Jacksovnille, AL – Jacksonville State wrapped up its second practice of 2025 fall camp Wednesday afternoon, with first-year head coach Charles Kelly noting an uptick in energy and execution from his team.
“Energy was good. Our guys came out ready to practice,” Kelly said. “They did a good job, while we were down and in our breaks hydrating, preparing themselves. That’s part of what you’ve got to do — prepare yourself to get ready to practice, just like you prepare yourself to get ready for a game.”
Kelly highlighted improvement on both sides of the ball after the second day of workouts.
“Offensive line and run game,” Kelly said of the most noticeable progress. “They’re a young group, but you can see them coming together. I thought the defensive front and pass rush [looked good]. I thought a couple of the corners showed up today. But also on the other side of the ball, we saw the receivers catch some deep balls. And I thought the quarterbacks just keep getting better and better.”
The Gamecocks’ offense leans on its most experienced unit — the receiver group — which is anchored by seniors Michael Pettway and Brock Rechsteiner.
“They understand what it takes to play, the work ethic, the precision that you’ve got to play with,” Kelly said. “And they’ve been very good leaders for the other guys in the group.”
Rechsteiner echoed the coach’s focus on continued progress.
“We’ve been competing good,” Rechsteiner said. “We just have to continue to stack days, getting better, being physical, and just deal with adversity and get better every day.”
Jacksonville State will continue its fall camp schedule at AmFirst Stadium as the team builds toward the 2025 season opener.
