KSU opens fall practice

Aug. 4—KENNESAW — Kennesaw State coaches were running around and leading players through drills Wednesday on the opening day of the fall practice.

The scene looked like a normal, every-day football practice — something that made coach Brian Bohannon quite happy.

"It's great being in camp, and it was great too all be in one room together," Bohannon said as he prepares for his seventh season with the Owls. "It was a good day."

Bohannon said Wednesday was the first day the entire team had met in the same room in well more than a year, since the beginning of spring practice in 2020, before it was ultimately canceled due to the pandemic. He said it was a pleasant sight as the players begin what should be a competitive camp, with many players are fighting for playing time.

"We've got a lot of new faces, and they are learning how to push through," Bohannon said. "They are starting to feel out how go through practice. I think they got tired early, but regrouped late. But there's things to work on."

A couple of those new faces include defensive back transfers Erwin Byrd and Welton Spottsville. Byrd, a former McEachern standout, and Spottsville transferred from Maryland and North Carolina, respectively.

In addition, the team's 2021 signing class — arguably the most athletic in program history — joined the veterans on the field for the first time.

Some of the main holes Kennesaw State will be looking to fill are at linebacker and in the defensive backfield as they replace players like Bryson Armstrong, Kareem Taylor, Cincere Mason and Demetrius Pettway. Also, either Jonathan Murphy or Xavier Shepherd will make his first opening day start of their respective careers at quarterback.

While Murphy may be considered the early front-runner for the starting job as the more experienced QB, Bohannon has made it clear that nearly every job is open for the taking. He said it should show with an increased sense of urgency as camp goes on.

As camp gets started, Kennesaw State's players are going through the mandatory acclimation period, which includes two days in helmets, three days in shells and then the pads can be put on halfway through camp.

Bohannon said the team will also have one preseason scrimmage later during camp as it begins preparations for the final season of Big South Conference play before moving to the ASUN Conference next season, and the Sept. 2 opener against Reinhardt at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.