Eight Things To Know About Jacksonville State
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From some key new faces to some blasts from the past for UCF Knights fans and players alike, here are eight things to know about Jacksonville State ahead of Thursday night's season opener:
1. They're the defending C-USA Champions
In just their second season at the FBS level, the Gamecocks went 9-5 (7-1 C-USA) to claim the Conference USA Championship, demolishing Western Kentucky, 52-12.
Coach Rich Rodriguez, who ushered the program through the transition from FCS to FBS over three seasons, left following the C-USA title game to make his own return to old stomping grounds in West Virginia.
2. They also have a new coach
Three decades after Jacksonville State gave him his first job on a college coaching staff, Kelly returns to the Gamecocks for his head coaching debut on Thursday.
Kelly has found a home on the defensive side of the ball over his career. He was the special teams coordinator and linebacker coach at Florida State for its national-title-winning season in 2013 before becoming its defensive coordinator for the next four years (2014 to 2017). He was an assistant defensive coordinator and safeties coach at Alabama from 2019 to 2022 and was Deion Sanders' first defensive coordinator at Colorado in 2023. He is coming off of being Auburn's co-defensive coordinator and safeties coach last season.
3. They also have a new quarterback
With last season's CUSA Player of the Year, quarterback Tyler Huff, graduating, the Gamecocks brought in a new quarterback from the transfer portal, Gavin Wimsatt, to take the helm this season.
Wimsatt was a backup for Kentucky last season, though he still played in eight games, completing 16 of 39 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. Before that, he was the starter at Rutgers, where he completed 138 passes for 1,735 yards and nine touchdowns and rushed 131 times for 497 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2023.
His biggest issue is that he is interception-prone, recording more career interceptions (21) than passing touchdowns (17). Even last season at Kentucky, despite throwing 39 passes, four of them were interceptions.
4. Their WR1 is questionable
Jacksonville State wide receiver Michael Pettway is questionable for the Gamecocks’ season opener against UCF on Thursday, per source. pic.twitter.com/SFNaD6lnij
— Thomas Ashworth (@_ThomasAshworth) August 24, 2025
Wide receiver Micheal Pettway has spent his entire college career with Jacksonville State and was granted a sixth year of eligibility back in January. Last season, he started in all 14 games, catching 25 passes for 454 yards, the second-most on the team, and three touchdowns. With the Gamecocks' leading receiver last season following Rodriguez to West Virginia, Pettway was poised to take over as the leading receiver.
However, his name ended up not appearing on the Gamecocks' depth chart, and Thomas Ashworth of AL.com reported that Pettway was questionable for Thursday's game. This could leave the Gamecocks without one of their primary passing threats to start their season.
5. Ground and Pound
Just like the Knights, Jacksonville State was an adept rushing squad, finishing third in the FBS last season in rushing offense. Of course, back then, they utilized a pair of 1,000-yard rushers in Huff and running back Tre Stewart. With both now graduated, the Gamecocks brought in former TCU rusher Cam Cook, who was named to the C-USA Preseason Watch List and will likely be looking for redemption after the Knights limited him to 35 yards on 11 carries last season.
6. UCF QB Cam Fancher Knows Several Figures on the Gamecocks
Thanks to getting named the starter officially on Monday, Cam Fancher gets to go up against some blasts from his past.
His old offensive coordinator and quarterback coach from Marshall, Clint Trickett, holds the same role at Jacksonville State.
As for familiar faces on the field, one of the Gamecocks' projected starting wideouts, Caleb Coombs, was with Fancher at both Marshall and Florida Atlantic before going their separate ways in the portal this offseason. There is also Jeremiah Orr, the projected starter at left tackle, and backup quarterback Cade Cunningham, who were both with Fancher at Marshall in 2022.
7. Watch Out For the Defense
The Gamecocks finished last season ranked 10th in the FBS in red zone defense.
With a defensive mind like Kelly at the helm and G5 Football Daily on SI writer Lucca Mazziespotlighting the defensive line as their strongest position group, with a few returners from last season and transfers from Georgia Tech, Virginia Tech and Georgia Southern, they may be a tough unit to get past once again this season.
8. UCF Fans May Remember Someone on the Gamecocks
Former UCF Knight Tre'Quon Fegans is projected to start for the Gamecocks at cornerback on Thursday night.
While he did stick around for spring football under coach Scott Frost, Fegans entered the transfer portal in April and ended up reuniting with Kelly, both of whom were at Alabama in 2022.
On Thursday at 7 p.m., he makes his return to the Acrisure Bounce House.
Catch up on more UCF News Below:
TCU Transfer A Focal Point For UCF Defense Against Jacksonville State
UCF Coach Scott Frost Explains Cam Fancher Decision At Quarterback
Bryson Turner is a sports journalist who covers UCF Athletics. Turner has contributed to the Black and Gold Banneret, the home for UCF Athletics on SB Nation. He has called the Orlando area home since the age of 8 and received his bachelor's and master's degrees from UCF.
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