Five Missouri State football players have been named to the 2026 Conference USA Preseason Watch List, the league office announced Thursday.
The list, selected by the conference’s 10 head coaches, recognizes five key players from each member institution to watch ahead of the upcoming season.
Representing Missouri State are tight end Jeron Askren, defensive tackle Tim Brantley Jr., offensive lineman Matthew Greene, linebacker Jared “Bird” Lloyd and wide receiver and return specialist Jmariyae Robinson.
Askren, a native of Wichita, Kan., enters his third season with the Bears. He earned All-Conference USA honorable mention honors last year after catching 19 passes for 224 yards and a program freshman-record five touchdowns. Askren caught the game-winning touchdown with 2:12 remaining at Marshall to secure the Bears’ first-ever Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) victory, earning him CUSA Freshman of the Week honors.
Brantley, from Allen, Texas, begins his fourth season at Missouri State. He played in 12 games last season, making starts in the final two matchups against Louisiana Tech and Arkansas State in the Xbox Bowl. Brantley finished the year with 32 total tackles, 2.5 tackles for loss and half a sack.
Greene, a University of Nevada-Las Vegas transfer from Centennial, Colo., played in 12 games during his sophomore campaign, starting six of the final seven games at right guard. He helped anchor an offense that averaged 392.2 total yards per game and led Conference USA in pass efficiency (151.59) and yards per play (5.98).
Lloyd, a fifth-year linebacker from Daytona Beach, Fla., started all 13 games in 2025, recording a team-high 77 tackles. He added 4.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks, tying for 21st in the conference with 5.92 tackles per game.
Robinson, a multifaceted fifth-year player from Cocoa, Fla., led the Bears last season with 44 receptions, 632 receiving yards and seven touchdown catches. His touchdown total tied for fifth on the program’s single-season list. Robinson also averaged 19.4 yards on 13 kickoff returns.
Askren and Lloyd will join first-year head coach Casey Woods to represent Missouri State at the Conference USA Kickoff event in Arlington, Texas, early next week. The CUSA Preview Show will air live on ESPN+ on Monday, with the Bears featured at 1 p.m.
Missouri State opens its season on Sept. 5, on the road against No. 11 Texas A&M. The Bears will host Lindenwood for their home opener on Sept. 12 at Robert W. Plaster Stadium.
Conference USA play begins with Week Zero matchups on Aug. 29, before the conference championship game on Dec. 4. Season and single-game tickets for Missouri State are available by calling the Great Southern Bank Arena box office at 417-836-7678 or online through the university’s Paciolan ticketing platform at mostate.evenue.net.
