By David Rogers. NEW ORLEANS, La. — It is not a rebuilding year for Appalachian State football in 2023, but a “reset.”
That is the core message being communicated by head coach Shawn Clark and player representatives, center Isaiah Helms and defensive back Nick Ross, at the Sun Belt Conference Media Days, July 25-26.
Notes from interviews:
- The Mountaineers have brought in 32 new players, 17 from the transfer portal
- There is no “QB1” right now, but a competition between Ryan Burger (6-3, 205 lb., redshirt freshman from Myrtle Beach), Joey Aguilar (6-3, 220 lb. transfer from Diablo Valley CC in Calif.), and Mason McHugh (6-2, 195 lb. freshman from Ferdinand, Idaho). The QB1 will be named the week before the first game of the season vs. Gardner-Webb.
- There were no App State selections named to the all-Sun Belt preseason defense. Clark calls the Mountaineers’ unit, “the no-name defense,” pointing out that of the 32 new players to the roster, there was a heavy emphasis on the defensive side. In addition to 5th year senior and safety, Nick Ross, Clark reflected high expectations for redshirt senior transfer Tyrek Funderburk (Richmond), redshirt senior and inside linebacker Andrew Parker, redshirt junior Brendan Harrington, and junior safety Ronald Clarke for leading the defense.
- The Mountaineers pride themselves on a tradition of producing exceptional offensive linemen, including last year’s Cooper Hodges and Anderson Hardy, now on NFL rosters. Led by center Isaiah Helms, the Mountaineers expect to have a strong offensive line unit in 2023.
- Clark emphasized that the Mountaineers will run the football, rattling off the names of a deep running back room led by Nate Noel, Ahmani Marshall, Kanye Roberts and Anderson Castle.
- Christan Horn, Kaedin Robinson, and Dalton Stroman are returning leaders of the wide receivers’ corps, which Clark identified as deep and talented.
- Helms and Ross had high praise for Director of Athletic Performance for Football, Matt Greenhalgh, saying that the team as a whole has gotten bigger, stronger and faster. Clark pointed out that most fans don’t realize how much work the individual players put in during the offseason to get ready for the actual playing season.
- Clark was enthusiastic about the support demonstrated by “AppNation” in having already sold out the season tickets, suggesting that the program will set another new home attendance record this year.
- Clark noted that because of the work of Sun Belt Conference commissioner Keith Gill and the individual member schools’ athletic directors, the Sun Belt Conference has changed since 2016. It is now the strongest non-autonomous conference in the nation and competitive top to bottom in both the East and West divisions. “It’s not just App State and Louisiana-Lafayette anymore, playing each other in the championship games.”
- Clark, Helms and Ross all used the word, “reset,” in describing the Mountaineers’ mission in 2023, pointing out that the 6-6 record in 2022 did not live up to App State’s tradition of competing for championships. Ross pointed out that five of the six losses were by a touchdown or less, so the season could just as easily have been 11-1 if a few breaks had gone their way.
APP STATE 2023 GAME SCHEDULE
Sat., Sept. 2 vs. Gardner-Webb
Sat., Sept. 9 at North Carolina
Sat., Sept. 16 vs. East Carolina (Family Weekend)
Sat., Sept. 23 at Wyoming
Sat., Sept. 30 at ULM*
Tues., Oct. 10 vs. Coastal Carolina*
Sat., Oct. 21 at Old Dominion*
Sat., Oct. 28 vs. Southern Miss* (Homecoming)
Sat., Nov. 4 vs. Marshall*
Sat., Nov. 11 at Georgia State*
Sat., Nov. 18 at James Madison*
Sat., Nov. 25 vs. Georgia Southern*
HOME GAMES IN BOLD
* Denotes Sun Belt Conference game
