As the 2026 season approached, there was a great deal of uncertainty about who would emerge as the top quarterback in the Sun Belt Conference. Several of the best quarterbacks from last season, including Alonza Barnett III, Colton Joseph, and Brad Jackson, all departed.
Quarterbacks like Marshall's Carlos Del Rio-Wilson and Troy's Goose Crowder are viewed as upcoming top performers at that position.
Coastal Carolina had a quarterback controversy all offseason with new head coach Ryan Beard taking over. There was a five-man competition between Deuce Bailey , Trevor Jackson, Tre Guerra , Osiris Lopez, and Luke McBride . Before the opener against West Virginia, Beard wouldn't publicly reveal who would start. The opener was one of the bigger Sun Belt games for the weekend, as it was televised on TNT.
When it came down to game time, Bailey was the one who got the nod. It is important to remember that Bailey played under Beard last season at Missouri State, even though he still had to earn the spot throughout the offseason.
He didn't disappoint in that start. Despite the loss, Bailey completed 21 of 37 passes for 373 yards and three touchdowns, almost completing a comeback for the Chanticleers.
Bailey was named the Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week for the performance. After that game, it is fair to question whether Bailey can be the next star quarterback in the Sun Belt or one of the best.
| Source: Lastwordonsports.com - Tony Siracusa, CFB Managing Editor
The game against West Virginia was a tale of two halves for Bailey. In the first half, he completed 7 of 15 passes for 71 yards. The Chanticleers were trailing 24-0 at halftime.
The second half was a complete turnaround for Bailey, as he helped make it a tight game late. He showed his ability to create explosive plays in the passing game and extend them with his legs. His first touchdown pass with 3:57 left in the third quarter was a play where he avoided a sack and found Clayton Coppock Jr. for 34 yards.
Early in the fourth quarter, he was able to escape some pressure and roll to his right, firing a pass to Colton Hinton in the back of the end zone for another touchdown. Those two plays encapsulate his ability as a quarterback.
He only had 19 rushing yards in the game so he wouldn't be classified as this extremely mobile quarterback. Despite that, his ability to extend plays is a valuable asset for quarterbacks to possess in today's game.
Bailey's second half against the Mountaineers was so impressive that West Virginia head coach Rich Rodriguez told him after the game, " I don't want to see you anymore ."
The one word that would describe Bailey's game against West Virginia was resilience. Going down 24-0 at halftime and not playing well is a great excuse for any young quarterback to mail it in and look forward to the next week. He showed great resolve in the second half, putting the Chanticleers in a position where it was a one-score game at the end.
For Bailey, he will look to have more performances like the second half rather than the first.
There were very few established quarterbacks in the Sun Belt Conference coming into the season. Coastal Carolina was one of the teams with a competition to determine the starter.
Now that Bailey is the starter, he will have an opportunity to establish himself as a top quarterback in the conference. Winning Sun Belt Offensive Player of the Week is a great way to introduce yourself to the conference. More performances like the one against West Virginia will lead to Bailey having a strong season, one that could land him on an All-Sun Belt team.
As impressive as Bailey was against West Virginia, it's important to note that before this game he had limited experience on the field. In his one year with Missouri State , he attempted 47 passes and completed 23 of them. This past weekend was only his second collegiate start.
It is fair to wonder that the more he plays, giving teams more film on him, whether he can continue to have strong performances. With Bailey being a redshirt freshman, there is still plenty of time for him to continue to grow.
Bailey and the Chanticleers will be back in action Saturday, Sept. 12, at home against Fordham at 7:30 p.m. ET.
Main Photo: Ben Queen-Imagn Images
