Jacksonville State Gamecocks football statistical leaders

The Jacksonville State Gamecocks football statistical leaders are individual statistical leaders of the Jacksonville State Gamecocks football program in various categories,[1] including passing, rushing, receiving, total offense, defensive stats, and kicking. Within those areas, the lists identify single-game, single-season, and career leaders. Since 2023, the Gamecocks have represented Jacksonville State University (JSU or Jax State) in the NCAA Division I FBS Conference USA (CUSA).[2]

Although Jacksonville State began competing in intercollegiate football in 1904,[1] the school's official record book considers the "modern era" to have begun in 1964. Records from before this year are often incomplete and inconsistent, and they are generally not included in these lists.

JSU has played at four different levels of competition in its modern football history. In 1964, it was a member of the NAIA. which then held a single football championship. In 1970, the NAIA split into two divisions for football, with the Gamecocks joining the higher level of Division I. In 1973, the Gamecocks joined the NCAA as a Division II member, but maintained dual membership with the NAIA until aligning completely with the NCAA in 1982. After the 1994 season, it moved from Division II to Division I-AA, the latter of which was renamed Division I FCS in 2006. Jax State began a transition to FBS in advance of the 2022 season, joining CUSA in 2023 and becoming a full FBS member in 2024.

These lists are dominated by more recent players for several reasons:

  • Since 1964, regular seasons have increased from 10 games to 11 and later 12 games in length. While the FCS limit was normally 11 games before a coming expansion to 12 in 2026 (matching the FBS limit), two aspects of the FCS season have allowed teams at that level more games.
    • Pre-2026 NCAA rules allowed FCS teams to schedule 12 regular-season games in years when the period starting with the Thursday before Labor Day and ending with the final Saturday in November contains 14 Saturdays.
    • The NCAA organizes an FCS championship tournament, currently called the NCAA Division I Football Championship. However, it did not include I-AA/FCS playoff games toward official season statistics until the 2002 season. During its FCS tenure, the Gamecocks reached the playoffs 10 times, giving many recent players extra games to accumulate statistics.
  • Bowl games in FBS also did not count toward official season statistics until the 2002 season. Jax State has played in bowls in each of its first two CUSA seasons, and will make a third bowl appearance in 2025.[a]
  • The NCAA did not allow freshmen to play varsity football until 1972 (with the exception of the World War II years), allowing players to have four-year careers.
  • Since 2018, players in both FBS and FCS have been allowed to participate in as many as four games in a redshirt season; previously, playing in even one game "burned" the redshirt. Since 2024, postseason games have not counted against the four-game limit. These changes to redshirt rules have given very recent players several extra games to accumulate statistics.
  • CUSA has held a championship game since 2005. Jax State played in and won this game in its first season of championship eligibility in 2024, and will play in the 2025 edition.
  • Due to COVID-19 issues, the NCAA ruled that the 2020 season would not count against the athletic eligibility of any football player, giving everyone who played in that season the opportunity for five years of eligibility instead of the normal four.[3]

These lists are updated through the end of the 2025 regular season. Players active for JSU in 2025 are in bold.

Passing

Passing yards

Passing touchdowns

Rushing

Rushing yards

Rushing touchdowns

Receiving

Receptions

Receiving yards

Receiving touchdowns

Total offense

Total offense is the sum of passing and rushing statistics. It does not include receiving or returns.[6]

Total offense yards

Touchdowns responsible for

"Touchdowns responsible for" is the NCAA's official term for combined passing and rushing touchdowns.[8]

Defense

Interceptions

Tackles

Sacks

Kicking

Field goals made

Field goal percentage

Footnotes

  1. ^ Jax State would have been ineligible to play in a bowl game in 2023 as a second-year transitional FBS school, but was allowed to play due to a lack of bowl-eligible teams.

References

  1. ^ a b "2025 Jax State Football Media Guide" (PDF). Jacksonville State Gamecocks. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  2. ^ "Conference USA to add Liberty, Jacksonville State, New Mexico State, Sam Houston State beginning in 2023". ESPN. Retrieved November 8, 2021.
  3. ^ Cobb, David (August 21, 2020). "NCAA approves blanket waiver for 2020 fall sports athletes to retain year of eligibility". CBSSports.com. Retrieved November 27, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "Cam Cook: Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 1, 2025.
  5. ^ "Jacksonville State vs. Sam Houston Box Score". ESPN.com. October 9, 2025. Retrieved October 10, 2025.
  6. ^ "Official 2007 NCAA Division I Football Record Book" (PDF). National Collegiate Athletic Association. August 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 1, 2007. Retrieved January 3, 2008.
  7. ^ "Caden Creel". ESPN.com.
  8. ^ "2021 Football Bowl Subdivision Records" (PDF). NCAA. p. 12. Retrieved December 4, 2021.
  9. ^ a b c d "Garrison Rippa: Stats". ESPN.com. Retrieved December 1, 2025.