Jax State football
- Updated: September 8, 2026
Jax State LB Sanders out for the season. (Includes video of Jax State coach and birthday boy Charles Kelly, offensive lineman Lance Johnson and linebacker Aidan Thompson from Tuesday’s weekly football news conference).
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
JACKSONVILLE — Two games into Jax State’s football season comes news of the Gamecocks’ first season-ending injury.
Linebacker Mac Sanders won’t return this season, Jax State coach Chales Kelly said during Tuesday’s weekly news conference. Sanders suffered a shoulder injury during the Gamecocks’ season-opening loss to North Dakota State and sat out of their 49-7 victory over Eastern Kentucky.
“This time last week, we thought that Mac had a possibility to come back, but we did a second MRI, so he’s going to be out for the season,” Kelly said. “It is a tough loss for our team and a tough loss for him, but he’s handling it in the right way, and we’ve got guys who are going to play.”
Sanders was an honorable-mention All-Conference USA and freshman All-CUSA pick in 2025 and made the New York Times freshman All-America team. He was a Phil Steele first-team preseason All-CUSA pick in preseason.
Kelly said running back Jalen Likely (hand) is expected to play Saturday at Ohio.
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