Picked to finish in the bottom half of the Gulf South, and with them opening the season with four straight road games, it would have been easy to write off the Delta State Statesmen before the season even began.

Delta State helped flip the Gulf South on its head early into the conference season last week, outlasting one of the preseason favorites – West Florida – in a double-overtime classic.

The Gulf South's league slate kicked off last week with North Greenville bouncing back from an 0-2 start to earn a road win over Mississippi College by a 41-19 score and temporarily move to the top of the league standings.

In the same way offensive line performance dictates success with the ball, the play of the fellas up front does the same for a defense.

With a variety of the top offenses in the country, including two of the very best in Valdosta State and West Florida, it’s safe to say that the Gulf South Conference is an offensive league. But with so many standouts on offense, that does create opportunities for defensive players to make a name for themselves. Here’s a look at some of the top returning talent returning to the Gulf South Conference ahead of the 2022 season — on both sides of the ball.

The past three seasons of Gulf South football have been ruled by Valdosta State, with the Blazers going 22-1 in the league over that time.

Sitting alone atop the Gulf South Conference and ranked in one of the top two spots in the national polls isn’t anything new for Valdosta State.

From unranked to start the season to the top 15 of the poll, both West Alabama and West Georgia have made emphatic statements to start the 2021 season.

Gulf South Conference competition starts especially strong in 2021 with a Week 3 matchup between what look like playoff-caliber teams: Delta State and West Georgia.

Eight up, seven down: The Gulf South Conference could not have had a much better start than its opening week to the 2021 season.

Gulf South Conference football boasts six national championships and 10 title-game appearances since the beginning of the 21st century. With the last two NCAA Div. II national championships to its credit, as well, projecting a title contender to emerge from the GSC is a pretty safe preseason call.