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Athlon Sports
Kennesaw State Football: 2024 Owls Season Preview and Prediction
By Athlon Sports,
20 hours ago
Jumping to FBS isn’t as easy as James Madison made it look. However, Kennesaw State has the fan/donor support and the geographical market to make it work long term. In the short term, it’s going to come down to how the returning talent adjusts to the increase in opposing size and speed.
Since 2015, Kennesaw State has averaged 297.6 rushing yards per game. Granted, the Owls haven’t played a high level of competition, but that number is higher than any of the state of Georgia’s FBS programs in that time span.
The zone read/RPO offense will, unsurprisingly, depend on quarterback play. The graduation of multi-year starter Jonathan Murphy leaves rising junior Davis Bryson is the only QB currently on the roster who threw a pass last season. Whoever takes over at quarterback will need to be mobile. The Owls ran 362 running plays compared to 169 pass plays in 2023, and the quarterback ran with the ball on more than a third of those rushing plays. A younger offensive line will also need to be ready for the challenges that the scheme presents against FBS competition.
Senior running back Michael Benefield will play a key role. He finished the season strong with two touchdowns in each of the Owls’ final three games. Leading returning receiver Gabriel Benyard, whose position is technically running back, will also be utilized all over the field as well as in the return game.When the Owls do pass the ball, look for them to get Virginia Tech transfer and Kennesaw native Christian Moss involved.
Brian Bohannon has been Kennesaw State’s head coach since the program began play in 2015, and will now guide the program into the FBS. He is 71-30 with four FCS playoff appearances.
Katie Stratman&solUSA TODAY Sports
Previewing Kennesaw State’s Defense for 2024
On paper, it’s a challenge to assess the Owls defense. Kennesaw State played a short nine-game schedule last season, and the three games they won were against non-FBS opponents.
Junior linebacker Donelius Johnson will likely be the most important returning player after recording 40 tackles with 2.5 sacks and six tackles for a loss. The defense will rely on Johnson for leadership after last season’s two best defensive players departed via graduation (Markeith Montgomery) and transfer (Deontre Morris).
Thankfully, the group will also get a significant boost from South Carolina transfer linebacker Donovan Westmoreland. Westmoreland is the highest-rated recruit in Kennesaw State history with a 247Sports composite score of 0.8915.
Linebacker Garland Benyard recorded 53 total tackles and 3.5 sacks for the Kennesaw State defense in 2022. He returns after appearing in four games and redshirting a year ago.
Michael Hickey&solGetty Images
Previewing Kennesaw State’s Specialists for 2024
The placekicking was poor in 2023, as the Owls connected on only 6-of-16 field-goal attempts. Senior punter Joshua Huiet is fairly solid, averaging 42.9 yards per punt with eight of 50-plus yards. In the return game, Gabriel Benyard is worth watching after quickly setting program records for punt and kick return yardage since his arrival in 2021.
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