Underdog Dynasty
An unofficial The American, Conference USA, Sun Belt, and Independent football blog
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Middle Tennessee ILB Parker Hughes selected 240th overall by Jacksonville Jaguars at 2026 NFL Draft
Conference USA finally arrived to the 2026 NFL Draft at pick No. 240. Middle Tennessee inside linebacker Parker Hughes was the league’s first representative at the draft in Pittsburgh, hearing his name called as the 240th overall pick to the Jacksonville Jaguars in the seventh round. Hughes is the first player drafted directly out of […]
Navy RB/WR Eli Heidenreich selected 230th overall by Pittsburgh Steelers at 2026 NFL Draft
Eli Heidenreich grew up a diehard Pittsburgh Steelers fan, understanding it is a public duty for all Pittsburgh natives to represent the black and gold. Now the Navy star running back/wide receiver will actually represent the black and gold as the newest member of the organization. Heidenreich was selected by his hometown Steelers at pick […]
Navy DT Landon Robinson selected 226th overall by Cincinnati Bengals at 2026 NFL Draft
One of college football’s most impressive athletes is headed to the NFL. Navy defensive tackle Landon Robinson watched his professional dreams come to fruition as the 226th overall selection in the 2026 NFL Draft, when his name was called by the Cincinnati Bengals. Robinson was the third American Conference player picked in 2026 and the […]
ECU WR Anthony Smith selected 218th overall by Dallas Cowboys at 2026 NFL Draft
One Pirate is ready to sail a long way from the coast. East Carolina wide receiver Anthony Smith found a new home in Arlington, TX as the 218th overall selection by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2026 NFL Draft. Smith was the second pick of the seventh round on Saturday, becoming the second player drafted […]
Memphis OT Travis Burke selected 117th overall by Los Angeles Chargers at 2026 NFL Draft
The first American Conference prospect of the 2026 NFL Draft class lands in the fourth round. Memphis offensive tackle Travis Burke was selected 117th overall by the Los Angeles Chargers. Burke is the first Memphis Tiger selected since 2025 Mr. Irrelevant Kobee Minor went 257th overall and the earliest pick from the program since guard […]
Cincinnati WR Cyrus Allen selected 176th overall by Kansas City Chiefs at 2026 NFL Draft
One of college football’s ultimate deep threats is headed to Kansas City. Cincinnati Bearcats wide receiver Cyrus Allen was selected by the Chiefs with pick No. 176 of the fifth round in the 2026 NFL Draft. Allen is the third Bearcat off the board this weekend, following in the foosteps of outside linebacker Jake Golday […]
NDSU QB Cole Payton Selected 178th Overall by Philadelphia Eagles at 2026 NFL Draft
For the fifth time in the last decade, North Dakota State has seen one of its quarterbacks selected in the NFL Draft. Cole Payton has now joined the rich lineage of Cam Miller (2025), Trey Lance (2021), Easton Stick (2019) and Carson Wentz (2016) as former Bison signal callers to hear their name called. Payton […]
Cincinnati TE Joe Royer selected 170th overall by Cleveland Browns at 2026 NFL Draft
From high school to two collegiate stops, Joe Royer’s entire football journey has transpired in the state of Ohio. That trend will continue as the tight end is officially a member of the Cleveland Browns. The Browns selected the Cincinnati Bearcats’ starting tight end at 170th overall in the fifth round of the 2026 NFL […]
Houston TE Tanner Koziol selected 164th overall by Jacksonville Jaguars at 2026 NFL Draft
One of the best pass-catching tight ends in college football is officially NFL bound. Houston tight end Tanner Koziol was selected as the 164th overall selection of the 2026 draft by the Jacksonville Jagurs. The fifth rounder became the first Houston draft selection of the Willie Fritz era and the first Cougar tight end picked […]
Stephen F. Austin CB Charles Demmings Selected 163rd Overall by Minnesota Vikings at 2026 NFL Draft
For the first time since 2023 Stephen F. Austin has had a player drafted. Defensive back Charles Demmings was selected by the Minnesota Vikings on Saturday with the 163rd overall pick. Demmings is the first FCS defender to be selected in this year’s draft and joins defensive end B.J. Thompson as the only SFA alum […]
Louisiana ILB Jaden Dugger selected 154th overall by San Francisco 49ers at 2026 NFL Draft
For the fifth time in six years, the Ragin’ Cajuns were represented at the NFL Draft. With the 154th overall pick in the fifth round, the San Francisco 49ers selected Louisiana inside linebacker Jaden Dugger. Although Dugger is the ninth Ragin’ Cajun drafted in the 2020s decade, he is the program’s first-ever linebacker to grace […]
SMU TE Matthew Hibner selected 133rd overall by Baltimore Ravens at 2026 NFL Draft
The SMU Mustangs arrived at the 2026 NFL Draft in the fourth round. At pick No. 133, the Baltimore Ravens selected SMU tight end Matthew Hibner. Hibner is the highest-selected Mustang since wide receiver Rashee Rice landed at pick No. 55 in 2023. Hibner logged a 6-year college career, but almost the entirety of his […]
NDSU WR Bryce Lance Selected 136th Overall by New Orleans Saints at 2026 NFL Draft
For the sixth time in seven years, North Dakota State has sent one of its players to the NFL via the Draft. On Saturday afternoon, the Saints nabbed receiver Bryce Lance with the 136th overall pick in the fourth round. Lance, who played 44 games with the Bison, finished his college career with 2,157 receiving […]
Southeastern Louisiana DT Kaleb Proctor Selected 104th Overall by Arizona Cardinals at 2026 NFL Draft
One of the FCS’s best defensive players is officially off the board and he is also the first player from the subdivision to go after a historically long wait until the fourth round (the first time in the FCS era that none of its prospects were taken in Rounds 1-3). Southeastern Louisiana defensive tackle Kaleb […]
Georgia State WR Ted Hurst selected 84th overall by Tampa Bay Buccaneers at 2026 NFL Draft
Sun Belt representation finally struck the 2026 NFL Draft in the third round. At pick No. 84, Georgia State wide receiver Ted Hurst landed to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Hurst set a new program record for earliest draft pick in the 16-year history of the program, landing 105 picks before the previous record holder in […]
Cincinnati OLB Jake Golday selected 51st overall by Minnesota Vikings at 2026 NFL Draft
The first Bearcat is off the board at the 2026 NFL Draft. Cincinnati outside linebacker Jake Golday was selected as the 51st overall pick of the second round by the Minnesota Vikings. The earliest Bearcat chosen since 2022, Golday extends Cincinnati’s streak to 11-straight seasons with an NFL Draft pick. Before starring in the Big […]
Ten Must-Watch Non-Conference FCS Games in 2026
College football is four months away and the schedules for most teams are all but set in stone. This year the FCS will again feature some notable non-conference games that will very likely determine the fates of several of its squads when the dust settles. It’s been seen several times before that early-season results can… […]
2026 NFL Draft: American Conference prospects to watch
For the fourth-straight year, the American Conference did not produce a first-round NFL Draft selection. Although that streak remains in tact, the conference remains rich in talent for the six remaining rounds, similar to previous years. In 2025, the American generated six draft picks with East Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel Jr. and Tulane cornerback Caleb […]
UCF DE Malachi Lawrence selected 23rd overall by Dallas Cowboys at 2026 NFL Draft
For the first time since 2018, a UCF Knight is off the board in the first round of the NFL Draft. With the 23rd pick, the Dallas Cowboys selected UCF defensive end Malachi Lawrence. Lawrence was the fifth Big 12 player and fourth defensive end to hear his name called on the stage in Pittsburgh […]
2026 NFL Draft: Sun Belt prospects to watch
It’s NFL Draft day. 257 players will watch their NFL dreams come to fruition from Thursday night through Saturday evening in Pittsburgh, PA, forever remembering the moment their name is called on stage. How many of those 257 will hail from the Sun Belt Conference? In 2025, the answer was one — the league’s smallest […]
North Texas loses 2027 home game vs. Texas Tech, adds road trip at TCU
Last October, a never-before-seen atmosphere was observed at North Texas. For a Friday night contest against a ranked South Florida squad, a record 31,386 spectators flocked into DATCU Stadium to make Denton, TX the capital of the college football universe for one night. A similar atmosphere was potentially on the horizon in 2027 as reigning […]
Shadre Hurst eager to paint final chapter at Houston
A canvas and assortment of paintbrushes inhabit Shadre Hurst’s residence. It’s a hobby the offensive guard enjoys when he’s not sealing a defender or dropping back into pass protection. Hurst spent his four previous years of college in New Orleans, and as he shifts westward on the bayou from Tulane to a new setting in […]
FCS Throwbacks: McNair Dazzles in Final Home Game
The dominoes in college football often fall in peculiar ways, leading to unexpected stories. Such was the case for the ultra talented Steve McNair in 1991. A star in a variety of sports at Mount Olive High School in Mississippi, McNair made himself a sought after recruit in not only the college football ranks but […]
2026 NFL Draft: Conference USA prospects to watch
Conference USA is flying under the radar this draft season. It was one of two FBS conferences, along with the two-team Pac-12, to generate zero selections to the 2026 NFL Combine in Indianapolis. And with the transfer portal and conference realignment impacting the conference, the CUSA is witnessing a decline in draft selections. From 2016 […]
Rice Owls 2026 Spring Football Notebook
The Rice Owls were one of the more recent college football teams to take the field, participating in the Jan. 2 Armed Forces Bowl vs. Texas State. Despite the bitter 41-10 result in Fort Worth, the bowl appearance was a stellar result for Rice in year one of the Scott Abell era. The first-year head […]
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