Head coach Jerry Mack talking to his team on the field . Photo by Jackson Louneoubonh
Fans got their first look at Kennesaw State football’s 2026 squad during an open scrimmage and practice at Walens Family Field at Fifth Third Stadium on Saturday.
The Owls debuted their many newcomers, as well as a few returners who were present during 2025’s historic Conference-USA championship season.
From 10:30a.m. until around 10:55a.m. , players competed in drills on both offense and defense, including one-on-ones and seven-on-sevens.
At 11, the team split into offensive and defensive teams to scrimmage.
Syracuse transfer Rickie Collins was the first quarterback to take snaps for the offense, driving down the field before capping off his opening drive with a 30-yard touchdown pass, the only touchdown of the scrimmage.
Landon Varnes, a sophomore transfer from Mississippi Gulf Coast, was the next player to see the field, followed by Skyler Williams and true freshman Jamarcus Harrison, giving all four quarterbacks on the roster a chance to touch the ball.
“So much growth has occurred in [the quarterback] room over the last four to six weeks,” coach Jerry Mack said. “They’ve always been talented enough to throw the football and move the chains, but the biggest thing for us and our system is how they’re gonna operate and what kind of decisions are they making.”
Mack also discussed what the transition has been like for Collins since transferring from Syracuse.
“Yeah, I think Rickie’s transition has been really smooth,” Mack said. “I think the first thing he had to do was just figure out how we do things. Every up-tempo or fast paced offense is going to be a little different, so getting acclimated to that and understanding what that looks like for him and us has been really important.”
The scrimmage concluded at 11:30a.m.
“This year, the goal is to make sure we’re staying healthy,” Mack said. “It’s a long off season, so I want to make sure we have as many bodies healthy as possible. The spring game [for KSU] has kind of changed over the last couple of years to make sure that we use that last practice to get a taste of what the upcoming season is.”
