Gap Down Backer.
Gap Down Backer.
It does seem a bit like a lateral move but Oklahoma likes to hire people who have history with the program. He was previously the OC (just like Venables was previously a DC). He was also our QB when we won the National Championship. 100% a move I would see them doing IRL. In fact if Venables stinks it up again this season I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do it.
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I can see why Oklahoma would do it, I just don't know why Heupel would.James wrote: ↑05 Aug 2025, 09:12It does seem a bit like a lateral move but Oklahoma likes to hire people who have history with the program. He was previously the OC (just like Venables was previously a DC). He was also our QB when we won the National Championship. 100% a move I would see them doing IRL. In fact if Venables stinks it up again this season I wouldn't be surprised if they tried to do it.
I'll be keeping an eye on him at OU. Coach Mack did go to OU
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Positional battles to watch as Kennesaw State begins fall camp
KingHootMan -- KSUOwlHowl.com Football Contributor
As important as last season was for Kennesaw State and head coach Bubba Mack, this season might be equally as important. Mack and the Owls had a low bar to clear; just be better than two wins in Mack's first year as not only the Owls head coach but his first head coaching opportunity. There would be mulligans and patience while also there was a need for improvement to be shown.
KSU did that last year, winning six games and upsetting Liberty in the regular season finale after playing Wake Forest tough in the opener to build some momentum and then the Louisiana Tech miracle bought the coaching staff some goodwill among the fans to believe that the future is bright.
The future is not quite now but it's certainly approaching. Fans will expect to see improvements once more which puts competing for a conference championship appearance on the table. Sam Houston won six games last year but they were all in conference, making it to the Conference USA championship game in just their second year at the FBS level.
If the Owls are going to make it to C-USA Championship Game, they'll first need to have a productive and competitive fall camp which begins this week. Here are the positional battles that will need to be decided by the opener against West Georgia.
Quarterback
Leader Amari Odom (redshirt junior) 71 OVR, 75 SPD, 87 THP, 79 SAC, 77 MAC, 74 DAC
Dark Horse Raheim Jeter (redshirt junior) 69 OVR, 73 SPD, 94 THP, 75 SAC, 76 MAC, 72 DAC
Wild Card Skyler Williams (redshirt freshman) 69 OVR, 80 SPD, 85 THP, 76 SAC, 73 MAC, 69 DAC
Status Four Minute Drill
The Owls went out and got a 'veteran' arm in Raheim Jeter that hasn't played much but has been around the block in terms of being a college athlete and all of the things that come with that. Jeter is probably the best passer of the bunch while Williams is the superior athlete by a wide margin and Odom fits somewhere in the middle and has the most experience, both on the field and with this coaching staff after serving as Dexter Williams's backup last year.
The vibe heading into last year was that if Williams struggled, the door was left open for Odom, who has plenty of intriguing physical traits, to step in and replace him but that never happened. In the limited action that we did see from Odom, he didn't exactly shut the door on it being his job which is why the Owls went out and got Jeter from the portal.
Odom has consistently been the first quarterback out there since the spring and if that continues by the first few weeks of training camp, it very well could be the final stretch needed for Odom to seal the deal and be named the starter in a few weeks' time.
Guard
Leader JaDarius Lee (redshirt senior) 74 OVR, 80 STR, 73 PBK, 80 RBK
Dark Horse Chase Stevens (redshirt sophomore) 74 OVR, 82 STR, 77 PBK, 78 RBK
Wild Card Josh Kilgo (true freshman) 64 OVR, 88 STR, 64 PBK, 77 RBK
Status Toss up
Brandon Best's spot is all but solidified as he is a returning starter and someone that the coaching staff valued in bringing back. The Owls lost their starting center in Josiah Chenault who they replaced in the portal with Clay Anthony from South Alabama which leaves one spot along the interior still up for grabs.
Lee is the leader right now as he is a senior and spent last year as a backup on the team but the Owls did bring in Chase Stevens from the portal two seasons ago from the University of Florida. Stevens certainly looks the part of an SEC interior lineman at six-foot-three and 313 pounds and has the potential to eventually be a starter on this team, the only question is if he is ready right now to be that guy.
Another name to watch is Josh Kilgo, a favorite of the coaching staff. Kilgo is a true freshman but already is a workout monster in the weight room. Coach Mack values the offensive line and after last year's struggles, he might want to put in a 'people-mover' like Kilgo who isn't as developed technically yet but won't get overpowered like we saw at times last year.
It'll be fierce competition throughout camp and probably bleeds into the season.
EDGE
Leader Elijah Harper (redshirt senior) 67 OVR, 74 SPD, 72 STR, 75 BSH, 76 PMV, 74 FMV
Dark Horse Byron Jackson (sophomore) 68 OVR, 77 SPD, 66 STR, 72 BSH, 69 PMV, 75 FMV, Dwayne Harrison (redshirt sophomore) 67 OVR, 69 SPD, 87 STR, 66 BSH, 71 PMV, 49 FMV
Wild Card George Imatorbhebhe 64 OVR, 77 SPD, 80 STR, 54 BSH 71 PMV, 61 FMV
Status Does it really matter?
Similar to guard where you have one side of the field locked up in Marcus Patterson as a returning starter, the other EDGE spot is wide open for the taking. The Owls added a transfer in Rice's Dwayne Harrison and bring back Byron Jackson who had eight tackles last year as a backup along with a true freshman in George Imatorbhebhe that the coaching staff is extremely high on in terms of his potential. The standout in the spring is Elijah Harper who is probably the most well rounded of the bunch and had the best spring practice of them all.
The truth of the matter is it doesn't really matter who 'starts' against West Georgia as the Owls will likely rotate all four players at some point this season and by the time they are playing meaningful games in October and November, they'll need all of them to be impactful in their own ways.
Linebacker
Leader Thomas Durbin (true freshman) 66 OVR, 87 SPD, 91 ACC, 75 TKL, 71 BSH, 59 MCV, 71 ZCV
Dark Horse Jaiden Kimble (junior) 71 OVR, 83 SPD, 88 ACC, 73 TKL, 50 BSH, 66 MCV, 76 ZCV
Wild Card Juandarion Silas (redshirt senior) 70 OVR, 79 SPD, 85 ACC, 75 TKL, 51 BSH, 68 MCV, 77 ZCV
Status Toss up
I just think this past recruiting class will have at least one starter come the opener, if nothing else to send a message to other recruits that they can play early at Kennesaw State. Durbin, who comes from a great program in Houston County, is the perfect poster child for this youth movement. The Owls would also be able to pair him at linebacker with their best player in Donelius Johnson which should help with the learning curve.
PR aside, Durbin is just too talented to not play as a true freshman and he should have an instant impact in some manner, even if it means backing up Jaiden Kimble in the early stages of the season but on the other side, West Georgia is the perfect candidate to let him loose and let him make plays.
Nickel
Leader Nick Sawyer (redshirt senior) 67 OVR, 86 SPD, 66 MCV, 64 ZCV, 61 PRESS
Dark Horse Devin Ross (junior) 67 OVR, 88 SPD, 64 MCV, 67 ZCV, 62 PRESS
Wild Card Markese Moon (redshirt freshman) 67 OVR, 90 SPD, 66 MCV, 65 ZCV, 65 PRESS
Status Late surge
KSU got their JeRico Washington Jr. replacement early in the portal in Iowa's Zion Armstead, a redshirt freshman with plenty of eligibility to get better at Kennesaw State and probably get himself back to the P4 level in two years or so. The staff is high on Ethan Tookes who despite his physical limitation, played some last year and seems to have locked up that CB2 role opposite of Armstead.
The question is now the nickel, which is an important position in college football. Nick Sawyer didn't play much last season but did see some time as a redshirt sophomore in the 2024 season. There's Devin Ross who played plenty last year with thirty-three tackles and a pass breakup and then another transfer portal add in Markese Moon who is making a late surge for the spot.
Moon came in from New Mexico State and didn't play much in the spring due to an injury which saw him miss some of the summer workouts but since his return, he's been turning heads. He's another portal add with four years of eligibility so the runway is there for Moon to come in, win that job and lock it up for the next few seasons.
Safety
Leader T.J. McGill (redshirt junior) 68 OVR, 84 SPD, 71 ZCV, 73 TKL
Dark Horse Shakir Boudreaux (true freshman) 67 OVR, 81 SPD, 68 ZCV, 74 TKL
Wild Card Que Billingsley (redshirt junior) 70 OVR, 86 SPD, 67 ZCV, 74 TKL
Status Four Minute Drill
KSU hopped in the portal and got McGill out of James Madison, a solid G6 program that produces some good talent. McGill hasn't played much but the talent has been evident since he's stepped foot on campus and has certainly settled right in opposite of Deon McKinley, another transfer, for that starting spot.
There is some returning talent at the position in Billingsley who didn't play much last year. There's also true freshman Shakir Boudreaux who actually got the start in the spring game and was heavily in the rotation with McGill, Billingsley and McKinley.
It feels like its McGill's job to lose and featuring an older safety group, especially with the rest of the youth at corner, makes a lot of sense.
Gap Down Backer.
Kennesaw State Football Preview 2026: New-look Owls are primed to compete for a conference championship
2026 Kennesaw State season preview. After a rough start in the FBS, the Owls reached bowl eligibility in their second year. Are they ready for that next step?
It didn't take long for Bubba Mack to turn things around at Kennesaw State, improving from two wins to six in his first season and the program made it to their first ever bowl game. With this success in year one, the expectations are naturally raised for the Owls as they enter the 2026 season with a legitimate chance at playing for a conference championship.
Kennesaw State Owls Preview 2026: Offense
- Kennesaw State revamped their offense with the portal after losing their starting quarterback, leading rusher and top three receivers to graduation. They went out and got a tight end in Eastern Michigan's Everett Hunter, two receivers in Eric Weatherly (Ball State) and K.J. Parker (Iowa) and then rebuilt their offensive line, both starters and depth, with five portal additions.
- The running back room is intriguing with the Owls returning Kyshon Franklin Jr. who showed some flashes last year but then was completely stuffed in the bowl game. The Owls are hoping to fix that with some improved offensive line play so they return essentially the same room with a depth piece in Greg Spiller, acquired from the portal.
- Dexter Williams will be hard to replace as he carried the offense at times, especially during Coleman Bennett's struggles at running back. Amari Odom projects to be the starter which is a giant question mark.
Kennesaw State Owls Preview 2026: Defense
- The decline at corner is going to be steep. There's simply no way around it as they lose arguably two of their three best players on defense in JeRico Washington, an All-American who transferred to Michigan, and Tyler Hallum to graduation. They bring in some solid pieces from the portal as well as from within but it's going to be tough sledding compared to last year.
- Donelius Johnson is the heart and soul of the defense and will need to buoy them at times. Keeping Johnson was a major win for the staff this offseason and should be due for another All-Conference type season and potentially some All-American buzz similar to Washington last year as he makes his claim to be an NFL draft pick.
- Marcus Patterson needs to take that next step into being more than just a flash player but a dominant one at the Conference USA level. He was solid last year with eleven tackles for loss and three sacks but he needs to double those numbers if the Owls are going to be a serious contender for a conference title.
Kennesaw State Owls Key to the Season
Start moving people up front.
The Owls struggled mightily in the run game at times last year with the line of scrimmage collapsing in on their running backs. When it was time to win the Liberty game, they were finally able to lean on that offensive line and get it done. It'll need to be more of that and less of the outings we saw last year like the shutout against Jax State.
Kennesaw State Owls Key Player
WR Eric Weatherly, WR RSr.
Weatherly caught sixty-two passes for 1,086 yards and eleven touchdowns last year. This is the sort of production that the Owls desperately need as they'll be breaking in a first-time quarterback no matter who gets the start.
Kennesaw State Owls Top Transfer, Biggest Transfer Loss
Top Transfer In: Everett Hunter, TE Sr.
The real answer is Weatherly but just to mix it up, how about Everett Hunter, the top ranked transfer that the Owls landed? He's been sort of a quiet pickup for them and while he played a lot of football for Eastern Michigan, he wasn't targeted much. He should see some balls thrown his way as starting tight end Gerard Bullock caught 46 passes last year and Hunter is a more physically impressive athlete than Bullock.
Top Transfer Out: JeRico Washington Jr, CB RJr
Washington Jr. is a projected starter for the Wolverines and is sporting the No. 1 which shows you just how big of a loss he is for the Owls. He would be the best player in the conference had he stayed so losing him is a big loss.
Kennesaw State Owls Key Game
Liberty, Week 8
The Owls open the season with two winnable games against West Georgia and Georgia State before heading into Jonesboro for a rematch against an Arkansas State team they beat last year and then potentially a slaughter trip to Knoxville to play the Volunteers.
After that, it's the teeth of their conference schedule with games against Jacksonville State, Middle Tennessee and FIU before hosting Liberty. By the time they play the Flames, who will surely be looking for revenge, the Owls would have played eight straight games and could be pretty beat up.
Kennesaw State Owls Top 10 Players
1. Donelius Johnson, LB Sr.
2. Eric Weatherly, WR Sr.
3. Brandon Best, OG Sr.
4. Marcus Patterson, EDGE Sr.
5. Jaiden Grimes, IDL Jr.
6. Everett Hunter, TE Sr.
7. Deon McKinley, S Rs Sr.
8. K.J. Parker, WR Soph.
9. Javon Rogers, WR Jr.
10. Zion Armstead, CB Fr.
Kennesaw State Owls Schedule (2025 Record)
vs. West Georgia (FCS)
vs. Georgia State (3-9, 2-6)
at Arkansas State (7-6, 6-2)
at #9 Tennessee (10-4, 6-2)
at Jax State (3-9, 2-6)
vs. Middle Tennessee (6-7, 4-4)
at FIU (7-4, 4-4)
vs. Liberty (13-1, 7-1)
OPEN
at New Mexico State (5-7, 4-4)
vs. Sam Houston (6-7, 6-2)
vs. Delaware (5-7, 3-5)
vs. Missouri State (5-7, 4-4)
C-USA
Kennesaw State Owls 2026 Season Prediction, Win Total, What Will Happen
This team is more talented than last year's team as a whole but have bigger question marks at important positions like quarterback, running back and cornerback which could keep them from obtaining their true potential and from their win total reflecting that.
Set The Kennesaw State Win Total At … 6.5
Likely Wins: West Georgia, Georgia State, at Jax State, Delaware, Missouri State
50/50 Games: at Arkansas State, Middle Tennessee, FIU, Middle Tennessee, at New Mexico State
Likely Losses: at Tennessee, Liberty
Gap Down Backer.
Skyler Williams -- not Amari Odom or Raheim Jeter -- is QB1 as KSU releases depth chart ahead of opener
KingHootMan -- KSUOwlHowl.com Football Contributor
The Kennesaw State Owls have released their first official depth chart of the season, accompanied with a video that was published on their social media page, announcing redshirt freshman Skyler Williams as QB1.
Williams, who was a first-team all-region at Warner Robins, redshirted last year behind starter Dexter Williams II and backup Amari Odom. Odom was the presumed starter heading into fall camp but according to head coach Bubba Mack, who was featured in the video, Williams showed up, showed out and won the starting job.
"It was just a string of practices where he just couldn't be denied," Mack says in the hype video which contains video clips from practices and the three scrimmages that were held in August, "It gets to the point where you just have to give the job to the best guy and the guy that consistently was showing up, showing out and he did just that."
It's perhaps the boldest move of Mack's young tenure as head coach, trusting a team that enters the season with conference championship aspirations to a redshirt freshman. It is on brand for Mack who turned to his young players throughout last season and appears to be doing so this season with a litany of first and second team players appearing on the two-deep depth chart that was released.
QB 7 Skyler Williams, R-Fr | 6'3", 220lbs | 69 OVR, 80 SPD, 84 ACC, 85 THP, 76 MAC, 73 MAC, 69 DAC
QB 2 Amari Odom, R-Jr | 6'5", 207lbs | 71 OVR, 75 SPD, 76 ACC, 87 THP, 79 SAC, 77 MAC, 74 DAC
RB 27 Kyshon Franklin Jr, Jr | 6'0", 220lbs | 68 OVR, 86 SPD, 91 ACC, 87 COD, 68 CAR, 57 SPM, 56 JKM OR
RB 25 Joshua Troupe, Soph | 5'11", 225lbs | 70 OVR, 84 SPD, 87 ACC, 80 COD, 71 BTK, 71 TRK, 74 SPM, 72 JKM
RB 32 D.J. Scott, R-Jr | 6'1", 197lbs | 74 OVR, 82 SPD, 86 ACC, 82 COD, 83 CAR, 78 BTK, 78 TRK, 87 SFA OR
RB 26 Greg Spiller, R-Soph | 6'0", 206lbs | 72 OVR, 83 SPD, 87 ACC, 82 COD, 72 BTK, 72 TRK, 73 SPM, 77 JKM
WR 3 Eric Weatherly, R-Sr | 5'9", 181lbs | 71 OVR, 89 SPD, 91 ACC, 84 COD, 76 CTH, 77 RLS
WR 8 Hasheem Nwokeji, Fr | 6'4", 194lbs | 67 OVR, 87 SPD, 88 ACC, 80 COD, 76 CTH, 82 RLS
WR 1 K.J. Parker, R-Soph | 5'10", 186lbs | 73 OVR, 90 SPD, 91 ACC, 89 COD, 78 CTH, 76 RLS
WR 16 Navelle Dean, R-Jr | 6'0", 186lbs | 71 OVR, 87 SPD, 87 ACC, 83 COD, 81 CTH, 75 RLS
WR 18 Javon Rogers, Jr | 6'0", 174lbs | 73 OVR, 87 SPD, 89 ACC, 82 COD, 81 CTH, 80 CIT OR
WR 9 Davis Bryson, R-Sr | 5'9", 191lbs | 76 OVR, 87 SPD, 91 ACC, 88 COD, 75 CIT
TE 83 Everett Hunter, Sr | 6'5", 234lbs | 74 OVR, 75 SPD, 82 ACC, 70 STR, 84 CTH, 79 CIT, 59 RBK
TE 87 Tyrone Hoyt, Fr | 6'4", 212lbs | 58 OVR, 80 SPD, 79 ACC, 77 CTH, 68 CIT, 53 RBK
LT 70 Chrisdasson Saint-Jean, R-Soph | 6'7", 313lbs | 75 OVR, 88 STR, 83 PBK, 68 RBK
LT 67 Eric Smith, R-Sr | 6'6", 302lbs | 71 OVR, 82 STR, 79 PBK, 71 RBK
LG 66 Chase Stevens, R-Soph | 6'3", 313lbs | 76 OVR, 82 STR, 79 PBK, 78 RBK
LG 72 Haston Crawford, R-Fr | 6'6", 302lbs | 71 OVR, 80 STR, 82 PBK, 73 RBK
C- 56 Jadarius Lee, R-Sr | 6'4", 288lbs | 75 OVR, 80 STR, 75 PBK, 82 RBK
C- 61 Clay Anthony, R-Jr | 6'3", 302lbs | 70 OVR, 88 STR, 82 PBK, 71 RBK
RG 58 Brandon Best, R-Sr | 6'4", 308lbs | 76 OVR, 86 STR, 80 PBK, 79 RBK
RG 71 Colin Banning, R-Fr | 6'4", 287lbs | 69 OVR, 82 STR, 74 PBK, 73 RBK
RT 76 Nikola Milovac, R-Jr | 6'6", 316lbs | 72 OVR, 88 STR, 79 PBK, 76 RBK OR
RT 67 Eric Smith, R-Sr | 6'6", 302lbs | 71 OVR, 82 STR, 79 PBK, 71 RBK
DE 19 Elijah Harper, R-Sr | 6'3", 242lbs | 67 OVR, 74 SPD, 76 ACC, 72 STR, 75 BSH, 76 PMV, 74 FMV
DE 60 Dwayne Harrison, R-Soph | 6'4", 251lbs | 67 OVR, 69 SPD, 74 ACC, 87 STR, 66 BSH, 71 PMV, 49 FMV
DE 6 Marcus Patterson, R-Sr | 6'3", 278lbs | 74 OVR, 72 SPD, 80 ACC, 82 STR, 72 BSH, 85 PMV, 80 FMV
DE 41 Byron Jackson, Soph | 6'3", 208lbs | 68 OVR, 77 SPD, 83 ACC, 72 STR, 72 BSH, 69 PMV, 75 FMV
DT 96 Jaiden Grimes, Jr | 6'2", 277lbs | 75 OVR, 76 ACC, 75 STR, 78 BSH, 84 PMV, 72 FMV
DT 53 A.J. Miller, Rs-Jr | 6'3", 283lbs | 69 OVR, 72 ACC, 80 STR, 78 BSH, 76 PMV, 67 FMV
NT 64 Kris Carruthers, R-Soph | 6'3", 314lbs | 72 OVR, 77 ACC, 86 STR, 70 BSH, 60 PMV, 69 FMV
DT 94 Tobias Singleton, Fr | 6'5", 275lbs | 68 OVR, 69 ACC, 85 STR, 77 BSH, 78 PMV, 54 FMV
DT 66 Jaylin Moore, Sr | 6'0", 293lbs | 70 OVR, 87 STR, 73 BSH, 63 PMV, 63 FMV
LB 0 Donelius Johnson, R-Sr | 6'0", 221lbs | 83 OVR, 83 SPD, 87 ACC, 88 TKL, 79 BSH, 66 MCV, 66 ZCV
LB 26 Thomas Durbin, Fr | 6'3", 223lbs | 66 OVR, 87 SPD, 91 ACC, 75 TKL, 71 BSH, 59 MCV, 71 ZCV
LB 48 Josh Anglin, Jr | 6'0", 219lbs | 70 OVR, 84 SPD, 86 ACC, 73 TKL, 66 BSH, 69 MCV, 77 ZCV
LB 15 Quincy Hewitt, Fr | 6'3", 232lbs | 66 OVR, 76 SPD, 86 ACC, 78 TKL, 73 BSH, 56 MCV, 80 ZCV
CB 32 Zion Armstead, R-Fr | 6'3", 195lbs | 71 OVR, 90 SPD, 94 ACC, 93 COD, 71 MCV, 66 ZCV, 70 PRESS
CB 22 Devin Ross, Jr | 5'11", 180lbs | 67 OVR, 88 SPD, 92 ACC, 85 COD, 64 MCV, 67 ZCV, 62 PRESS
CB 10 Ethan Tookes, R-Jr | 6'2", 193lbs | 67 OVR, 84 SPD, 89 ACC, 84 COD, 69 MCV, 71 ZCV, 72 PRESS
CB 28 Nick Sawyer, R-Sr | 5'11", 171lbs | 67 OVR, 86 SPD, 90 ACC, 85 COD, 66 MCV, 64 ZCV, 61 PRESS
NB 36 Markese Moon, R-Fr | 6'3", 196lbs | 67 OVR, 90 SPD, 94 ACC, 89 COD, 66 MCV, 65 ZCV, 65 PRESS
FS 17 T.J. McGill, R-Jr | 6'0", 187lbs | 68 OVR, 84 SPD, 87 ACC, 84 COD, 70 MCV, 71 ZCV, 73 TKL
FS 9 Shakir Boudreaux, Fr | 5'11", 184lbs | 67 OVR, 81 SPD, 86 ACC, 80 COD, 60 MCV, 68 ZCV, 74 TKL
SS 43 Deon McKinley, R-Sr | 5'10", 209lbs | 76 OVR, 87 SPD, 90 ACC, 84 COD, 65 MCV, 72 ZCV, 63 TKL
SS 25 Que Billingsley, R-Jr | 6'0", 192lbs | 70 OVR, 86 SPD, 89 ACC, 83 COD, 66 MCV, 67 ZCV, 74 TKL
K- 98 Erik Calvillo, R-Jr | 6'0", 181lbs | 62 OVR, 86 KPW, 76 KAC
P- 83 Matthew Choules, R-Fr | 6'3", 227lbs | 72 OVR, 84 KPW, 71 KAC
KR 13 Ali Joyner, Soph | 6'3", 205lbs | 71 OVR, 90 SPD, 91 ACC, 90 AGI, 91 COD, 66 RET
Gap Down Backer.
Those overalls are atrocious
Gap Down Backer.
the offensive line is actually pretty positive - skill position is rough. DL is solid as well, going to come down to turnovers imo. If you can hold onto the ball - you'll hit the 7 win mark
