KENNESAW, Ga. – Highlighted head coach
Jerry Mack being named HERO Sports Group of Five Coach of the Year, Kennesaw State football received two All-America honors on Friday.
Redshirt senior
Gabriel Benyard was named a second-team All-American as an all-purpose back, and redshirt senior
Baron Hopson was named a third-team All-American.
Mack earns the honor for orchestrating on of the best turnarounds in college football this season. Mack and staff took a 2-10 Kennesaw State team in their first year of FBS play and turning them into a 10-3 Conference USA Championship team.
Kennesaw State's 10 wins in 2025 mark:
- Only the fourth time a team has won 10 or more games in its second year of FBS reclassification (Sam Houston – 2024; Appalachian State 2015; Marshall – 1997).
- The seventh-biggest year-over-year turnaround in college football history (+8 games)
- The fifth-largest year-over-year turnaround since 2000 and the third-largest in the last 10 seasons.
Mack has received both regional and national recognition for his efforts, being named Conference USA Coach of the Year, a finalist for the 2025 Eddie Robinson National Coach of the Year Award and a semifinalist for the George Munger National Coach of the Year honor.
Kennesaw State's top receiver,
Benyard received second-team honors after hauling in 55 passes for 898 yards and nine touchdowns on the season, all while also being one of the top punt returners at 25 returns for 234 yards (9.4/return) and a touchdown. He also leads the team in all-purpose yards with 1,247 on the season (95.9/game).
The Ocilla, Ga. native is one of just four Conference USA receivers to record multiple 100-yard receiving games this season and the only receiver to accomplish the feat four times. His four 100-yard receiving games ranks tied for eighth in Group of Five.
One of the nation's top deep threats, he's tied for the top deep receiving grade (99.9) in the country, according to
Pro Football Focus.
Hopson earned third-team honors after finishing the regular season as KSU's leading tackler on CUSA's No. 3 scoring defensive team (24.3), also ranking second in CUSA with a program record 126 tackles on the year (9.7/game). He's also racked up 8.5 tackles for loss, half a sack, an interception and a forced fumble.
With 16 tackles in the regular-season finale against Liberty (including a school-record 12 solo stops), Hopson recorded a whopping eight games with double-digit tackles this year – good for third nationally.
The Owls will head to Conway, S.C. to play in the 2025 Myrtle Beach Bowl – Kennesaw State's first-ever bowl appearance in its second year of FBS action. Fans are encouraged to purchase their Myrtle Beach Bowl tickets from KSU Athletics by
CLICKING HERE in order to guarantee being seated in blocks with other Kennesaw State fans in attendance.
The Owls Fund
The Owls Fund is the primary fundraising arm of Kennesaw State Athletics with the goal of supporting our student-athletes, coaches and each of our 18 NCAA Division I programs. Through initiatives such as Legacy Lockers, the Dot Martin Scholarship Golf Classic, sport-specific giving opportunities, general donations and season tickets, The Owls Fund connects fans with KSU's programs and student-athletes. Members receive exclusive benefits such as hospitality seating areas and events at Kennesaw State home games, and more. Join The Owls Fund here and discover more opportunities on how you can support Kennesaw State Athletics.
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