Southern Sports Edition
Camden County Wildcats Coach’s Show with Tucker Pruitt August 18 2026
Georgia State Panthers 2026 Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
The 2026 college football season will start in less than a month. We will take a look at Georgia State University to see what we should expect from the Panthers.
GSU was founded in 1913 and it is also the largest in-person institution of higher education by enrollment based in Georgia, with a student enrollment of 53,144 across all of their campuses.
The football program was founded in 2010 and they are in the Sun Belt Conference. Former Georgia running backs coach Dell McGee was hired as its fourth head coach for the football program in February 2024.
In 2024, they were 3-9 and 1-7 in conference play. One of those wins was against Vanderbilt, 36-32. It was Georgia State’s first time hosting an SEC opponent, and their first victory against an SEC team since beating Tennessee in 2019.
Last season, the Panthers were 1-11 and 0-8 in the Sun Belt. The lone win was against FCS Murray State, who was also 1-11. Only two of their losses were by single digits. They were one of the worst FBS teams in the nation in 2025.
UMass was 0-12 so that’s the one program they were better than. Charlotte and Oklahoma State were also 1-11.
The team recently started preseason camp. The first day of practice was closed to the public but we were told it went well.
“Guys had great energy, great enthusiasm,” said coach McGee, who is starting his third season. “We’ve still got a long way to go but definitely encouraged by how we started today. The kids were very dialed in in their meetings and they carried those meetings onto the field.”
They brought in 34 players via the transfer portal and signed 16 freshmen.
Offensive coordinator Hue Jackson returns and the Panthers have a new look on defense, where Cam Clark and John Haneline take over as co-coordinators.
They have several players that are coming from major programs. Some of the incoming players are: DL Kelze Howard (Oregon State), LB Jaydon Hood (Michigan), S Keenan Nelson Jr. (Ohio State), OT Jordan Brown (Arizona), IOL Kelton Smith Jr. (Georgia), WR Isiah Stone (LSU), IOL Deylin Hasert (Iowa State), IOL Marcus Mascoll (Florida), IOL Gage Stanaland (Oklahoma State) and RB Keith Adams Jr. (Clemson).
Fifth year senior QB Cameran Brown is the best returning player on the team. He played at Texas Tech in 2024 and appeared in eight games.
Last season he passed for 1,296 yards, 13 touchdowns and 1 interception. He also rushed for 284 yards and 4 TDs. He missed two of the final three games last fall. Brown was named to the Pro Football Network Preseason All-Sun Belt Third Team.
OL Deandre Duffus is on the PFN First Team Preseason All-Sun Belt Team and RB Savion Hart is on the Second Team.
Here is the schedule:
9/4 vs North Carolina A&T
9/12 @ Kennesaw State
9/19 @ UCF
9/26 vs Northern Illinois
10/3 vs Old Dominion (Homecoming)
10/17 @ James Madison
10/24 @ Arkansas State
10/31 vs Coastal Carolina
11/7 @ Appalachian State
11/14 vs Georgia Southern (Rivalry)
11/21 @ Marshall
11/28 vs Louisiana
I think they’ll start the year with a win over North Carolina A&T because that’s an FCS opponent.
Conference play begins Week 5 against ODU. Only three SBC opponents had losing conference records last season; which were App State, Marshall and Louisiana.
On paper I think they have a chance to win 3-4 games. If that happens, they will be looking for a new coach.
Brunswick High Pirates Coach’s Show with Byron Slack August 17 2026
Florida State Seminoles 2026 Preview
By: Garrison Ryfun
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
After a disastrous 2-10 season in 2024 and a disappointing 5-7 finish in 2025, Florida State enters 2026 still looking for signs that the program is moving back in the right direction.
Following the 2024 season, Mike Norvell made sweeping changes to his coaching staff. He brought in Gus Malzahn as offensive coordinator and handed over play-calling duties, while hiring Tony White away from Nebraska to take over the defense.
Those changes helped FSU improve last season, but not enough to get the Seminoles back to a bowl game.
Now, Mike Norvell enters his seventh season at Florida State firmly on the hot seat, and without the offensive coordinator who gave the Seminoles the 6th-best offense based on yards per game in 2025.
Malzahn retired in February after just one season in Tallahassee, with wide receivers coach and co-offensive coordinator Tim Harris Jr. promoted to offensive coordinator. Norvell, however, will take back over the play-calling duties in 2026 after giving them up to Malzahn last season.
At starting quarterback, Auburn transfer Ashton Daniels is expected to take over after spending his first three seasons at Stanford before playing in four games for the Tigers last year.
Daniels brings plenty of experience to the position and is also a threat with his legs, but he’ll need to take better care of the football this year as he has nearly a 1:1 touchdown-to-interception ratio over his college career.
Daniels will have a pretty decent receiving core to throw to with returning starters Duce Robinson, Micahi Danzy, and Jayvan Boggs.
Robinson returns after catching 56 passes for 1,081 yards and 6 touchdowns last season, becoming FSU’s first 1,000-yard receiver since 2019.
Micahi Danzy, the FSU track star, also gives FSU another explosive option, racking up 787 total yards and 6 touchdowns last year as a starter.
An emerging name to look out for in this group, though, is Jasen Lopez, a slot receiver who has turned a lot of heads in fall camp this year.
The Seminoles should have several options in the backfield as well. Sophomore Ousmane Kromah showed flashes as a freshman, averaging 5.7 yards per carry, RS-Junior Sam Singleton who broke out last year averaging 7.1 yards per carry, and Texas transfer Quintrevion Wisner gives FSU another talented option in the backfield.
The offensive line will be worth watching after some offseason turnover, but there should still be enough talent for FSU to once again have one of the better offenses in the ACC.
On defense, the Seminoles showed plenty of improvement in year one under White. FSU finished second in the ACC in pass defense and inside the top five in the conference in total defense and sacks per game.
One of the biggest names to watch on that side of the ball will be Mandrell Desir. Desir earned Freshman All-American honors after recording 7.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks last season, and his twin brother Darryll gives the Seminoles another young piece along the defensive front.
The schedule should be manageable for the talent level Florida State brings in:
August 29th – vs New Mexico State
September 7th – vs SMU (ACC)
September 19th – @ Alabama
September 26th – vs Central Arkansas
October 3rd – vs Virginia (ACC)
October 9th – @ Louisville (ACC)
October 17th – @ Miami (ACC)
October 31st – vs Clemson (ACC)
November 7th – @ Boston College (ACC)
November 13th – @ Pittsburgh (ACC)
November 21st – vs NC State (ACC)
November 27th – vs Florida
FSU plays SMU and Alabama in its second and third games of the season, two teams which should give us a good look at how this team will fare this year.
There is enough talent on this roster for Florida State to get back to a bowl game and make some noise in the ACC in 2026.
At this point, though, simply showing improvement will not be enough. That improvement has to start showing up in the win column for Mike Norvell.
Ole Miss Rebels 2026 Preview
By: Michael Spiers
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
There may not be a more fascinating team in the SEC heading into the 2026 season than Ole Miss.
The Rebels are coming off the best season in program history, winning 13 games and advancing all the way to the College Football Playoff semifinals.
They have now won at least 10 games in three consecutive seasons, something that had never happened before in Oxford.
Yet instead of entering 2026 with nothing but excitement and momentum, Ole Miss also enters with one very big question.
What does this program look like without Lane Kiffin?
Pete Golding takes over for his first full season as head coach after Kiffin left for LSU following the 2025 regular season. Golding helped guide the Rebels through their playoff run, but now this is officially his football team.
The challenge will be maintaining the expectations Kiffin helped create while establishing his own identity.
Fortunately for Golding, he inherited a roster with some serious firepower.
It starts with quarterback Trinidad Chambliss. After transferring from Ferris State, Chambliss took over the starting job and became one of the biggest stories in college football.
He threw for 3,937 yards with 22 touchdowns and only three interceptions while finishing eighth in the Heisman Trophy voting.
He gives Ole Miss something every new head coach would love to have, an experienced quarterback capable of taking over a football game.
Then there is Kewan Lacy. Lacy rushed for a school record 1,567 yards and 24 touchdowns last season and returns as one of the best running backs in America. Having Chambliss and Lacy together gives Ole Miss one of the best backfields in college football.
The biggest offensive concern is replacing production at receiver. Deuce Alexander returns after catching 44 passes for 684 yards, but Ole Miss lost Harrison Wallace III and De’Zhaun Stribling after the pair combined for more than 1,700 receiving yards.
Once again, the transfer portal became an important part of the solution, with Johntay Cook II and Darrell Gill Jr. among the new additions.
That portal success has become part of the culture at Ole Miss, and apparently it did not leave town with Kiffin. The Rebels assembled the number two ranked transfer class according to 247Sports while returning 49 letterwinners from last season.
Defense might be the bigger question. Ole Miss must replace seven defensive starters, including significant production at linebacker and safety. Golding’s defensive background should help, and there are some excellent pieces remaining.
Suntarine Perkins returns after recording 81 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss last season.
Will Echoles anchors the defensive front, while Kam Franklin returns after collecting five sacks and 15 quarterback hurries. The Rebels also added experienced transfers throughout the defense.
The problem for Ole Miss is that the schedule is brutal. The SEC opener against LSU on September 19 will receive enormous attention because it brings Kiffin back to Oxford.
Then there are road games at Florida, Texas and Oklahoma, along with matchups against Georgia and Missouri. Louisville also presents a difficult challenge to open the season.
That schedule is why I am not ready to predict another 13 win season.
I do, however, think Ole Miss is better than an eight win football team. Chambliss and Lacy give the Rebels enough offensive talent to win games when everything else is not perfect, and Golding has already shown he can lead this program on the biggest stage. My prediction is 9-3.
I think Ole Miss loses three games somewhere in that SEC gauntlet but remains in the College Football Playoff conversation deep into November. If the rebuilt defense comes together faster than expected, 10 wins is absolutely possible.
The Kiffin era may be over in Oxford, but that does not mean the winning has to end with it.
In 2026, we find out whether Ole Miss simply had a great run under one coach or whether the Rebels have truly become one of the programs that expects to compete nationally every single year.
Auburn Tigers 2026 Preview
By: Joe Delaney
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
In the last 5 years the Auburn Tigers football team has been a model of consistency.
Unfortunately, that consistency has been seven losses each year. An overall record of 27-35 led to another coaching change after the 2025 season.
In comes Alex Golesh, fresh off a 9-3 season at the University of South Florida. While not a marquee hire according to some, Golesh may be just what the Tigers need.
Golesh is an offensive guru and brought much of his USF Bulls team with him. He is considered an up and comer in the coaching ranks.
It didn’t hurt that he brought one of the best transfer QB’s in the country with him to the Plains. Byrum Brown is a consensus top 10 transfer in the 2026 cycle. He also has all that time in Coach Golesh’s offense. The 6’3” 230 lb Brown is a beast.
The key is can he take success at the USF level and translate it to Auburn and the SEC? I think he can. So do the Auburn Tigers. Brown threw for over 3000 yards and rushed for over 1000. Throw in 42 total touchdowns and things are looking up on the Plains.
Over a dozen of the Bulls followed Golesh and Brown to Auburn. These Tigers will have a definite Bullish flavor to them!
Throw in the returning Tigers and some more transfers and this team looks ready to improve on last years win total.
Back to carry some of the load in the backfield will be Jeremiah Cobb. He is an ALL-SEC type of Back and rushed for just under a thousand yards in 2025. There is quality and depth behind him.
The wideouts will be by committee. Look for Keshaun Singleton, Chas Nimrod, and tight end Jake Jounson to tote the load along with others.
Of concern is the offensive line. Transfers Cole Best, Stanton Ramil, and Joseph Simmons will be counted on. If the line can get settled and become solid then this could be a dangerous bunch of Birds. If they struggle then the team will also.
Defensively the Tigers are led by Xavier Atkins who led a stout Auburn defense in both tackles and sacks. He is an ALL-SEC type linebacker.
Add in Elijah Melendez, Demarcus Riddick, and Bryce Deas and the backers should be very good.
Up front Dallas Walker IV, Cody Sigler, Da’Shawn Womack and Jared Smith should be solid. It should be a tough SEC front seven.
In the back, Kaleb Harris returns at safety and is a playmaker. He is joined by Sylvester Smith-Reed, AnQuon Fegans, Rayshawn Pleasant and others.
If this group can play up to the 2025 numbers on total defense then Auburn could be a very solid team.
Add in the returning kicker in Alex McPherson and punter Hudson Kaak and the special teams should be exceptional.
Look for the Tigers to be improved in 2026. How much will be dependent on the offense and keeping Byrum Brown upright and healthy.
The schedule is brutal as usual. At Tennessee, Georgia, Ole Miss, and Alabama. Throw in Florida and LSU at home and there is little room for error.
There are only a couple of gimmies on the schedule. But if things fall into place with the offense, look for the Tigers to stay on that number seven again this year. But in wins instead of losses.
2026 Auburn Tigers Schedule
Sept. 5 vrs Baylor (Atlanta)
Sept. 12 SOUTHERN MISS
Sept. 19 FLORIDA
Sept. 26 VANDERBILT
Oct. 3 at Tennessee
Oct. 17 at Geoergia
Oct. 24 LSU
Oct. 31 at Ole Miss
Nov. 7 ARKANSAS
Nov. 14 at Mississippi State
Nov. 21 SAMFORD
Nov. 28 at Alabama
WAR EAGLE!
Jason Bishop Show August 14 2026
Frederica Academy Knights Coach’s Show with Brandon Derrick August 12 2026
Texas Longhorns 2026 Preview
By: Colin Lacy
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Entering year three in the SEC, most are becoming comfortable with the Texas Longhorns and the SEC being in the same sentence.
Texas has racked up a 23-6 record as a member of the Southeastern conference the past two seasons, and year three looks to be much more of the same as the Longhorns were picked 4th in the preseason coaches poll.
If there has been a knock against the burnt orange, it’s been the performances when the lights are the brightest.
Last season, two of the three losses came against Georgia in a dominant 35-10 Bulldog victory and a 41-27 shortcoming at the hands of the Michigan Wolverines in the Citrus Bowl.
2024 was more of the same. It was a pair of missteps against Georgia that accounted for two of the three losses for the Longhorns.
One of those Georgia matchups was a highly built-up regular season matchup in Austin where the Bulldogs out physical-ed Texas to the tune of 30-15, with the other coming in the SEC Championship with Georgia edging the Longhorns 22-19 on a late Gunnar Stockton touchdown.
2024 was a magical season for Texas with the run to the Cotton Bowl in the semifinals of the College Football Playoff and the folks in Austin are hoping (and expecting) a repeat of that in 2026.
The name Arch Manning has been talked about in the lone-star state since what feels like Texas was still in the SouthWEST Conference, but the now fourth-year quarterback is poised to take the next step leading the Longhorns.
Manning has racked up a 12-3 record as the starter for Texas with over 4,100 yards through the air and 49 total touchdowns.
There has been so much scrutiny on Manning (some because of the name, some because of what he did in his high school career) but most of that has been from the national media.
Locally in Austin, it’s been the trajectory that was expected from the now junior. Manning played two games in his true freshman season then split time with Quinn Ewers in 2024 as the redshirt freshman. Last year took over in a hugely productive season, now looks to take the next step into dominance under center.
Much of the excitement heading into the season revolves around some key transfers, especially on the offensive side of the ball. In the backfield along Manning will be NC State transfer Hollywood Smothers. Smothers averaged 6.1 yards per carry in 2 years with the Wolfpack and was one of the most heralded transfers in the class.
The receiver’s room has been retooled with the addition of Sterlig Berkhalter from Wake Forest, and Emmett Mosley from Stanford along with the premier transfer Cam Coleman from Auburn.
All that talent couples with 2nd team All-SEC wide-out Ryan Wingo returning.
On the defensive side, the biggest addition may be one wearing a headset as Steve Sarkisian hired longtime defensive guru Will Muschamp as the defensive coordinator.
The former head coach at South Carolina and Florida has spent the past five years as various positions on staff for Georgia returns to Austin after leading some of the toughest Texas defenses from 2008-2010.
Sixth year head coach Steve Sarkisian has rebuilt the Texas football brand into a national power and looks to take the next step this season and reach the pinnacle of college football.
There is a lot of buzz around this Texas program and well warranted. The Longhorns have quickly become a perennial pick to be in Atlanta the first weekend of December for the SEC Championship (while it still exists), but that just scratches the surface of what could be coming home to Bevo this year in Austin.
Kennesaw State Owls 2026 Preview
By: Kenneth Harrison
TheSouthernSportsEdition.com news services
Kennesaw State kicks off the 2026 football season Thursday, September 3rd at home (Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium) against West Georgia. We are going to take a look at how the Owls will do this season.
Jerry Mack took over as the head coach on December 1, 2024. KSU went 2-10 the previous season after Brian Bohanon stepped down in November after a 1-8 start. Bohanon was the head coach for the Owls since the inception of the program in 2013.
He led the team from the FCS level until they moved up to FBS and joined Conference USA in 2024. His overall record was 72-38.
Coach Mack was the head coach at North Carolina Central from 2014-17, with a record of 31-15. He was the offensive coordinator/assistant head coach at Rice (2018-20) then he became the running backs coach at Tennessee (2021-23). He was hired as the RB coach for the Jacksonville Jaguars for the 2024 season.
The Owls shocked everyone and went 10-4 last season. They started the season on the road against Wake Forest and Indiana, who won the national championship last year. KSU almost pulled the upset against Wake Forest, losing 10-9.
They went 7-1 in C-USA, with their only loss on the road against Jacksonville State, 35-26. They met them again in the C-USA Championship Game, which was also on the Gamecocks home field. They beat them, 19-15 and went to the Myrtle Beach Bowl.
With the success of last season, the expectations are high coming into 2026. They have 6 Owls selected to the Pro Football Network Preseason All C-USA team. The First team selections are RB Latrelle Murrell, DL Marcus Patterson and LB Baron Hopson.
WR/KR Davis Bryson was selected to the Second team. DB Isaac Paul and WR/PR Zion Booker were selected for the Third team.
In 2025, Murrell rushed for 894 yards and 3 touchdowns, while averaging 5.1 ypc. He also had 22 receptions for 246 yards and 4 TD’s.
Last season’s starting QB, Amari Odom transferred to Syracuse. Ironically, QB Rickie Collins transferred to KSU from Syracuse. He was at LSU from 2023-24.
KSU added a total of 28 players from the transfer portal. Some of the marquee players are LB Josh Anglin (Tulsa), OL Luke Duska (Elon), DB Perry Fisher (UAB), DB Kaleb Gray (West Virginia), OLB Corey Kelly (Baylor), P Matt McKenzie (Arizona State), DB Tony Williams (UCF) and DB Maliki Wright (Duke).
“This is an excellent group of young men and we’re excited to have them join the Kennesaw State family,” coach Mack said. “Our coaches worked extremely hard this offseason to add both experience and depth, and I can’t wait to see them out on the field this spring.”
West Georgia moved up to FCS from Division II in 2024. That will be an easy win to start the season.
The rest of the non-conference schedule is against Georgia State, at #18 Tennessee and at Arkansas State.
Conference play begins October 7th against Jax State.
The rest of the CUSA schedule is at Missouri State, Liberty, at Middle Tennessee, Delaware, at Sam Houston, FIU and at Western Kentucky. The first four CUSA games are played on Wednesday or Thursday.
With the transfer portal, rosters change drastically each season. I believe KSU can continue the momentum from last season but they also have a lot of new players on the team.
I expect them to contend for the C-USA championship again and make a bowl game. I believe they will win seven or eight regular season games.
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