Kennesaw State football opens the 2019 season Saturday at home with a No. 10 AFCA preseason rank and its second-largest freshman class in program history.
The 48-man class trails only the inaugural class of 74 freshmen in the program’s first season in 2015, who graduated last year.
The Owls return one starter on offense, with five freshmen primed to start in the season opener against Point, according to the team’s depth chart.
“We’re never ready, but you got to go play to find out a little bit about where you are and your football team. Especially this year, with as many new faces on our football team,” Kennesaw State coach Brian Bohannon said in a news conference.
The new additions join a Kennesaw State program that has won back-to-back Big South championships. In only its fifth season, the program has reached two FCS quarterfinals and has a 37-12 record.
The young squad has high expectations to meet, including the right side of the starting offensive line. Right guard Terrell Paxton and right tackle Zion Katina will make their first starts for the Owls.
Still Bohannon said fans can expect to see a lot of rotation in those positions as the Owls nail down their new offense.
“I’m gonna be honest with you,” he told media. “This thing is gonna take some time to get to where we need to be. We’re not there yet.”
But one place where the Owls can look for stability is in sophomore center William Nana-Fabu, who earned two starts for the Owls in his freshman season.
“He’s the guy that’s taken on that role of trying to lead that group, a young group,” Bohannon said.
On defense, the Owls return eight from last season’s starting line, the 2018 No. 2-ranked defense, but Bohannon said he won’t rely on the defense to carry the team.
“You don’t ever know,” he said. “We got some young guys on defense, some depth issues at certain positions at defense. Honestly, it’s just a lot of unknowns right now.”
He knows that the team has a lot of adjustments to make with a new class and a relatively young team. With 22 practices behind them, the Owls now need to get on the field in real-game situations to figure out the remaining holes, according to the head coach.
“When you go mess it up in game, it has a little bit more meaning and a little more urgency of correction,” he said. “I think we gotta go play a game to find out where we are.”
On Saturday, Kennesaw State will get its chance against Point at home.
“They’re going to come in with absolutely nothing to lose and everything to gain and you’re gonna get their best shot,” Bohannon said of the Owls’ west Georgia opponents. “We need to be ready to go.”
About the Author
