by Daniel Miller (Staff Writer)
As soon as the clock hit 7:01 a.m. Wednesday morning, KSU and head coach Brian Bohannon were officially able to say they had a signed football player. Quarterback Chandler Burks was the first official signee, and the day only intensified from there.
Leading up to this milestone day, Bohannon and his staff worked relentlessly on putting together the best recruiting class. At the conclusion of the hectic afternoon, 29 players, including 26 from the state of Georgia, signed their letters of intent with KSU.
“The goal was to have players who have great character, and a great academic resume”. With that said, 19 players in this signing class will have a GPA of 3.0 or higher,” Bohannon said. “Everything we talked about from every position, and everything we were trying to accomplish, we hit in the first class”
KSU signed three quarterbacks, including Jaquez Parks, the Atlanta Journal Constitution all-classification player of the year. Along with Parks, this class includes one high school all-American, 14 all state players, three state champions, three all Atlanta area selections, as well as two all star game most valuable players.
In addition to Parks and Burks at quarterback, the Owls landed Jake McKenzie, one of the only three signees not from the state of Georgia. Bohannon was quick to point out that all three of these guys will play vital roles, as the offense will rely heavily on a dual threat quarterback that can create unique offensive mismatches for it’s opponents.
“ The three we got are outstanding, and we could not of done any better,” Bohannon added. “These guys bring the intangibles and leadership and it should be great competition.”
As for the defense, the Owls plan to run a 4-2-5, hybrid scheme.
“I think it will give us the best ability to match up to how offenses are today,” Bohannon said.
Another area of emphasis Bohannon and rest of the coaching staff knew right away was that finding offensive and defensive lineman was a must. The Owls signed 13 offensive and defensive lineman.
“These will be guys that lay the foundation for the rest of the team” defensive line coach Liam Klein said. “We have to establish a tough physical presence. Every one of them wanted to come here and compete, they aren’t selfish, and they’re up to the challenge,”
With football not starting until the fall of 2015, the coaching staff will spend the whole 2014 season working and teaching these guys the system. Bohannon and his staff already have a plan mapped out with 44 opportunities for football related activity, with lifting and conditioning with the coaches being alternated four days a week.
From the day Bohannon and the rest of the coaching staff were hired, they have truly believed KSU is the “best kept secret in the south.” Now, with this inaugural signing class signed and over 2,300 season tickets sold, the secret is finally out.
