AAC Power Rankings 2023: Tulane Green Wave Rolls On

One of the conferences at the forefront of college football realignment, our AAC power rankings feature a plethora of new faces for the 2023 season. Can any of the newcomers challenge the reigning champion Tulane Green Wave for the conference title?

AAC Power Rankings 2023

Our AAC Power Rankings for the 2023 college football season takes into account a number of factors. Overall roster, coaching staff changes, schedule, and predicted record all play a part in ranking the 14 AAC programs from first to worst.

1) Tulane Green Wave

With so much change around the conference, who else would top our AAC power rankings than the reigning conference and Cotton Bowl champion Tulane Green Wave? Willie Fritz's team took the nation by storm last season, and while repeating that level of success is always tough to accomplish in college football, "NOLA's team" is in a great place to make a splash once more in 2023. Confidence begins with the head coach and trickles down through all elements.

Their schedule features the two teams directly below them in our AAC power rankings. A road game at Memphis is tough, while UTSA will be no walkover to close the year. The return of quarterback Michael Pratt, possibly the most underrated passer in the country is a huge boost. Both QB and ground game -- watch out for freshman Arnold Barnes -- get to work behind a solid o-line led by Sincere Haynesworth and the defense returns notable playmakers at every level.

2) UTSA Roadrunners

The Traylor Park might be moving from Conference USA to the AAC, but the UTSA Roadrunners' recent run of success simply isn't going to slow down. Jeff Traylor has built a juggernaut in San Antonio, weaponizing local passion for winning football with a roster that has produced some incredible talent over the time of his tenure. Their schedule is extremely winnable, featuring several of the teams that came with them from CUSA before they take on Tulane in the season finale.

The loss of WR Zakhari Franklin to Ole Miss stings, as does the uncertain status of Joshua Cephus due to a legal issue. However, Frank Harris gives them one of the top quarterbacks in the nation, a true dual-threat who can do it all for UTSA. Kevorian Barnes only scratched the surface of his potential last fall, which is a scary prospect. The defense lost some pieces but leading tackler Jamal Ligon and tackle-for-loss leader Trey Moore are both back alongside Rashad Wisdom.

3) Memphis Tigers

The Memphis Tigers haven't had a 10-win season since Mike Norvell left town, but there's potential for Ryan Silverfield's team to accomplish that feat in the 2023 college football season. They avoid UTSA and face their toughest AAC game -- against Tulane -- at home. Out-of-conference clashes with Boise State and Missouri could thwart their bit for double-digit wins, but there's every chance that Memphis asserts themselves as the better Tigers team in that Week 4 clash.

Their third place in our AAC power rankings is boosted by a roster set up for success in the conference. Seth Henigan is one of the best young passers in the conference and got a pass-catching boost with the addition of Demeer Blankumsee and Tauskie Dove. Blake Watson was one of the top rushers in the nation last fall and is another weapon for a free-scoring offense. Top CBs Davion Ross and Greg Rubin are important returnees for a defense that lost key pieces.

4) SMU Mustangs

Year one under Rhett Lashlee saw the SMU Mustangs experience some growing pains, slipping to six defeats for the first time since 2018. On the face of it, the loss of quarterback Tanner Mordecai -- a shredder of AAC defenses -- could facilitate a slide down the AAC power rankings. However, there's a level of expectation and excitement that suggests the Mustangs might be about to gallop throught their AAC schedule and trouble the teams right at the very top of the conference.

Aptly for the Mustangs, their offensive identity this season may lie in trampling teams to death in Lashlee's up-tempo offense. The running back room is stacked with talent. Importantly, the head coach is reunited with former Miami Hurricanes running back Jaylan Knighton who was a force to be reckoned with not so long ago. Defense was the issue 12 months ago, and SMU added former Ole Miss coach Maurice Crum Jr and a host of transfers to help solidify that unit.

5) North Texas Mean Green

New head coach. New quarterback. New conference. There's been a lot of moving parts for the North Texas Mean Green ahead of the 2023 college football season, but our AAC power rankings suggest that they can continue where they left off in 2022. They finished their 10-year spell in CUSA by reaching the championship game but were ultimately foiled twice by UTSA. They face their familiar foe as part of a trio of games against the top three teams that could determine their ceiling.

The Mean Green roster losses are significant on both sides of the ball, with 244 tackles between KD Davis and Larry Nixon III departed and leading receiver Jyaire Shorter heading to the SEC. Yet, Roderic Burns is back to catch passes from Chandler Rodgers, and the strength of their offense is a triple-headed RB monster. Top CB Ridge Texada looks set to build on an impressive season, and defensive end Mazin Richards was one of the most productive defensive players in 2022.

6) Temple Owls

If you're looking for a team that could surprise during the 2023 college football season, the Temple Owls might just be that team. Their positioning as high as sixth in our AAC power rankings certainly caused some raised eyebrows and discussions in our (virtual) office, but there's plenty of talent on the roster for Stan Drayton to work with as he enters his second year at the helm. They avoid Tulane on a schedule that could easily see them hit six wins -- matching 2021 and 2022 combined.

Quarterback E.J. Warner is a key part of the Owls optimism for the 2023 college campaign. He tore up the Temple record books last season, and the transfer portal provided another absolute weapon as an outlet in former Colorado State WR Dante Wright. The defense made significant strides last season and can continue that upward trajectory thanks to the return of Layton Jordan and Jordan Magee who accounted for 27.5 tackles for loss and 13.5 sacks last season.

7) UAB Blazers

Following Bill Clark's departure in 2021, Bryant Vincent got one season to close out the UAB Blazers' time in CUSA before what some deemed a shock hire to begin anew in the American Athletic Conference. Many know Trent Dlifer as a Super Bowl-winning quarterback and TV analyst, but the former Fresno State phenom has been plying his trade as a QB coach at the Elite 11 event and won consecutive high school championships as the head coach at Lipscomb Academy.

It's a step up from high school to the Group of Five, but Dilfer has surrounded himself with familiar and talented coaches to help battle a particularly cruel schedule that features the top three teams from our AAC power rankings plus national champions Georgia. With the departure of Dylan Hopkins, Jacob Zeno shoulders a lot of responsbility for offensive success, though the presence of Jermaine Brown Jr. as the next great Blazers back could be key to early wins.

8) Tulsa Golden Hurricane

After a 5-7 overall record that comprised just three conference wins, the Tusla Golden Hurricane parted ways with Philip Montgomery. Offensive inconsistency had been the calling card of his tenure, and with that surely in mind, they bring in former Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson -- who famously took Indiana to consecutive bowl games for the first time in 25 years. His offense will get a baptism of fire as they face free-scoring Oklahoma and Washington early.

They face four of the teams below them in our AAC power rankings during in-conference play, with surpassing last season's conference wins tally a minimum expectation. Although Davis Brin heads for Georgia Southern, Braylon Braxton is more than capable of driving the Golden Hurricane offense although he does so without their talented WR duo of Keylon Stokes and JuanCarlos Santana. The return of safety Kendarin Ray is huge for a defense that also lost key pieces.

9) Florida Atlantic Owls

If any team is primed to climb from the bottom half of our AAC power rankings, it might be the Florida Atlantic Owls. After three consecutive seasons with five wins, the program parted ways with Willie Taggart, replacing him with one of the winningest active head coaches in college football. Tom Herman has been out of the head coaching game since 2000, but his appointment has sparked a ton of excitement, optimism, and transfers to Boca Raton ahead of the 2023 season.

Key amongst them is quarterback Casey Thompson, originally with Herman at Texas but arriving in Flordia by way of Nebraska where he averaged 8.8 yards per pass attempt in 2022. He ignites an offense that returns a 1,000 yard rusher in Larry McCammon III. Offensive lineman Chaz Neal is also a key offensive cog. Big men don't come much bigger than nose tackle Evan Anderson, and cornerback Jarron Morris' arrival from Texas State gives them a playmaker in the secondary.

10) East Carolina Pirates

Mike Houston took on an East Carolina Pirates team that had gone 3-9 in three consecutive seasons and made them a contender near the top of the American, and bowl eligible for the last two seasons. He led the team to as many AAC conference wins in 2022 alone as the program managed during the entire Scottie Montgomery era. Houston gives ECU a coaching advantage in our AAC power rankings, but we're about to find out if his success was tied to one man.

Holton Ahlers has been the face of the program, the driver of their offense, throughout Houston's tenure. Now, he's gone. So is running back Keaton Mitchell, one of the most electric backs in the nation. Oh, and both are 1,000-yard receivers. The offense is almost certain to take a step back, which is worrying with a defense that allowed 27.2 points per game last fall. The Pirates plundered the portal to make improvements, and former SC State LB BJ Davis is one guy to watch.

11) Rice Owls

Admittedly, we had the Rice Owls -- shoutout the American for their love of feathered friends this season by the way -- higher in our AAC power rankings when we first sat down at the (virtual) drawing board to figure out the good, the bad, and the ugly for the 2023 college football season. After all, they went bowling last year for the first time since 2014, and appeared to be on an upward trajectory under Mike Bloomgren and his staff.

While JT Daniels has been around the houses and never reached his five-star potential, he's a legitimate quarterback. With Luke McCaffrey blooming into a talented wide receiver and a solid running back room, they were shaping up to improve an offense that ranked 84th in the nation. However, stud wide receiver Brad Rozner entered the portal recently, quickly followed by Cedric Patterson III, leaving the Owls with a wafer-thin WR room. Oh, and a defense with some holes.

12) Navy Midshipmen

When Navy won the same amount of total games in the three years following their 11-win 2019 season, time was called on long-time head coach Ken Niumatalolo. Defensive coordinator Brian Newberry takes over the reins of the program. While we won't see wholesale changes to the triple-option brand of football beloved by service academies -- and college football fans everywhere -- there certainly is a dawning of a new era and with it, some wrinkles and changes.

How quickly Navy adapts to those changes will likely make or break their season. It isn't feasible to expect an overnight transformation from a team that went 4-8 last fall to one worthy of a place near the top of our AAC power rankings. Playing in Week 0 shortens their preparation time too, although they started practice early to compensate. There's still a QB competition to solve, but at least the Midshipmen's triple-option offense will be spearheaded once more by fullback Daba Fofana.

13) USF Bulls

It feels like a long time since Charlie Strong and Willie Taggart led South Florida to consecutive double-digit win seasons. It probably feels even longer for USF fans who have watched their team become the whipping boys of college football in recent seasons. Just one win last season, the second time in three years, was enough to end Jeff Scott's time in Tampa. Now, there's excitement over what former Tennessee offensive coordinator Alex Golesh can do with the program.

Surprisingly for a team that went 1-11 last fall, Golesh inherits some talented places that can help with a turnaround. OT Donovan Jennings is one of the best in the AAC, and he'll plow open lanes for former Florida Gators rusher Nay'Quan Wright. The most excitement is reserved for QB Byrum Brown, who carved up Tulsa as part of his limited action in 2022. However, it's defensive improvements that are still required for a team that allowed 41.2 points per game last year.

14) Charlotte 49ers

Charlotte went 3-9 in Conference USA last fall, spelling the end of Will Healy who was at the helm for their fairytale run to a bowl game in 2019. Amongst a litany of frankly horrifying metrics, the 49ers finished 91st in scoring offense and 129th in scoring defense. Motivational head coach Biff Poggi, a high school hero credited for the rejuvenation of Jim Harbaugh's Michigan team, comes in to lead a turnaround that is likely to take more than just one season.

Poggi's influence has been felt in their ability to attract top talent out of the portal. Deion Sanders would be proud of a team that is likely to feature just six or seven returning starters. Players like Julius Welschof and Eyabi Okie, both former Michigan men, should feast against most teams in the AAC. However, replacing departed quarterback Chris Reynolds is likely to be the biggest task facing the new Charlotte coach if the 49ers stand a chance of climbing our AAC power rankings.