JSU CAREER: 2016: Started in all 12 games during his junior season for the Gamecocks…earned first team All-OVC honors…selected as a Preseason All-OVC player…his 64 total tackles ranked third on the JSU defense…credited with 7.0 tackles for loss, which was good enough for fourth on the team…recorded 1.5 sacks…returned lone interception 41 yards for a touchdown at Eastern Kentucky on Oct. 22…had at least two tackles in every game of the season…had a six-tackle performance against SEC foe LSU on Sept. 10…set a season high with nine tackles at Southeast Missouri on Nov. 5…had eight tackles, six solos, against Youngstown State in the Gamecocks’ second-round playoff matchup…had six-or-more tackles in six games…one of three JSU players to return an interception for a touchdown against Eastern Kentucky.
2015: Appeared in 14 games, while starting 13 of them…finished fourth on the team with 79 tackles in 14 games…recorded a season-high 10 tackles against Eastern Kentucky…finished with 5 or more tackles in 10 games…had a 26-yard interception return against FBS opponent, Auburn…tallied 2.5 tackles for loss…one of five Gamecocks with 10.5 or more tackles for loss, had five games with 1.5 or more tackles for loss, including a season-high 2.5 against Tennessee State…named to the OVC All-Newcomer Team as a result of his performance as a sophomore for Jacksonville State…named OVC Newcomer of the Week after a six-tackle, 2.0-tackles-for-loss and 1.0-sack performance against Chattanooga to open the season.
PRIOR TO JSU: Spent one seasons at Hinds Community College in Raymond, Miss…coached by Gene Murphy at HCC.
HIGH SCHOOL: Played for head coach for head coach Ronald Cheatham at Wenonah High School in the Birmingham metro area…played all four seasons on the gridiron for the Dragons…was named the squad’s defensive player of the year as a senior at WHS.
PERSONAL: Full name is Joel A. McCandless…born October 3, 1995, in Birmingham, Ala…son of L.T. Duker and Rebecca McCandless…has one brother, Gabriel…majoring in biology at JSU.
