Jacksonville State Football Preview 2025: The Gamecocks Are Starting From Scratch
Jacksonville State was supposed to struggle when it made the move up from the FCS ranks two years ago.Rich Rodriguez and his offense would be good, the team would have a few moments, and in the end, it would take a little while to start winning. And then a funny thing happened on the way to the whole getting-up-to-speed thing …The offense was wonderful, the team won nine games in each of the first two seasons, took down the Conference USA title last year, and boom. RichRod parlayed that into a return to West Virginia, where he made his big name as a head coach.
But this year, Jacksonville State really might have some work to do. Few teams in America lost as much talent as Jax State did.Charles Kelly is a 57-year-old career assistant who's back after serving as a key assistant in the 1990s, and he's all but starting from scratch at his first head coaching gig with a team that's just this side of depleted.There's a shot the defending Conference USA champ will rise up and rock in a mediocre conference, but unlike a few years ago, a little patience is a must.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Preview 2025: Offense
X CFN, Fiu | CFN Facebook | Bluesky Fiu, CFN- Jacksonville State will still try cranking up the high-powered attack, but it'll do it in a different way. Gone is the RichRod attack that ripped it up with the running game, and in comes the passing attack that brings a little more pace under former Georgia Southern coordinator Clint Trickett.- The quarterbacks are coming in through the portal to run the passing game. Gavin Wimsatt started out at Rutgers, went to Kentucky last year and saw a little time, and now he'll battle for the gig. Cade Cunningham started at Marshall before going to Memphis, but he's inexperienced.
- Top receiver Cam Vaughn left with Rodriguez to West Virginia, but Michael Pettway was second with 25 catches, averaging over 18 yards per grab, and No. 3 man Brock Rechsteiner is back on the outside.- Guard Amare Grayson is the only starter returning to the offensive front, but there's a little bit of experience from last year to step up. The developed depth, though, is non-existent. Again, it'll be a different style, but there will still be a ground game. Andrew Paul ran for four touchdowns, but TCU transfer Cam Cook will likely be the main man coming off 460-yard, nine-score season.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Preview 2025: Defense
- The defense took a bit of a backseat to the high-powered offense, but it closed strong and was amazing all season at taking the ball away. Former Maryland defensive coordinator Brian Williams takes over. He's a specialist working on … - The defensive line. Star pass rusher J-Rock Swain is gone, but Jawaun Campbell is back on one side, making 47 tackles with two sacks and eight tackles for loss as a freshman. Darrell Prater is a 300-pound starter on the other side, and, fellow 300-pounder is an experienced anchor on the nose.
- Morven Joseph saw time in the linebacking corps on the outside, but Jacob Cruz (Georgia Tech) comes in to work in the middle, and Myles Butler (Campbell) is a safety-side defender on the outside.- The transfer portal loaded up the secondary. Safety Patrick Taylor is the only holdover, but everyone else is likely to be new. Tre'Quon Fegans (UCF) at one safety spot and Tyrin Taylor (Memphis) at corner should quickly become the standouts as their thrown into the fire.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Key to the Season
Get the passing game going in a hurry.It's not that last year's team didn't throw the ball, but it crushed defenses with the running attack. This year's offense won't run the ball 646 times, and it won't come up with over 3,500 rushing yards, but consistency and efficiency have to show up with the passing, so …
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Key Player
Gavin Wimsatt, QB Sr.Or Cade Cunningham. They're both seniors, but they're both rusty. Cunningham didn't do anything at Marshall or Memphis, and Wimsatt is a dangerous runner who hit 46% of his passes over four years of rotational work with 21 interceptions. Someone has to take the gig right away.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Cam Cook, RB Jr.There aren't a whole slew of great transfers, but Cook has the talent to be a big statistical star as the No. 1 back. The former TCU runner can catch a little bit, too, and should be used early and often.Top Transfer Out: Fred Perry, S Sr.Several talented former Gamecocks will be missed - safety Zechariah Poyser going to Miami hurts - but Perry was the star of last year's secondary, making 110 tackles, three sacks, ten tackles for loss, and two broken up passes. He's an all-around defender who'll be great in the West Virginia defensive backfield.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Key Game
at Georgia Southern, Sept. 13It's an interesting game for several reasons. It's a road game that could be a decent measuring stick three weeks in, there's a chance to go on a little run with Murray State up next, and it's offensive coordinator Clint Trickett going against the team that he worked with last year.- 2025 Jacksonville State Schedule Breakdown
Jacksonville State Gamecocks Top 10 Players
1. Jawaun Campbell, DE Soph.2. Michael Pettway, WR Sr.3. Cam Cook, RB Jr.4. Talan Carter, DT Soph.5. Amare Grayson, OG Soph.6. Gavin Wimsatt, QB Sr.7. Kurtiss Perry, DT Jr.8. Garrison Rippa, PK Soph.9. KD Arnold, OT Jr.10. Brock Rechsteiner, WR Sr.
Jacksonville State Gamecocks 2024 Fun Stats
- Average Yards Per Carry: Jacksonville State 4.8, Opponents 2.8- 3rd Quarter Scoring: Jacksonville State 103, Opponents 65- Time of Possession: Opponents 33:17, Jacksonville State 26:43
Jacksonville State Gamecocks 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
It's going to be a little rough.The coaching staff is good, the program is strong, and more good parts are around than it might seem, but this is one massive rebuild.Fortunately, most of the Conference USA teams aren't anything special, and the Gamecocks should be in just about every conference game.
All five road games are winnable, UCF is the only Power Four date, and even though there will be a few ugly moments when nothing works, it won't be a total collapse. It will, however, be a 2025 season to set up 2026.Set The Jacksonville State Gamecocks Win Total At … 4Likely Wins: Murray State50/50 Games: Delaware, at FIU, at Georgia Southern, Kennesaw State, at Middle Tennessee, at Sam Houston, at Southern Miss, at UTEPLikely Losses: Liberty, at UCF, WKU
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