KENNESAW STATE SIGNEES
Player, Pos., Ht., Wt., Hometown
Kyle Arrasmith, TE, 6-5, 235, Navarre, Fla.
Auston Banks, RB, 5-9, 185, Chattanooga, Tenn.
*Chaston Bennett, RB, 5-10, 170, Crockett, Texas
Raekwon Chatman, DB, 6-0, 175, Waycross
*Leigh Comfort, OL, 6-2, 270, Oklahoma City, Okla.
*Derrick Farrow, DB, 5-11, 200, Cochran
Darnell Holland, ATH, 5-10, 185, Bowdon
E.J. Hurley, OL, 6-3, 335, Tyrone
*Malik Letatau, OL, 6-1, 280, Mountain View, Calif.
*Chance McNulty, DB, 5-11, 180, Madison, Miss.
*Kyron Minter, LB, 6-0, 210, Fort Worth, Texas
T.J. Reed, RB, 5-9, 175, Daphne, Ala.
Zach Taisler, LB, 6-3, 215, Warner Robins
* Junior college transfer
Kennesaw State wanted to add age and experience with its second recruiting class.
Coach Brian Bohannon said his coaches’ efforts were successful.
The Owls, who will kick off their inaugural season at East Tennessee State on Sept. 3, signed nine transfers or former community college players and seven high school players as part of the 16-man class. Bohannon said he is holding out a few scholarships for players who may elect to transfer after spring practices. He may also hold out a scholarship as a reward for a walk-on.
“We feel really, really good about where we are today and who we signed,” Bohannon said. “We have a bunch of guys that can run and a bunch of guys that can hit.”
It was a different recruiting experience than last year with different goals. Last year, when recruiting the inaugural class, Bohannon wasn’t exactly sure what type of players KSU could recruit and who the competition would be. However, he knew the types of players he wanted because he wanted those who could be the flag-bearers for the establishing the program’s culture.
This year, knowing the types of players he could get, knowing who he would recruit against and pleased with how the culture is being established, Bohannon and his staff set out to fill specific needs for the option offense and 4-2-5 defense they will run.
“Every kid we took for a specific reason, whether as a slot back or an offensive linemen with a particular skill set or rush-end who can play safety,” Bohannon said. “We want guys who have position flexibility.”
The big get was also a position of need: a rush end to pressure quarterbacks. The player was not a signee, but UAB transfer Kingsley Ejike. The coaches assumed that Ejike was ready to give up football after the dissolution of the Blazers’ program. However, he reached out to the coaches and was one of the final commitments.
“Critical (position) in our defense,” Bohannon said.
The Owls also were able to strengthen the secondary with junior-college transfers Chance McNulty and Derrick Farrow, though Bohannon hopes that cornerback is one area in which more transfers will help, and offensive linemen. Three were signed, including two transfers.
Bohannon also hopes post-spring transfers will help at B-back and A-back.
The Owls signed no quarterbacks and wide receivers. After signing three signal-callers in the first class, as well as a slew of wide receivers who played well in the fall, Bohannon elected to go without any this time.
The Owls focused on transfers and junior-college players after lots of research. Among the many coaches he interviewed, Old Dominion’s Bobby Wilder, whose program has arguably been the most successful of the recent start-ups, stressed to Bohannon the need to add experienced players in the second class. Six of the players have already enrolled and will participate in spring practices, which will start March 2.
“All of the transfers are going to have an impact because of their age and maturity,” Bohannon said.
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