‘Midseason form’
- Updated: July 29, 2024
Embarking on his third season at Jax State, Rodriguez brings his singular spice to first fall practice of 2024.
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — There was no official count of Rich Rodriguez radio tosses/spikes during Jax State’s first fall practice Monday. Suffice to say, normal frequency.
The Gamecocks’ third-year head coach unleashed a few bleeper-worthy admonishments, coming with a speed and intensity that might just outrun any bleeper.
“He’s always in midseason form,” center Brock Robey said with a grin, parroting a reporter’s question.
Day one is in the books for the 2024 Gamecocks. Monday morning’s practice came less than 24 hours after they moved into the Loring and Debbie White Football Complex and had their first meetings in the new facility.
Working in helmets and shorts, returning quarterback Logan Smothers got his reps, along with new Connecticut transfer Zion Turner, redshirt sophomore Carter Lambert and others. Smothers, Turner and Lamber wore the blue non-contact jerseys.
Running back Ron Wiggins, the Jacksonville High graduate and most valuable player of Jax State’s historic New Orleans Bowl victory over Louisiana, got his reps in his new jersey No. 4. Gone is his old No. 26.
He’s back and, apparently, in good graces after an offseason entry into the transfer portal.
“He wanted to come back, and I let him come back,” Rodriguez said. “It’s about as simple as that.
“Sometimes, guys make mistakes when they get in the portal. Some guys, once they go in, I just say, ‘Hey, hell, whatever.’ Other guys, I think, are making a mistake, and maybe they got lied to, or whatever. He’ll have to earn his way back in there. We’ve got a lot of running backs right now.”
That includes four freshmen and portal guys with size, like 5-11, 200-pound Georgia transfer Andrew Paul
Returnee Anwar Lewis, still wearing his No. 25, “looks like he’s in the best shape he’s been in since he’s been here,” Rodriguez said.
Rodriguez said the Gamecocks “have healthy competition just about everywhere.”
Another year has gotten Jax State closer to where he wants to be on overall size, he said, with most of the gains on the offensive line. He still wants more size on defense.
He called Monday’s practice light, compared to what’s to come. The heat and humidity were relatively low, so he expressed surprise to see players taking IV fluids.
“They must not be hydrating well,” he said. “They must not be in the type of shape that they need to be in to play for us.”
As for Rodriguez’s “midseason form,” he spoke of it in for-camera form.
“Typical first day,” he said. “There were some good things and some things that were frustrating.
“The frustrating part is when you have to coach something over and over again. After about four or five times saying it, you’re just defeating the purpose, and you can’t get on to the next item that you want to coach. I had to give a little lesson there.”
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