The Memphis Tigers, who registered their third 10-win season since 2017 last season, is the favorite to claim the 2024 American Athletic Conference football title in the leagues preseason media poll, which was announced Tuesday as part of the 2024 AAC Kickoff event at the Loews Arlington Hotel. Memphis received 23 of a possible 30 first-place votes to finish with 409 points in the poll, while UTSA was second with 368 points. The Roadrunners, who went 9-4 in their first season in The American last year, had four first-place votes. Tulane, which is a combined 23-5 in the last two seasons, received two first-place votes, while Army received one first-place vote as the Black Knights enter their first year in The American. Florida Atlantic was tabbed to finish 6th amongst the voters, coming off the heels of a 3-5 finish in their inaugural campaign under head Coach Tom Herman. Memphis is the favorite in The American after the Tigers capped a 10-3 season with a 35-26 win against Iowa State in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Ryan Silverfields team returns 17 starters from last season, including 10 on an offense that averaged a league-leading 39.4 points and ranked second in total offense at 458.5 yards per game. Memphis will be led by quarterback Seth Henigan, who will be the only fourth-year player nationally to start at quarterback for the same team in all four years. Henigan passed for 3,883 yards (ranking fourth nationally) and 32 touchdowns (fifth nationally) against nine interceptions last season. UTSA was tabbed for second in the preseason poll after the Roadrunners won nine games last year, including a 35-17 decision against Marshall in the Frisco Bowl. Jeff Traylors squad has gone 32-9 in the last three seasons and has been ranked in the top 25 six times during that stretch. The Roadrunners return 14 starters, but will have to replace the production of veteran quarterback Frank Harris. Tulane, which has played in the last two American Athletic Conference Championship Games, was picked third by the media. The Green Wave and new head coach Jon Sumrall have 15 returning starters from last years 11-3 squad, but will look to replace quarterback Michael Pratt, the 2023 AAC Offensive Player of the Year. The Green Wave returns The Americans leading rusher from last year, as Makhi Hughes rushed for 1,378 yards and a touchdown and had seven 100-yard games as a redshirt freshman. South Florida was picked fourth in the preseason poll after the Bulls improved by six wins in Alex Goleshs first year as head coach, finishing 7-6 after a 45-0 win against Syracuse in the Boca Raton Bowl. Golesh will turn to quarterback Byrum Brown, one of only two FBS players to pass for at least 3,000 yards and rush for 800 yards in the regular season season (Heisman Trophy-winner Jayden Daniels of LSU was the other). Army was fifth in the poll. Head coach Jeff Monken has eight offensive starters from a team that won last four games of the 2023 season. Each of the 14 teams in The American will play eight conference games in 2024. The top two teams in the final single-division regular-season standings will meet Friday, Dec. 6 in the 10th American Athletic Conference Football Championship.
