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Jacksonville State football is receiving poll interest to start the 2026 season.
The Gamecocks were one of the last teams receiving votes in the preseason USLBM Coaches Poll, released by USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Jax State earned one point in the ranking, equivalent to one coach putting it at No. 25.
Charles Kelly is a voter in the coaches poll for the 2026-27 season, but it is unknown who gave the Gamecocks their lone vote in the preseason poll.
The Gamecocks are coming off a 9-5 season that saw them finish atop the Conference USA standings before falling to Kennesaw State in the league title game. Jax State went on to beat Troy in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.
In a recent Conference USA preseason poll led by USA TODAY Sports Network writers, the Gamecocks placed third behind Liberty (89 points) and Western Kentucky (87). The Gamecocks had 85 points and earned three first place votes in the informal media poll.
Jax State returns quarterback Caden Creel, who was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list alongside receiver Deondre Johnson. The Gamecocks return defensive standouts Caleb Nix, Tre'Quon Fegans and Mac Sanders are among other key returners. They are led by Kelly, who is entering year two.
Released on Tuesday, August 4
Dropped out: No. 15 Vanderbilt (10-3); No. 16 Virginia (11-3); No. 18 Tulane (11-3); No. 20 James Madison (12-2); No. 23 Navy (11-2); No. 24 Georgia Tech (9-4); No. 25 Illinois (9-4).
Others receiving votes: Louisville (9-4) 153; Florida (4-8) 147; TCU (9-4) 63; Illinois (9-4) 62; Arizona (9-4) 50; South Carolina (4-8) 50; Virginia (11-3) 40; Vanderbilt (10-3) 37; Auburn (5-7) 29; Georgia Tech (9-4) 26; Boise State (9-5) 24; Oklahoma State (1-11) 22; UNLV (10-4) 17; Florida State (5-7) 13; North Carolina State (8-5) 13; Nebraska (7-6) 12; Virginia Tech (3-9) 12; Memphis (8-5) 9; Arizona State (8-5) 8; Duke (9-5) 6; James Madison (12-2) 6; New Mexico (9-4) 4; Pittsburgh (8-5) 4; Navy (11-2) 3; Western Michigan (10-4) 3; San Diego State (9-4) 2; California (7-6) 1; Hawaii (9-4) 1; Jacksonville State (9-5) 1; Kansas State (6-6) 1.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports, Jax State athletics, the outdoors in Alabama and more for the Gadsden Times and USA TODAY Network. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Is Jacksonville State football ranked in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?
Continue reading...
The Gamecocks were one of the last teams receiving votes in the preseason USLBM Coaches Poll, released by USA TODAY Sports on Tuesday, Aug. 4. Jax State earned one point in the ranking, equivalent to one coach putting it at No. 25.
Charles Kelly is a voter in the coaches poll for the 2026-27 season, but it is unknown who gave the Gamecocks their lone vote in the preseason poll.
The Gamecocks are coming off a 9-5 season that saw them finish atop the Conference USA standings before falling to Kennesaw State in the league title game. Jax State went on to beat Troy in the Salute to Veterans Bowl.
In a recent Conference USA preseason poll led by USA TODAY Sports Network writers, the Gamecocks placed third behind Liberty (89 points) and Western Kentucky (87). The Gamecocks had 85 points and earned three first place votes in the informal media poll.
Jax State returns quarterback Caden Creel, who was named to the Maxwell Award preseason watch list alongside receiver Deondre Johnson. The Gamecocks return defensive standouts Caleb Nix, Tre'Quon Fegans and Mac Sanders are among other key returners. They are led by Kelly, who is entering year two.
Full Preseason US LBM College Football Coaches Poll
Released on Tuesday, August 4
| Rank | School (record) | Points | Last season’s final rank | First-place votes |
| 1 | Ohio State (12-2) | 1,741 | 6 | 38 |
| 2 | Oregon (13-2) | 1,637 | 4 | 6 |
| 3 | Georgia (12-2) | 1,591 | 5 | 7 |
| 4 | Texas (10-3) | 1,544 | 13 | 2 |
| 5 | Notre Dame (10-2) | 1,524 | 11 | 5 |
| 6 | Indiana (16-0) | 1,522 | 1 | 14 |
| 7 | Miami (Fla.) (13-3) | 1,409 | 2 | 0 |
| 8 | Texas A&M (11-2) | 1,174 | 8 | 0 |
| 9 | Oklahoma (10-3) | 1,104 | 10 | 0 |
| 10 | Mississippi (13-2) | 1,096 | 3 | 0 |
| 11 | Alabama (11-4) | 1,050 | 9 | 0 |
| 12 | Texas Tech (12-2) | 1,034 | 8 | 0 |
| 13 | LSU (7-6) | 951 | NR | 0 |
| 14 | Southern California (9-4) | 838 | 21 | 0 |
| 15 | Brigham Young (12-2) | 781 | 12 | 0 |
| 16 | Michigan (9-4) | 719 | 22 | 0 |
| 17 | Penn State (7-6) | 463 | NR | 0 |
| 18 | Tennessee (8-5) | 428 | NR | 0 |
| 19 | Washington (9-4) | 406 | NR | 0 |
| 20 | SMU (9-4) | 378 | NR | 0 |
| 21 | Utah (11-2) | 313 | 14 | 0 |
| 22 | Iowa (9-4) | 291 | 17 | 0 |
| 23 | Clemson (7-6) | 235 | NR | 0 |
| 24 | Houston (10-3) | 194 | 19 | 0 |
| 25 | Missouri (8-5) | 158 | NR | 0 |
Dropped out: No. 15 Vanderbilt (10-3); No. 16 Virginia (11-3); No. 18 Tulane (11-3); No. 20 James Madison (12-2); No. 23 Navy (11-2); No. 24 Georgia Tech (9-4); No. 25 Illinois (9-4).
Others receiving votes: Louisville (9-4) 153; Florida (4-8) 147; TCU (9-4) 63; Illinois (9-4) 62; Arizona (9-4) 50; South Carolina (4-8) 50; Virginia (11-3) 40; Vanderbilt (10-3) 37; Auburn (5-7) 29; Georgia Tech (9-4) 26; Boise State (9-5) 24; Oklahoma State (1-11) 22; UNLV (10-4) 17; Florida State (5-7) 13; North Carolina State (8-5) 13; Nebraska (7-6) 12; Virginia Tech (3-9) 12; Memphis (8-5) 9; Arizona State (8-5) 8; Duke (9-5) 6; James Madison (12-2) 6; New Mexico (9-4) 4; Pittsburgh (8-5) 4; Navy (11-2) 3; Western Michigan (10-4) 3; San Diego State (9-4) 2; California (7-6) 1; Hawaii (9-4) 1; Jacksonville State (9-5) 1; Kansas State (6-6) 1.
Maxwell Donaldson covers high school sports, Jax State athletics, the outdoors in Alabama and more for the Gadsden Times and USA TODAY Network. Find him on Twitter/X @_Max_Donaldson and contact him at [email protected].
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Is Jacksonville State football ranked in preseason US LBM Coaches Poll?
Continue reading...
