MVP quarterback Kurt Warner, E.J. was writing his own legacy in the City of Brotherly Love with several 400+ yard and 4+ touchdown games while donning the cherry red. But Warner transferred to Rice, forcing Temple to start anew at the all-important offensive position. Meanwhile defensively, the Owls fielded some incredible talent under Drayton within their front seven. But premier backfield invaders like Layton Jordan and Jordan Magee are NFL Draft bound, causing the program to establish new stars rather than carry some over from the previous year.

Temple dropped eight of its final nine contests in 2023 and six of its nine defeats came by at least 22 points. Considering many of the star players from last fall are no longer on the roster, it feels like Temple is starting another rebuild in the midst of a rebuild. We’ve seen overnight AAC transformations like 2022 Tulane (from 2-10 to 12-2) and 2023 South Florida (from 1-11 to 7-6), but how much more time will pass before Temple becomes a legitimate threat in the AAC?

Tulane Green Wave

Does Ty Thompson or Kai Horton take the reins from Michael Pratt?

Kai Horton is competing for the Tulane starting quarterback job alongside Oregon transfer Ty Thompson this offseason. Horton started three games last year.

Perhaps the most intriguing quarterback battle of the 2024 college football season is transpiring along the bayou. After four consistent years under program staple Michael Pratt, it’s finally time for a changing of the guard in New Orleans. There are two worthy candidates for the position — incumbent backup Kai Horton and Oregon transfer Ty Thompson. Given the heightened expectations of Tulane football after recording 23 wins in two seasons, whichever quarterback wins the battle in August must deliver immediate results in order to maintain the starting role.

Horton is a program veteran who first arrived on campus in 2021. He briefly entertained the transfer portal this offseason before withdrawing, and now he’ll serve as a bridge between the Willie Fritz and Jon Sumrall eras. The soon-to-be fourth-year quarterback enters 2024 with three starts under his belt, providing relief for the injured Pratt in the Ole Miss and Southern Miss games last September, as well as the Military Bowl versus Virginia Tech. But Horton’s most notable moment transpired during Tulane’s storybook 2022 season when he came off the bench as the third-string quarterback and threw three touchdowns to stun Houston in an overtime thriller. On 123 attempts, the 6’5”, 215 pound Texas native has collected 848 passing yards, six touchdowns, and five interceptions as the more experienced member of Tulane’s spring quarterback battle.

Thompson is the promising transfer Sumrall landed from Oregon less than a month after accepting the head coaching gig at Tulane. The 6’5”, 215 pound passer was a 4-star recruit in the class of 2021, but he spent three seasons backing up Anthony Brown and Heisman finalist Bo Nix in the Pacific Northwest. The Ducks’ ability to win in lopsided fashion provided the Arizona native plenty of in-game opportunities, and he arrives in New Orleans with a career stat-line of 456 yards, six touchdowns, and four interceptions on 66 attempts. Thompson is one of several highly-regarded transfers Sumrall recruited to the Big Easy this winter. With lofty expectations, Tulane expects to contend for its third-straight AAC Championship Game appearance, so this quarterback battle must be carefully monitored to set the Green Wave in position for that goal.

Tulsa Golden Hurricane

Will Tulsa have a clear No. 1 quarterback in 2024?

Cardell Williams started four games at quarterback for Tulsa in 2023, finishing as the leading passer.

Tulsa launched its first year of the Kevin Wilson era last season. The former Indiana head coach previously held notable offensive coordinator stints at Oklahoma and Ohio State, where he made dominant spread rushing attacks his trademark. In year one in his new stomping ground, Wilson transformed Tulsa’s presence on the ground, elevating the Golden Hurricane from 85th to 36th in rushing yards per game — utilizing the run at the seventh highest rate in the country. Tulsa primarily rotated between three capable running backs throughout last season, and the roster returns the two leading rushers Anthony Watkins and Bill Jackson.

But to elevate Tulsa’s offense to another level, a consistent starting quarterback is needed. The Golden Hurricane shifted between four quarterbacks last year, and although injuries contributed to uncertainty at the position, no clear starter was ever determined. Braylon Braxton started five games, Cardell Williams started four, Kirk Francis started two, and Roman Fuller started one. Additionally, there were six games where the starting quarterback didn’t even finish as the leading passer — demonstrating the frequency of in-game substitutions at the position.

The 2024 quarterback battle is likely between Cardell Williams and Kirk Francis, the team’s top two passers last season. Williams possesses the larger sample size and is more effective in the mobility department, while Francis showed promise in November by posting three consecutive 250+ yard outings to end the season — Tulsa’s only three 250+ passing performances all season. Both quarterbacks should be more acclimated to the speed of the game after making their FBS debuts last season, and better quarterback play is a mandate for Tulsa, as the Golden Hurricane threw more interceptions per game than anybody in the FBS in 2023.

UAB Blazers

Can this experienced transfer class fix defensive woes?

Former Purdue linebacker OC Brothers is a potential day one starter on the UAB defense, hoping to improve its stature from a year ago.

UAB football triumphantly returned from its hiatus in 2017, and it completely rebranded itself. Before the infamous program shutdown, UAB only played one bowl game in school history, typically residing in the cellar of Conference USA. But in the first five years after the return, UAB knew nothing but winning. The Blazers won two CUSA titles and became a regular in bowl season. Much of this newfound success hinged on excellent defensive play. UAB fielded a top 10 yards per game defense each year from 2018 to 2020, and the unit also finished 16th nationally in the category in 2021.

Then Bill Clark suddenly stepped down as the head coach, and the defensive identity from the Clark era has yet to be recaptured. One year after Clark’s sudden departure, the mastermind behind those defenses also departed from Birmingham. Defensive coordinator David Reeves became the head coach of Jasper High School in Alabama, forcing UAB to start anew in the area it thrived the most.

While the UAB offense, especially the passing attack, flourished in head coach Trent Dilfer’s inaugural season in 2023, the Blazers finished 4-8. The primary reason UAB missed bowl eligibility for the first time since the program’s return was very un-UAB-like, as the Blazers failed to record routine defensive stops. They finished 130th in scoring defense, allowing 37 points per game with a particular inability to contain the run. But 2024 UAB strives to amend this issue, and the Blazers brought in an impressive transfer class of potential day one starting defenders. Indiana defensive tackle LeDarrius Cox, Purdue linebacker OC Brothers, Georgia Tech safety Sirad Bryant, and star FCS cornerback Adrian Maddox are among the new Blazers aiming to bring the unit’s reputation back to what it was in the Bill Clark/David Reeves days.

UTSA Roadrunners

What does a post-Frank Harris era look like in San Antonio?

Owen McCown started the Frisco Bowl last December in place of the injured Frank Harris. He is projected to be the first non-Harris Week 1 starter for UTSA since 2019.

When UTSA takes the field at the Alamodome on Aug. 31, there will inevitably be a feeling of emptiness among Roadrunner faithful. UTSA was spoiled with the services of Frank Harris as its starting quarterback for the last four years — and it’s no coincide they were the four most successful years in UTSA history. Widely regarded as the greatest Roadrunner of all-time, Harris hung his cleats with nearly 12,000 passing yards and over 2,000 rushing yards to go along with 120 total touchdowns.

Harris started nearly every game from 2020 to 2023, but last fall UTSA saw several brief trials of what life after Harris might look like. During non-conference play in September, Eddie Lee Marburger earned a pair of starts against Army and Tennessee, and for the Frisco Bowl in December, Owen McCown started in place of the injured Harris. McCown is the projected starter for the 2024 season, completing 74 percent of his passes for 442 yards, showing tremendous poise in the final three quarters of the Frisco Bowl win over Marshall.

We’ve seen McCown in a limited sample size, but next year he is expected to serve as a permanent fixture in the offense, rather than a one-game solution. UTSA has been brilliant offensively under Jeff Traylor, but we’ve essentially only seen the Roadrunners under one quarterback during Traylor’s entire tenure. Can McCown fill the most massive metaphorical shoes in UTSA history and sustain the program’s position as AAC contenders?