James, Landrum highlight Preseason All-OVC team

July 21, 2014July 21, 2014 WAW Admin college sports, football, Gamecocks, Jacksonville State University, JSU, NCAA Division I, Ohio Valley Conference, OVC

DaMarcus James carries the ball against Southwest Missouri.

Demopolis High alum DaMarcus James and Sweet Water High alum Chris Landrum have each garnered Preseason All-OVC honors for Jacksonville State University.

James headlines the list of eight JSU honorees as the league’s Preseason Offensive Player of the Year and is one of many reasons the Gamecocks were picked to win the OVC in 2014 by the league’s head coaches and sports information directors.

James is joined on offense by sophomore quarterback Eli Jenkins, sophomore wide receiver Josh Barge and senior offensive linemen Max Holcombe and Blake Burks. Landrum, a sophomore, joins seniors defensive lineman Caleb Lawrence on defense. JSU also has junior punter Hamish MacInnes on the OVC preseason special teams squad.

James, who is a preseason All-American by several news organizations and publications and is also on the Walter Payton Award Preseason Watch List, had a record-breaking junior season in 2013, where he rushed for 1,477 yards on 292 carries to set the school’s single-season rushing record.

The first-team All-Ohio Valley Conference selection from Demopolis also set the OVC record with 29 rushing touchdowns to finish second in the nation, and he scored a rushing touchdown in the final 12 games of the season to extend his school record. He now has 35 career rushing touchdowns, which is the third most in school history, and his 13 career 100-yard rushing games is also the second most in school history.

Jacksonville State Gamecocks defensive lineman Chris Landrum.

On the defensive side of the ball, Lawrence and Landrum keyed the most prolific pass rush in school history. On a team that set a school record with 52 sacks and amassed 107 tackles for a loss, Lawrence earned Second Team All-OVC honors with 10.5 tackles for a loss and six sacks. The Opelika native was the anchor in the middle of the JSU defensive line in is third season with the Gamecocks.

A native of Sweet Water, Landrum tied Lawrence for the team lead with 10.5 tackles for a loss, while also recording five sacks in his first year with JSU after transferring from Auburn. Landrum was credited with four quarterback hurries on the year, as well.

The Gamecocks will report to campus on July 31 before starting practice on Aug. 1. They will open the 2013 season at No. 3 Michigan State on Aug. 29 at 6:30 p.m. CT on the Big Ten Network.

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