Faculty soccer’s postseason enters a brand new period in 2024 with the arrival of the 12-team Faculty Soccer Playoff, that includes automated bids for the 5 top-ranked convention champions plus seven at-large alternatives. The bracket intrigue will solely construct all through the autumn, however one factor’s for positive: Extra groups could have a sensible shot to play for a nationwide title than ever earlier than.
However what number of extra? It’s assumed most of the nation’s elite packages will play their method into the highest 12 most years, however the expanded area leaves room for various surprises, particularly within the first 12 months of a brand new system. Under, The Athletic’s faculty soccer writers make their picks for this season’s most fascinating sleeper Faculty Soccer Playoff groups. Applications ranked within the preseason Coaches Ballot and voted atop their league’s preseason media ballot had been excluded from consideration.
This could be the Hokies’ greatest staff since Frank Beamer retired. Tech discovered one thing in quarterback Kyron Drones and received 5 of its final seven video games, together with a bowl, to shut out 2023. Drones threw for 17 touchdowns with simply three picks and ran for 818 yards final season, igniting a long-dormant offense. Defensive lineman Antwaun Powell-Ryland (14.5 tackles for loss, 9.5 sacks) and a loaded secondary return on the unit through which head coach Brent Pry specializes. The Hokies rank top-five nationally in returning roster manufacturing, per ESPN’s Invoice Connelly. Perhaps there’s room for a slow-cooked sleeper to sneak into the 12-team area. — Kyle Tucker
The Cyclones return 9 starters on each offense and protection, together with breakout quarterback Rocco Becht, his prime 4 receivers, the protection’s prime 5 tacklers and main rusher Abu Sama. Iowa State beat Oklahoma State and Kansas State final 12 months and wraps up this season with a visit to Utah and at dwelling in opposition to Okay-State. — Scott Dochterman
Jeff Brohm led the Cardinals to a 10-win season and an ACC championship recreation look in his first 12 months on the helm, and he has some key items in place for what must be a sound protection, together with finish Ashton Gillotte. Can Texas Tech switch quarterback Tyler Shough thrive in Brohm’s system? There will probably be ample alternative to stand up the rankings with video games in opposition to Notre Dame, Clemson and Miami. — Jesse Temple
Consider within the second-year leap. Louisville returns 15 gamers with not less than 5 begins in 2023 and bolstered that group with a strong switch portal class. The schedule can also be favorable: Louisville solely performs two of the highest eight groups within the ACC preseason ballot (Clemson and Miami), and the highway journey to South Bend is a first-rate alternative to beef up the playoff resume. —Kennington Smith III
Are we not speaking and writing sufficient concerning the Mountaineers? Quarterback Garrett Greene has a shot to contend for the Heisman. Neal Brown’s staff has an opportunity to upset Penn State and make a right away assertion in Week 1. West Virginia has seven dwelling video games, which may assist tip the scales with loads of showcase alternatives as Penn State, Kansas, Iowa State, Kansas State, Baylor and UCF all journey to Morgantown. — Audrey Snyder
The Bobcats got here in atop the West Division within the Solar Belt preseason ballot however nonetheless completed behind East-leading Appalachian State within the total vote, qualifying them as a G5 sleeper. G.J. Kinne’s first staff went 8-5, together with a season-opening highway win over Baylor, and Kinne dipped into the switch portal this offseason for quarterback Jordan McCloud, the reigning Solar Belt Participant of the 12 months for James Madison. The schedule units up favorably, too: The Bobcats have winnable but respectable nonconference video games at dwelling in opposition to Arizona State and UTSA, plus a Solar Belt slate that avoids the East Division’s prime 5 groups based mostly on the preseason ballot. — Justin Williams
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UCF
The Knights had been the one Huge 12 newcomer final season to achieve a bowl recreation, and head coach Gus Malzahn drastically upgraded his roster by means of the switch portal, including 27 new gamers with 327 faculty begins between them. Quarterback Okay.J. Jefferson comes over from Arkansas to steer the offense, which options two 1,400-yard rushers from a 12 months in the past in RJ Harvey and Peny Boone (Toledo switch). They’ll rating a lot. — Manny Navarro
UNLV
What within the identify of Randall Cunningham? (Or Stacey Augmon?) Really, it’s within the identify of Barry Odom, who was an excellent defensive coordinator at Missouri and fewer of a great head coach there however has discovered his stage out west. UNLV was picked second within the Mountain West, and the one large query is the way it will substitute quarterback Jayden Maiava, who transferred to USC (after first committing to Georgia). That matter does should be resolved rapidly as a result of three early nonconference video games will probably be pivotal to any CFP hopes: at Houston, at Kansas, dwelling in opposition to Syracuse. It’ll be robust, however UNLV making the primary expanded CFP could be an incredible story. — Seth Emerson
If the Rebels can work out tips on how to substitute Maiava, they’ll be harmful. The Rebels reached the Mountain West championship recreation in Odom’s first season, and his staff has a ton of expertise surrounding the quarterback. However everyone knows how necessary quarterbacks are in faculty soccer. — Daniel Shirley
Name me loopy, however I consider within the Scarlet Knights this 12 months. Greg Schiano has performed an incredible job recruiting in this system’s yard and returns a ton of expertise from a staff that truly led Ohio State at halftime final season. They’ll have a brand new quarterback in Minnesota switch Athan Kaliakmanis, and working again Kyle Monangai is among the greatest working backs the nation doesn’t discuss sufficient about. The schedule breaks proper for competition, too: The Scarlet Knights don’t play Penn State, Oregon, Ohio State, Iowa or Michigan this 12 months. — Cameron Teague Robinson
You need to get nuts? Let’s get nuts. The parameters for this train mainly require a staff to be in a high-leverage state of affairs the place one or two surprising twists and turns upends all assumptions. I provide the Badgers, who get Alabama at dwelling in mid-September — the primary time since 1971 that an SEC staff will play at Camp Randall Stadium. The place will probably be bonkers, and the Crimson Tide will probably be coached by somebody aside from Nick Saban. Then there’s USC on the highway two weeks later. Not insurmountable! And at last, Oregon, at dwelling, in mid-November, when the local weather might be very unfriendly to these unfamiliar with late fall within the Midwest. Even when the Badgers lose one or two of those video games, that’s not deadly in a 12-team playoff. And Tyler Van Dyke at quarterback is, himself, a high-leverage wild card. — Brian Hamilton
The Bulls took an enormous leap ahead in Alex Golesh’s first season as head coach, going from 1-11 to 7-6 with a 45-0 bowl win in opposition to Syracuse. With star quarterback Byrum Brown again and a protection that may solely get higher, keep watch over Tampa. The nonconference schedule is hard with Alabama and Miami, however the convention schedule might be favorable, with USF set to play 4 of the underside 5 groups within the AAC preseason ballot, plus convention frontrunner Memphis at dwelling. If the Bulls can get by means of the primary 5 video games at 3-2, be careful for a late run. — Chris Vannini
SMU
The ACC race seems like a little bit of a wild card, so why not choose the convention newcomer to make waves in 12 months 1? Final 12 months’s Mustangs ranked No. 8 within the FBS in scoring offense en path to an 11-3 document and an AAC championship. Quarterback Preston Stone returns after throwing for 3,197 yards (twenty sixth within the FBS) and 28 touchdowns (eleventh) with a 161.3 passing effectivity ranking (thirteenth) as a redshirt sophomore. After all, the Mustangs had been beat out by undefeated Liberty for final 12 months’s G5 New 12 months’s Six bid, so there’s an added chip on their shoulders in opposition to the committee. — Jayna Bardahl
I’m a giant believer in new coach Jon Sumrall after his time at Troy, the place he inherited a program that received a mixed 15 video games within the earlier three seasons and went 23-4 in his two years there with back-to-back Solar Belt titles. Sumrall introduced each of his coordinators with him to Tulane and did a stable job of including portal expertise to an already athletic Inexperienced Wave roster. The schedule affords alternatives to impress the committee with a house recreation in opposition to Kansas State and a highway journey to Oklahoma. And Memphis, the AAC preseason favourite, should journey to New Orleans within the common season finale. — Sam Khan Jr.
The Solar Belt contenders may cannibalize themselves as Playoff hopefuls, and Liberty’s power of schedule seemingly received’t be all that spectacular. That leaves room for another person to interrupt by means of and earn the G5’s assured spot within the 12-team playoff. After a reset 12 months that featured 9 wins (two over Energy 5 faculties), the Bulldogs carry again quarterback Mikey Keene and have the schedule that would arrange for a pleasant run even with the retirement of head coach Jeff Tedford this summer time. — Antonio Morales
Kansas
All of the Jayhawks have performed in three years beneath Lance Leipold is enhance and exceed expectations. They’ve gone from one win to 6 to 9, capped by this system’s first bowl victory in 15 years final December. Kansas returns nearly all of its offense, together with dynamic quarterback Jalon Daniels and productive working again Devin Neal. It avoids Utah, Arizona, Oklahoma State and UCF — and will get TCU and Iowa State at dwelling — as a part of a manageable Huge 12 schedule. If Daniels stays wholesome and the protection reloads up entrance, Leipold may hold the Jayhawks in competition for a spot within the Huge 12 championship recreation. Ought to we actually proceed to be shocked? — Mitch Sherman
(High illustration images: Carter Skaggs / The Enquirer; Vincent Carchietta / USA Immediately)
