AG McGhee and Javante Mackey look to make big impacts for Arkansas State this season
Head Coach Butch Jones heads into 2025 for his fifth year in Jonesboro.
Jones took over the Arkansas State program in 2021, going just 2-10 overall, but has continually improved his record each year, finishing last season with eight wins. The Red Wolves have also gone to back-to-back bowl games for the first time since 2019, going 1-1 in those games.
Even with the improvements to the program, the Red Wolves were only picked to finish third in the West for the preseason coaches poll. The Cajuns continue to be the West favorite while exiting Texas State is listed at number two. Arkansas State did garner a single first place vote, but the lack of conference respect could serve as locker room material for a team and roster that has its sights set much higher.
The Red Wolves do have some chemistry to build however. Not only did they lose seven starters on offense, 10 on defense, and a punter, but they also have an entirely new defensive makeup. New this season are defensive coordinator Griff McCarley, safeties coach Kwame Agyeman, defensive ends coach Larry Knight, cornerbacks coach Jalen Ortiz, defensive tackles coach Rashad Pittman, and special teams coordinator Dakota Tillman (previously with the team but as a quality control coach).
The transfer portal brings in 34 new players to the roster, highlighted by the return of defensive end Javante Mackey. He transferred out to Memphis after last season but saw no game time due to an injury. Before his departure, Mackey had been a semifinalist for the Shaun Alexander Award (National Freshman of the Year) and was also named to The Athletic’s Freshman All-American team.
Departures
Gone is a large part of the backfield from last season, as Arkansas State sees the departure of starting running back Zak Wallace.
Wallace’s 721 yards on 154 carries and 11 touchdowns will certainly be missed. Wallace set single-game career-highs in rushing yards (130), rushing touchdowns (3), and longest reception (49) last season.
Although not a starter, quarterback Timmy McClain did see action in four games last season. He went 14 of 21 for 163 yards and three total touchdowns. McClain also had 39 yards rushing and a single touchdown against Louisiana in his limited role.
Courtney Jackson now plays for the Denver Broncos. He went undrafted in April but looks to have made the 53 man roster after the recent trade between the Broncos and Saints. Jackson didn’t see paydirt often last season (only three total touchdowns) but he had 494 receiving yards and an impressive 277-yard punt return yards. That’s an average of over 18 yards per return. A consistent return threat and solid wide receiver will be difficult to replace.
Broncos UDFA Courtney Jackson was FLYING 💨
He reached a top speed of 20.86 MPH on this 30-yard run, per @NextGenStats
Watch live out-of-market games on #NFLPlus
Blackout restrictions may applypic.twitter.com/OWOPW9gjBO— NFL+ (@NFLPlus) August 17, 2025
Tight end Manny Stevenson Jr. was lost to graduation. Not a top target but a nice safety valve for Raynor when needed. Stevenson Jr. finished with 28 catches for 203 yards and one touchdown. Also kept Raynor clean as a solid blocking tight end as well.
The offensive line will have only one returner, Mason Myers, who made one start at center in 2024. Gone is Jacob Bayer, the full-time center for Jaylen Raynor over the last two seasons, playing in 24 games. That type of familiarity and comfort level for your highly thought of quarterback will be difficult to replace.
Gone from the defense is All-Sun Belt Honorable Mention at linebacker, Charles Willekes. The senior totaled 92 tackles (third on team), one sack, two forced fumbles, and an interception. It won’t just be the stats missing with Willekes either. The defensive player chosen to represent the team before the 2024 Sun Belt Media Days in New Orleans also brought leadership and insight to the defense that will be noticeably absent this fall. His counterpart on the second line of defense is also gone– Marvin Ham led the team in tackles with 98. The redshirt senior also added 9.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, two forced fumbles, and a fumble recovery.
Additions
The Arkansas State offense sees three additions from conference foe, Southern Miss. Added are offensive lineman Wil Saxton, quarterback Ethan Crawford, and running back Kenyon Clay. Both Crawford and Clay have seen their playing time and stats improve each year. And after only winning one game last season with the Golden Eagles, it will be interesting to see what they can do to help this Red Wolves offense. Crawford is mobile but not a true scrambler. Like Raynor, he’d rather sit in the pocket and deliver down field.
For Clay, he was third on the team for carries but made the most of those opportunities by leading the team with seven touchdowns.
Too legit to quit💪 It’s a @TateRodemaker shot to Kenyon Clay who does the rest with quick feet and fancy footwork. Eagles lead 14-0 with first two possessions. #SMTTT @SouthernMissFB x @WXXV25 x @USMVoice pic.twitter.com/rHGZCmNsNy
— Ansley Brent (@AnsleyBrentTV) September 15, 2024
For wideouts, one could count redshirt senior Corey Rucker. Rucker had declared for the NFL draft before pulling his name out and returning for the 2025 season. A welcomed ‘addition’ to the wide receiver room. Rucker led the team with over 1,000 yards and seven touchdowns.
Jaylen Bonelli could be a great addtion to the receiving room as well. The Wagner transfer comes to Jonesboro after leading the team in receiving yards and touchdowns last season. With Rucker on one side and the loss of Jackson on the other, Bonelli could step up and fill the role of a downfield threat.
Two safeties join the squad from the transfer portal. AG McGhee from Marshall started 13 games for the Thundering Herd, finishing with 54 tackles on the year. BJ Wagner comes over from Delaware State, where he was the Aeneas Williams Award semifinalist for best defensive back from an HBCU. He racked up 65 tackles, an interception, and led the ream with seven pass breakups.
Although he only played three games last season for Middle Tennessee, Devyn Curtis helps replace what was lost at the linebacker position. He was a William V. Campbell Trophy semifinalist and a team captain for the Blue Raiders.
The inter-Sun Belt moves continue on the defensive side, as Gavin Ransaw jumps over from Coastal Carolina and Trenton Alan Yowe comes to Jonesboro from App State. The 6-3, 307 lbs Ransaw is a redshirt senior who finished with 29 tackles, two tackles for loss, a sack, and a pass deflection. Yowe stats don’t stick out as much, as the App State defense did struggle last season but he still finished with nine total tackles, five of them solo.
The mix of experience coming back and the talent coming in should have fans in Jonesboro excited for first kick. The Red Wolves open play at home versus Southeast Missouri in the ‘Paint The Vault Red’ game, where fans are encouraged to wear red. The kick time is 6 p.m. ET on ESPN+.
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