Coastal Carolina football is walking into the next season with more questions than answers, and that might not be the worst thing.
Change is evident throughout CCU football as the Chanticleers head into the 2026 season with a new head coach, staff, system and honestly, a whole new roster. When a program hits the reset button, things are going to look messy before they look better. And right now, Coastal is in that messy stage.
One of the most noticeable changes is how different the roster already looks, especially quarterback wise. Emmett Brown, Samari Collier, Tad Hudson and MJ Morris have all entered the transfer portal clearing out the entire QB room.
Collier’s departure is particularly significant. He led Coastal on a strong winning streak and averaged more points per game than any other quarterback on the roster. But as a graduate transfer, his time in Conway was always limited.
Roster turnover extends well beyond the quarterback’s position. Ja’vin Simpkins, the highest-rated recruit Coastal has ever signed out of high school, also entered the transfer portal.
On the defensive side, the biggest hit came along the defensive line. Nine players from that group entered the portal, including Jayden Bryant and Zeke Campbell.
That is a lot of production walking out the door, and it leaves CCU nearly unrecognizable heading into the offseason.
New head coach Ryan Beard now takes over a program with major roster gaps, uncertainty and a lot of work to do through the transfer portal.
Last season’s offense left plenty to be desired. Coastal struggled to generate consistency in the passing game and was average on the ground. No Chanticleer receiver finished with more than 400 receiving yards, and explosive plays were hard to come by.
By comparison, Beard’s Missouri State teams showed balance and explosiveness,
In 2025, the Missouri State Bears had five receivers record at least 400 yards, with two topping 600 yards. They also had a running backs rush for more than 1,000 yards. CCU’s leading rusher last season was Simpkins, and he did not reach even 600 yards.
That tells you everything you need to know about where this offense needs to improve.
If Beard wants to make an impact in his first year, production has to increase across the board. That means finding a quarterback who can run the system, receivers who can make plays and a running game that can control the tempo.
The defensive losses raise just as many concerns.
Losing nine defensive linemen presents a major challenge in the Sun Belt Conference (SBC), where physical play matters. The SBC is not forgiving in the trenches, and Coastal will need to reload quickly to stay competitive.
That puts a lot of pressure on Beard and his staff to hit the transfer portal hard. The good news is that a clean slate can also be a fresh start.
With new coaches, players and a new system, Coastal has the chance to reshape its identity. There is room to build something different than what fans saw last season.
The bad news is that it will take time, and with almost a new roster and coaching staff, every second counts.
Portal additions need to gel, and new schemes need to be learned.
Chemistry does not happen overnight. There will likely be some frustrations and concerns early on this off season and maybe even early in the season.But that is part of the process when a program resets.
How the Chanticleers handle this transition could define the next few years of Coastal Carolina football.
