FORT WORTH, TEXAS - Texas State Bobcats quarterback Brad Jackson (left) and coach GJ Kinne (right) after the Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl game between the Rice Owls and Texas State Bobcats on January 2, 2026, at Amon G. Carter Stadium in Fort Worth, TX. (Photo by Austin McAfee/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Icon Sportswire via Getty ImagesThe Football Bowl Subdivision numbers 138 teams for the 2026 season, which gets underway with Week 0 action Aug. 29. The power conference fraternity consists of 68 teams, including Notre Dame, and had its top 10 players revealed on forbes.com. With the addition of two teams, the non-power conference group has 70 teams this season, including UConn. Below is its top 10 players.
10 Non-Power Conference College Football Players To Watch In 2026-271. Brad Jackson
Redshirt Sophomore | Quarterback | Texas State
Born: San Antonio, Texas
Jackson and the Bobcats face stiffer competition leaving the Sun Belt for the revamped Pac-12. With a pair of 1,000-yard receivers returning, Jackson should post some impressive numbers once again. He is coming off a season in which he placed seventh nationally in both pass efficiency and total offense (305 yards per game) while operating coach G.J. Kinne’s and OC Landon Keopple’s offense, which averaged 473 yards per game to rank fifth in the nation. Jackson is a top dual-threat having rushed for 744 yards and 17 touchdowns in 2025, the second most TDs on the ground by a quarterback behind Army’s Cale Hellums.
2. Owen McCownRedshirt Senior | Quarterback | UTSA
Born: Dallas, Texas
The lefty’s 30 touchdown passes last season tied for sixth nationally and he threw only seven interceptions in 410 attempts. McCown, son of former NFL quarterback, Josh, and nephew of Luke, has thrown for 6,419 yards and 55 touchdowns in his two seasons as the Roadrunners’ starting QB. UTSA lost a good amount of production among receivers to the portal, though returns second-leading WR David Amador along with A.J. Wilson, who averaged 17 yards on 31 receptions last season and should have a larger role this season. Plenty of starting experience on the line returns.
3. Lucky SuttonSenior | Running Back | San Diego State
Born: San Diego, Calif.
A rare player these days in that he bided his time with the Aztecs while carrying the ball only 37 times in three seasons (one redshirt) before busting loose in 2025. The San Diego native averaged a hair under 100 yards per game (99.8) last season when he ran for 1,297 yards, 5.1 yards per tote and 10 touchdowns. A workhorse who piled up 254 rush attempts to place fifth nationally, the 6-foot-1 and 225-pound Sutton was a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award given to the nation’s top running back. He ran for at least 100 yards on six occasions last year and at least 150 yards twice, including against Boise State.
4. Jayden Virgin-MorganSenior | Edge | Boise State
Born: San Diego, Calif.
The 6-foot-3 and 257-pound edge returned to Boise State for his final season of eligibility instead of declaring for the NFL draft, which many pundits thought he would. His presence in DC Erik Chinander’s defense is a key reason why Boise State could rule the new-look Pac-12 and take a seat at the playoff table. Time will tell, of course, though Virgin-Morgan is on several preseason watch lists such as the Nagurski (best defensive player) and Lombardi (best interior lineman) after recording 13 tackles for loss and six sacks in 2025.
Redshirt Senior | Receiver | FAU
Born: Louisville, Ky.
An experienced group of receivers in Boca Raton is led by Messer, who topped the nation in receptions per game (8.7) last season while catching 104 passes for 1,052 yards and six touchdowns in a dozen games. Messer, who in 2025 was in his first season with the Owls after transferring from Western Kentucky where he was recruited by current FAU coach Zach Kittley, is also a threat with the punt return unit having averaged 20.8 yards on 12 returns a year ago. The 5-foot-9 slot receiver topped 100 yards four times and tied a program record with 15 receptions in the season opener (his FAU debut) at Maryland.
Redshirt Senior | Receiver | Georgia Southern
Born: Covington, Ga.
Stroud earned first team Sun Belt honors despite not starting until the Eagles’ final five games. Checking in at 6-foot-2 and 245 pounds, the Georgia native piled up a conference-leading 15.5 tackles for loss, a team-high 6.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles. Stroud also broke up two passes. In other words, there was little he didn’t not do in 2025 as part of a defense that returns many familiar teammates in 2026. The sky might be the limit for Stroud in his fifth and final season at GSU.
7. Brady SmallSenior | Center | Army
Born: Mount Ephraim, N.J.
The senior and Outland Trophy candidate has started each of the Black Knights’ 39 games in his three seasons on the banks of the Hudson. He will once again center a line that returns three other starters paving the way for quarterback Cale Hellums and the option attack. Small, who is listed at six feet tall and 318 pounds, has copped two straight American Conference first-team honors. As a sophomore in 2024, he helped lead the way in Army becoming the first non-power conference team to win the Joe Moore Award as the nation’s top offensive line.
8. Braxton WoodsonSenior | Quarterback | Navy
Born: Altamonte Spring, Fla.
The 6-foot-3 and 215-pound senior takes over for two-year starter Blake Horvath. He has started one game in each of his three seasons at the Academy and otherwise has a decent amount of experience, including last season when he ran for 414 yards and six touchdowns. Woodson has 760 career rushing yards with 10 touchdowns and has thrown for 516 yards and three TDs. Though a tremendous amount of experience was lost in the ground game, four linemen who started at least seven games last season return for the Midshipmen.
9. Donnie SmithSenior | Edge | Troy
Born: Greenville, Miss.
Smith has the size (6-4, 234) and athleticism to rush the quarterback, move inside or drop back into coverage. Hence, he was a disruptive force as a bandit in DC Dontae Wright’s defense a year ago. How disruptive? In his first season with the Trojans after two years at a JUCO, Smith recorded a Sun Belt-leading 11 sacks, had seven QB hurries, 44 tackles, broke up a pair of passes and forced a fumble.
Senior | Tight End | Temple
Born: London, England
From participating in a flag football program run by the Jacksonville Jaguars in high school, to learning the game through the NFL Academy, Clarke had plenty of offers from FBS programs. The Londoner made his way to America to play for Temple, and what a player he has been. With his superb blocking ability and outstanding hands, the 6-foot-6, 265-pound tight end became a household name in the Owls’ offense last season when he started all 12 games and caught 30 passes for 483 yards and six touchdowns.
This article was originally published on Forbes.com
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