Kennesaw State Football 2017 Full Preview
The Kennesaw State Owls will kick off the 2017 season on Thursday night against Samford. And if the last two years are an indication of what’s going to happen this season, Owls fans are about to witness a season they will never forget.
Here’s a complete 2017 preview of the Owls.
OFFENSE
The Owls have one of the most explosive offenses in the FCS, averaging 38.9 points game last year. Their spread-option offense will be led by quarterback Chandler Burks who finished the year with 799 rushing yards and completed 74-of-138 passes for 1,250 yards, totaling a Big South-leading 22 (13 passing, nine rushing) touchdowns. Backup Daniel David played in nine games last year and recorded 593 yards of offense.
Darnell Holland will lead the running backs and they were a big part in the team rushing for 320.6 yards per game. Holland averaged nine yards per rush and he recorded five touchdowns. Jake McKenzie, T.J. Reed, Myles White and Trey Chivers will see action as well, and Bronson Rechsteiner is another player to watch as he made the switch from linebacker to running back.
Justin Sumpter might be the best wide receiver in the Big South Conference. He led the conference with eight touchdown receptions despite only playing in eight games. Xavier Harper is no slouch either, recording 376 yards on 16 receptions and two touchdowns. Jordan Walker and Dorian Miles could also be key contributors in 2017.
The key to the Owls offense will be the offensive line as the group returns four starters – Ryan Warrior (LT), Joseph Alexander, Jr. (LG), Matt Frank (RG), and Zach Mitchler (RT). Mitchler will anchor the line as he was named to the Preseason All-Big South Team and was named the All-Big South Second Team last year.
Defense
The defensive line will be led by Desmond Johnson, Jr. and Tonarius Portress. The duo helped the Owls have the best run defense in the Big South and both recorded a combined nine sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss. Auzoyah Alufohai returns and he posted 13 tackles in 10 appearances for the Owls in 2016. McKenzie Billingslea, Justin Marcus, Georgia State transfer Peyton Moore, Braylon Young and Devin Pughsley will see action as well.
Linebackers Anthony Gore Jr. and Izzy Sam return and both were the leading tacklers for the Owls last year. Gore recorded 70 tackles while Sam notched 65. Gore and Sam were preseason all-conference selections and with the help of Chris Byrd and Brenton Wimberly, the linebacker corps has a chance to be the best in the conference in 2017.
In the secondary, the Owls will look to replace Dante Blackmon and Derrick Farrow. Blackmon signed a free agent deal with the NFL’s Indianapolis Colts while Farrow is playing for the Montreal Alouettes of the Canadian Football League.
However, Taylor Henkle returns along with Akebren Ralls, and Keon Roman. Henkle paced the Owls with 45 tackles while Rawls racked up 33 stops including 12 against Liberty last year.
Another player to watch is Paris Bostick who is an Oregon transfer. Bostick, a Florida native, played in three games for the Ducks in 2015.
Specialist Teams
Kicker Justin Thompson returns for his third season. He connected on 2-of-4 field goals, including a long of 40 yards. Thompson converted 42 of his 44 extra-point tries and totaled 48 points in 2016.
Jordan Genovese returns to handle the kickoff duties and he averaged nearly 60 yards per kickoff last year. Christian Kinsley or Nicholas Jones will handle punts.
Overall
The Owls have been on the upward trend since the start of the program in 2015 and show no signs of slowing down. With experience on offense, defense and special teams, the Owls have a chance to take another step in their progression and reach the playoffs.
Head coach Brian Bohannon has this team headed in the right direction thanks to smart recruiting and a strong coaching staff. They know it won’t be easy to reach their goals especially with Charleston Southern being king of the conference, but the Owls are not an upstart program just happy to be playing football. The goal since the beginning is to be the best, and 2017 could be the year where the FCS will have no choice but to pay attention to the boys in black and gold.
Source: ksuowlssports.com
Link: Kennesaw State Football 2017 Full Preview