FCS Football Front Page: The Latest News, Notes, & Recruiting Updates (Jan. 28)

The latest news from around FCS football, including Florida A&M naming James Colzie III as the new head coach of the Rattlers

The FCS Football Front Page will deliver the biggest and most storylines from across the FCS throughout the offseason.

Each day we will bring you the top stories from around the country regarding FCS football. From coaching changes to recruiting updates, and everything in between the FCS Football Front Page has you covered.

Florida A&M Names James Colzie III As Next Head Football Coach

Florida A&M officially named James Colzie III the 19th head football coach of the Rattlers on Saturday. He was named the interim head coach after Willie Simmons resigned to take the running backs coach job at Duke this offseason.

Colzie served as the defensive backs coach over the past two seasons for the Rattlers and was promoted to assistant head coach before last season. Before his stint at Florida A&M, Colzie was the head coach at Saint Mary's for six seasons. He finished with a 23-19 record, leading the Huskies to back-to-back Loney Bowl appearances. 

He also helped lead Valdosta State to the NCAA Division II National Championship in 2007 as the special teams coordinator. Colzie started his college coaching career at Florida International as the assistant special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach. He was also a graduate assistant at Florida State for three seasons. 

Official Announcement From Florida A&M / Florida A&M Athletics

"I am eternally grateful to President Robinson and our Vice President and Director of Intercollegiate Athletics Tiffany-Dawn Sykes for their confidence in me," Colzie said in a statement released by the university.

"It is truly an honor to join names like William Bell, Jake Gaither, Rudy Hubbard, Billy Joe, and Willie Simmons to hold the illustrious title of head football coach at Florida A&M, and I am ready to do my part of carrying on the tradition of this storied university as the No. 1 public HBCU in the country."

Holy Cross WR Jalen Coker & OL C.J. Hanson Receive NFL Combine Invites

Holy Cross wide receiver Jalen Coker and offensive lineman C.J. Hanson received invites to the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine. Both players helped lead Holy Cross to a share of the Patriot League title in five consecutive seasons. The combine will be held at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis from Feb. 29 to March 3. 

Coker finished his career as the program's all-time leader in receiving yards (2,715) and receiving touchdowns (31). He was a finalist for the Walter Payton Award and earned first-team FCS All-American honors after leading the nation with 15 receiving touchdowns this season. He is a three-time All-Conference and two-time All-New England selection.

Hanson started in 38 consecutive games at right guard for the Crusaders and has only allowed one sack in over 2,300 snaps. He earned All-Conference honors in back-to-back seasons and was an All-New England selection last season. He also earned third-team FCS All-American honors from Stats Perform in 2023. 

Eastern Washington RB Justice Jackson Transfers To Idaho State

Former Eastern Washington running back Justice Jackson announced his commitment to Idaho State. He will have one season of eligibility remaining for the Bengals.

Jackson saw action in 37 games over four seasons, totaling 1,234 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns. He was the second-leading rusher for the Eagles in back-to-back seasons. He rushed for a career-high 472 yards and five touchdowns last season, including a season-high 126 rushing yards against Portland State. 

Jackson signed with Eastern Washington as a three-star prospect out of Liberty High School. He was the No. 31 all-purpose back and No. 312 player in the state of California in the class of 2020. He earned first-team All-League honors in back-to-back seasons. 

FCS Football Front Page: The Latest News, Notes, & Recruiting Updates (Jan. 27)

FCS Football Front Page: The Latest News, Notes, & Recruiting Updates (Jan. 26)