After a historic 2024 campaign that saw South Carolina State go 9-3 overall, run the table in conference play at 5-0, and earn a MEAC championship and a trip to the Cricket Celebration Bowl, the Bulldogs enter the 2025 season with high expectations and a target on their backs.
Head coach Chennis Berry, now in his second season at the helm, is not backing down from the challenge.
“We can’t do anything about last season,” Berry said during Monday’s MEAC Coaches’ Conference. “This is a new team, a new season — but our mission doesn’t change. Our goal is to go 1-0 every day. Win on and off the field, dominate today.”
Despite key departures from last year’s squad, including MEAC Offensive Player of the Year quarterback Eric Phoenix, Berry is excited about the group of 105 players currently in camp — including 44 newcomers.
“We’ve had a highly competitive camp,” Berry said. “We’ve got guys fighting for spots at every position. Our depth might be better than last year. Yes, we lost some starters, but we return a lot of guys with experience.”
Berry emphasized that quarterback play will be crucial this season, pointing to a battle between returning junior Ryan Stubblefield and James Madison transfer Billy Atkins. Both signal callers bring dual-threat ability and strong arms to the offense.
“We’ll find out August 30th who’s running out there first,” Berry said with a smile.
The Bulldogs will kick off their season at home against Wofford, a SoCon opponent predicted to finish seventh in its conference. While Wofford returns 10 starters, they too have a large number of new faces — 59 to be exact.
“Wofford’s sound, well-coached, and very multiple on both sides of the ball,” Berry said. “But we’re focused on us. We’ve got to execute our identity.”
On the defensive side, South Carolina State returns a physical front, headlined by defensive lineman Josh Barker, who Berry says opponents must account for every snap.
“If you don’t game plan to block Josh, he’ll wreck your whole offense,” Berry said. “And we’re deep up front.”
The Bulldogs’ defense also features standout returners like DE Jordan Dollar and Tulane transfer Mike Lunz, alongside Arkansas State linebacker transfer R.J. Kelly. The secondary, led by preseason All-American Jared Washington, has drawn praise from Berry as one of the most talented units on the team.
Special teams haven’t been overlooked either.
“Our kickers, punters, and snappers have been in fierce competition all camp,” Berry said. “That’s the third phase of the game. It matters.”
As the Bulldogs gear up for a schedule that features seven non-conference games before MEAC play begins in late October, Berry insists the approach remains simple.
“One and 0. That’s it,” he said. “We don’t look ahead. I honestly couldn’t even tell you who we play Week 2. Right now, we’re focused on Wofford.”
When asked about the added pressure that comes with being the preseason conference favorite, Berry brushed it off.
“Last I checked, Bulldogs hunt,” he said. “We don’t worry about being hunted. We’re humble and hungry. Rankings don’t mean a thing — we’ve got to go play the game.”
This story was drafted using an AI tool based on the transcript of the MEAC weekly coaches’ conference and was then reviewed and edited by a journalist before publishing.
