Reviewed by: Pat Byington
5 things to know about Jax State football before the 2024 season
Reading time: 4 minutes
It’s finally game week for the six FBS schools here in Alabama and for a couple of them, the wait ends before Saturday.
Jacksonville State will officially kick things off Thursday night on CBS Sports Network when the Gamecocks open the 2024 season against Coastal Carolina. Tickets are still available for the opener at AmFirst Stadium.
Keep reading to find out what you need to know before kickoff + follow the links to check out our preview series for Alabama and Auburn.
1. Championship contender
After a mandatory two-year transition period, the Gamecocks are now officially full-fledged members of the Football Bowl Subdisivion (FBS) and Conference USA. That means Jax State can finally compete to be a conference, or national, champion at the sport’s highest level.
During that transition period, JSU could not bank on postseason success but they still won plenty of games on the field.
- 2022: 9-2, 5-0 in Atlantic Sun
- 2023: 9-4, 6-2 in C-USA
Despite those strong records, the Gamecocks could not be put in the FCS playoffs in 2022 or contend for a conference championship either season. Jax State did get an unexpected trip to a bowl game last year due to the lack of bowl eligible teams at the FBS level.
All that is in the past now though as JSU will have every opportunity to be crowned conference champions or even earn an automatic bid to the first ever 12-team College Football Playoff.
2. Stadium updates
Jacksonville State’s home grounds will have a new name this season. While Snow-Burgess Field will remain on the playing surface, the venue will now be known as AmFirst Stadium.
There have also been improvements around the stadium for the players and the fans. Those improvements include:
- New $32M football facility
- New club + corporate gameday suites
- AstroTurf’s RootZone 3D Series
- Vintage JSU midfield logo
3. QB battle
While the passing game may not have been the key to success over the last two years, the quarterback spot played a massive role in the offense including the ground attack. That spot was filled by Zion Webb and Logan Smothers but a new face could be taking snaps this season.
With Webb out of the picture, Smothers returns but could potentially split time with a newcomer (or two). During a preseason press conference, Jax State coach Rich Rodriguez referred to Smothers and Furman transfer Tyler Huff as co-starters.
A two-quarterback system is nothing new for the experienced head coach but one could end up separating himself as the primary signal caller by the end of the season.
4. Future Sunday stars
As the Gamecocks move into the top division of college football, it is more and more likely to see Jax State alumni playing in the NFL. 20 JSU players have competed at the NFL level with the most recent draft pick coming in 2018 (CB – Siran Neal).
But with Rich Rodriguez at the helm and the program getting bigger, that number should grow. And soon.
Some names to watch from this year’s team include:
- Offensive lineman Clay Webb
- Tight end Sean Brown
- Edge rusher J-Rock Swain
- Defensive back Fred Perry
5. National exposure
With the growth of the program comes more national exposure. This season, Jax State will have at least seven games on national television including Thursday’s opener against Coastal Carolina.
Here’s a look at JSU’s complete schedule + where you can watch each game:
- Coastal Carolina, Aug. 29, CBSSN
- at Louisville, Sept. 7, ACCN
- at Eastern Michigan, Sept. 14, ESPN+
- Southern Miss, Sept. 21
- at Kennesaw State, Oct. 4, CBSSN
- New Mexico State, Oct. 9, ESPN2
- Middle Tennessee, Oct. 23, ESPN2
- at Liberty, Oct. 30, CBSSN
- at Louisiana Tech, Nov. 9, CBSSN
- FIU, Nov. 16
- Sam Houston State, Nov. 23, CBSSN
- at Western Kentucky, Nov. 30
If you’re a Jax State fan, what are you most looking forward to this season? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
