Arkansas Business

This story is from the archives of ArkansasSports360.com.

Waiting on college football season to start can be agonizing. To pass the time we’ve been thumbing through a collection of national preseason magazines.

We’ll be looking at a different magazine each day the rest of the week, checking out how they break down the season. It’s not quite as exciting as kickoff or those first two-a-days (or even media days), but it’s the best we’ve got for now.

Here’s what Phil Steele has to say about the…

ARKANSAS STATE RED WOLVES
PROJECTED CONFERENCE FINISH:  No. 4 Sun Belt
NATIONAL RANK:  No. 88
2012 CONF. RECRUITING RANK:  No. 1
ALL-CONFERENCE PICKS: QB Ryan Aplin (first team); WR Josh Jarboe (first); WR Taylor Stockemer (second);  OL Zack McKnight (second); LB Nathan Herrold (second); CB Chaz Scales (second); KR Andrew Tryon (second); RB Frankie Jackson (third); DT Ryan Carrethers (third); K Brian Davis (third); DT Ishmail Hayes (fourth); LB Qushaun Lee (fourth).
NOTABLE: Arkansas State has the best group of quarterbacks and the second-best group of receivers in the Sun Belt, according to Phil Steele; the Red Wolves have what is ranked as the 96^th toughest schedule in the country; QB Ryan Aplin is the 31^st best quarterback in college football, and WR Josh Jarboe is the 65^th best receiver in college football in the magazine rankings.

SPEAKING OUT
“ASU returns their quarterback, who was also their top rusher, as well as five of their top six receivers and three of their top five tacklers. That will make them a preseason favorite for the Sun Belt Conference … It will be another successful year for ASU but I don’t see them matching last year’s double-digit win season.”