Combination of talent, culture to drive ETSU football in 2024

GREENVILLE, S.C. (WJHL) – Division I college football is nearly back, as schools begin fall camp as early as this week.

That’s the case for ETSU, led by first-year head coach Tre Lamb. He and a pair of players got acquainted with the Southern Conference at Media Day this past week. It also gave the Johnson City squad a chance to let the media know what this team will be about in 2024.

This new-look Blue and Gold group has been picked to finish sixth out of nine teams in a preseason pole. But, that didn’t surprise Lamb in the least.

Still, he knows what he has on the field heading into the season – plenty of dudes. It could be a dangerous group if they all keep rowing in the same direction.

‘We’re going to be talented – I think people realize we’re going to be pretty talented,” Lamb said Tuesday. “You can see some of our transfers from Power 5 programs, 18 or 20 with me from Gardner-Webb – they know how to win. Then, a good group of guys that had the culture built here for years.”

“Yeah, we’ve got a familiar culture with Coach Lamb – a bunch of us coming with Coach Lamb,” sophomore quarterback Jaylen King said. “We all bought in, we’re all together – it’s not individualized, you feel me?”

Even the returning contributors feel a similar sense of confidence and determination to stack up some wins.

“We’ve been grinding all summer, all spring,” senior defensive back Chris Hope said. “It’s a long time coming. We’ve all got something we want to prove this year. We want to get that nasty taste of 3-8 out of our mouth and get this new regime started.”

ETSU is slated to begin preseason camp practices on Tuesday, July 30.

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