Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Athlon Sports
Sam Houston Football: 2024 Bearkats Season Preview and Prediction
By Athlon Sports,
9 hours ago
It’s easy to look at the 2023 record and say that the program wasn’t ready for the move to FBS. However, that might not be fair considering they lost five one-score games. The Bearkats have veterans who know how to win, but the new additions need to add enough, particularly on offense, to pull out a few more of those close battles.
Sam Houston was only one point shy of having the worst scoring offense in Conference USA last season (240 points). At 19.6 points per game, the Bearkats ranked No. 111 in FBS in 2023.
Helping head coach K.C. Keeler’s team to correct that this shortcoming will be a new starting quarterback. Grad student Grant Gunnell played in one game last season but has starting experience from his stops at North Texas and Arizona. There’s also a pair of redshirt junior transfers in juco national champion Hunter Watson and Central Michigan backup Jase Bauer. Leading receiver Noah Smith returns after 79 catches for 783 yards with six touchdowns, and Ife Adeyi returns from injury, which should help whoever wins the job.
An average of 2.9 yards per carry doesn’t cut it in FBS. In turn, a better running game would take pressure off the passing game and help improve 2023’s anemic third-down conversion rate of 36 percent. The offensive line returns almost intact and should be another year wiser and stronger.
Sixth-year wide receiver Ife Adeyi has been limited over the last two seasons, but had 742 yards and seven touchdowns for Sam Houston in 2021.
Maria Lysaker&solUSA TODAY Sports
Previewing Sam Houston’s Defense for 2024
Linebacker Trevor Williams and strong safety Da’Marcus Crosby earned first-team All-CUSA nods in 2023, but Williams is off to the pros, and Crosby transferred to New Mexico State. Potentially replacing Crosby will be intriguing Liberty transfer safety Jaylon Jimmerson, who was a rotational player in the Flames’ Fiesta Bowl run last year. Redshirt senior Da’Veawn Armstead also has potential after sitting out most of 2023. This unit allowed 231.5 yards per game through the air last season, ranking near the top of the league in that category, but will need to be stout again with games against UCF and Hawaii on the calendar.
There’s plenty of experience in the front seven. Outside linebacker Kavian Gaither returns for a fourth season after posting 70-plus tackles each of the last two seasons. Grad student Seth Mason will likely see an increased role at tackle alongside newly signed SMU transfer Dylan Frazier. That group will obviously be trying to generate more than 17 sacks this season, which put them near the bottom in FBS in the category.
Sam Houston head coach K.C. Keeler led the Bearkats to the FCS playoffs six times with one national championship before the team made the jump to FBS last season.
Maria Lysaker&solUSA TODAY Sports
Previewing Sam Houston’s Specialists for 2024
Redshirt junior Colby Sessums will return as Sam Houston’s primary kicker in 2024. He connected on 27-of-28 PATs and 11-of-14 field-goal attempts, including a dramatic game-winner over Kennesaw State. Punter Jadon Cardell also returns as a redshirt junior after booting 10 punts of 50-plus yards last season.
Get updates delivered to you daily. Free and customizable.
Welcome to NewsBreak, an open platform where diverse perspectives converge. Most of our content comes from established publications and journalists, as well as from our extensive network of tens of thousands of creators who contribute to our platform. We empower individuals to share insightful viewpoints through short posts and comments. It’s essential to note our commitment to transparency: our Terms of Use acknowledge that our services may not always be error-free, and our Community Standards emphasize our discretion in enforcing policies. We strive to foster a dynamic environment for free expression and robust discourse through safety guardrails of human and AI moderation. Join us in shaping the news narrative together.
Most Popular
Comments / 0