With new coaches and groups in search of bounce-back seasons, Kennesaw State and Wake Forest have loads in frequent going into their opener Friday night time in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Jake Dickert has taken cost at Wake Forest, shifting throughout the nation from Washington State. Jerry Mack is the brand new coach at Kennesaw State.
Each groups had dropping data in 2024 and can go together with well-traveled quarterbacks because the season begins.
Dickert’s task follows Dave Clawson’s 11 seasons as Wake Forest’s head coach earlier than Clawson resigned. The Demon Deacons are coming off back-to-back 4-8 seasons.
“I feel since Day 1 the blokes have actually embraced the change,” Dickert mentioned.
Robby Ashford — previously of Oregon, Auburn and South Carolina — will begin at quarterback for Wake within the opener, however the Demon Deacons will rely closely on operating again Demond Claiborne, who had 1,049 speeding yards, 254 receiving yards and 13 touchdowns final yr.
Ashford accomplished 23 of 32 passes for 324 yards and two touchdowns final season for South Carolina, with no interceptions. He ran for 227 yards and two scores on 41 carries.
“It is not going to be one participant; it should be us as a collective,” Dickert mentioned.
Kennesaw State is popping to Dexter Williams II as its beginning quarterback, making his debut with the group and after stops at Indiana and Georgia Southern.
“He has performed and he has been in school earlier than,” Mack mentioned of Williams, who handed for 248 yards and three touchdowns at Georgia Southern final yr. “… He has led groups to victory. He simply has a whole lot of expertise, being on the sphere. He understands what it is imagined to appear to be.”
One other space to observe for Kennesaw State will likely be Davis Bryson, who began 11 video games at quarterback final yr and has shifted to receiver.
“I like myself with the ball in area,” Bryson mentioned. “That is what I satisfaction myself on.”
The Owls, who went 2-10 final yr of their first FBS season, can have loads of questions going into the opener, particularly alongside the offensive line.
“Everytime you get so many males in a room which have by no means performed collectively, come from all completely different backgrounds … has been actually a problem,” Mack mentioned.
Mack most not too long ago was operating backs coach with the NFL’s Jacksonville Jaguars. Till he was employed by Kennesaw State in December, his solely earlier job as a head coach got here from 2014-17 at North Carolina Central, the place his groups received three Mid-Jap Athletic Convention championships.
–Area Degree Media
