2023 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team

2023 Arkansas State Red Wolves football
Camellia Bowl, L 19–21 vs. Northern Illinois
Conference	Sun Belt Conference
Division	West Division
Record	6–7 (4–4 Sun Belt)
Head coach	Butch Jones (3rd season)
Offensive coordinator	Keith Heckendorf (5th season)
Offensive scheme	Multiple
Defensive coordinator	Rob Harley (3rd season)
Base defense	4–3
Home stadium	Centennial Bank Stadium

2023 Sun Belt Conference football standings

	Conf							Overall
Team		W		L					W		L
East Division
James Madison* x		7	–	1					11	–	2
Appalachian State y		6	–	2					9	–	5
Coastal Carolina		5	–	3					8	–	5
Old Dominion		5	–	3					6	–	7
Georgia State		3	–	5					7	–	6
Marshall		3	–	5					6	–	7
Georgia Southern		3	–	5					6	–	7
West Division
Troy xy$		7	–	1					11	–	3
Texas State		4	–	4					8	–	5
Arkansas State		4	–	4					6	–	7
South Alabama		4	–	4					7	–	6
Louisiana		3	–	5					6	–	7
Southern Miss		2	–	6					3	–	9
Louisiana–Monroe		0	–	8					2	–	10
Championship: Troy 49, Appalachian State 23
$ – Conference champion x – Division champion/co-champions y – Championship game participant * – Ineligible for postseason play due to FCS-to-FBS transition rules

The 2023 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team represented Arkansas State University as a member of the Sun Belt Conference during the 2023 NCAA Division I FBS football season. Led by third-year head coach Butch Jones, the Red Wolves played their home games at Centennial Bank Stadium in Jonesboro, Arkansas. The Arkansas State Red Wolves football team drew an average home attendance of 16,747 in 2023.

Schedule

The 2023 football schedule was announced February 24, 2023.

Date	Time	Opponent	Site	TV	Result	Attendance
September 2	11:00 a.m.	at No. 20 Oklahoma*	Gaylord Family Oklahoma Memorial Stadium Norman, OK	ESPN	L 0–73	83,221
September 9	6:00 p.m.	Memphis*	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR (Paint Bucket Bowl)	ESPN+	L 3–37	18,724
September 16	6:00 p.m.	Stony Brook*	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	W 31–7	14,327
September 23	6:00 p.m.	Southern Miss	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	W 44–37	16,601
September 30	2:30 p.m.	at UMass*	Warren McGuirk Alumni Stadium Hadley, MA	ESPN+	W 52–28	9,494
October 7	3:00 p.m.	at Troy	Veterans Memorial Stadium Troy, AL	ESPN+	L 3–37	26,957
October 21	6:00 p.m.	Coastal Carolina	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	L 17–27	18,228
October 28	4:00 p.m.	at Louisiana–Monroe	Malone Stadium Monroe, LA	ESPN+	W 34–24	14,006
November 4	2:00 p.m.	Louisiana	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	W 37–17	15,881
November 11	4:00 p.m.	at South Alabama	Hancock Whitney Stadium Mobile, AL	ESPN+	L 14–21	15,242
November 18	2:00 p.m.	Texas State	Centennial Bank Stadium Jonesboro, AR	ESPN+	W 77–31	16,721
November 25	2:30 p.m.	at Marshall	Joan C. Edwards Stadium Huntington, WV	ESPN+	L 21–35	18,673
December 23	11:00 a.m.	vs. Northern Illinois*	Cramton Bowl Montgomery, AL (Camellia Bowl)	ESPN	L 19–21	11,310
*Non-conference game Homecoming Rankings from AP Poll and CFP Rankings released prior to game All times are in Central time

Preseason

Offseason

After a 3–9 campaign in the 2022 season, Butch Jones returns for his third season as head coach for Arkansas State. Jones was paid, in total, $825,000 last season.

Media poll

In the Sun Belt preseason coaches' poll, the Red Wolves were picked to finish in sixth place in the West division.

Media poll (West division)
Predicted finish	Team	Votes (1st place)
1	Troy	92 (10)
2	South Alabama	85 (4)
3	Louisiana	64
4	Southern Miss	62
5	Texas State	36
6	Arkansas State	33
7	ULM	20

Kicker Dominic Zvada was named to the preseason All-Sun Belt first team.

Personnel

2023 Arkansas State Red Wolves football team roster
Players			Coaches
Offense Pos. # Name Class WR 0 Daverrick Jenkins So QB 1 Jaylen Raynor Fr RB 2 Ja'Quez Cross  So WR 3 Clyde Curry Fr RB 4 Brian Snead  Sr QB 5 J. T. Shrout  Sr WR 6 Wyatt Begeal  So WR 7 Corey Rucker  So WR 8 Khmari Thompson Jr WR 9 Courtney Jackson  Jr WR 10 Tennel Bryant Fr WR 11 Adam Jones  Jr TE 12 Emmanual Stevenson Jr TE 13 Miller McCrumby So WR 14 Jeff Foreman Sr QB 15 Jaxon Dailey  Fr WR 16 Chauncy Cobb Fr QB 17 Christian Hunt Fr TE 18 Kevin Diaz Jr QB 19 Will Prichard Fr RB 20 Mike Sharpe II So RB 21 Zak Wallace  Jr RB 22 Cedric Hawkins Fr WR 23 Takare Lipscomb Fr WR 28 Reagan Ealy Jr RB 37 Tyler Williams  Fr TE 41 Nathan Tillman  Fr RB 43 Kam Boyd Fr RB 45 Channing Woodson Fr TE 46 Beau Smith Fr OL 50 Austin Woods  So OL 51 Jalen Cunningham  Sr OL 52 Mason Myers Fr OL 54 Walker Davis Fr OL 55 Aleric Watson  Fr OL 58 Cameron Ambrose  Fr OL 65 Noah Smith  So OL 68 Tristian Smith  So OL 70 Tyler Adair  Fr OL 71 Mehki Butler  Jr OL 72 Tobias Braun  So OL 73 Jacob Bayer Jr OL 74 Elijah Zollicoffer So OL 75 Saidou Ba  Fr OL 77 Makilan Thomas  So OL 78 Hamilton Hall  Sr WR 80 Trace Corum  Fr WR 82 Pearce Russell Fr WR 84 Reed Linder Fr WR 85 DeAndra Burns Jr. Fr WR 86 Blake Hegwood Fr TE 87 Tyler Little Fr WR 88 Carter Salzman Fr WR 89 Cam Bulluck Fr	Defense Pos. # Name Class CB 0 Justin Hodges Sr CB 1 Samy Johnson Sr CB 2 Leon Jones Sr CB 3 Davon Martin  Jr CB 4 Taylon Doss Jr DB 5 Donte Thompson Jr S 6 Dontay Joyner Fr DL 7 Terion Sugick  So S 8 Eddie Smith  Sr S 9 Trevian Thomas Jr LB 10 Jordan Sample Fr S 12 Websley Etienne  Fr LB 13 Gavin Potter  Jr CB 14 James Reed III So S 15 Brandon Greil Fr CB 16 DeAubry Hood Fr DE 17 Blayne Toll Jr DE 18 Dennard Flowers  So CB 19 Denzel Blackwell  So CB 20 Joejo Wallace Jr LB 21 Melique Straker Sr S 22 Sam Graham  So LB 23 Dane Motley  Jr LB 24 Javante Mackey  Fr DE 25 Keyron Crawford So CB 26 Manny Stokes Jr. Jr LB 27 Jamil Williams Fr S 28 Jerrod Johnson Fr S 29 Justin Parks Jr LB 30 Andrew Agapos  So LB 31 RJ Kelly Fr DL 32 Ethan Hassler Jr LB 33 Cam Jeffery Jr DL 34 Timothy Gulley Fr LB 35 Cruz Temple  So LB 36 Charles Willekes  Jr CB 37 AJ Beale  Fr CB 39 Jaxson Fleming  Fr DL 40 Ian Jeffries Fr LB 44 Jalen Corprew Jr DT 45 Nate Martey Jr LB 47 Caden Solano Fr S 48 Alston Elam  So DT 51 Bryan Williams Fr LB 52 Brandon Fairley Jr LB 53 Tony McNeal Jr. Fr DT 54 Malik Tillman Fr DL 55 Micah Bland  Sr DL 90 Tim Hardiman  So DL 91 Ashtin Rustemeyer  Fr DE 92 Thurman Geathers  Sr DE 93 Calen Presser Fr DL 94 Brian Alston Fr DE 95 Thomas Puhek Fr DL 96 Kadan Lewis  Fr DL 97 VJ Bronson Jr DE 98 Antanius Tiggs Fr DE 99 Terrell James Fr	Special teams Pos. # Name Class K 32 Aidan Ellison  So K 33 Dominic Zvada So K 34 Clune Van Andel Fr LS 38 Jack Bullard Jr P 42 Magnus Haines  So P 47 Noah Grant Jr LS 48 Lucas Ott Fr LS 69 Ethan Johnson  So P 92 William Przystup  Sr	Head coach Butch Jones (Ferris State) Coordinators/assistant coaches Rob Harley (Michigan State) Defensive coordinator Keith Heckendorf (Nebraska) Offensive coordinator/qb Marquase Lovings (Mississippi State) Running backs Josh Conklin (Dakota State) Special teams coordinator / Safeties Nick Grimes (Sam Houston State) Tight ends Andy Kwon (Alabama) Offensive line Derrick Lett (Bowling Green State) Wide receivers Vinson Reynolds (Northern Illinois) Defensive line John Shalala (Grand View) Linebackers Jay Simpson (South Alabama) Defensive backs Legend (C) Team captain (S) Suspended (I) Ineligible Injured Redshirt Roster Last update: 31 August 2023