2017 Preseason Notes | Preseason Depth Chart | 2017 Schedule

Expectations.

There were none just two seasons ago. Now as Kennesaw State enters its third year in 2017, the expectations are growing like the grass at Fifth Third Bank Stadium.
 
The Owls are the preseason co-favorites in the Big South Conference, they boast a conference-leading eight preseason all-league picks, and welcome back 16 starters from a 2016 team that exceeded expectations by going 8-3, getting ranked in the Top 25 for the first time, and coming one win shy of a conference title.
 
"Those accolades are great, and we're excited that our young program is getting that kind of recognition," said head coach Brian Bohannon, who was one of 15 finalists for the 2016 Eddie Robinson Coach of the Year Award. "But honestly, we haven't accomplished any of the goals we set when this program began. Our goals are to win a championship and make the playoffs and those two are still right in front of us."
 
Two hurdles facing the Owls in 2017 are an improving Big South Conference in which every team returns its starting quarterback, and a more daunting non-conference schedule. The Black & Gold opens on Thursday, August 31 at Samford and has an early November date at Montana State – both are perennial FCS powers.
 
"This schedule is going to be challenging, there's no question about it," said Bohannon. "We felt like we'd be a little bit older and be able to handle it a little bit better. It's good to open with a team like Samford, that was in the playoffs last year and it's a great motivating factor for our kids in the offseason. This has all been part of our plan from the beginning. Now we've got to be more consistent and get ready to play every week."
 
Kennesaw State returns its quarterback, rising junior Chandler Burks, along with a nest of skill players on the offensive side. The Owls lit up the scoreboard last season to the tune of 38.9 points per game, and were the nation's only team to finish ranked in the Top 10 in total offense, rushing, scoring, pass efficiency, third-down conversions and fourth-down conversions.
 
The dual-threat Burks, from nearby South Pauling High School who was the Owls' first-ever signee, is the perfect fit for Bohannon's spread option attack. Burks accounted for 36 percent of the Owls' touchdowns last season while rushing for 799 yards and throwing for 1,250 more.
 
Many consider Burks' favorite target, 6-foot-3 rising junior Justin Sumpter, to be an emerging NFL-caliber receiver. The Tyrone, Ga., native was on pace for an All-American season in 2016 before an injury sidelined him for four games. He still produced a first-team All-Big South campaign by reeling in 31 catches for 538 yards and leading the Big South with eight touchdowns.
 
Sumpter's classmate and position-mate, Xavier Harper, is a big-play threat, as is rising junior Darnell Holland, who is a preseason All-Big South running back. Junior Jake McKenzie is a stalwart in the offensive backfield, and four of the five starters on the offensive line are back, including preseason all-league selection Zach Mitchler.
 
On defense, the Owls have some holes to fill after two of their backfield standouts earned pro contracts following graduation. Dante Blackmon became the first Kennesaw State player to sign an NFL deal, as the defensive back was inked by the Indianapolis Colts. Safety Derrick Farrow earned himself a contract with Montreal Allouettes of the Canadian Football League.
 
While Training Camp will open with questions in the secondary, the front seven may be among the most talented in the Big South with first-team all-conference ends Desmond Johnson, Jr. and Tonarius Portress, and all-league linebackers Izzy Sam and Anthony Gore, Jr.
 
The tandem of Portress and Johnson combined for nine sacks and 22.5 tackles for loss, and together with leading tacklers Gore (70) and Sam (65), formed the league's best rushing defense. Opponents failed to reach 100 yards rushing as a team five times last season, and the Owls were undefeated in those games.
 
As Bohannon turns the page to the program's third season, one thing is clear: the Owls are a bigger, faster, stronger, and most importantly, deeper version of the team that went 6-5 in the program's inaugural year of 2015. Of the preseason roster, 46 are juniors or older, while 34 on the roster have started at least one game.
 
"All those guys that came in year one, they've been through the system and they know what it takes," said Bohannon. "Physically, we're starting to look like college football team and we're as deep as we can be in some areas."
 
That depth and experience will be tested over the course of the Owls' 11-game schedule. In addition to games at Samford and Montana State, other road tests include Alabama State, Liberty and Presbyterian. The team's home-opener is slated for Saturday, September 9 versus Tennessee Tech at 7 p.m.
 
Reigning Big South championship Charleston Southern, which was picked to share the 2017 league crown with Kennesaw State, visits Fifth Third Bank Stadium on November 11 at 3:30 pm. Gardner-Webb is the Owls' Homecoming opponent on October 21 at 7 p.m.
 
A limited number of tickets remain for the 2017 season and can be purchased by calling the KSU Ticket Office at 470-578-6957 or by visiting KSUOwls.com/tickets.
 
Fans can hear every Kennesaw State football game on the home of the Owls, ESPN Radio 1230/106.3 The Fan 2, in Atlanta.

Fifth Third Bank is the Official Bank of Kennesaw State Athletics. Fifth Third Bank Stadium, the signature athletics landmark on the Kennesaw State University campus, is a world-class facility that has been recognized as one of the premier multi-use outdoor athletics venues in the country. In the fall of 2015, it become the official home of Owls football team and is home to Owls soccer and lacrosse as well.
 
Keep up with Kennesaw State Athletics by following KSU on Twitter @KSUOwlNation and or by liking Kennesaw State Owls on Facebook. You also can follow Kennesaw State football at @KennesawSTFB and The Owls fund on Twitter at @TheOwlsFund.

--#GoKSUOwls--

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