SoCon Football Preview

Note: The following was written by Scott Keeler, who worked as a reporter at the Greenville News for more than 25 years and continues to cover the Southern Conference. “Keeler’s Corner” will appear throughout the season.

Keeler can be found on Twitter @Scott_Keeler

Welcome to the 2025 preseason edition of “Keeler’s Corner!” In a conference that has seen six different league champions over the past six seasons, there should be plenty of wildly entertaining games every Saturday this fall in The Southern Conference. Here’s my look at each team as we get set for the opening week of the season throughout the league. Teams are listed by ranking and then alphabetically. Rankings are listed with the AFCA FCS Coaches’ Poll first and then the Stats Perform FCS Poll.

No. 11/11 MERCER

Talk about a debut. In Mike Jacobs’ first year as Mercer head coach in 2024, he guided the Bears to the most wins in school history (11), their first SoCon championship and their deepest FCS playoff run. After receiving an opening round bye as one of the top eight seeds, the Bears defeated Rhode Island in the second round at home, before falling to eventual national champion North Dakota State on the road in the quarterfinals.

The tools are there for a strong encore as Mercer returns 12 starters including seven on defense. That unit is led by preseason SoCon Defensive Player of the Year Andrew Zock. The defensive end earned league Freshman of the Year honors last season after posting seven sacks and 14.5 tackles-for-loss.

“Obviously, Andrew Zock has become a known commodity in the conference, but I think the depth of our defensive line will be greater this season,” Jacobs said. 

Quarterback DJ Smith, who completed 73 percent of his passes, threw for more than 1,300 yards and nine touchdowns while also rushing for four touchdowns last season, is among the five returning starters on offense. Three of his protectors up front on the offensive line are also returning starters.

“DJ battled some injuries midway through last season and was probably a little more banged up than people realized,” Jacobs said. “What DJ brings back is an extremely accurate passer, a senior, and somebody who has command of our offense.”

Jacobs believes that Smith has had healthy competition with a trio of freshmen quarters. Those include two redshirt freshman transfers, JP Pickles from UTEP and Jake Wilson from Purdue, along with early enrollee Braden Atkinson.

Two more new faces who could make an immediate impact on offense for the Bears are running back Octavius Ison and wide receiver Adonis McDaniel. Ison ran for 795 yards and four touchdowns at Charleston Southern last season, while McDaniel had 1,000 yards receiving for Lenoir-Rhyne.

“I’d argue that our wide receiver room, from top to bottom, is as deep as anybody in the conference, if not the country,” Jacobs said.

Non-conference game to watch: This was going to be a recap of Mercer’s season-opening showdown with No. 7-ranked UC-Davis last Saturday in the FCS Kickoff Classic in Montgomery, Ala. I still will recap it, even though Mother Nature left the game as a “no contest” with no winner decided and no stats counting. The Bears trailed 23-3 in the second half before their running game suddenly came to life. Ison had a 69-yard touchdown run and Smith later scored from a yard out to cut the lead to 23-17 going into the fourth quarter. With 7:46 left to play, Mercer had a first down at the Aggies’ 48-yard line when lightning halted play. After a lengthy delay due to continued lightning strikes, the game never resumed and was eventually called off.

No. 19/18 WESTERN CAROLINA

If there’s one team not lacking in motivation going into the 2025 season, it’s Western Carolina. After compiling a school-record 5,665 yards of total offense last year on its way to sole possession of second place in the SoCon at 6-2 - the most league wins in school history, the Catamounts were snubbed by the FCS Playoff selection committee. Adding salt to the wound was the fact that Western was not listed among the “first four” left out of the field.

Last year marked the Catamounts’ third consecutive winning season, something the program had not accomplished in 30 years. Still, none of those have been enough to put Western back into postseason play for the first time since reaching the Division I-AA (FCS) national championship in 1983.

The Catamounts had second-half leads in four of their five losses last season, including third-quarter leads at FCS blueblood Montana and SoCon champion Mercer and a fourth-quarter lead at FBS Power Four program N.C. State. If they could’ve found a way to win just one of those games, it would’ve been awfully hard to leave them out of the playoffs. All that has led to a mantra for the program this season: “No excuses.”

“We were talented enough to win those games. We’ve got to learn how to finish,” said Western coach Kerwin Bell. “Now, we’ve got to make sure that doesn’t happen again. … We lost some players just like everybody else, but I think we’re talented enough to go make a run.”

Among returning players this season, it appeared like the best 1-2-3 punch in terms of quarterback, running back and wide receiver in the SoCon would be the Catamounts with Taron Dickens, Branson Adams and AJ Colombo. Unfortunately for Western, Colombo was lost for the season due to a knee injury suffered in the spring. The other two are back though and looking to build off last season.

Dickens, the preseason SoCon Offensive Player of the Year, went 3-1 as a freshman starter last season when Cole Gonzales was injured. With Gonzales transferring first to Oklahoma and then to Pitt, Dickens looks to take over the full-time reins at quarterback in Cullowhee. Dickens completed 74 percent of his passes for 1,428 yards with 12 touchdowns and three interceptions. Adams rushed for 749 yards and four touchdowns in 2024.

Defensively, Western will try to pick up where it left off, especially down the stretch last season. The Catamounts were second in the country in interceptions with 21 in 12 games.

“I think you’re going to see a defense that can be in the top half of this league, maybe top three,” Bell said. “I think the one thing you’ve got to have to win a championship is big body kids that can play. I think we’re more talented than we’ve ever been with our O-line and D-line, as far as physically gifted guys who are big.

“There’s no way we’re not one of the most talented teams in this conference, but now, can we do it mentally? Can we be mentally tough and grind out a tough win? We didn’t do it last year. Can we do it this year? That’s going to be the key.”

Non-conference game to watch: at Wake Forest, Sept. 6. No trips to Montana this season as Western’s non-conference slate is filled with intrastate matchups. While the Catamounts face solid FCS competitors in Gardner-Webb, Elon and Campbell, it will be interesting to see how they fare against the Demon Deacons after standing toe-to-toe with N.C. State last season. Mileage-wise, this season’s schedule is a polar opposite of last year’s. Western won’t leave the state until its game at Wofford on Oct. 4. It won’t leave the Carolinas until a game at Chattanooga on Nov. 1.

Receiving Votes/RV ETSU

There will be new faces all along the home sideline in Johnson City this season. After turning ETSU around from a 3-8 mark in 2023 to a 7-5 record in his only season last fall, Tre Lamb left for Tulsa. Chattanooga native Will Healy was hired as the Bucs’ new coach last December.

A bunch of new players will take the field for the Bucs’ new coach. ETSU brought in 25 transfers through the portal, the sixth-highest total in the FCS. Among those 25, a pair of quarterbacks have created the biggest buzz in Cade McNamara from Iowa and Jacolby Criswell from North Carolina. McNamara threw for 1,017 yards with six touchdowns and five interceptions for the Hawkeyes last season. His top season actually came at Michigan in 2021. That year, McNamara threw for 2,576 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions in leading the Wolverines to the Big Ten championship. At UNC last season, Criswell passed for 2,459 yards with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.

“They’re winners. They compete and they’re really talented and gifted,” Healy said. “I don’t know if I’ll ever have a quarterback room like this again, so I’ve enjoyed it while I’ve had it. I expect both of them to play.

“There’s not been a day that’s gone by where I felt like they were too big for this opportunity. I appreciate their low maintenance and happy to be here attitude. … That says a lot about them from a character perspective.”

There is a familiar face in the offensive backfield as Devontae Houston returns at running back. Houston was second on the team last season with 648 yards and three touchdowns. He averaged 5.4 yards per carry.

“He’s explosive and catches the ball really well out of the backfield. He’s got a physicality and a forward lean to him that people don’t expect him to have,” Healy said. “He’s dynamic. When he touches the ball, good things happen.”

ETSU must replace its top four offensive linemen from last season, but the addition of players like Frankie Tinilau, a 6-foot-6, 325-pound sophomore transfer from Miami (Fla.) should help.

After earning first team All-SoCon honors last season, senior linebacker Nick Hunter is back to lead the defense. He had 6.5 sacks and a pair of interceptions in 2024. Veteran linebackers Trevor Moffitt from Gardner-Webb and Drew Francis from Middle Tennessee State could also make an immediate impact.

Non-conference game to watch: vs. Elon, Sept. 20. You could say this is a matchup of former SoCon rivals, but that really wouldn’t be the case. The only time these teams met in a league game was 2003 - Elon’s first season in the league and ETSU’s last before rejoining years later after the Phoenix departed. The Bucs won at Elon, 34-14, last season. It will be interesting to see how ETSU’s new players gel by this final game before league play begins.

RV/RV CHATTANOOGA

When the SoCon preseason poll and all-conference teams were announced a few weeks ago, the math didn’t seem to math. Despite being predicted to finish in second place by the league’s coaches, only three Chattanooga players made the preseason All-SoCon teams.

That seems to be indicative of the respect the Mocs have earned over the years and why not. Since Rusty Wright became head coach in 2019, Chattanooga is the only SoCon team to have a winning conference record every season. When it comes to the team selections, it speaks to how much talent the Mocs lost in the offseason.

The Mocs return just two starters on offense and one on defense. While quarterback Chase Artopoeus graduated, Chattanooga lost 16 others to the transfer portal, including 14 to FBS programs. Among those transferring out were leading rusher Reggie Davis (Alcorn State), leading receiver Sam Phillips (Iowa), second-leading receiver Javin Whatley (Arizona) and third-leading receiver Chris Domercant (UCF). Also departing were three offensive linemen, three defensive linemen and four defensive backs.

Chattanooga does have a quarterback with experience in Luke Schomburg, who played when Artopoeus was sidelined by injuries. He’s competing with Bowling Green transfer Camden Orth.

“It’s been interesting to see because they have different skill sets,” Wright said. “We’re going to have to see how it plays out and how the guys are around them.”

The Mocs had 17 players transfer in. Some that could make an immediate impact are running back Ryan Ingram (Wofford) and receivers Markell Quick (NC Central) and Jamarii Robinson (Northern Colorado). Ingram, who landed at Chattanooga for the graduate program, rushed for 675 yards and six touchdowns last year after rushing for 837 and six touchdowns in 2023.

Defensively, Wright believes redshirt freshman CJ Smith has a chance to develop into the next of what’s become a tradition of ferocious defensive linemen for the Mocs. Cornerback Jeremiah Batiste is a returning starter and a leader on defense. He had three interceptions and seven pass breakups last year.

Another player to watch in the secondary is Khari Gee, a defensive back who transferred from Georgia Tech. Gee began his career at Notre Dame before joining the Yellow Jackets in 2023. He was injured much of last season.

“It’s going to be interesting to see what we are. I’m not sure yet,” Wright said at the SoCon’s annual Media Day on July 22. “This bunch will work their tail off and do what we ask them to and not even blink. That’s been awesome.

“At the end of the day, we’re not as talented as we have been the last couple of years. We’re going to have to go out-execute people and play our ass off every Saturday. That’s the only way we’re going to get it done.” 

Non-conference game to watch: at Tarleton State, Sept. 20. There’s one thing for certain is this uncertain season for Chattanooga. By the time SoCon play begins on the final Saturday of September, the Mocs will be battle tested, especially on the road. Road trips to FBS member Memphis - which went 11-2 last year, to future SoCon rival and currently 22nd-ranked Tennessee Tech and to No. 8 Tarleton State are sandwiched around a home game against Stetson.  

RV SAMFORD

Samford is looking to bounce back from a highly unusual 4-7 season. Last year, the Bulldogs handed league champion Mercer its only SoCon loss, dealt third-place Chattanooga one of its three league losses, but finished just 3-4 in the conference.

Like plenty of other SoCon programs, Samford has a lot of shoes to fill this season as the Bulldogs return just one starter on offense and three on defense. However, they might be the only ones who can say they return their top player on each side of the ball with quarterback Quincy Crittendon and linebacker Jaden Mosley coming back

Crittendon led the SoCon in passing with 2,689 yards and was second in completion percentage at 70.3. He had 18 touchdown passes and ran for 386 yards and seven scores.

“It’s nice having a guy like Quincy with our quarterback driven offense. A big thing for him this season will be running the ball better than he did in the early part of last season,” Samford coach Chris Hatcher said. “Later on last season in games against Western Carolina and Chattanooga, he had tremendous rushing days to go along with good passing days. He’s got to come out of the gates like that this year.”

Obviously being the only returning starter on offense means Crittendon will have an entirely different supporting cast this year. One of his new targets will be receiver Jaden Gibson, who transferred from Virginia. Hatcher said Gibson stood out in spring practice.

Another transfer to watch on offense is running back CJ Evans from Tennessee State. He had more than 300 yards rushing and more than 300 receiving last season and led Austin Peay in rushing in 2022. 

Mosley was second on the team with 75 tackles last season and led the Bulldogs with 14 tackles-for-loss. He also had four sacks, a forced fumble and an interception.

“Mosley is a tackling machine who plays with great energy,” Hatcher said. “Our number five jersey is a great honor (in memory of former player Charles Williams) that our players vote on each year. He won it in a landslide this year, so that kind of tells you the type of leadership he possesses.”

Defensive end Conroy Cunningham is back to lead Samford up front after a breakout year in 2024. He had 6.5 tackles-for-loss and led the team with five sacks.

Non-conference game to watch: vs. West Georgia, Aug. 28. Samford gets a head start on the season Thursday night and a chance to avenge a tough loss to a newer FCS member located just over 100 miles away. In West Georgia’s first game as a Division I member in last season’s opener, the Wolves topped the Bulldogs 38-29. Hatcher believes getting off to a better start this season is paramount as SoCon play begins the very next week against The Citadel. It’s an odd schedule for Samford this year as it has more non-conference games in November (two) than it does in September (one). After ending SoCon play on Nov. 8, the Bulldogs wrap up the regular season with back-to-back road trips to Austin Peay and Texas A&M.

THE CITADEL

After struggling through a winless season in Maurice Drayton’s first as head coach in 2023, The Citadel bounced back with a 5-7 record last fall. That included victories in three of its final four FCS games and marked the most wins for the Bulldogs since going 6-6 in 2019.

With six starters returning on each side of the ball, Citadel is poised to build off that success. That’s especially true on defense, which really powered the Bulldogs to the wins they had. In victories over VMI, Samford and Wofford, Citadel allowed 10, 11 and 17 points respectively. It allowed 17 also in a one-point loss to rival Furman.

This year’s defense looks to be led by safety Cale Williams, who ranked second on the team last year with 77 tackles including 4.5 tackles-for-loss. Drayton said that Williams was a relatively quiet player in the past, but has accepted that leadership role and become more vocal this season. He’ll be joined in the secondary by cornerback Bradlee Jones, who had a team-high eight pass breakups, 30 tackles and two forced fumbles in 2024. He was also responsible for three of Citadel’s NCAA-best eight blocked kicks.

Williams was a first team All-SoCon preseason pick along with linebacker Je’Mazin Roberts, who had 55 tackles, including 4.5 tackles for loss and two sacks last year.

“We’re very excited about the defense and it starts with our defensive coordinator Raleigh Jackson. He’s a true student of the game, who turns over every rock,” Drayton said. “He understands that every person has a skill set and whatever that skill set is, he tries to accentuate it.”

Offensively, the Bulldogs have a couple of proven running backs returning in Corey Ibrahim and Garrison Johnson and a solid returning receiver in Javonte Graves-Billips. Ibrahim was second on the team in rushing last year with 440 yards, while Johnson had 308 yards and a team-high seven touchdowns. Graves-Billips led Citadel in receptions (31) and touchdowns (4) and was second in receiving yards (429).

“Garrison was a walk-on when he came to The Citadel to get an MBA. … He has a unique combination of size, physicality and decent top-end speed,” Drayton said. “Corey is like a Swiss Army knife. He pass protects well, understands the system and can catch the ball out of the backfield.”

Non-conference game to watch: vs. North Dakota State, Aug. 30. Talk about jumping in the deep end of the pool right off the bat. The Citadel opens the season by hosting the reigning national champion and top-ranked Bison. It will mark NDSU’s third game against a SoCon opponent in the last 12 months. Last September, the Bison rallied from a 12-point deficit with 2:20 to play for a stunning 38-35 win at ETSU. In the playoffs, NDSU knocked off Mercer 31-7. It’s the first time the Bulldogs have faced a top-ranked team since a 39-10 loss to Appalachian State in 2010.

FURMAN

Coming off back-to-back 10-win seasons in 2022 and 2023, everything that could go wrong seemingly did go wrong for Furman last year as it finished with a record of 3-8. It was the first losing (full fall) season and the fewest wins for the Paladins since going 3-8 in 2016.

While Furman obviously has a historical winning pedigree and quite a few players still around from 2023 who know what it takes to win, turning things around this season won’t be as simple as fixing one thing. Coach Clay Hendrix confirmed that in a blunt assessment of last season at this year’s SoCon Media Day.

“We just weren’t very good at anything,” Hendrix said. “It was probably the combination of inexperience, youth and injuries just compounded things. I just think it's time to go back to the basics for us.”

Typically for Furman, the basics are running the ball, stopping the run and protecting the ball. Last season, the Paladins ranked last in the SoCon in rushing (990 yards), yards per carry (2.6) and rushing touchdowns (8), seventh in rush defense, last in pass defense and next to last with 23 lost turnovers. Many of those giveaways were described by Hendrix as being “catastrophic.”

Hendrix said that changes have been made on both sides of the ball, but the gained experience and being fully healthy may be bigger reasons for optimism going into this season.

Furman is hoping experience will pay off for starting quarterback Trey Hedden, who threw for 1,767 yards with 13 touchdowns and nine interceptions as a true freshman last season.

“I don’t know if we’ve got a guy that cares more on our team than Trey. He’ll be fun to watch,” Hendrix said. “It’s already been fun watching his progression this offseason, which I knew was going to happen. He even looks different. He’s lost a bunch of weight, but he’s stronger.”

Gavin Hall didn’t play very much early on last season, but ended up ranking second on the team in rushing with 321 yards. Hall, who averaged 5.0 yards per carry, looks to be a starter this year at running back. Furman will finally welcome back Jayquan Smith also in the backfield. Smith showed flashes of brilliance over the first five games of the 2023 season before suffering a horrific knee injury that has sidelined him ever since.

On defense, Furman must replace one of the top linebackers in the country in Evan DiMaggio who had more than twice as many tackles (120) than anyone else on the team. Linebacker Ryan Earl, who had 49 tackles including 5.5 tackles-for-loss last season, looks to be a leader on defense this season.

Furman returns a huge special teams weapon in all-American kicker Ian Williams. Last season, Williams made a school-record long field goal of 57 yards and then made another 57-yarder in the season finale.

Non-conference game to watch: vs. William and Mary, Aug. 30. This season-opening matchup offers Furman a chance to avenge what was kind of a tone-setting loss last year. The Paladins traveled to William and Mary in week four last season and took a 14-0 lead after one quarter. Despite the early advantage, Furman somehow failed to rush for 100 yards and allowed the Tribe to rush for 384 in a 34-24 loss.

VMI

A year after going 5-6 overall and 4-4 in SoCon play during Danny Rocco’s first season as head coach at VMI in 2023, the Keydets took a step backwards last season going 1-11 and 1-7 in the league.

While there were struggles on both sides of the ball, VMI’s defense probably didn’t perform as poorly as stats may suggest. That unit was simply out on the field for a long time most every Saturday.

“We were strong enough defensively to win more games than we did. Just offensively, we never were able to generate or sustain point production,” Rocco said. “To go into a football game and think you’ve got to win 13-10 or 17-14, there’s no margin for error in that game. So we’re going to have to score more points.”

A returning starter who can help build on things that went well defensively is redshirt junior safety Kouri Crump. Crump was third on the team last year with 90 tackles, including six tackles-for-loss. He also had five pass breakups and three forced fumbles.

With the transfer portal running wild in college football these days, it makes for more of a challenge for a military program like VMI. With no graduate school, the Keydets lose players in the portal but don’t really gain any from there. For Rocco though, there was never a doubt Crump was returning this season.

“For all the different things out there that might be in your radar or people might be in your ear talking about, to think that you’re going to make the sacrifices, put in hard work and commitment for three years in your life and then walk away without the degree really makes no sense,” Rocco said. “Corey was well-advised by his family and he’s a bright guy, who’s not going to get caught up in the glitter of something that doesn’t have as much sustainable value.”

Things really went south for VMI offensively in week two when starting quarterback Collin Shannon was lost for the year due to injury. Shannon is back now and ready to take snaps under new offensive coordinator AJ Hampton’s guidance.

“Collin’s back, healthy and ready to go,” Rocco said. “Hopefully he will take the bull by the horns and be the leader on the field that he’s been off the field.”

Non-conference game to watch: at Richmond, Sept. 20. After a 10-year break in the series, the most prolific opponent in VMI history returns to the Keydets’ schedule this season. This will be the 91st meeting of this rivalry, which began in 1893. The Spiders lead the series 45-40-5 and have a 12-game winning streak in it, including a 42-10 win the last time the teams met in 2015.

WOFFORD

Wofford is looking to build off the progress it displayed in Shawn Watson’s second full season as head coach last year. The Terriers went 5-7 overall and 3-5 in the SoCon after going 2-9 and 2-6 in league play in 2023.

A defense that led the SoCon in passing yards allowed and had 13 interceptions powered that progression. In its eight conference games, Wofford allowed just 13 offensive touchdowns.

“I’m always excited about our defense,” Watson said. “We inherited a good defensive group of kids and that’s allowed us to take time and develop the younger players that are now beginning to play for us.”

Sophomore safety CJ Coombes, who’s earned preseason all-American honors, is one of four returning starters on defense. As a freshman, Coombes was second on the team with 88 tackles, including five tackles-for-loss, and he had a sack and an interception.

“He’s the epitome of a boundary safety,” Watson said. “He can come down and hit you like a real linebacker, yet he can go out and cover you too.”

Wofford’s offense struggled with consistency in 2024. After scoring at least 21 points in each of their first three games, the Terriers scored more than 19 just once the rest of the way. Despite those struggles, some passing records were set. Wofford tied the season record for completions with 188. One of those was a school record 95-yard completion from Pauly Seeley to Rickie Shaw. Kyle Watkins established a new single-season receiving record with 814 yards.

All the quarterbacks that helped set those records are gone now though, which left a wide-open battle for the starting role this month. When preseason camp concluded, Watson announced that Jayden Whitaker, a sophomore transfer from Division II Gannon, won the starting job. At the SoCon’s Media Day event said that any of the four who competed for the job had a legitimate chance to earn it.

“The quarterback room has gotten really competitive and we’ve got great depth there now,” Watson said. “It’s been the best one I’ve had since I’ve been here.”

Providing protection for Whitaker up front will be three of Wofford’s four returning starters on offense in linemen Quincy Hughes, Luke Moise and Mason Howard. Hughes, a 6-foot-4, 300-pound senior left tackle, is the leader of the group.

“When Quincy talks, everybody listens,” Watson said. “He does a great job and leads by example as well.”

Senior running back and kick returner Kyle Parsons looks to step into a starting role at running back after the departure of 2024 leading rusher Ryan Ingram. Gerald Modest and Ihson Jackson-Anderson, a transfer from Eastern Michigan, should also compete for carries.

Non-conference game to watch: at S.C. State, Aug. 30. Wofford will be challenged right out of the gate as it opens the season at the reigning MEAC champions. A road trip to a reigning FCS conference champion will be a sign of things to come as the Terriers visit Mercer to open SoCon play in week three before traveling to Virginia Tech the following week. After the home opener against Richmond on Sept. 6, Wofford won’t play at Gibbs Stadium again until Oct. 4.