3identity shift
Jacksonville State shifts fanbase identity, redefining program.
Charles Kelly's first season at Jacksonville State arrives with a 9-5 record and a fanbase uneasy about sustaining the program's recent bowl-winning momentum.
Jacksonville State9-5Latest
No consensus around Jacksonville State right now — the fanbase is genuinely divided.
belief cooled ↓ 5.9vs prior week
Fanbase belief
Mixed
49/100 · 39 mentions
~ our readVolatility
Chaotic
σ 35 pts
~ our readThe model
#79
CFB Zeitgeist · -0.2
✓ measured3Hope-Doping·Offseason
Jacksonville State jumped to the FBS in 2023 and just won nine games for the third year running — a little Alabama school playing with house money and refusing to act overwhelmed by any of it.
Title DroughtSince 2023 · 2 yrs
Fans hear the program dismissed as an FCS refugee that wandered up a level — never mind two CUSA title-game trips and three straight nine-win seasons. They've stopped waiting for the respect and start…
offseason · quiet
Roster Reload - Jacksonville State
2026 snapshot - 2026-08-06Returning Production84%High continuity
Talent Composite#111 nationally247 composite 519.9
Portal Additions20Primary repair: IOL
Portal Losses13Primary pressure: DL
Draft Loss0No NFL Draft departures recorded
Recruiting Reload#86Depth class
DLin 4 - Andrew Rumphout 5 - Emmanuel OyebadejoDowngrade
current room: 273 lbs avg (2025 roster)
IOLin 5 - Caleb Holmesout 2 - Amare GraysonNeed Filled
current room: 303 lbs avg (2025 roster)
CBin 4 - Vernon Woodward IIIout 1 - Jayke JonesNeed Filled
current room: 181 lbs avg (2025 roster)
WRin 3 - Ronnel Johnsonout 0Need Filled
current room: 197 lbs avg (2025 roster)
Sin 1 - Rob Billings IVout 2 - Malcolm JonesDowngrade
current room: 193 lbs avg (2025 roster)
OTin 2 - Amarii Atchisonout 1 - Reggie JacksonEven
Belief EKG
WinLoss · hover for score
Approaching
23 days
until kickoff · at North Dakota State · Sat Aug 29 · 21:30 UTC
The experience
Jacksonville State is the Conference USA newcomer whose 2023 FBS reclassification + Rich Rodriguez 2024 9-4 + 2025 New Mexico Bowl championship make them the most-recent multi-tier ascent + bowl-winning team in CFB.
Offense: SolidRun/Pass: Run-heavy, ground-controlDefense: Solid
Jacksonville State projects to finish 8-5 with a bowl game appearance
The team returns 84% of its roster and has a net portal importer profile with 20 transfers in.
- Roster reloadJacksonville State returns 84% of its roster, indicating high continuity.
- ScheduleThe team's base scenario projects an 8-5 record with a bowl game appearance.
Data as of 2026-08-03
·
Validated against program evidence
Cocky the Gamecock is patient.
Jacksonville State · the story right now
7 storylines developing
What Jacksonville State's coaching hire is really about
the open questioncan a new staff change the trajectory?
coachingthis cycle~readnew
Charles Kelly replaces Rich Rodriguez’s 17-8 run with 84% production returning — the first test for Jacksonville State’s bowl-winning ascension in Conference USA.
what happenedCharles Kelly took over as Jacksonville State's head coach, replacing Rich Rodriguez. ✓ fact
the contextreplaces 2-year head coach Rich Rodriguez (17-8)
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Charles Kelly begins his first season at Jacksonville State with a 9-5 record under his belt, but the program's uneasy fanbase questions if the coordinator-driven reshaping can sustain the new multi-tier ascent.
what happenedJacksonville State: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle✓ factnew
Deondre Johnson is a real deep-ball threat -- a high share of his targets come on throws past the sticks, and he catches those deep shots at a plus rate.
narrative tension · our read
deep threatthis cycle~attributednew
Caleb Coombs is used almost exclusively underneath -- a low share of his targets are downfield shots.
narrative tension · our read
coordinatorsthis cycle~readnew
Charles Kelly begins his first season at Jacksonville State with a 9-5 record under his belt, but the program's uneasy fanbase questions if the coordinator-driven reshaping can sustain the recent bowl-winning momentum.
what happenedJacksonville State: coordinator change reshaping a unit. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
program_outlookthis cycle~readnew
Jacksonville State dropped 19 spots in SP+ — the 9-5 record and top-quintile returning production contrast with the 2025 SP+ slide, raising questions about sustainability under Charles Kelly’s first season.
what happenedJacksonville State enters 2026 rated No. 92 in 2025 SP+ (-6.7), down 19 spots from 2024. ✓ fact
the contexttop-quintile returning production in FBS — 1% of production comes back
narrative tension · our read
identitythis cycle~readnew
Charles Kelly's first season at Jacksonville State arrives with a 9-5 record and a fanbase uneasy about sustaining the program's recent bowl-winning momentum.
what happenedJacksonville State: the fanbase's identity shifting. ✓ fact
narrative tension · our read
How past storylines here turned out
AnsweredJacksonville State's head-coaching hire held for another season.
ReplacedJacksonville State's offensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
ReplacedJacksonville State's defensive coordinator spot turned over again the following season. See who's next →
The story
Transfer portal snapshot
+10.4 net portal points
(raw ledger: +14.1 — unweighted, no position adjustment)CB+10.5
need not filled
WR+10.4
need not filled
IOL+7.8
need not filled
DL-6.0
RB-3.7
low confidence
S-3.5
LB-3.3
low confidence
EDGE+1.0
low confidence
OT+0.9
Top 3 commits
2026 class
★★★☆☆
Tristan Lyles
#1308 national
★★★☆☆
Brayden Matthews
#1336 national
Profiles like a typical incoming linebacker — 16 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Balanced Linebacker archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
★★★☆☆
Noah Lee
#1523 national
Profiles like a typical incoming quarterback — 18 of his 25 closest recruiting profiles since 2018 shared the Pocket Passer archetype.~our read · projection from recruiting profile — no college snaps yet
Fan vs. market↓
20th
Fan percentile
(FBS mood rank)
(FBS mood rank)
7.5
Vegas O/U wins
(60th among FBS)
(60th among FBS)
Market 40pp more optimistic than fan mood
Win total consensus · 3 books
Market outlook
Season expectations
Win total3 booksO/U 7.5
CFP championship#96 in field+100000
C-USA title#3 in market+450
Sportsbook consensus · best odds across multiple books · 2026-08-06
Jacksonville State · Next-Season Outcome Band
Jacksonville State · Next-Season Outcome BandFloor / Base / Ceiling
Floor 5-7
Base 8-5
Ceiling 10-3
floor5-7No postseason.
base8-5Bowl game.
ceiling10-3Bowl game.
Final-season-aware projection: floor / base / ceiling include conference title and CFP games where the model supports them, so a ceiling can exceed a 12-game regular season.
How the room reacted
Developing · Jacksonville State · Coaching Confidence
The Charles Kelly era at Jacksonville State: where it actually stands.
Charles Kelly took over as Jacksonville State's head coach, replacing Rich Rodriguez. It is replaces 2-year head coach Rich Rodriguez (17-8). The hire has receded from the front page. The roster and recruiting pipeline are the real measure now. The discourse has moved on; what's left is the quiet work of building something.
The saga so far1 week old
last weekCharles Kelly talks about Jacksonville State football's offensive line group — Gadsden Times
last weekMark Edwards: Jax State should be good, but Kelly rightly focuses on the process — The Anniston Star
last weekJax State football coach Charles Kelly talks 5-for-5 rule | Exclusive — Gadsden Times
The cast who's driving the story · latest headline on each, attributed
Charles Kelly Head coach
“Charles Kelly talks about Jacksonville State football's offensive line group” — Gadsden Times · 2026-07-29
Rich Rodriguez Out
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Charles Kelly replaces Rich Rodriguez’s 17-8 run with 84% production returning — the first test for Jacksonville State’s bowl-winning ascension in Conference USA.
Next · what to watch
The obvious story is the marquee name; the non-obvious one is roster churn — a coaching change keeps a portal and decommit window open long after the introductory presser. Watch decommitments and portal moves in the next window — that's where this is actually won or lost, not at the podium.
Source of record: Charles Kelly took over as Jacksonville State's head coach, replacing Rich Rodriguez — replaces 2-year head coach Rich Rodriguez (17-8).
How each room reacted — tap to expand
📣Believers0 bullish/hire items -- the case it's working.›
The 'this hire changes everything' takes -- new-era believers making the case early.
“Charles Kelly talks about Jacksonville State football's offensive line group”
Gadsden Times · 2026-07-29 · read ↗
“Mark Edwards: Jax State should be good, but Kelly rightly focuses on the process”
Mark Edwards · The Anniston Star · 2026-07-29 · read ↗
“Jax State football coach Charles Kelly talks 5-for-5 rule | Exclusive”
Gadsden Times · 2026-07-28 · read ↗
🧐SkepticsNo prominent dissent — the coverage runs one way.›
The 'show me the body of work' counter -- resume gaps, scheme fits, and 'not that guy' reads.
Nothing in our corpus yet — this door stays open for when there is.
🔗The dominoes10 downstream moves — the hire's knock-on effects.›
The second-order trail: commits, decommits, portal and staff knock-on from the hire.
“Florida lands commitment from Jacksonville State RHP Maddox McDougall”
On3 · 2026-07-15 · read ↗
“Jacksonville State Transfer Cook Expected to Boost Mountaineer Ground Game”
West Virginia University Athletics · 2026-07-10 · read ↗
Following now · Jacksonville State · Developing Confidence
Jacksonville State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
Jacksonville State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
CFB Zeitgeist Read · our take
Charles Kelly begins his first season at Jacksonville State with a 9-5 record under his belt, but the program's uneasy fanbase questions if the coordinator-driven reshaping can sustain the new multi-tier ascent.
Source of record: Jacksonville State: coordinator change reshaping a unit.
How each room is reacting — tap to expand
🎪The circus“Former Jax State forward among players seeking extra year of NCA” — the saga that won't quit.›
The off-field storyline driving the noise right now. Not analysis — the soap opera, and that's the point.
“Former Jax State forward among players seeking extra year of NCAA eligibility in lawsuit”
AL.com · 2026-07-30 · read ↗
📣Believers0 bullish items -- the case it's working.›
The optimistic read: momentum, and the 'this is real' takes.
“Jax State football: Early in preseason practice, rebuilt defensive front is coming up big”
The Anniston Star · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“Goodman: Which coaching bozo voted for Jax State? We have suspects”
AL.com · 2026-08-05 · read ↗
“Is Jacksonville State football ranked in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?”
Gadsden Times · 2026-08-04 · read ↗
🧐Skeptics“These 3 questions could define Jacksonville State football 2026 ” — the real counter.›
💬The boards4 board mentions — too thin to call a stance.›
Only 4 of 54 board posts mention it — below our floor to call a community stance. Shown as texture, not a verdict.
"Can we please stop CBS from broadcasting games like this? 6 ad breaks in the first quarter was horrendous. Also, are we rivals with Tennesaw State now?"
r/CFB ~ fan take
"That’s a bold o/u total unless you’re betting State is gonna score 44 and we’ll kick 2 field goals"
r/CFB ~ fan take
The boards ≠ the fanbase: a vocal, self-selected slice.
Recent Form · last 10 games
Mixed
Three of five. Trending up, not yet hot.
Streak W1Last 5 · 3-2Last 10 · 7-3
The forecast
Opens Aug 29
vs North Dakota State · away
Season line7.5 winsover +105
SolidRun-heavy, ground-controlSolid
✓ fact on line · ~ our read on style
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
Recruiting Footprint · 2026
30
AL · 13FL · 10GA · 5MD · 1OH · 1
AL leads the 2026 class with 13 commits. National footprint reaching 5 states.
Where they recruit · 2023-2026
90 signees across 10 states, 2023-2026. AL leads the pull.
r/cfb this year
[Postgame Thread] UCF Defeats Jacksonville State 17-10
[Game Thread] Jacksonville State @ UCF (7:00 PM ET)
[Postgame Thread] Jacksonville State Defeats WKU 37-34
Top community posts · last 12 months · r/cfb
National spotlight
8 games with TV coverage: 3 ESPN, 4 cable, 1 streaming
Kickoff windows: 1 noon, 1 afternoon, 6 primetime
Fumble luck
Recovering 59% of the fumbles they've forced — running hot vs. the ~49% league rate.
10 of 17 forced fumbles recovered; 5 of 11 own fumbles recovered themselves, 2025 only.
Takeaway conversion
Converting 21% of pass disruptions into takeaways — right in line with the ~19% league rate.
12 interceptions of 56 disrupted passes (44 deflected, 12 intercepted), 2025 only.
Penalty battle
Losing the penalty battle: 80 penalties committed vs. 90 drawn on opponents, a 40-yard deficit.
788 penalty yards committed vs. 748 drawn on opponents, 2025 season total.
The Pulse on Jacksonville State
49
Δ -5.9 vs last wk
39
mentions this week · conversation velocity
What moved it — fall camp · last 14 days
Camp
Fall camp open — install + scrimmage cycle
ongoing
Kickoff
Season opener in 16 days
kickoff
"Gamecocks"
— Jacksonville State fanbase · recurring line
Fanbase Signals
Cohort Divergence1 pctSpread between sub-fanbase cohorts in the Pulse window.
The Fever Year
Position = mood · width = volume · color = the kind of feeling
Cr/CFB
GGoogle News
UUnderdog Dynasty
CCampus paper
BBluesky
YYouTube
What little we hear
Only 2 cohort(s) cleared the signal floor this week, so we won’t stage a split we can’t back. Here’s the honest read:
Millennials−0.05
National take−0.06
How Jacksonville State fans actually talk real · top-upvoted
The crowd’s loudest take by upvotes — read for mood, not as a side. The cohort read is the measured part.
What this fanbase keeps coming back to our read · topic model
Topics are model-labeled from Reddit — a rough signal of what this fanbase is circling right now.
77 mentions · 6 sources · week 2026-01. Counts, sources and the divergence rank are measured (fact). Cohort labels and sentiment are a source-weighted model read (our read) — never a quote attributed to a person.
Belief checklow signal
~ our readNot enough Jacksonville State chatter this week to read the room.
We read 41 Jacksonville State posts this week — not enough to call the room. Check back during the season.
Season storylines
Week 2
“I finally got to turn the game on TV. Color commentator sounds like he's calling JV football”— r/CFB
Week 1
“Good defense. Good run game. Shit at throwing the ball. Yup, this is a genuine Jax State football team alright.”— r/CFB
Week 8
“Game should come out of intermission at 9:29pm ET/8:29pm CT. The following game is in progress: Kennesaw St @ FIU (ESPN2) - Out of halftime at 9:12pm ET/8:12pm CT.”— r/CFB
Week 7
“Pleased with the defense for the majority of the game. They did much better than I expected. We really need Creel back, though, as the offense is much better with him leading it.”— r/CFB
Week 17
“Oh... Third String QB. I just turned the game on and kept hearing Thirteenth Quarterback and was very confused”— r/CFB
Five Lenses
What people are saying right now
Radio, beat writers & editorial15 posts
News & campus coverage5 posts
CFB analyst takes2 posts
Bluesky · @rodger.bsky.social
6d ago
Fanbase Health Index · Jacksonville State · high confidence
Fanbase Health Index · Jacksonville State · high confidenceGrowing (59)
DecliningStableGrowingSurging
On-Field — 9-5 (64% win rate)65
Volume — 200 effective signal-N76
Cohort Engagement — Divergence 0.01 — quiet35
Fanbase Voice
563 fan mentions
Measured
vs the 81 highest-volume fanbases - 2025 season
Key stats — 2025 — FBS rank
Points/game#59 / 138 · 58th pct28.1
Pts allowed/game#68 / 138 · 51st pct25.2
Total yards/gm#25 / 136 · 82nd pct409.4
Rush yards/gm#3 / 136 · 99th pct247.6
Pass yards/gm#111 / 136 · 19th pct161.8
Yards allowed/gm#118 / 136 · 14th pct379.2
Rush yds allowed/gm#84 / 136 · 39th pct144.7
Sacks#55 / 136 · 60th pct28
Interceptions#22 / 136 · 85th pct14
3rd-down conv#82 / 136 · 40th pct38.7%
All 98 stats
Offense / Defense
Total yards
Team5732409.4/gm5.88/play#25 / 136 · 82nd pct#16 / 70 · 79th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp5309379.2/gm5.59/play#118 / 136 · 14th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Rush yards
Team3467247.6/gm3.56/play#3 / 136 · 99th pct#2 / 70 · 99th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp2026144.7/gm2.13/play#84 / 136 · 39th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Rush carries
Team64746.2/gm#4 / 136 · 98th pct#2 / 70 · 99th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp50335.9/gm#120 / 136 · 12th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Rush TDs
Team322.3/gm#17 / 136 · 88th pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp221.6/gm#88 / 136 · 36th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Net pass yards
Team2265161.8/gm2.32/play#111 / 136 · 19th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp3283234.5/gm3.46/play#127 / 136 · 7th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Pass attempts
Team32823.4/gm#114 / 136 · 17th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp44631.9/gm#113 / 136 · 18th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Completions
Team19513.9/gm#114 / 136 · 17th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp27319.5/gm#114 / 136 · 17th pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Pass TDs
Team130.9/gm#110 / 136 · 20th pct#61 / 70 · 14th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp191.4/gm#74 / 136 · 46th pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Passer rating
Team122.0122.0#114 / 136 · 17th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp134.4134.4#72 / 136 · 48th pct#41 / 70 · 43rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Interceptions thrown
Team60.4/gm#115 / 136 · 16th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp141.0/gm#104 / 136 · 24th pct#52 / 70 · 27th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Sacks (def)
Team282.0/gm#55 / 136 · 60th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp231.6/gm#63 / 136 · 54th pct#35 / 70 · 51st pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Tackles for loss
Team765.4/gm#47 / 136 · 66th pct#27 / 70 · 63rd pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp825.9/gm#123 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
First downs
Team29721.2/gm#27 / 136 · 81st pct#18 / 70 · 76th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp29320.9/gm#125 / 136 · 9th pct#67 / 70 · 6th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
3rd-down conv
Team775.5/gm#35 / 136 · 75th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp684.9/gm#68 / 136 · 51st pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
3rd-down att
Team19914.2/gm#7 / 136 · 96th pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp18713.4/gm#105 / 136 · 24th pct#54 / 70 · 24th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
4th-down conv
Team161.1/gm#40 / 136 · 71st pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp181.3/gm#106 / 136 · 23rd pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
4th-down att
Team302.1/gm#43 / 136 · 69th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp352.5/gm#118 / 136 · 14th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Time of possession
Team426:1230:27/gm#16 / 136 · 89th pct#10 / 70 · 87th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp413:4829:33/gm#118 / 136 · 14th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Kicking & Punting
Field goals#79 / 135 · 42nd pct21/28 (75.0%)
Extra points41/41
Punting#130 / 136 · 5th pct39.6 avg · 60 punts
Turnovers & special teams
Turnovers
Team130.9/gm#103 / 136 · 25th pct#49 / 70 · 31st pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp241.7/gm#118 / 136 · 14th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Fumbles lost
Team70.5/gm#51 / 136 · 63rd pct#22 / 70 · 70th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp100.7/gm#115 / 136 · 16th pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
INT return TDs
Team10.1/gm#36 / 135 · 74th pct#19 / 70 · 74th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Opp10.1/gm#61 / 136 · 56th pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
INT return yards
Team27019.3/gm#9 / 136 · 94th pct#6 / 70 · 93rd pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Opp493.5/gm#26 / 136 · 82nd pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Punt ret yds
Team473.4/gm#123 / 136 · 10th pct#66 / 70 · 7th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Opp1077.6/gm#65 / 136 · 53rd pct#40 / 70 · 44th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Punt ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#43 / 135 · 69th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct
Opp00.0/gm#1 / 135 · 100th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Kick ret yds
Team19213.7/gm#125 / 136 · 9th pct#65 / 70 · 9th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp69749.8/gm#122 / 136 · 11th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Kick ret TDs
Team00.0/gm#40 / 136 · 71st pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
Opp10.1/gm#97 / 135 · 29th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Penalty yards
Team78856.3/gm#31 / 136 · 78th pct#15 / 70 · 80th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Opp74853.4/gm#98 / 136 · 29th pct#57 / 70 · 20th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Other
Passes intercepted opponent#9 / 136 · 94th pct#5 / 70 · 94th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct60.4/gm
Fumbles recovered#11 / 136 · 93rd pct#6 / 70 · 93rd pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct100.7/gm
Interceptions (def)#22 / 136 · 85th pct#14 / 70 · 81st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct141.0/gm
H1 epa per play opponent#25 / 167 · 86th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct0.10.0/gm
Punt ret (opp)#49 / 136 · 65th pct#30 / 70 · 59th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct120.9/gm
Penalties#52 / 136 · 62nd pct#25 / 70 · 66th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct805.7/gm
H2 epa per play#54 / 142 · 63rd pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct0.20.0/gm
H1 epa per play#68 / 162 · 59th pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct0.20.0/gm
Fumbles rec (def)#86 / 136 · 38th pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct80.6/gm
Fourth down go rate#94 / 138 · 33rd pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct0.30.0/gm
Penalties (opp)#106 / 136 · 23rd pct#59 / 70 · 17th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct906.4/gm
H2 epa per play opponent#109 / 143 · 24th pct#53 / 70 · 26th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct0.20.0/gm
Kick returns#110 / 136 · 20th pct#51 / 70 · 29th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct130.9/gm
Recruiting rating#110 / 138 · 21st pct#69 / 70 · 3rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#1 / 12 · 100th pct134.79.6/gm
Kick ret (opp)#118 / 136 · 14th pct#63 / 70 · 11th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct322.3/gm
Punt returns#121 / 136 · 12th pct#64 / 70 · 10th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct90.6/gm
Red zone pass rate#126 / 154 · 19th pct#62 / 70 · 13th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct0.30.0/gm
First down pass rate#190 / 215 · 12th pct#68 / 70 · 4th pct#9 / 10 · 20th pct#5 / 9 · 56th pct0.30.0/gm
Situational
3rd-down conversion
Off38.7%#82 / 136 · 40th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Def36.4%#46 / 136 · 67th pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
4th-down conversion
Off53.3%#74 / 136 · 46th pct#45 / 70 · 37th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Def51.4%#59 / 136 · 57th pct#29 / 70 · 60th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Turnover margin#8 / 136 · 95th pct#7 / 70 · 91st pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct+0.79/gm
Sack rate (def)#80 / 136 · 42nd pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct6.3%
Red Zone & Drive Efficiency (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Red zone trips
Team574.1/gm#14 / 167 · 92nd pct#11 / 70 · 86th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#1 / 5 · 100th pct
Opp473.4/gm#129 / 166 · 23rd pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#4 / 5 · 40th pct
Red zone score %
Team84.2%84.2%#45 / 167 · 74th pct#27 / 70 · 63rd pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Opp76.6%76.6%#63 / 166 · 63rd pct#27 / 70 · 63rd pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Points / drive
Team2.20.2/gm#56 / 167 · 67th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Opp2.00.1/gm#80 / 166 · 52nd pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Yards / drive
Team44.23.2/gm#43 / 167 · 75th pct#26 / 70 · 64th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Opp41.02.9/gm#85 / 166 · 49th pct#44 / 70 · 39th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#4 / 5 · 40th pct
Plays / drive
Team6.70.5/gm#50 / 167 · 71st pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 5 · 80th pct
Opp6.60.5/gm#85 / 166 · 49th pct#36 / 70 · 50th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#3 / 5 · 60th pct
Three-and-out rate
Team14.9%14.9%#104 / 167 · 38th pct#54 / 70 · 24th pct#8 / 10 · 30th pct#4 / 5 · 40th pct
Opp13.6%13.6%#82 / 166 · 51st pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 5 · 60th pct
Scheme Identity (2014– , play-by-play derived)
Rush rate over expected#9 / 145 · 94th pct#1 / 70 · 100th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct+12.7%+12.7%
Havoc rate
Team17.0%17.0%#49 / 140 · 66th pct#32 / 70 · 56th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct
Opp13.9%13.9%#49 / 140 · 66th pct#23 / 70 · 69th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Standard-downs success
Team49.0%49.0%#63 / 154 · 60th pct#37 / 70 · 49th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
Opp47.7%47.7%#82 / 172 · 53rd pct#42 / 70 · 41st pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
Passing-downs success
Team31.8%31.8%#67 / 153 · 57th pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#3 / 10 · 80th pct
Opp31.4%31.4%#86 / 149 · 43rd pct#43 / 70 · 40th pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct
Line yards / carry
Team3.23.2#30 / 143 · 80th pct#17 / 70 · 77th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct
Opp2.72.7#34 / 155 · 79th pct#18 / 70 · 76th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct
Stuff rate
Team18.3%18.3%#68 / 143 · 53rd pct#38 / 70 · 47th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct
Opp20.4%20.4%#48 / 155 · 70th pct#28 / 70 · 61st pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct
Power success rate
Team67.3%67.3%#87 / 137 · 37th pct#46 / 70 · 36th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct
Opp77.1%77.1%#114 / 141 · 20th pct#60 / 70 · 16th pct#10 / 10 · 10th pct
Efficiency
Completion %
Off59.5%#93 / 136 · 32nd pct#56 / 70 · 21st pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Def61.2%#61 / 136 · 56th pct#29 / 70 · 60th pct#5 / 10 · 60th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Yards / attempt
Off6.9#84 / 136 · 39th pct#48 / 70 · 33rd pct#6 / 10 · 50th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Def7.4#83 / 136 · 40th pct#50 / 70 · 30th pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct
Yards / completion
Off11.6#68 / 136 · 51st pct#39 / 70 · 46th pct#4 / 10 · 70th pct#3 / 3 · 33rd pct
Def12.0#98 / 136 · 29th pct#55 / 70 · 23rd pct#7 / 10 · 40th pct#1 / 3 · 100th pct
Yards / carry#15 / 136 · 90th pct#9 / 70 · 89th pct#1 / 10 · 100th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct5.4
Yards / play#49 / 136 · 65th pct#33 / 70 · 54th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#2 / 3 · 67th pct5.88
Scoring margin#65 / 136 · 53rd pct#44 / 70 · 39th pct#2 / 10 · 90th pct#9 / 11 · 27th pct+2.9/gm
FBS rankings · 2025 season · all stats vs 136 FBS programs
Player stats — 2025 season
Quarterbacks
| Player | # | G | Cmp/Att | Pct | Yds | Y/A | TD | INT | Rate | QBR | Adj ANY/A | Sack% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Scrambler · +0.15 EPA/play | 12 | 14 | 130 / 211 | 61.6 | 1514 | 7.2 | 9 | 4 | 132.2 | 58.4 | 6.2 | 7.5 | |
Yards by week → ScramblerMakes plays with feet when the pocket collapses. Efficiency still on the rise. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 45 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Rush usage46.3% 99th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Rush yards / carry5.9 95th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View Caden Creel's full player page | |||||||||||||
| Scrambler · +0.19 EPA/play | 2 | 12 | 63 / 112 | 56.2 | 731 | 6.5 | 4 | 2 | 119.3 | 48.8 | 5.9 | 3.4 | |
Yards by week → ScramblerMakes plays with feet when the pocket collapses. Efficiency still on the rise. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 45 of 183 QBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Rush usage31.7% 81th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Yards / attempt5.4 bottom 5th percentile · FBS QBs, min. 80 attempts Trait fingerprint Plays like View Gavin Wimsatt's full player page | |||||||||||||
Running Backs
| Player | # | G | Car | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Stuff% | 10+% | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Back · +0.18 EPA/play | 4 | 13 | 296 | 1666 #1 FBS | 5.6 | 16 #6 FBS | 73 | 29.6 | 28.6 | 20.1 | 18.4 | 15.2% (43/283) | |
Yards by week → Balanced Back· Boom-or-bustPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry5.5 64th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Yards / reception9.5 71th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Trait fingerprint Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score moved from the 32nd to 99th percentile among FBS RBs | |||||||||||||
| Balanced Back · -0.01 EPA/play | 22 | 12 | 51 | 201 | 3.9 | 1 | 17 | 4 | 4.1 | 15.7 | 9.8 | — | |
Yards by week → Balanced BackPlays within the scheme — consistent production without a dominant dimension. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 186 of 349 RBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / carry3.6 bottom 7th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Receiving share5.6% bottom 17th percentile · FBS RBs, min. 40 carries Plays like View Khristian Lando's full player page | |||||||||||||
| +0.19 EPA/play | — | 10 | 30 | 127 | 4.2 | 3 | 42 | 4.8 | 3 | — | — | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||||
Receivers
| Player | # | G | Rec | Yds | Avg | TD | Long | 3rd Dn Use | Pass Dn Use | Tgt Share | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Deep Threat · +0.89 EPA/play | 11 | 11 | 30 | 724 | 24.1 | 6 #62 FBS | 77 | 7.7 | 8.9 | 16.3% (46/283) | |
Yards by week → Deep Threat· Money-downStretches the field vertically. Every snap is a potential big play. The rare part: he takes the top off a defense — and he finds the end zone, too 100 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception21.1 98th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions TD rate20.0% 97th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions — the part the label misses Trait fingerprint Plays like View Deondre Johnson's full player page | |||||||||||
| Jump-Ball Target · +0.36 EPA/play | 3 | 11 | 36 | 383 | 10.6 | 5 | 56 | 8.2 | 8.6 | 17.3% (49/283) | |
Yards by week → Jump-Ball Target· Boom-or-bustWins contested catches at the goal line. Size and catch radius are the weapons. his yards come in chunks — feast or famine 29 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TD rate13.9% 81th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Yards / reception10.9 bottom 27th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Brock Rechsteiner's full player page | |||||||||||
| Complete TE · +0.25 EPA/play | 13 | 13 | 26 | 302 | 11.6 | 2 | 52 | 4.8 | 6.2 | 12.7% (36/283) | |
Yards by week → Complete TENo single go-to route — the receiving numbers show up inline and split out alike. 177 of 223 TEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception11.4 54th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.2 bottom 23th percentile · FBS TEs, min. 8 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Pearson Baldwin's full player page | |||||||||||
| Possession Receiver · +0.11 EPA/play | 16 | 13 | 37 | 277 | 7.5 | 0 | 24 | 7.8 | 7.5 | 18.4% (52/283) | |
Yards by week → Possession ReceiverReliable target who converts on critical downs. Not flashy; consistently productive. 332 of 558 WRs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Yards / reception7.6 bottom 7th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions EPA / play (adj)0.1 bottom 8th percentile · FBS WRs, min. 12 receptions Trait fingerprint Plays like View Caleb Coombs's full player page | |||||||||||
| +0.97 EPA/play | 84 | 4 | 5 | 62 | 12.4 | 0 | 19 | 0 | 2.5 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
| +0.00 EPA/play | 1 | 8 | 8 | 59 | 7.4 | 0 | 18 | 2.5 | 3.2 | — | |
Yards by week → | |||||||||||
Defensive Line
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | TFL | Sack | Hur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Two-Gap Base | 92 | 13 | 55 | 28 | 7 | 1.5 | 3 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. Impact starter — above-average production for the conference. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate12.7% bottom 42th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score moved from the 42nd to 94th percentile among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| Versatile End | 99 | 13 | 41 | 27 | 6.5 | 4.5 | 6 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 139 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate15.9% bottom 36th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Versatile End | 91 | 11 | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 5 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. 139 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate27.3% 76th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score moved from the 20th to 54th percentile among FBS EDGEs | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 93 | 6 | 21 | 10 | 1.5 | 0 | 1 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate7.1% bottom 22th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readFading: his CFB Index score climbed from the 96th percentile to the 10th among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 96 | 10 | 21 | 13 | 4 | 3.5 | 0 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate19.0% 68th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like our readAscending: his CFB Index score climbed from the 29th percentile to the 51st among FBS IDLs | |||||||
| 3-Tech Penetrator | 44 | 10 | 20 | 12 | 4.5 | 2 | 0 |
3-Tech PenetratorDisruptive interior rusher who lives in the backfield. 269 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate22.5% 80th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Khurtiss Perry's full player page | |||||||
| Two-Gap Base | 16 | 5 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
Two-Gap BaseStout at the point of attack — steady tackle-for-loss production without a standout pass-rush number. 388 of 809 IDLs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate8.3% bottom 25th percentile · FBS interior linemen, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Quay Hood's full player page | |||||||
| Versatile End | 4 | 5 | 10 | 4 | 0.5 | 0.5 | 0 |
Versatile EndNo single standout number, but nothing missing either — competent across the board. 139 of 200 EDGEs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt TFL rate5.0% bottom 9th percentile · FBS EDGE, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Shane Payton Hodges's full player page | |||||||
| 47 | 5 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 55 | 3 | 7 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
| 28 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
Linebackers
| Player | # | G | Tot | Solo | Ast | TFL | Sack | PD | INT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Balanced Linebacker | 59 | 12 | 83 | 44 | 39 | 11.5 #62 FBS | 1.5 | 2 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. All-Conference honorable mention / 2nd team — the recognition has started. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume83 87th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate13.9% 74th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Mac Sanders's full player page | |||||||||
| Sideline-to-Sideline | 40 | 13 | 78 | 48 | 30 | 6 | 2.5 | 1 | 3 #56 FBS |
Sideline-to-SidelineRanges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 102 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Solo tackle rate0.6 86th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Tackle volume78 83th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||||
| Sideline-to-Sideline | 49 | 9 | 33 | 21 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Sideline-to-SidelineRanges from hash to hash and makes his own tackles. 102 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Solo tackle rate0.6 90th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Thaxton Gallagher's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 7 | 11 | 31 | 16 | 15 | 5.5 | 3 | 1 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume31 bottom 24th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Sack rate9.7% 91th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Isaac Walker's full player page | |||||||||
| Coverage 'Backer | 21 | 8 | 19 | 9 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Coverage 'BackerCarries tight ends and patrols the middle of the field in coverage. 99 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate5.3% 83th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate0.0% bottom 10th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Myles Butler's full player page | |||||||||
| Balanced Linebacker | 54 | 7 | 16 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Balanced LinebackerSolid in every phase without a signature dimension. 362 of 660 LBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume16 bottom 11th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles TFL rate0.0% bottom 10th percentile · FBS linebackers, min. 15 tackles Trait fingerprint Plays like View Khari Bendolph's full player page | |||||||||
| 13 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 5 | 1.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| 35 | 3 | 11 | 4 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Defensive Backs
| Player | # | G | Tot | PD | INT | TFL | Sack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hybrid Nickel | 43 | 14 | 64 | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt View Trevor Woods's full player pagePD rate6.2% bottom 41th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles | |||||||
| Rover | 1 | 14 | 63 | 3 | 4 #23 FBS | 4 | 0 |
Rover· Takeaway threatHits like a linebacker and still takes the ball away. the kind of DB who takes it back the other way Starter — over 60% of the snaps, holding the job. 83 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate4.8% bottom 33th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readUnranked recruit — top-quartile production against his own recruiting profile | |||||||
| Box Safety | 12 | 13 | 51 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 3 |
Box SafetyLives near the line of scrimmage as a de facto extra linebacker. Part-time starter — splitting the role or filling in on injury. 166 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Tackle volume51 66th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like our readBreakout: his CFB Index score moved from the 1st to 59th percentile among FBS Ss | |||||||
| Ball Hawk | 3 | 10 | 36 | 9 #36 FBS | 1 | 1.5 | 0 |
Ball HawkReads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away. 44 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate25.0% 88th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Tre'Quon Fegans's full player page | |||||||
| Press Corner | 5 | 13 | 31 | 4 | 1 | 0.5 | 0 |
Press CornerLong and physical; jams receivers off their route at the line. 43 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt Height6'2" 87th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Tyrin Taylor's full player page | |||||||
| Centerfielder | 20 | 11 | 25 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
CenterfielderSingle-high range who erases the deep middle of the field. 133 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate16.0% 86th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Travis Franklin Jr.'s full player page | |||||||
| Ball Hawk | 22 | 8 | 21 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Ball HawkReads the quarterback's eyes and takes the ball away. 44 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate23.8% 86th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View Jaheim Jenkins's full player page | |||||||
| Hybrid Nickel | 31 | 7 | 16 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 |
Hybrid NickelMoves between deep coverage and the slot — the modern positionless DB. 419 of 801 Ss we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate12.5% 73th percentile · FBS safeties, min. 15 tackles Plays like View Marc Woods's full player page | |||||||
| 6 | 7 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Cover Corner | 10 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Cover CornerSteady in coverage; doesn't get beat deep and rarely gives up the big play. 141 of 270 CBs we've classified this way this season. Season receipt PD rate8.3% bottom 30th percentile · FBS corners, min. 10 tackles Plays like View RJ Rainer's full player page | |||||||
| 14 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
| 7 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Kicking
| Player | # | G | FG M/A | FG% | XP M/A | Pts | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Steady | 37 | 14 | 21/28 | 75 | 40/40 | 103 | 52 |
Punting
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | Long | In20 | TB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 29 | 4 | 7 | 282 | 40.3 | 45 | 2 | 0 | |
| Steady | 87 | 14 | 53 | 2097 | 39.6 | 57 | 15 | 3 |
Net average is unavailable — CFBD's punting feed carries gross yards only, with no return-yardage or touchback deduction.
Kick Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| -0.34 EPA/play | 81 | 6 | 5 | 88 | 17.6 | 0 | 21 |
Punt Returns
| Player | # | G | No | Yds | Avg | TD | Long |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rover | 1 | 14 | 3 | 27 | 9 | 0 | 15 |
| +0.00 EPA/play | 1 | 8 | 5 | 16 | 3.2 | 0 | 11 |
2025 stat leaders
final
2025 stat leaders
1.
Cam Cook
RB
1,666 yds (rush)
2.
Mac Sanders
LB
83.0 tot (def)
3.
Walker O'Steen
LB
78.0 tot (def)
4.
Trevor Woods
S
64.0 tot (def)
5.
Caleb Nix
S
63.0 tot (def)
Roster
2025
25
players carry a qualified CFB Index Score this season.
Cam Cook
RB
#5 of 326
Walker O'Steen
LB
#41 of 583
Talan Carter
IDL
#32 of 330
Caleb Nix
S
#68 of 544
Emmanuel Oyebadejo
EDGE
#58 of 420
Deondre Johnson
WR
#117 of 485
+19 more
Jacksonville State · 2025 schedule & results9-5Soft slateAverage opponent win rate 42% · 0 AP top-25 opponents on the schedule.
| Wk | Date | Us | Opp | Line | Opponent | Result | Record | Conf |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Aug 28 | #53 | #95 | +20.5 | @UCF | L 10–17 138 | 0-1 | 0-0 |
| 2 | Sep 6 | #56 | #60 | +6.5 | Liberty | W 34–24 126 | 1-1 | 1-0 |
| 3 | Sep 13 | #55 | #75 | +3.5 | @Georgia Southern | L 34–41 133 | 1-2 | 1-0 |
| 4 | Sep 20 | #61 | #255 | -35.5 | Murray State | W 45–10 145 | 2-2 | 1-0 |
| 5 | Sep 27 | #59 | #178 | +5.5 | @Southern Miss | L 25–42 150 | 2-3 | 1-0 |
| 7 | Oct 10 | #80 | #180 | -7 | Sam Houston (N) | W 29–27 132 | 3-3 | 2-0 |
| 8 | Oct 15 | #86 | #111 | +3 | Delaware | W 38–25 146 | 4-3 | 3-0 |
| 10 | Oct 29 | #89 | #167 | -4.5 | @Middle Tennessee | W 24–21 137 | 5-3 | 4-0 |
| 11 | Nov 8 | #89 | #164 | -1.5 | @UTEP | W 30–27 139 | 6-3 | 4-0 |
| 12 | Nov 16 | #92 | #114 | +3.5 | Kennesaw State | W 35–26 146 | 7-3 | 5-0 |
| 13 | Nov 22 | #94 | #106 | +2.5 | @Florida International | L 21–27 146 | 7-4 | 5-1 |
| 14 | Nov 29 | #94 | #88 | +1.5 | Western Kentucky | W 37–34 129 | 8-4 | 6-1 |
| Conference Championship | ||||||||
| 15 | Dec 6 | #95 | #107 | -1.5 | Kennesaw State | L 15–19 130 | 8-5 | 6-2 |
| Bowl Season | ||||||||
| 16 | Dec 17 | #99 | #109 | -3.5 | Troy (N) | W 17–13 | 9-5 | 6-2 |
Advanced box score (EPA, success rate, explosiveness)▼
| Date | Opp | Result | Yds | TO | TOP | EPA/play | Success% | Explosive% | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dec 17 | Troy | W 17–13 | — | — | — | -0.058 | 29.4% | 139.6% | Season-low EPA/play |
| Dec 6 | Kennesaw State | L 15–19 | 306 | 1 | 28:48 | +0.077 | 45.2% | 104.3% | One-score loss |
| Nov 29 | Western Kentucky | W 37–34 | 515 | 1 | 31:24 | +0.311 | 42.0% | 155.6% | Most explosive |
| Nov 22 | @Florida International | L 21–27 | 449 | 2 | 28:22 | +0.009 | 44.3% | 111.6% | One-score loss |
| Nov 16 | Kennesaw State | W 35–26 | 451 | 0 | 25:38 | +0.468 | 47.4% | 141.5% | Season-high EPA/play |
| Nov 8 | @UTEP | W 30–27 | 456 | 1 | 30:27 | +0.231 | 51.4% | 107.1% | One-score win |
| Oct 29 | @Middle Tennessee | W 24–21 | 358 | 0 | 33:00 | +0.131 | 45.9% | 116.1% | One-score win |
| Oct 15 | Delaware | W 38–25 | 388 | 0 | 32:22 | +0.155 | 38.4% | 141.3% | |
| Oct 10 | Sam Houston | W 29–27 | 499 | 1 | 35:13 | +0.252 | 43.0% | 129.5% | One-score win |
| Sep 27 | @Southern Miss | L 25–42 | 390 | 4 | 30:58 | +0.032 | 39.7% | 137.8% | |
| Sep 20 | Murray State | W 45–10 | 536 | 0 | 30:32 | +0.421 | 59.5% | 105.7% | Best success rate |
| Sep 13 | @Georgia Southern | L 34–41 | 394 | 1 | 30:30 | +0.307 | 47.7% | 120.7% | Defense's roughest night |
| Sep 6 | Liberty | W 34–24 | 395 | 0 | 30:24 | +0.256 | 41.9% | 138.3% | |
| Aug 28 | @UCF | L 10–17 | 322 | 1 | 28:04 | +0.069 | 38.2% | 128.4% | One-score loss |
| Season average (14 games) | 420 | 0.9 | +0.190 | 43.9% | 126.9% | ||||
How They Play · 2025
How They Play · 2025Jacksonville State fields a capable run-heavy offense behind a solid, gives up the big play defense.
Opponent-adjusted percentiles vs all FBS. Bar = where this team ranks — right is better.
Team identity · competitive snaps only
How Jacksonville State actually scores
54th percentile quality, 38th percentile boom-dependency. Garbage time excluded from both axes — the same correction that changes the Q4 story below.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Quality percentile | Boom-share percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 86th | 11th |
| Akron | 12th | 89th |
| Alabama | 58th | 17th |
| App State | 35th | 47th |
| Arizona | 64th | 37th |
| Arizona State | 41st | 62nd |
| Arkansas | 90th | 12th |
| Arkansas State | 17th | 66th |
| Army | 57th | 43rd |
| Auburn | 47th | 53rd |
| BYU | 78th | 19th |
| Baylor | 69th | 25th |
| Boise State | 66th | 20th |
| Boston College | 37th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 2nd | 98th |
| Buffalo | 11th | 88th |
| California | 28th | 48th |
| Central Michigan | 52nd | 64th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 16th |
| Clemson | 51st | 48th |
| Coastal Carolina | 17th | 83rd |
| Colorado | 18th | 84th |
| Colorado State | 16th | 83rd |
| Delaware | 38th | 58th |
| Duke | 80th | 14th |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 36th |
| Eastern Michigan | 49th | 42nd |
| Florida | 30th | 67th |
| Florida Atlantic | 62nd | 59th |
| Florida International | 42nd | 50th |
| Florida State | 83rd | 32nd |
| Fresno State | 26th | 73rd |
| Georgia | 81st | 3rd |
| Georgia Southern | 73rd | 21st |
| Georgia State | 36th | 70th |
| Georgia Tech | 84th | 5th |
| Hawai'i | 64th | 41st |
| Houston | 27th | 65th |
| Illinois | 75th | 26th |
| Indiana | 95th | 1st |
| Iowa | 44th | 40th |
| Iowa State | 68th | 22nd |
| Jacksonville State | 54th | 38th |
| James Madison | 65th | 44th |
| Kansas | 85th | 28th |
| Kansas State | 71st | 49th |
| Kennesaw State | 56th | 30th |
| Kent State | 21st | 86th |
| Kentucky | 15th | 85th |
| LSU | 14th | 81st |
| Liberty | 43rd | 56th |
| Louisiana | 19th | 73rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 39th | 61st |
| Louisville | 48th | 64th |
| Marshall | 55th | 39th |
| Maryland | 30th | 74th |
| Memphis | 80th | 24th |
| Miami | 76th | 5th |
| Miami (OH) | 34th | 67th |
| Michigan | 67th | 33rd |
| Michigan State | 27th | 75th |
| Middle Tennessee | 39th | 52nd |
| Minnesota | 29th | 77th |
| Mississippi State | 22nd | 77th |
| Missouri | 61st | 30th |
| Missouri State | 55th | 46th |
| NC State | 86th | 23rd |
| Navy | 94th | 17th |
| Nebraska | 48th | 57th |
| Nevada | 3rd | 97th |
| New Mexico | 58th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 9th | 87th |
| North Carolina | 13th | 89th |
| North Texas | 98th | 7th |
| Northern Illinois | 8th | 92nd |
| Northwestern | 52nd | 36th |
| Notre Dame | 99th | 20th |
| Ohio | 67th | 18th |
| Ohio State | 93rd | 4th |
| Oklahoma | 20th | 80th |
| Oklahoma State | 5th | 95th |
| Old Dominion | 83rd | 45th |
| Ole Miss | 89th | 2nd |
| Oregon | 91st | 10th |
| Oregon State | 2nd | 98th |
| Penn State | 73rd | 33rd |
| Pittsburgh | 60th | 39th |
| Purdue | 25th | 78th |
| Rice | 6th | 94th |
| Rutgers | 70th | 27th |
| SMU | 74th | 42nd |
| Sam Houston | 4th | 96th |
| San Diego State | 24th | 76th |
| San José State | 45th | 69th |
| South Alabama | 36th | 58th |
| South Carolina | 23rd | 86th |
| South Florida | 87th | 23rd |
| Southern Miss | 40th | 55th |
| Stanford | 10th | 90th |
| Syracuse | 5th | 95th |
| TCU | 72nd | 35th |
| Temple | 70th | 34th |
| Tennessee | 96th | 11th |
| Texas | 45th | 55th |
| Texas A&M | 82nd | 14th |
| Texas State | 92nd | 8th |
| Texas Tech | 77th | 31st |
| Toledo | 50th | 61st |
| Troy | 14th | 80th |
| Tulane | 79th | 15th |
| Tulsa | 20th | 70th |
| UAB | 61st | 45th |
| UCF | 33rd | 82nd |
| UCLA | 23rd | 79th |
| UConn | 95th | 13th |
| UL Monroe | 11th | 92nd |
| UNLV | 88th | 9th |
| USC | 98th | 2nd |
| UTEP | 1st | 99th |
| UTSA | 77th | 51st |
| Utah | 97th | 6th |
| Utah State | 46th | 63rd |
| Vanderbilt | 100th | 0th |
| Virginia | 59th | 27th |
| Virginia Tech | 32nd | 71st |
| Wake Forest | 42nd | 72nd |
| Washington | 92nd | 8th |
| Washington State | 33rd | 52nd |
| West Virginia | 7th | 93rd |
| Western Kentucky | 53rd | 29th |
| Western Michigan | 31st | 68th |
| Wisconsin | 0th | 100th |
| Wyoming | 8th | 91st |
Fourth-quarter reliability, corrected
Jacksonville State's 4th-quarter offense, before and after garbage time
Raw Q4 EPA/play ranks 62nd percentile in FBS. Strip out snaps taken with a blowout margin and it climbs to the 63rd — the correction is the finding, not a footnote.
Standard downs vs. passing downs
Does Jacksonville State hold up once the down-and-distance turns against them?
59th percentile success on standard downs, 56th on passing downs — little dropoff between the two — a schedule-independent identity.
View all FBS teams as a table
| Team | Standard-downs percentile | Passing-downs percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Air Force | 82nd | 69th |
| Akron | 20th | 36th |
| Alabama | 47th | 76th |
| App State | 41st | 80th |
| Arizona | 54th | 54th |
| Arizona State | 40th | 37th |
| Arkansas | 90th | 97th |
| Arkansas State | 51st | 40th |
| Army | 37th | 44th |
| Auburn | 73rd | 24th |
| Austin Peay | 56th | 13th |
| BYU | 91st | 46th |
| Ball State | 5th | 3rd |
| Baylor | 70th | 77th |
| Boise State | 42nd | 63rd |
| Boston College | 56th | 54th |
| Bowling Green | 10th | 17th |
| Bryant | 7th | 2nd |
| Buffalo | 29th | 20th |
| California | 25th | 66th |
| Central Michigan | 57th | 11th |
| Charlotte | 7th | 7th |
| Cincinnati | 89th | 65th |
| Clemson | 49th | 34th |
| Coastal Carolina | 16th | 22nd |
| Colorado | 8th | 48th |
| Colorado State | 29th | 35th |
| Delaware | 66th | 31st |
| Duke | 82nd | 63rd |
| East Carolina | 63rd | 91st |
| Eastern Michigan | 46th | 67th |
| Florida | 52nd | 45th |
| Florida Atlantic | 44th | 61st |
| Florida International | 50th | 26th |
| Florida State | 65th | 90th |
| Fresno State | 22nd | 71st |
| Georgia | 95th | 69th |
| Georgia Southern | 64th | 84th |
| Georgia State | 22nd | 75th |
| Georgia Tech | 92nd | 89th |
| Hawai'i | 33rd | 87th |
| Houston | 61st | 29th |
| Idaho | 30th | 78th |
| Idaho State | 93rd | 14th |
| Illinois | 79th | 95th |
| Indiana | 97th | 98th |
| Iowa | 74th | 19th |
| Iowa State | 80th | 58th |
| Jacksonville State | 59th | 56th |
| James Madison | 77th | 52nd |
| Kansas | 99th | 82nd |
| Kansas State | 37th | 59th |
| Kennesaw State | 44th | 67th |
| Kent State | 15th | 5th |
| Kentucky | 62nd | 29th |
| LSU | 18th | 52nd |
| Lafayette | 0th | 12th |
| Liberty | 65th | 53rd |
| Lindenwood | 4th | 1st |
| Long Island University | 24th | 78th |
| Louisiana | 24th | 23rd |
| Louisiana Tech | 41st | 24th |
| Louisville | 84th | 32nd |
| Maine | 3rd | 18th |
| Marshall | 71st | 62nd |
| Maryland | 11th | 86th |
| Massachusetts | 5th | 9th |
| Memphis | 75th | 68th |
| Merrimack | 1st | 83rd |
| Miami | 80th | 64th |
| Miami (OH) | 33rd | 39th |
| Michigan | 73rd | 74th |
| Michigan State | 48th | 39th |
| Middle Tennessee | 69th | 47th |
| Minnesota | 35th | 33rd |
| Mississippi State | 52nd | 35th |
| Missouri | 76th | 50th |
| Missouri State | 32nd | 50th |
| Murray State | 1st | 6th |
| NC State | 58th | 71st |
| Navy | 95th | 72nd |
| Nebraska | 78th | 51st |
| Nevada | 17th | 16th |
| New Mexico | 38th | 60th |
| New Mexico State | 16th | 33rd |
| North Carolina | 14th | 30th |
| North Texas | 100th | 97th |
| Northern Illinois | 9th | 5th |
| Northwestern | 48th | 88th |
| Notre Dame | 88th | 99th |
| Ohio | 69th | 76th |
| Ohio State | 99th | 99th |
| Oklahoma | 39th | 41st |
| Oklahoma State | 14th | 7th |
| Old Dominion | 72nd | 79th |
| Ole Miss | 83rd | 95th |
| Oregon | 93rd | 55th |
| Oregon State | 54th | 25th |
| Penn State | 76th | 73rd |
| Pittsburgh | 35th | 56th |
| Purdue | 46th | 88th |
| Rice | 20th | 0th |
| Rutgers | 71st | 84th |
| SMU | 50th | 57th |
| Sam Houston | 26th | 4th |
| San Diego State | 84th | 1st |
| San José State | 68th | 70th |
| South Alabama | 53rd | 28th |
| South Carolina | 31st | 8th |
| South Carolina State | 10th | 3rd |
| South Florida | 86th | 46th |
| Southern Miss | 27th | 38th |
| Stanford | 12th | 12th |
| Syracuse | 19th | 10th |
| TCU | 63rd | 82nd |
| Temple | 85th | 22nd |
| Tennessee | 97th | 81st |
| Texas | 27th | 61st |
| Texas A&M | 88th | 59th |
| Texas State | 60th | 93rd |
| Texas Tech | 45th | 65th |
| Toledo | 67th | 42nd |
| Troy | 18th | 27th |
| Tulane | 81st | 86th |
| Tulsa | 43rd | 43rd |
| UAB | 34th | 94th |
| UCF | 39th | 20th |
| UCLA | 28th | 48th |
| UConn | 96th | 37th |
| UL Monroe | 13th | 14th |
| UNLV | 78th | 85th |
| USC | 94th | 90th |
| UT Martin | 2nd | 41st |
| UTEP | 3rd | 10th |
| UTSA | 67th | 92nd |
| Utah | 87th | 96th |
| Utah State | 31st | 49th |
| Vanderbilt | 90th | 100th |
| Virginia | 36th | 73rd |
| Virginia Tech | 59th | 21st |
| Wake Forest | 21st | 31st |
| Washington | 98th | 93rd |
| Washington State | 61st | 44th |
| West Virginia | 12th | 18th |
| Western Kentucky | 55th | 80th |
| Western Michigan | 86th | 16th |
| Wisconsin | 6th | 27th |
| Wyoming | 23rd | 15th |
Halftime identity
Jacksonville State by half
1st-half offense ranks 59th percentile in FBS; 2nd-half, 63rd — competitive snaps only, garbage time excluded from both halves.
Schedule mirage
How much of Jacksonville State's number is the schedule?
Raw EPA/play through week 21 is 0.19; 70th percentile once opponent strength is stripped out, it's 0.05. The widest gap came in week 4: 0.26 raw vs. 0.07 adjusted.
Jacksonville State reads strongest in rushing epa (top 16%) and success rate (top 34%); the crux lives in explosive plays allowed, where Jacksonville State sits at the 27th percentile.
offense · strengths lead
defense · higher bar = harder to play against
hidden math · special situations
ELITE · 90+STRONG · 70+AVERAGE · 40-70CONCERN · 10-40BOTTOM · <10
Most Similar Programs · Jacksonville State
Most Similar Programs · Jacksonville StateReads Like
CharlotteTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontColorado StateTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up frontEast CarolinaTier 3 · Prestige T2 · Similarly-sized rosters up front
Static-attribute similarity across tier, archetype, conference, and voice. Not a prediction — a calibration.
Home-Field Advantage · Jacksonville State · 2018-present
Elite
80% home win rate vs 48% on the road. margin runs +11.2 better at home. AmFirst Stadium seats 24,000, averaging 80% full (19,117 attendance, 19 games reported).
Home34-8Away20-21
Positional competition · RB room
The carries are split. The job isn’t.
Cam Cook and Khristian Lando split the carries (285/336 vs 51/336) -- but the job isn't split the same way.
Cam CookKhristian Lando
Carries
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
Inside the 5
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Q4, leading (competitive)
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-carry share
concentration alone -- EPA/carry doesn't corroborate, read with caution
Screened 4 claims, 0 survived, 4 falsified
Positional competition · WR/TE room
The targets are split. The job isn’t.
Caleb Coombs (WR) and Pearson Baldwin (TE) split the targets (52/88 vs 36/88) -- but the job isn't split the same way. Pearson Baldwin produces in bigger chunks.
Caleb CoombsPearson Baldwin
Targets
the baseline -- every row below is tested against this split, not a flat 50/50
3rd-down targets
shared -- dots touch, this room really is a committee here
Top-5-catch share
concentration and EPA/target agree -- a real boom/bust split
Screened 2 claims, 1 survived, 1 falsified
What changed
Jacksonville State’s play-calling, before and after the change
Offense: Rod Smith (2023–2024) → Clint Trickett (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 7 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defense: Luke Olson (2024) → Brian Williams (2025)
The biggest shift: red-zone pass rate moved up 12 points. The rest held closer to steady.
1st-down pass rate
Red-zone pass rate
Defensive identity · pass zones
What this defense gives up, by zone.
On short passes, Jacksonville State’s defense allows a completion rate below the FBS mean (64.9% vs 65.9% league-wide, shrunk toward the mean for its 173-play sample) — mid-pack, 47 of 133 qualifying defenses.
We won’t show a deep-ball leaderboard here: at the defense level, most teams face well under 30 rich-feed deep targets all season — too thin to tell a real tendency from noise, so we won’t guess.
Screened 133 claims, 133 survived · 2025 only, in the 399 games with the detailed play-text feed; n=173 short-zone plays faced, raw rate 64.2%
Venue texture
71°F average kickoff temp; 10% of games had measurable precipitation; 5 mph average wind.
Based on 29 home games with weather data.
The CFP Era
12 seasons inside the CFP era, no bids yet — the era the program is still trying to break into.
TRAJECTORY · quality-score line · AP rank dotted · CFP bids marked · coach regimes ribboned
Program Quality
AP Rank (inverted)
CFP Appearance
Jacksonville State's 2014–2025 record is 102-41. The era is still being written; the CFP line is the one the program is arguing for.
All-Time Record
181-101
since 1909 · 45 seasons · .641 win rate
HOME
95-24
AWAY
70-68
NEUTRAL
16-9
1900s
1910s
1920s
1930s
1970s
1980s
1990s
2000s
2010s
2020s
The program, in full — read the essay
Jacksonville State joined the FBS in 2023. Three years in, three nine-win seasons. Rich Rodriguez left after one of them. It didn't matter.
Jacksonville State is not supposed to be here, and it has never let that stop it. A small school in Jacksonville, Alabama — enrollment under eleven thousand — that spent years as an FCS giant-killer, most famously stunning Florida State in Tallahassee in 2017 before anyone had any reason to watch. The FBS jump came in 2023, and instead of the stumble newcomers are supposed to take, the Gamecocks won nine games. Then nine more. Then nine more again.
Rich Rodriguez built the first two seasons, then left for West Virginia after 2024. First-year head coach Charles Kelly didn't miss a beat — nine wins, a second straight Conference USA Championship Game appearance, and a bowl win over in-state rival Troy in the Salute to Veterans Bowl that reclaimed the Ol' School Bell. That's four straight coaches who won nine games in year one at Jacksonville State, which is either program-building at its purest or the most extraordinary streak of transition luck in the sport. The fanbase has chosen to believe the former.
The 2026 question in Jacksonville is the one that keeps getting deferred: when does house money become a Conference USA title? Two championship-game trips, two losses. The Gamecocks have proved they belong. The next step is proving they can close. Kelly has the roster returning, the schedule is manageable, and a small Alabama town has gotten very comfortable with the idea of winning in a league that didn't expect them to.
How they play
Fast, physical, fearless football from a program built on the belief that preparation and toughness outweigh enrollment numbers. The scheme under Rodriguez and now Kelly emphasizes ball control and defensive pressure — not the spread-and-score identity you'd expect from a newcomer trying to recruit its way in, but a grind-and-suffocate approach that makes programs with bigger rosters uncomfortable. The fan culture is tight, loud, and grateful in the exact way of a small town that knows what it has.
Steady
Jacksonville State 2016–2025. Holding the line. The 10-year slope (-0.01 rungs / yr) doesn't tilt either way — the program lives at roughly Tier 3.
CFP Era · Jacksonville State
12 seasons on file
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
down middle peak CFP year
Season Standing · 2025 · 9-5
Season Standing · 2025 · 9-5Bowl eligible
Jacksonville State: 6+ wins, bowl access secured. The baseline of a successful FBS year.
R0R1R2R3R4R5R6R7R8R9
Sub-FBSBuildingBowlRankedContenderPlayoff
Conference USA Standing · 2025
2nd in the Conference USA
Jacksonville State is 2nd in the Conference USA at 6-2. 1 team above — that's the direct path to the title game.
| # | Program | Record |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Kennesaw State | 6-1 |
| 2 | Jacksonville State | 6-2 |
| 3 | Western Kentucky | 5-2 |
| 4 | Florida International | 5-3 |
| 5 | Missouri State | 4-2 |
| 6 | Delaware | 2-4 |
| 7 | Liberty | 2-4 |
| 8 | Middle Tennessee | 2-6 |
| 9 | New Mexico State | 1-5 |
| 10 | Sam Houston | 1-5 |
Coaching Era · Jacksonville State
Coaching Era · Jacksonville StateCharles Kelly
Charles Kelly in year 2 of the rebuild. The methodology is taking shape.
Era Charles Kelly · 2025–presentPrev: Rich Rodriguez (2023–2024)OC: Taylor HousewrightPrev OC: Clint Trickett (2025)DC: Brian WilliamsPrev DC: Luke Olson (2024)
2
years · era
Rituals
Three gameday rituals — the ones outsiders never quite catch.
Rich Rodriguez Tenure (2022-present)
since 2022
Rich Rodriguez's 2022 hire — coming from Arizona/West Virginia/Michigan-era ASU departure — was an unconventional FCS/G5 hire. The 2024 9-4 + New Mexico Bowl championship (first FBS bowl win) opened the Conference USA-era ascent. Rodriguez's spread-option offensive identity + recruiting reach gave Jacksonville State sudden national-narrative legitimacy at the C-USA tier.
2023 FBS Reclassification + Conference USA Entry
since 2023
Jacksonville State's 2023 FBS reclassification + Conference USA entry was the most-recent FCS-to-FBS-conference ascent in CFB. The transition opened bowl eligibility + national TV exposure + recruiting upside. The 2024 9-4 second-FBS-season + New Mexico Bowl win confirmed the program's competitive viability.
Jacksonville Alabama Gamecock Mascot
since 1947
Jacksonville State's Gamecock mascot — adopted 1947 — predates the more-famous South Carolina Gamecock by decades in terms of program-identity ownership. The Alabama-Gamecock-not-South-Carolina-Gamecock distinction matters in CFB recruiting + cultural identity. The mascot's Cocky-the-Gamecock costumed character + the rooster-iconography in marketing make the identity uniquely JSU.
Program memory
What this program never forgets
Most weeks vanish. These didn’t.
2017
Upset of Florida State
FCS Jacksonville State stuns Florida State in Tallahassee — the program's giant-killer calling card
2024
New Mexico Bowl title
JSU wins its first FBS bowl under Rich Rodriguez, capping a 9-win debut FBS-bowl season
2025
Salute to Veterans Bowl over Troy
Charles Kelly's Gamecocks beat in-state Troy 17-13 to reclaim the Ol' School Bell and finish 9-5
Moment of the Year · Jacksonville State · 2025
Moment of the Year · Jacksonville State · 2025Postseason · Won 17-13 vs Troy
Week 16 of 2025. Postseason win — the season-defining moment.
Bowl / Postseason Ledger
Bowl / Postseason LedgerRecent postseason (2015-2025): 3-2
Most recent: 2025 — win 17-13 (home). Last 5 postseason: 3-2.
20252024202320152015
Unit lineage
Jacksonville State’s offense and defense, by coordinator
FBS-relative efficiency percentile per season (2014–2025), same population as the Coordinator Mirror board. Dashed vertical lines mark a coordinator change.
Offense2023–2025
2023–2024 · Rod Smith2025 · Clint Trickett
Hired for 2026: Taylor Housewright — not yet reflected in on-field data.
Defense2023–2025
2023 · Zac Alley2024 · Luke Olson2025 (ongoing) · Brian Williams
Elite (≥70th pct)AveragePoor (≤30th pct)
Chronicle Visuals
Among the most continuous rosters into 2025 — 84% back, anchored by the qb room, only offense to settle.
The portal upgraded the IOL room but opened a hole at LB.
Jacksonville State sits where recruit talent and draft yield largely match.
r/cfb moments
546
[Postgame Thread] UAB Defeats Jacksonville State 31-0
473
[Postgame Thread] UCF Defeats Jacksonville State 17-10
377
[Game Thread] Jacksonville State vs. UAB (7:30PM ET)
247
[Postgame Thread] Jacksonville State Defeats FIU 19-10
111
[Postgame Thread] Jacksonville State Defeats WKU 20-17
All-time top community posts · ranked by upvotes
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