Jacksonville State Gamecocks: Gridiron Outlook and the Dawn of EA College Football 25

Jacksonville State University (JSU), nestled in the state of Alabama, boasts a rich football history dating back to 1904. From their humble beginnings as the Eagle Owls to their current status as the Gamecocks, JSU has traversed various levels of collegiate competition, solidifying its place in the NCAA landscape. As they eagerly anticipate the 2025 season, excitement is building, fueled by their recent Conference USA championship and the highly anticipated release of EA College Football 25.

A Look at the 2025 Football Schedule

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks have officially unveiled their 2025 football schedule, a slate of games that promises exciting matchups and opportunities to deepen rivalries. Vice President for Athletics Greg Seitz expressed enthusiasm for the schedule, highlighting the memorable battles anticipated at their five home games in AmFirst Stadium. The team will also face seven road games.

Season Opener and Non-Conference Clashes

The 2025 season mirrors the conclusion of the 2024 season, commencing in Orlando, Florida, with a non-conference showdown against UCF on Thursday, August 28th. Later, Jax State will be back on the road for their second non-conference game at Georgia Southern on September 13th, then will host Murray State on September 20th for the lone home non-conference game of the season.

Conference USA Play

League play resumes on Thursday, October 9th at Sam Houston, after which the Gamecocks will host new CUSA member Delaware on October 15th. Following a bye on October 21st, Jax State will travel to Middle Tennessee on October 29th in the Weekday CUSA final, followed by a trip to the Sun Bowl to take on UTEP on Saturday, November 8th. Jax State hosted the Miners to open the 2023 season, marking the first Conference USA game in program history.

It's important to note that game dates are subject to change to accommodate national television selections by CBS Sports Network and ESPN.

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Ticket Information

Deposits for 2025 season tickets are currently being accepted. Season ticket holders from the 2024 season will have their seats held, and no deposit is necessary. Deposits will secure a place in line for the 2025 season. Sales and renewals will commence on March 3rd, with ticket office staff available to assist with seat selection. Single-game tickets will go on sale August 1st.

A Storied History

Jacksonville State's football program has a rich and evolving history.

Early Years and Rivalries

Jacksonville State University's first football team, the Eagle Owls, was formed in the late 19th century. During the first half century of play, Troy University and Samford University became their rivals. The unnamed rivalry with Samford started in 1904, when Jacksonville wore blue and gold as the Eagle Owls and Samford University was still named Howard College. Jacksonville State used to play Troy in the annual Battle for the Ol' School Bell. The schools first played in 1924, and this was one of the fiercest rivalries for both schools. The game has not been played since 2001, after Troy moved up to the FBS.

NCAA Transition and Conference Affiliations

Jacksonville State joined the NCAA in 1973, and played at the NCAA Division II level from 1973 to 1994. In 1995, the team moved up to the NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) and competed in the Southland Conference from 1996 to 2002 before moving to the Ohio Valley Conference from 2003 to 2020.

Championship Appearances and Bowl Games

Jacksonville State has made four appearances in the NCAA Division II national championship game. The Gamecocks were defeated in their first three championship game appearances, losing 33-0 to Lehigh in 1977, 3-0 to Mississippi College in 1989 (later vacated), and 23-6 to Pittsburg State in 1991. Jacksonville State has participated in eleven bowl games, and has a record of 8-3. The Gamecocks have appeared in the Division II playoffs ten times, with an overall record of 15-9.

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EA College Football 25: Player Ratings and Roster Insights

After a wait of over a decade, the release of EA College Football 25 has sparked excitement among college football fans. With the release comes the question of who are the highest rated players on the Jacksonville State football roster and could the rankings give an insight to the top quarterback on the roster.

Team Rating

The Gamecocks are in a four-way tie for the third highest rated CUSA team, alongside Middle Tennessee State, Sam Houston and FIU. The group trails Western Kentucky and Liberty, both 80 overalls.

Jacksonville State football rated in EA College Football 25:

Overall: 77
Offense: 73
Defense: 70

Top Players

Here are the top 20 Jax State football players in College Football 25:

Clay Webb, left guard − 92
Sean Brown, tight end − 86
J-Rock Swain, tight end − 81
Laletia Hale, linebacker − 81
Anwar Lewis, running back − 78
Andrew Paul, running back − 78
Derek Carter, corner back − 78
Curley Young Jr., right end − 77
Brock Robey, center − 77
Jack Dawson, punter − 76
Jabari Mack, cornerback − 76
Geimere Latimer, cornerback − 76
Zion Turner, quarterback − 76
Morven Joseph, right end − 75
Marco Baker, cornerback − 75
Fred Perry, safety − 75
Ky'Won McCray, safety − 75
Will O'Steen, left tackle − 75
Jibreel Al-Amin, outside linebacker − 74
Brannon Spector, wide receiver − 74
Demarcus Lacey, wide receiver − 74
Cam Jones, right tackle − 74

Quarterback Rankings

Zion Turner is the Gamecocks highest rated quarterback at 76 overall trailed closely by Logan Smothers (73) and Te'Sean Smoot (72). Griffin Brewster, Tyler Huff and Caden Creel are in the 60s.

Roster Omissions

Ron Wiggins does not appear to be in the game for the Gamecocks. He entered the portal during spring ball but returned.

UCF Game Preview

The Knights suffered a completely defeated season in 2015, making way for then-Oregon offensive coordinator Scott Frost to take the reins in Orlando. After inheriting a team with zero wins to six wins and a bowl appearance in 2016, Frost and company stunned the world in 2017. The Knights had the lone unblemished record at season's end, recording a 13-0 record punctuated by a 34-27 over No.

While history doesn't repeat itself, it often rhymes. In this case, lots of Frost's return feels similar to the 2016 & 2017 years, but so much around the game has changed in the College Football Playoff, NIL and revenue sharing era. In what is technically his third year at the helm of the Knights and the first in his second stint, over half of Frost's roster is new to UCF. Of the 63 newcomers, 36 are transfers from other D-I institutions.

UCF outscored their opponents 627-329 in 2017, scoring 30 points or more in all 13 victories. The Knights' offense ranked No. 1 in the nation, averaging 48.2 points per game.

Coaching Matchups

UCF will face three of those 30 as well as an additional opponent, North Carolina A&T of the FCS. The Knights will host the four: Charles Kelly with Jacksonville State (Aug. 28), Shawn Gibbs with N.C. A&T (Sep. 6), Bill Belichick with North Carolina (Sep. 20) and Rich Rodriguez with West Virginia (Oct.

Of the new crop this year, Frost and Rodriguez are the only pair of FBS head coaches that have coached at a school, left and then returned to the same place later. Including Frost, there are 16 sitting head coaches across all levels to have coached at a place, left and then returned.

Additional Notes

New grass was planted in the offseason, replacing the original field that was installed in 2007. UCF enters its contest against Jacksonville State with the third-longest active win streak on Thursdays at 10.

Four players from the 2024 squad started in six or more games, with Paul Rubelt being the lone returner to start in all 12.

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