Revival

[Captain Canada]

Golden Flashes pick up key new pieces, zero in on free safety Jelani Keyton

KENT, Ohio - A month into Kent State's season has seen them split the middle: coming out on top against Wofford College and Ball State in their first MACtion of the season, but dropping two tough contests against ranked opponents South Carolina and Ohio State. From these results, they have started to see some action on the recruiting trails.

The team received the hard commitment from two-star quarterback C.J. O'Malley, a 6-foot-1, 210-pound quarterback out of Olney, Maryland. O'Malley, a pocket-passing quarterback noted for his quick release paired with a rocket of a deep-ball, briefly considered Ohio and Toledo, but ultimately closed his recruitment early and committed to the Golden Flashes.

"I didn't even need to go on my official visit, that's how sure I am" commented O'Malley after news of his commitment was released. "After conversations with Coach [Mark] Carney, and the level of detail Coach [Khalil] Prince is bringing to the offense, it was a shoe-in for me to go there. I'm excited to get down there and start to work."

The team also landed a verbal commitment from two-star outside linebacker DeMarcus Dougan. Dougan, a hard-hitting linebacker all the way from Long Beach, California, Dougan made his verbal commitment on the spot during his official visit to Kent this past weekend, as he was on campus for Kent State's strong victory over Ball State. Southern Mississippi and Navy are still reported to be in the bidding for his services, but Kent State is expected to land the 6-foot-1, 228 pound backer.

"My grandfather served in the Navy, so that connection has always been important for me to go and explore," commented Dougan. "But Kent State is building something slowly under Coach Carney and I respect what they've got going on. It was a movie there this past weekend and I can definitely see myself being a part of that."

The team remains in on free safety Jelani Keyton, a 5-foot-9 free safety from Blaistown, New Jersey who still is sporting a top 5 that has Kent State at the top, but includes schools such as UMass , West Virginia, and Boston College amongst them. The rangy safety isknown for his ball-hawking ability and fluid hips, with an impressive ability to cut in different directions and cover space with ease despite his more diminutive stature. He is expected to be on campus during Kent State's Week 5 matchup against Ohio this weekend.

Recruiting Class of 2027

Kent State Golden Flashes Recruiting Board

Player	Pos	St	★	Natl	St Rk	Pos Rk	Top 3	Stage
DeMarcus Dougan	WILL	CA	2	3106	273	243		🟡Verbal Commit
C.J. O'Malley	QB	MD	2	1987	39	140		🟢Hard Commit
Pierre Farrior	WILL	CA	2	2505	226	188		Offer Sent
Jelani Keyton	FS	NJ	2	1853	66	67		Visit Scheduled
Dakota Hebert	MIKE	CO	2	1442	11	81		Offer Sent
Gerald Blade	OG	VA	1	3784	105	184		🟡Verbal Commit

[Soapy]

he won't be here to coach any of y'all but salute

[Captain Canada]

he won't be here to coach any of y'all but salute

[Captain Canada]

(2-2, 0-0 MAC) @ (2-2, 1-0 MAC)

Saturday, Oct. 3, 2026
12:00 PM
Dix Stadium (Kent, OH)
Local Broadcast

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Fanduel Odds

Kent State Golden Flashes -4.5 | o.49.5 | -190 ML
Ohio Bobcats +4.5 | u49.5 | +160 ML

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Injuries
QB Dru DeShields - Knee Cartilage Tear (Out)
--
QB Nick Poulos - Dislocated Elbow (Out)
DT Austin Mitchell - Dislocated Knee (Out)

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Coaching Staff

Head Coach: Mark Carney (2nd year with Kent State)
Offensive Coordinator: Khalil Prince (1st year with Kent State)
Defensive Coordinator: Cherokee Valeria (2nd year with Kent State)

Head Coach: John Hauser (2nd year with Ohio)
Offensive Coordinator: Scott Isphording (2nd year with Ohio)
Defensive Coordinator: Kurt Mattix (2nd year with Ohio)

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Players To Watch


Bill Connelly, ESPN: The relief that was present on Kent State's head coach Mark Carney's face when wide receiver Da'realyst Clark was clear for full action this week after missing the bulk of their game against Ball State was present. Clark's undoubted speed and ability to open things up underneath for fellow wide receivers Ardell Banks and Wayne Harris goes without saying. Not to mention his abilities in the return game for the Golden Flashes. Stud true freshman outside linebacker Charlie Christopher will have his hands full, but leads a defense with some promising pieces such as strong safety DJ Walker and captain and MIKE backer Michael Molnar. Offensively, might be a little quiet for the Bobcats.

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Schedules & Results

Week	Opponent	Results	Week	Opponent	Results
0	OFF	--	0	OFF	--
1	at South Carolina	L 34-13	1	at Nebraska	L 21-3
2	vs Wofford College	W 52-10	2	vs Jacksonville State	L 31-20
3	at #1 Ohio State	L 37-15	3	at South Alabama	W 28-20
4	vs Ball State	W 34-13	4	vs Stony Brook	W 31-24
5	vs Ohio	--	5	at Kent State	--
6	at Western Michigan	--	6	vs Central Michigan	--
7	at South Florida	--	7	at Sacramento State	--
8	vs Akron	--	8	vs Eastern Michigan	--
9	at Sacramento State	--	9	OFF	--
10	OFF	--	10	at Akron	--
11	at Bowling Green	--	11	at Miami (OH)	--
12	vs Miami (OH)	--	12	vs Ball State	--
13	at Eastern Michigan	--	13	vs Toledo	--
14	OFF	--	14	OFF	--

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Experts Evaluations


Tom Fornelli, Writer: "This doesn't really feel like a competition at this point. Ohio struggled to get wins against Stony Brook and barely managed to slip by South Alabama. The only way Kent State drops this one is if they get in their own way and lose the turnover battle. Quarterback Deante Ruffin showed his capabilities last weekend. He's the real deal."


Richard Johnson, Writer: "If they lean on their run game similarly to what they did against Ball State, Kent State should be able to run away with this one. Ohio can't afford to make this into a shootout with an offense that just lacks the starpower to compete right now. They're struggling to put up points. Kent State has an efficient and productive offense churning right now. Mason King is going for over 100 yards."


Chris Hummer, 247Sports Writer: "KSU BTA. That's it. That's the tweet."

[Count]

getting some injured guys back is a big plus

[Caesar]

The MAC doesn't move us. Onward and upward.

[Captain Canada]

getting some injured guys back is a big plus

Keeping Da'realyst in the lineup is a huge plus. Gives me a lot more confidence going further into MAction.

The MAC doesn't move us. Onward and upward.

Hey man, gotta be a step up from the Fun Belt (not much of one, mind you. But...)

[Captain Canada]

I'm really not proud of this.

[Captain Canada]

But, I'm just trying to reach that next page. So, don't mind me.

[Captain Canada]