Kennesaw State Owls 2026 Season Preview

In a fitting bit of symmetry, the Owls answered Odom's exit by importing a quarterback from the very place he landed. Rickie Collins arrives from Syracuse, where he made five starts in 2025 and completed 97 of 181 passes for 1,042 yards with six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He opened his career at LSU, appearing in only four games across two seasons before the move to the Orange. Collins came out of spring atop the depth chart, with sophomore Landon Varnes pushing him and a pair of freshmen also in the picture. One read of the competition has it essentially even, while another gives Collins the clearer edge, but the job appears to be his to lose. Cutting down the interceptions is the immediate priority for a passer with Power Four pedigree and real upside.

The receiver room was gutted. Gabriel Benyard exhausted his eligibility, while Christian Moss (45 catches, 689 yards) and Clayton Coppock (28 catches, 311 yards) transferred to Washington and Coastal Carolina. That leaves junior Javon Rogers as the leading returning target, and he flashed rare big-play juice by averaging better than 26 yards on his nine grabs before reportedly coming on during spring camp. Around him sits a heavily retooled group featuring veterans Davis Bryson and Zion Booker. At tight end, the Owls will lean on options such as Reed Jesiolowski and Jamari Harrold. Experience is thin here, so the passing game's ceiling hinges on how fast this crew gels.

The backfield is essentially built from scratch. Only one player who logged a carry in 2025 returns, and that amounts to a single rush for two yards. The staff rebuilt through the portal, headlined by Tristan Morgan, who ran for 809 yards at Division II Benedict. Latrelle Murrell adds a 893-yard season at the FCS level, and junior college transfer Boogie Woods III topped 900 yards on the ground while chipping in 324 receiving yards. Production against this level of competition is unproven, but the raw yardage in the room is encouraging.

The line projects as a relative strength and will be bigger up front this year. Tackles JaDarious Lee and Nikola Milovac are established returning starters, giving the group proven bookends. The interior gets a lift from Middle Tennessee transfer Mateo Guevara, who locked down the center job after a dominant spring and helps offset the departure of Josiah Chenault to Sam Houston. Mike Wallace Jr. and Precious Ekeh factor into the guard picture. If the pieces settle, this unit can buy Collins the time he needs.

Kennesaw State held onto important pieces of a front that tied for the conference lead with 31 sacks. Marcus Patterson anchors the edge as a returning starter, coming off a 35-tackle, two-sack campaign. Rush end Donovan Westmoreland is a player to watch after a healthy season produced roughly 35 tackles and four sacks, second-most on the team; a heralded 2024 recruit who missed that year to injury, he offers genuine disruption off the edge. Inside, Devin Morgan brings 3.5 sacks of transfer production, and nose tackle Jaiden Grimes chipped in a sack among his 28 stops.

The heart of the defense lives here. Middle linebacker Baron Hopson chose to return as a grad student after a huge year at the second level, and Tywon Christopher complements him with 81 tackles of his own. Hopson's exact tackle total is reported differently across preseason accounts, but there is no dispute about his standing as the team's on-field leader, and his all-around line included stops behind the line and an interception. Together the two give the Owls one of the more productive linebacker tandems in the league.

The secondary took hits, including the loss of JeRico Washington Jr. and his 11 pass breakups to Boise State, and only a starter or two returns. The upside is that the returning experience is quality. Athletic safety Isaac Paul came back after briefly testing the portal and posted 64 tackles, forming a core alongside nickel Kody Jones, who started five games with 29 tackles and 2.5 sacks. Safety Alexander Ford supplied a splash play with an 81-yard interception return, and Ethan Tookes figures into the cornerback rotation. Rebuilding depth and proven coverage is the challenge for this group.

Both specialist jobs turn over to new hands, though not unproven ones. Daniel Kinney takes the placekicking job outright after a healthy return, having made 6 of 7 field goals in limited work last year, including a 50-yarder. At punter, Australian import Matt McKenzie arrives from Arizona State, where he averaged 34.6 yards on 12 attempts.