Appalachian State is No Longer Just a Plucky Underdog

Contrary to popular belief, the Appalachian State football program did not begin on the field of Michigan’s Big House on September 1, 2007, when the Mountaineers pulled off one of the biggest upsets in collegiate sports history by defeating the Wolverines 34-32. By the time they knocked off then sixth-ranked Texas A&M in 2022 (17-14) the program had been in existence for close to a century. The notion of the little Boone, NC institution being an overnight success is the stuff of quaint urban legends. In fact, over the decades, 51 Mountaineers have played in the NFL. Of those 51, 34 were drafted. App State has been in eight bowl games, winning seven, including last year’s Care Bowl when they downed Miami of Ohio 13-9.

You’ll forgive Head Coach Shawn Clark if he doesn’t share the view of casual fans that his team doesn’t play big boy football. In 2023, the Mountaineers finished with a conference record of 6-3, good for second place in the Sunbelt Conference East Division. The Sunbelt Conference is home to familiar names such as Marshall, Troy, Georgia Southern, and Southern Mississippi. It is a conference that has produced a multitude of NFL players who enjoyed long careers. Their 9-5 overall record included a tough loss to North Carolina who had future third overall draft pick Drake Maye at quarterback.

The Mountaineers should be in good shape for a positive season in 2024. They had no players selected in April’s NFL Draft and only three players signed as priority undrafted free agents. Those players were linebacker Andrew Parker Jr., who was signed by the Jacksonville Jaguars, guard Bucky Williams, signed by the Los Angeles Chargers, and cornerback Tyrek Funderburk, signed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

The departures to the transfer portal were minimal—three in total—but it included App State’s leading rusher Nate Noel. Noel will play in 2024 for the Missouri Tigers. His departure challenges the Mountaineer staff to replace his 173 carries for 834 yards and five touchdowns, including a long score of 68 yards. Noel also contributed 16 receptions for 86 yards. Offensive Coordinator Frank Ponce will be looking to fill the backup quarterback void created when Ryan Burger left to compete for the same position at Liberty. Burger only appeared in one game in 2023, completing 7-11 passes for 73 yards and a touchdown. The final defection was junior LB Donovan Spellman, a former three-star recruit that transferred to Charlotte.

Although the NFL and other college programs did not wreak havoc on App State’s roster, graduations did take their toll on the depth chart. Seventeen three-star recruits in the 2024 class will be asked to step up and plug one or two holes immediately. That class ranked 94th overall and 7th in the Sunbelt Conference, according to 247sports.com.

The primary game day impact is expected to be provided from the 15 new Mountaineers who arrived in Boone via the transfer portal. Four projected starters on defense are portal recruits nose tackle Joshua Donald (Troy), safety Myles Farmer (Syracuse via Nebraska), cornerback Jason Chambers (NC Central), and safety Avarion Cole. They are expected to clamp down on opposing offenses from the opening snap of the season.

Offensive portal players are not being counted on to start right away. However, the Mountaineers have four linemen who joined the program to be primary backups. While offensive tackle Garner Langlo (Auburn), offensive tackle Andres Dewerk (Southern Cal), offensive tackle Luke Burgess (Louisville), and center Michael Marotta (Valdosta State) are not at the top of the depth chart, they will have the opportunity to practice and play their way into becoming starters.

The following Appalachian State players have been named to pre-season watch lists:

QB Joey Aguilar – Maxwell, O’Brien, Senior Bowl

TE Eli Wilson – Mackey, Senior Bowl

WR Kaedin Robinson – Biletnikoff, Senior Bowl

RB Kanye Roberts – Walker

LB Nate Johnson – Lombardi

K Michael Hughes – Senior Bowl

App State does not have any prospects that rank in the Top 200 of nflmockdraftdatabase.com. In fact, none of their players even crack the list of over a thousand players ranked. That does not mean the Mountaineers are a team to be taken lightly. They are experienced, well balanced, and well coached. They face a stiff test early with a trip to Clemson on September 7, and if the Tigers are not prepared, they can fall to a similar fate as the Wolverines and Aggies. Clark’s squad should compete for the Sunbelt East title and a chance to host the conference title game. If they can conquer that mountain, it will be their conference-leading third championship.