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Miami Herald
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Miami Herald
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 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 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 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 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 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 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 Transfer Out: Fred Perry, S 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 coaching staff is good, the program is strong, and more good parts are around than it might seem, but this is one massive 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 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 © 2025 The Arena Group Holdings, Inc. All rights reserved.
USA Today
11-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
How to buy 2025 CUSA basketball tournament tickets
How to buy 2025 CUSA basketball tournament tickets Conference USA kicks off its men's basketball tournament this week in Huntsville, Alabama, as the March Madness frenzy continues to build. If you are looking for tickets to catch the collegiate hoops action live and in-person, we have the details you need to know just below. CUSA has held its tournament annually since 1996, with the winner earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament later in the month. This will be the second year it is held inside Propst Arena. The Liberty Flames earned the top seed thanks to a 25-6 overall record and a 13-5 mark in conference play. The Jacksonville State Gamecocks (20-11, 12-6) took the second seed, followed by the Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders (21-10, 12-6) and Kennesaw State Owls (18-13, 10-8), respectively. The CUSA tournament will be played at Propst Arena, Huntsville, Alabama, from Tuesday, March 11 to Saturday, March 15. Buy 2025 CUSA tournament tickets How to buy 2025 CUSA men's basketball tournament tickets Get your tickets now before the action begins. No college basketball fan should miss out on the best month of the year, and tickets are reasonably priced! At the time of publication, the cheapest available tickets for the CUSA men's basketball tournament are $28. Buy 2025 CUSA tournament tickets Recommendations are independently chosen by our editors. Purchases you make through our links may earn us and our publishing partners a commission. Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
USA Today
26-01-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Florida football fills staff void with this fast-rising defensive coordinator
Florida football added former Jacksonville State Gamecocks defensive coordinator Vinnie Sunseri to its coaching staff for the 2025 campaign. The news was first reported by 247Sports' Matt Zenitz on Saturday morning. Sunseri will fill the void left behind when former defensive co-coordinator Austin Armstrong departed to take the solo defensive coordinator position with the Houston Cougars. He brings a strong pedigree to the mix in Gainesville and will serve as both co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach. The 33-year-old also represents the second generation of the Sunseri family to coach for the University of Florida as the son of former Florida defensive line coach Sal Sunseri. The elder was a defensive line coach for a season in 2018 under former head coach Dan Mullen. Sunseri as a player The native of Northridge, Alabama, played linebacker for the Crimson Tide from 2011-13, amassing 105 tackles — seven for loss and 1.5 sacks — along with four interceptions and five defended passes. That helped his teams earn a pair of BCS National Championships in two of the three years he spent in Tuscaloosa. He turned his collegiate performance into a fifth-round selection in the 2014 NFL draft by the New Orleans Saints. He spent a pair of seasons in NOLA before wrapping up his professional career with the San Francisco 49ers, recording 11 total tackles in 15 NFL games played over three years. Sunseri as a college coach Florida's new co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach got his start as a graduate assistant with Alabama in 2019, coaching alongside his brother Tino, who also was a graduate assistant, and his father who was the linebackers coach. Sunseri then spent the 2020 season back in the pros with the New England Patriots in a support staff role as a defensive assistant before shifting to the running backs corps for the remainder of his tenure. He then moved on to take the role of the Washington Huskies safeties coach during the 2024 offseason before taking Jacksonville State's defensive coordinator offer. While in Seattle, Sunseri spent time with Florida alumnus and former Gators graduate assistant Jedd Frisch. Florida's defensive coaching staff Sunseri joins current co-defensive coordinator, executive head coach of the defense and inside linebackers coach Ron Roberts as the leaders on the defensive side of scrimmage. Roberts was in charge of play-calling last season but that role is presumably not yet set for 2025. Mike Peterson remains as the edge rushers coach while Gerald Chatman heads the defensive line and Will Harris coaches the team's secondary room. Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
