2025 Arkansas State Football Predictions: Red Wolves Ranked 103rd in RJ Young's Ultimate 136

By RJ Young
Published

This isn't your average college football ranking.

My Ultimate 136 is a set of rankings that is fluid, but it's my job to look ahead and make a claim for all FBS teams based on what I know and why I know it. Here are the three pressing questions I started by asking when putting together this list:

  • Who do I think is good?
  • Why do I think they're good?
  • What are the chances they will finish above or below my expectations?

Here is a look at where Arkansas State lands in my Ultimate 136.

Arkansas State ranking: 103
Last year’s ranking: 65
Top player: WR Corey Rucker: All-Sun Belt Conference Second Team selection last season, recorded 1,053 receiving yards— the fourth-most in a single season in program history.

[Arkansas State's 2025 schedule]

RJ’s take: The bones are good for Butch Jones’ Red Wolves. He returns a 2,700-yard passer in Jaylen Raynor, a 1,000-yard receiver in Rucker and standout running back Ja’Quez Cross, who averaged 5.5 yards per carry on 115 rushes. From that vantage, the Red Wolves' eight-win success last year makes sense.

Defensively, Jones has to nail evaluations on former Texas A&M-Kingsville EDGE Demarcus Hendricks and former West Alabama DT Cody Sigler, who combined for double-digit tackles for loss at the D-II level.

[Check out RJ Young's Ultimate 136 College Football Rankings here]

Arkansas State Win Total Odds: Over 5.5 (+118) Under 5.5 (-144)

Have an issue with my rankings? Think your alma mater is too low, or your school's rival is too high? Get at me on X, @RJ_Young, and I'll select my favorite tweets and respond to them in a future article.

RJ Young is a national college football writer and analyst for FOX Sports. Follow him at @RJ_Young.