The offensive line is one of the best in the conference, and the backfield ranks near the top of college football with Journey Brown poised for a big year as the No. WKU has the top-rated offensive line in the conference by Athlon Sports, with 1,000-yard rusher Gaej Walker back at running back and Jahcour Pearson, Jacquez Sloan and tight end Joshua Simon rounding out a key group of weapons in the passing game. The Mustangs took a big step forward in coach Sonny Dykes’ second year in Dallas. Quarterback Kyle Vantrease (1,193 yards) was efficient after taking over the starting job following an injury to Matt Myers in 2019. Dede Westbrook JAC WR65 Departures hit the defensive line hard, but the arrival of Appalachian State transfer Chris Willis should help. A home slate featuring Oregon, Utah, Washington, Stanford and UCLA is favorable. A rebound to that mark will be tough to attain, but the Cardinal should be better in 2020. 234. Ryan Tannehill TEN QB21 Replacing standout left tackle Mekhi Becton is likely to be junior Adonis Boone. The linebacker unit features a dynamic edge rusher in Jordan Smith (10 sacks) and first-team All-C-USA pick in Kristopher Moll (104 tackles). New coach Ricky Rahne is a good fit and a promising hire, and the former Penn State coordinator’s offensive background is a timely addition. Replacing quarterback Malcolm Perry (2,017 rushing yards) is a tough task for coach Ken Niumatalolo, but don’t expect the Midshipmen to slip too far in the AAC. Linebacker Joseph Ossai and safety Caden Sterns should be two of the league's top defenders. The situation is better at linebacker and in the secondary. A year after winning the Big Ten West Division, Northwestern posted its worst season (3-9) in Pat Fitzgerald's tenure. Cody White and Darrell Stewart will be missed at receiver, but Western Michigan transfer Jayden Reed and sophomore Jalen Nailor are a good starting point. With a standout defense, even just a small amount of improvement on offense should boost Cincinnati to be the top Group of 5 team in 2020. For Coaches. Concerns remain for 2020 with only three returning starters, and the linebacker group is thin. Russell Gage ATL WR74 63. Coach Randy Edsall’s squad has won just six games over the last three years, but 17 returning starters provide some optimism this team should take a small step forward in 2020. The offensive line ranks among the best in the conference, Jaylon Bester and Tyre Shelton form a solid one-two punch at running back, while Jack Sorenson and Jalen Walker lead the targets on the outside. After holding teams to 4.7 yards a snap in 2018, Fresno State’s defense surrendered 5.73 in 2019. James Washington PIT WR67 Coach Manny Diaz’s squad kicks off their season against UAB on Thursday. Derek Carr LV QB30 With 17 starters back, there's a good chance Indiana matches or exceeds that mark in 2020. If Trotter picks up where he left off at the end of 2019, Campbell’s team should show improvement in the win column. Seniors D’Antne Demery (LT) and Shane McGough (center) form a good foundation in the trenches for the new quarterback. Tyson Helton’s debut at WKU got off to a rocky start with a loss to FCS member Central Arkansas, but the program rebounded in a big way. Six starters return, and improvement against the run (213.5 yards per game allowed) is a priority. There’s a first-year coach (Marcus Arroyo), and thanks to the Raiders moving to Las Vegas, the Rebels will play in a new stadium (Allegiant Stadium). Brown TEN WR14 Carson Wentz PHI QB10 Noah Fant DEN TE10 Corey Clement PHI RB78 Coach Rod Carey’s defense still has a good foundation in place, so a steep drop-off shouldn’t be expected. The Dave Aranda era in Waco starts this Saturday against Louisiana Tech. The offensive line should rank among the best in the ACC. Baltimore Ravens BAL DST4 Also, the Gamecocks play at Kentucky and play at rival Clemson to close 2020. Defense is the unquestioned strength of Hoke’s 2020 squad. The Bearcats open their 2020 slate against Austin Peay in Week 3. FIU’s schedule provides enough toss-ups to get bowl eligible, especially if one quarterback emerges as the clear leader on offense. Linebacker Erroll Thompson should thrive in this defense. With a healthy Terry Wilson at quarterback and one of the nation’s top offensive lines, Kentucky will be a wild card team to watch in the SEC East this fall. Injuries and roster turnover from a team that won nine games in back-to-back years played a huge role in last season's regression.