Coastal Carolina Football Preview 2025: Can the Chanticleers Restore the Glory?

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2025: Offense

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- The offense lost star quarterback Grayson McCall to the transfer portal last year, and things kept on going. It wasn’t great, and it wasn’t as efficient, but it finished 2024 with more points than 2023, and now things are about to get even more interesting with a slew of transfers taking over the backfield.

Ethan Vasko left for Liberty, Noah Kim went to Eastern Michigan, and in comes MJ Morris from Maryland to run the attack. Emmett Brown (San Jose State) and Samari Collier (JUCO) are in the mix.

- The transfer portal is helping the receiving corps, too. Leading receiver Jameson Tucker is back on the outside after an explosive six-touchdown season, averaging over 17 yards per catch.

Malcolm Gillie (Ball State) comes in as a whale of a kick returner, but will do more now as a receiver. Colton Hiinton (Furman) is a quick midrange option in the slot.

- The line wasn’t always great for the ground game, but it was the best in the Sun Belt in pass protection. There’s a little work to do on the right side, but All-Sun Belt tackle Nick Del Grande and guard Heston Edwards are solid on the left side, and Thomas Johnson is a solid veteran back at center.

- The top backs are gone, but Jalen John (UMass) should do more after running for 583 yards and five scores for the Minutemen last year. Ja’Vin Simpkins is a quick back who’ll get more work in the rotation.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Preview 2025: Defense

- The defense was great at generating takeaways, turning five of them into touchdowns, and beyond that, it was a struggle. It couldn’t hold up against the run, the secondary had a rough time, and …

- Hello, transfer portal to fix the defensive back glitch. There are a few backup holdovers, but Jacob Robinson (Emory & Henry) is a big-hitting 6-3, 215-pound force who came up with 71 tackles and six picks last season. Myles Mooyoung and Robby Washington are corners coming in from Miami who should fill in right away.

- The portal is also helping the line around 307-pound tackle Sawyer Goram-Welch, coming off a 32-tackle season. Noah Arinze (New Mexico) needs to be a big pass rusher right away, and Aamarii Notice (Idaho) will push for time on the nose.

- The linebackers should be the stars. Shane Bruce led the team with 75 tackles, and Wyatt Gedeon was solid in the middle when healthy.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Key to the Season

Start completing passes again.
Grayson McCall was one of the most efficient passers in college football. Over his five years with the program, he completed close to 70% of his passes with 88 touchdowns and 14 picks. Last year, the Coastal Carolina quarterbacks combined to connect on 54% of their throws with 11 interceptions. So …

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Key Player

MJ Morris, QB Jr.
Or Emmett Brown, or Samari Collier. One of the quarterbacks has to raise the offensive game.

Morris started his career at NC State and showed promise early. But in came Grayson McCall, and off went Morris to Maryland, where he threw five touchdown passes with five picks as a backup. He’s the most important transfer in, but …

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss

Top Transfer In: Jalen John, RB Sr.
He’s not the highest-ranked new prospect, but outside of the quarterbacks, he should be the most important.

John started out at Arizona, transferred to UMass, and after a rough first year, banged away for over five yards per carry with 583 yards and five scores. He needs to shine because …

Top Transfer Out: Braydon Bennett, RB Sr.
Bennett ran for 781 yards and 11 touchdowns, and now he’s at Virginia Tech. Top backup Christian Washington ran for 537 yards and five scores, and now he’s at San Diego State. Including quarterbacks, the top five rushers from last year are gone.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Key Game

at South Alabama, Sept. 20
The Chanticleers are 2-1 all-time against the Jaguars, but they didn’t play last year. This time around, it’s the season opener, and it’s on the road as part of a rough run of three road games in the first four Sun Belt dates. The loser of this will have an uphill battle to get to the Sun Belt title.
- 2025 Coastal Carolina Schedule Breakdown

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers Top 10 Players

1. Nick Del Grande, OT Jr.
2. Shane Bruce, LB Sr.
3. Jameson Tucker, WR Sr.
4. Wyatt Gedeon, LB Jr.
5. MJ Morris, QB Jr.
6. Malcolm Gillie, WR/KR Sr.
7. Jalen John, RB Sr.
8. Sawyer Goram-Welch, DT Sr.
9. Jacob Robinson, S Sr.
10. Heston Edwards, OG Sr.

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2024 Fun Stats

- Fumbles: Opponents 21 (lost 11), Coastal Carolina 15 (lost 6)

- Sacks: Coastal Carolina 29 for 230 yards, Opponents 15 for 90 yards

- 2nd Quarter Scoring: Opponents 155, Coastal Carolina 82

Coastal Carolina Chanticleers 2025 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen

How quickly can Coastal Carolina replace the parts on defense and in the offensive backfield?

There’s enough talent in place to shock a Virginia on the road, or push a sleeping South Carolina in late November, but the overall margin for error to get bowling will be thin.

Last year’s team lost seven games, and almost all except the road date to a 4-8 Troy was acceptable. This time, it has to own the home dates and can’t whiff against a ULM or rebuilding Marshall.

There should be four built-in wins, but this could go sideways in a hurry if the Chanticleers don’t come out of the first four Sun Belt games - at South Alabama, at Old Dominion, ULM, at App State - at least 3-1.

They’ll get to six wins and a bowl, but it’ll be a fight.

Set The Coastal Carolina Win Total At … 6
Likely Wins: Charleston Southern, ULM

50/50 Games: at App State, East Carolina, at Georgia Southern, Georgia State, James Madison, Marshall, at Old Dominion, at South Alabama

Likely Losses: at South Carolina, at Virginia