UCF vs. Jacksonville State Football Preview with State of the Gamecocks

UCF opens the 2025 season on Thursday night against Jacksonville State, welcoming the Gamecocks to the Bounce House in Scott Frost’s highly anticipated return debut.

To learn more about Jax State, a program entering their third year in FBS and a member of Conference USA, I caught up with Drew Bonds and Brooks Davis, the duo behind the “State of the Gamecocks” podcast. They joined me for a 50-minute conversation to break down the matchup, discuss JSU’s transition to FBS, and shared what fans can expect from this new-look Jacksonville State team.

You can watch/listen to the full interview here, and the full story/recap is below:

Connections to Jax State

Drew and Brooks are Jacksonville, Alabama, natives who grew up immersed in JSU culture due to family. Brooks is a proud alum, while Drew started at Jax State before flight school. Their podcast began when Drew noticed there wasn’t a dedicated JSU football podcast and decided to launch one with his lifelong friend. The response has far exceeded their expectations.

“We thought 15 listeners would be cool. We have way more than that.”

A college town on the rise

Jacksonville State University sits between Birmingham and Atlanta and is deeply woven into the small town’s fabric. With over 11,000 students in a town of 9,000, the college dominates the landscape. The jump to FBS has driven growth across the board: more dorms, new restaurants, and the largest incoming class in school history.

“We’re on national TV more, and that exposure is making more people want to come to Jax State,” Brooks said.

And for visiting fans looking for a bite, there’s one spot that stands above the rest: Cooter Brown’s Rib Shack.

“It’s a wooden shack with maybe 15 tables, but it’s really, really good,” Drew said.

Favorite Moments as JSU Fans

Both hosts shared favorite JSU memories. Drew picked the stunning 2010 double-overtime win at Ole Miss. Brooks pointed to the near-upset of Auburn in 2015 and the team’s FCS National Championship run that season (Jax State lost to a North Dakota State team led by quarterback Carson Wentz).

They also recounted the 2021 Hail Mary win over Florida State. Brooks, then a student intern in JSU’s communications office, raced home from a volleyball game to watch, and exploded with excitement upon the final play: “As soon as Damond Philyaw-Johnson came down with it, I took off running around the house.”

Shared history

UCF and JSU were conference mates in the Atlantic Sun from 1995–2003 in Olympic sports.

Buffalo Bills OT Tylan Grable began his career at Jax State, playing from 2018-21 before transferring to UCF in 2022-23. He was honorable mention All-Big 12 in 2023. He was a sixth-round selection of the Bills in the 2024 NFL Draft.

Top rivalries

According to Drew and Brooks, JSU’s top rival today is Kennesaw State, also in C-USA. Former rivals included North Alabama, Chattanooga and Troy.

Now that Jax State is FBS, fans would love to rekindle that Troy rivalry.

“That’s our oldest rival, going back to the Division II days, when both of us were Division II powerhouses,” Drew said. “That was one of the first questions that people brought up when we made that jump to FBS. Are we going to bring back the Troy game?

“(Jax State AD) Greg Seitz actually came out not too long ago and said that they’re still in talks. They’re really trying to bring that game back. At least start off with a home-and-home and then go from there, maybe making it more of an annual rivalry again. That was our big one… We haven’t played since the early 2000s. I think it was our first year in the OVC. We’re really pushing for that one.”

FBS leap and Rich Rod’s impact

In late 2021, JSU announced its impending move from FCS to FBS, joining Conference USA. With that transition came the high-profile hire of Rich Rodriguez, the former West Virginia, Michigan and Arizona coach. The move paid off quickly. After one year in FCS (2022), Rodriguez outperformed expectations in their first two seasons of FBS.

2023: 9-4 record, New Orleans Bowl win
2024: 9-5 record, C-USA Champions, hosted and won the title game

“We thought we were going 3-9 that first year,” Brooks admitted. “To win a bowl game in year one, then a championship at home in year two? It absolutely exceeded expectations.”

A New Era begins: Charles Kelly takes over

Following Rodriguez’s offseason departure to West Virginia, JSU turned to Charles Kelly, a longtime defensive coordinator with ties to Alabama, Florida State and Colorado. An Alabama native, he actually began his coaching career at JSU in the 1990s.

Though Drew and Brooks initially hoped for a Bill Clark reunion (the former UAB/Jax State coach), they’ve quickly come around on Kelly.

“He had less than 50 scholarship players and one QB when he arrived,” Drew said. “The job he’s done building the roster has been incredible.”

Brooks added, “He’s an A+ guy. Took the time to speak with us in a casual setting and even asked our thoughts on the team. That meant a lot.”

Coaching staff and scheme shift

Kelly hired Clint Trickett as his offensive coordinator. Trickett, formerly at FAU, Marshall and Georgia Southern, is expected to bring a more balanced and vertical passing attack compared to Rich Rod’s run-heavy scheme.

“From the spring game, it looked like more deep shots, more halfback screens,” Brooks said. “Still mobile QBs, but not as many designed runs.”

Transfer Portal overhaul

Jacksonville State ranks 135th out of 136 teams in returning production. Only two offensive starters and a kicker return from 2024. The entire defense is new.

But the portal brought in some promising talent ready for a new opportunity:

QB Gavin Wimsatt (Kentucky/Rutgers) is the expected starter, and was officially confirmed by Coach Kelly on Sunday. Last season at Kentucky, Wimsatt played in eight games as a backup and occasional wildcat QB, completing 16 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns. He was UK’s third-leading rusher.

Wimsatt was at Rutgers from 2021-23, starting 19 games in that span. He was the Scarlet Knights’ primary starter in 2023, passing for 1,735 yards (138-of-289) and nine touchdowns versus eight interceptions.

“I know his numbers at Kentucky and before that at Rutgers were not really good,” Drew said. “In fact, they were pretty bad, to be honest. The vibe and who we’ve talked to, the (coaches) love him. He has super high leadership, very high character, which plays a big role in that position, but they really like what he’s capable of and what he’s shown so far.”

They didn’t rule out the possibility other QBs, including Cade Cunningham or Caden Creel, could see action, especially if the game gets out of hand. Jax State plays perhaps their biggest game of the year in Week Two.

“We have Liberty at home, and that’s probably the biggest game on our schedule as far as conference play goes, and it just happens to be week two at home.”

They’re very excited about a portal addition at running back, Cam Cook, who was TCU’s leading rusher last season with 460 yards on 119 carries with nine touchdowns. He was projected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year.

They also expect Andrew Paul (former Georgia transfer) and Justus Savage to see action at RB.

Deondre Johnson (Rutgers transfer) is an intriguing weapon at wide receiver. He’s 6-foot-8 (!), fast and physical.

Their WR corps also features returning contributors Michael Pettway (second leading WR in 2024) and Brock Rechsteiner (fourth leading WR in 2024), who is the son of WWE wrestler Scott Steiner.

“(Deondre Johnson) got the ball thrown to him a few times in the spring game and had one big play,” Drew said. “He didn’t play at Rutgers. There’s a reason why he didn’t play, I’m sure. But when you’re 6-8, you’ve got to see the field at some point because he’s going to demand some attention from whatever defense he’s playing because he’s just so big.

“He’s really fast. I mean, he takes big lumberjack strides. He gains five yards every stride, basically. I don’t know, maybe his hands aren’t where they’re supposed to be yet. At least maybe they weren’t last year. There’s a reason he didn’t play at Rutgers, but we’re really happy to have him.

“We expect him to play and have a big season, and more so maybe open up opportunities for Michael Pettway or Rechsteiner just because he will demand a little bit of extra attention by the defense.”

The duo were quite bullish on the strength of JSU’s front seven, which is mostly made up of transfers. That group includes DL Khurtiss Perry (Alabama/Virginia Tech), DE Emmanuel Oyebadejo, LB Jacob Cruz (Georgia Tech) and LB Isaac Walker (Georgia Southern).

Perry is a former four-star recruit that considered UCF coming out of high school.

The makeup of the secondary is more of a mystery. When Coach Kelly arrived, only one scholarship corner was left on the roster so that was a big transfer portal focus. They do expect DB Tre’Quon Fegans to play a role. He began his career at Alabama, then USC and spent last season at UCF, making two tackles. They also believe Tyrin Taylor (Memphis transfer) and Rod Elston (Auburn transfer) will factor in as well.

Gamecocks in Orlando

It’s only a 8-hour drive from Jacksonville to Orlando, but the Thursday game will likely keep a lot of fans at home watching on ESPN+.

They did hear JSU’s band – The Marching Southerners – will be in the Bounce House.

“They’re one of the best bands in the country,” Brooks said. “Big, loud, and really fun to watch.”

What JSU fans expect vs. UCF

Opinions are split. Some fans smell an upset, while others are cautious.

Drew: “There’s a big part of the fan base that thinks we can win. At the very least, I expect us to cover. Keep it close into the fourth quarter.”

Brooks: “I think UCF has the edge — more talent overall. But we’ll compete.”

Final Score Predictions

Drew Bonds: Jacksonville State 28, UCF 24.
Brooks Davis: UCF 28, Jacksonville State 21.

“We don’t know exactly what we’re going to get,” Drew said. “But we know Coach Kelly has built something strong, and if it all clicks, we can surprise people.”

JSU fans can follow Drew and Brooks throughout the season via the State of the Gamecocks podcast, available on all major audio platforms and on X at @SOTGamecocks.

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