Where Jacksonville State football was picked in ASUN poll and how Rich Rodriguez responded
ATLANTA — Jacksonville State football coach Rich Rodriguez and players Zach Cangelosi and Jaylen Swain spoke Friday at the inaugural ASUN Conference media day at Omni Hotel at The Battery Atlanta.
JSU will play in the ASUN Conference for the second and final year before joining Conference USA in 2023.
Here are some of the most notable things Rodriguez, the Gamecocks' first-year coach, had to say.
JSU picked 4th in preseason poll
The Gamecocks received 19 points in the coach's preseason poll. Kennesaw State received five first place votes and was first with 34 points. Eastern Kentucky and Central Arkansas tied for second with 25 points.
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"You always want to be No. 1," Rodriguez said. "But it just it gives us another chance to prove ourselves. We have to go out and compete every day against all these guys and we matched up against them."
Jacksonville State opens its season against Stephen F. Austin in Week 0 on Aug. 27 at the Crampton Bowl in Montgomery.
ASUN preseason honors
Four Gamecocks earned a spot on the 2022 ASUN Conference preseason team.
Sophomore defensive lineman Jaylen Swain, along with senior linebackers Stevonte Tullis and Markail Benton earned spots on the team. Punter Jack Dawson also earned a spot on the team.
No offensive players made the list.
"The preseason picks are to me based on what happened last year," he said. "So it's good to see that we have three guys on defense. So that's fun to see. But we had no guys on offense. I think we'll have a couple at the end of the year on both sides of the ball."
Quarterback situation
Zion Webb is the lone quarterback returner from the spring game in April. NC State transfer Aaron McLaughlin and freshmen Carter Lambert, Ashton Frye and Te'Sean Smooth also round out the quarterback room.
Webb is the only player with extensive playing time at the college level. He could be the early favorite to start, though a competition is sure to kick off when the team begins practice Wednesday.
"I think we got some talent there," he said. "Obviously the only one coming back from the spring game is Zion (Webb). He's played some. I think he's healthy and he'll certainly have a chance to compete. I don't mind playing two or three guys if I feel they're all good enough to win with."
Impact of Calvin McGee's death
Offensive coordinator Calvin McGee died of a heart attack in May. McGee had been a coach along with Rodriguez for several years.
Rodriguez said the longtime assistant has been on his mind every day. Another longtime assistant Rod Smith was named the replacement for McGee in June.
"He's probably the guy who had the most experience with him throughout my career," Rodriguez said "So we are very fortunate that he said 'yeah, I'd love to come down with you.' He's an easy fit. He's a great guy, an outstanding football coach. And I know Calvin would approve 100%."
Contact Ehsan Kassim at 256-300-5313 or ekassim@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @Ehsan_Kassim.
This article originally appeared on The Gadsden Times: Rich Rodriguez: Jacksonville State football coach on ASUN media day
