By: By Jake Dorow
OFFENSIVE POSITION BREAKDOWN (PDF)
KENNESAW – High expectations have become a reality for the Kennesaw State football team. The Owls are the preseason co-favorites in the Big South Conference and boasted a conference-leading eight preseason all-league selections.
The Black and Gold welcome back 16 starters –including seven all-league selections a year ago— from a team in 2016 that finished 8-3 overall, coming one win shy of a conference title. The Owls are 14-8 (.636) overall in two seasons and finished last year with a program record for most wins in a single season.
Head Coach
Brian Bohannon, who earned himself a spot among 15 finalists for the STATS Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year award a season ago, will guide Kennesaw State through a demanding schedule, including non-conference FCS perennial powers Samford and Montana State on the road and a home tilt versus Tennessee Tech.
The Owls also face an ever-improving conference slate in which every team in the Big South brings back its starting quarterback. KSU begins its conference schedule on October 14 at Liberty at 6 p.m. in Lynchburg, Va.
KSUOwls.com is kicking off the first of a two-part preview breaking down the Owls' positions and what fans can expect come August 31. Below is a breakdown of the offense.
QUARTERBACKS
Chandler Burks returns for his junior season after making 10 starts under center during the 2016 campaign, while guiding an offense that put up eye-popping numbers. The Owls averaged 38.9 points, and were the nation's only team to finish ranked in the Top 10 in total offense, rushing, scoring, pass efficiency, third-down conversions and fourth-down conversions. Burks led the Big South in rushing offense and total offense, and became the first Big South QB with consecutive games of three rushing touchdowns each. For the season, the Douglasville, Ga., native led the team 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. Three other QBs could see reps this season with
Daniel David –a mid-year transfer from Appalachian State last year—projected to be Burks back-up. David played in nine games for the Owls, ranking third on the team in total offense with 593 yards. The Hoschton, Ga., native completed 18-for-37 passes for 387 yards, tallying a 161.37 efficiency rating. The then-sophomore recorded 206 rushing yards on 32 carries, and totaled five (four pass, one rush) touchdowns. The Black and Gold also have
Tommy Bryant –who took a redshirt in 2016—and lefty
Caleb O'Neal from Gordon Lee High School on the depth chart.
RUNNING BACKS
The Owls' spread option offense put up ridiculous numbers offensively a season ago, ranking 10
th nationally in total offense (479.5 ypg) and ninth in scoring (38.9). A big reason for those numbers is the ground attack, which put up the third-highest total in the nation at 320.6 yards per game. The spread option attack is led by Preseason All-Big South junior RB
Darnell Holland, who started in 10 games in the backfield in 2016 ranking fifth in total offense (412 yards) and averaged 9.0 yards per rush. Holland ranked third on the team with five rushing scores, and also hauled in 13 catches for 192 yards. Holland will be joined by teammates
Jake McKenzie, T.J. Reed,
Myles White and
Trey Chivers –who each saw action throughout the Owls' 8-3 campaign. While Holland and White are capable of hitting the home run with their speed, watch out for Chivers and McKenzie to bang inside and up the middle for tough yardage. Kennesaw State also returns
Sam Outlaw, who accumulated 140 yards on 37 carries in eight games as a freshman. The Owls have plenty of options out of the backfield this season with
Bronson Rechsteiner switching from linebacker to the offensive backfield. The Acworth, Ga., natives big frame and aggressive style may come into play for Coach Bohannon and the Owls, and could become a force taking handoffs from Burks and David.
The spread option offense led to many dominant statistics on the ground in 2016, but it can be argued that the wide receiving core took the most advantage of their opportunities that forced opposing defenses to prepare for both the run and pass. Led by Preseason All-Big South selection
Justin Sumpter and junior
Xavier Harper, the Owls have a deep receiving unit across the board. Sumpter, now in his third season and a junior from Tyrone, Ga., landed preseason all-league honors after making the most of his eight games in 2016. He led the Owls with 31 receptions for a career-best 538 yards and a Big South-leading eight TD grabs. Gaining steam as a potential NFL-caliber receiver, Sumpter hit the highlight reel totaling a career-high 187 yards on just eight catches and two scores at Duquesne. His big-play potential was noticed, scoring at least one touchdown in six of his eight games. His counterpart, Harper –a Hoschton, Ga., native –filled in nicely when Sumpter was out battling injuries, ranking second in the Big South for average yards per catch. The junior receiver hauled in 376 yards on 16 catches and two touchdowns. Harper has the ability for breakout games as he posted a career-high 121 yards on three catches versus Presbyterian (Nov. 12) and an 88-yard performance on five catches versus Liberty last year. The Black and Gold are deep and talented at the receiver position, as redshirt freshman
Dorian Miles and
Ezra Naylor could make a difference when the opportunity is handed to them. Junior WR
Jordan Walker also returns, as the Savannah, Ga., native appeared in eight games in 2016 and scored his first TD grab at Gardner-Webb.
OFFENSIVE LINE
The Owls field an experienced offensive line as four of the starting five return:
Ryan Warrior (LT),
Joseph Alexander, Jr. (LG),
Matt Frank (RG), and
Zach Mitchler (RT). Mitchler, who was named to the Preseason All-Big South Team, started in all 11 games a season ago and was named Second Team All-Big South in 2016. The offensive line paved way for 3,527 total yards, ranking third nationally averaging 320.6 yards per game. The line helped guide an explosive offense that out-gained its opponents in 10 of the 11 games, accumulating a 1,735 total yards margin and an average of 157.7 per game. The Owls will look to replace two-year starting center and All-Big South partner
Malik Letatau. Among others that could be moving blocks down low include:
Jake Roberts, Chaiaza Nwadike,
Nick Eldridge,
Luther Jones,
Lorenzo Adger, and
CJ Collins. Newcomers
Samuel Collins,
Savon Simmons, and
Zach Thompson have all put together respectable training camps in the their first season with the Black and Gold.
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Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
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