JACKSONVILLE—Jax State Football started its 2024 fall camp on an unseasonably cool morning on campus under mostly cloudy skies.
 
"Typical first day; there were some good things and some frustrating things," said Coach Rich Rodriguez. "I thought it was a pretty good effort and probably got a little bit better."
 
The team returns nine starters from last season's 9-4 squad which made history as the first team to play in and win a Bowl Game in their first season of FBS competition.
 
"There's definitely a better feel going into the season but we can't let it play in our heads," said senior offensive lineman Brock Robey of the success of the 2023 season. "It's a new year; last year is last year and the goal is higher and we want to keep going bigger and better."
 
Robey put in at least 100 snaps per day during the summer to get ready for a move to center and is excited about the group of guys joining him in the trenches. "We brought in a lot of size and talent," said Robey.
 
The overall depth of the 2024 roster was also something that caught the eye of Rodriguez during the opening session. "I think we have healthy competition just about everywhere," said Rodriguez. "We've had some competition the past couple years, but not really at every position; I think we probably have it at every position now."
 
The Gamecocks boasted one of the premier running attacks in college football last year at 236.6 yards per game and 35 rushing touchdowns.
 
"We got some guys in the portal, and I really like our freshman class and all of them are going to be good players," said Rodriguez of the group of running backs. "We got a little bit of size for the first time at running back with some of our transfers and I think we're in a lot better shape than we were in the spring."
 
The team will be back on the field Tuesday for another workout in helmets before moving into shells on Wednesday.