Several Kennesaw State players look on during Myrtle Beach Bowl in Conway, South Carolina on Dec. 19. Photo by: Jackson Lounoeubonh.
As has become the new norm across premier college athletics, Kennesaw State football has been both knocked and rewarded by the winter transfer portal.
While losses to the portal were always inevitable, there were a handful of names that a majority of Owls football fans were holding out hope to retain.
Quarterback Amari Odom, who took over as the team’s starter early in the season for Dexter Williams II and was instrumental in KSU’s Conference USA championship run and was named first-team all-conference, entered the portal on Dec. 23, eventually landing at Syracuse.
His partners in the quarterback room, Williams II and Tommy Ulatowski, also entered the portal.
Williams II, who appeared in eight games, starting four and throwing for 787 yards, six touchdowns and three interceptions while completing 53.6% of his passes, signed with Tulsa on Jan. 7.
Ulatowski, who played sparingly as the Owls’ third-string quarterback entered the portal on Jan. 9, and has yet to find a landing spot.
Elijah Hill, who torched opposing offensive lines as a freshman for a CUSA-leading nine sacks, entered the portal late in the window and signed with Kansas State of the Big 12 shortly after.
Brandon Best, another all-conference player who held down the right guard position for KSU announced his entrance into the portal just hours following the Owls’ loss in the Myrtle Beach Bowl on Dec. 19. He signed with East Carolina on Jan. 10.
Other offensive linemen Josiah Chenault and Nikola Milovac also announced their entries into the portal, with Milovac withdrawing his name and opting to return to the Owls while Chenault remains unsigned despite having received interest from several Power Four programs.
Christian Moss, who appeared in 23 games for the Owls over the last two seasons and accounted for 892 yards and four touchdowns on 45 receptions, signed with Washington on Jan. 18 after entering the portal back in December.
Moss’s fellow receiver, Clayton Coppock, announced he had entered the portal following an impressive freshman campaign despite appearing to be vehemently against the idea a few weeks prior.
“F*** that transfer portal goin back to back Fs that,” Coppock captioned an Instagram story on Jan. 5
The wideout announced his commitment to Coastal Carolina on Jan. 18.
Other notable entries into the portal included Lyndon Ravare, Rene Miller, Deldrick Franklin Jr, Isaac Paul, Jaden Kelly, Eli Leiataua and Matthew Choules.
With thousands of players still available in the portal, the Owls have already landed several intriguing newcomers.
Quarterback Rickie Collins made perhaps the biggest splash in the general KSU fan discourse. Collins spent his first two seasons at LSU, appearing only a handful of times in relief before transferring to Syracuse where he started five games last season for the Orange.
Collins struggled mightily during his time in upstate New York, completing just 53.6% of his passes for 1,042 yards, six touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Still, bringing Power Four experience to Kennesaw, Collins is expected to compete for the starting quarterback job next season with Skylar Williams and Mississippi Gulf Coast Junior College transfer Landon Varnes.
Dylan Gary, a 6-foot-3 wideout who spent last season with Georgia Southern and the previous season with West Georgia committed to the Owls on Jan. 9. Gary put together a standout lone season at UWG, totaling 810 yards and eight touchdowns on 48 catches before seeing his usage cut significantly at GASO.
Running back Caleb Blocker announced his commitment to KSU on Jan. 16 after rushing for 965 yards and nine touchdowns on 6.8 yards per carry at Southwestern College.
Defensive back signees Tony Williams, Luke Evans and Malaki Wright are expected to bring stability to the Owls’ secondary having each spent time on Power Four rosters.
Having lost three of their five starters from last season on the offensive line to graduation or the portal, KSU found itself shopping for replacements.
To this point, the Owls have added Tennessee State transfer Darius Neals, who stands at 6-foot-4, 315 pounds; Elon transfer Luke Duska, who stands at 6-foot-5, 315 pounds; and Middle Tennessee State transfer Mateo Guevara, who is listed at 6-foot-4, 312 pounds.
Other portal additions so far have included linebackers Alfred Thomas (Towson), Jecari Bryson (Gardner-Webb) and Josh Anglin (Tulsa); defensive back Ja’Lyen Judson (UAB); running backs Triston Morgan (Benedict) and LaTrelle Murrell (UWG); wide receiver Devaughn Slaughter (Tennessee State) and defensive lineman Devin Morgan (Buffalo).
