The Kent State football program is coming off a two-year stretch in which the team won just one game in the 2023 season and finished with zero wins the following season.
The Flashes had to sit and watch every single CFB program in the country win at least one contest in 2024, while KSU had to sit in the basement; always the bridesmaid, never the bride.
Following the team’s final game, a 43-7 loss at Buffalo in November, controversy and speculation ensued in March when head coach Kenni Burns was placed on administrative leave with no explanation as to why. The same day, it was announced that offensive coordinator Mark Carney would assume the role of interim head coach and take over the day-to-day operations from Burns [Carney was officially announced as the interim HC in April].
However, heading into this season, Carney looks to shift the vibe of the locker room and erase the notions that fans across the country may have about the Flashes coming off a woeful season.
“I would say everyone in the locker room is very hungry,” Carney said. “Whether you’re a player or a coach or a member of the support staff. Really hungry to change the narrative that’s been going on around our football program and to show the outside world who we really are.”
The Flashes’ first opportunity to change the narrative [and win their first game in over 700 days] will come at home on Saturday against Merrimack College. The Warriors, an independent Division I FCS program, are coming off a 5-6 season in 2024 in which the team won three of its last five.
“They’ve obviously done a really, really good job at developing this team,” Carney said. “You know he’s [Merrimack head coach Mike Gennetti] got a group that understands his expectations and you can tell that his coordinators are aligned.”
Head to head, KSU and Merrimack have never played against each other on the gridiron, as Saturday will mark the first time these two teams square off.
Offense is the chief concern for the Flashes, as the team ranked second to last and dead last in scoring offense and total offense, respectively. In terms of rushing and passing yards per game, Kent State also found itself towards the bottom.
Quarterback
Streamlining the offense will be redshirt senior CJ Montes, who transferred over from Fordham. Behind Montes will be redshirt freshman Dru DeShields, who did not field any snaps in 2024 due to injury.
“There’s not a whole lot of substitute for experience at the quarterback position, and that was the difference between him and Dru,” Carney said. “Ultimately, I think both guys are going to play at some point.”
Montes, a former Walter Payton Award finalist, certainly brings a world of experience to the Flashes. He started his career at New Mexico in 2021, appearing in a few games before transferring to Fordham two years later, where he really made a name for himself and even led the Patriot League in two major passing categories with 3,000 passing yards and 26 passing touchdowns.
Running back
Former Minnesota standout back Mohamed Ibrahim will coach the rushers for Kent State this season, and with him came redshirt senior Jordan Nubin. At one point in his career, Nubin was named the Big Ten offensive player of the week when he rushed for over 200 yards and two touchdowns against Michigan State in 2023. That season, Nubin ran for 578 yards and three scores on 127 carries.
Redshirt junior Gavin Garcia, who marched for 544 yards and two rushing touchdowns two years ago, is also returning to the KSU running back room, coming off a season in which he missed entirely due to injury. However, Garcia brings a strong veteran presence to the team and excelled in the Flashes last regular season win against Central Connecticut in 2023, going for 125 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
Receivers
The top Kent State wideout from the previous two seasons, Chrishon McCray, transferred this offseason to Big Ten country. This will be a major blow to the Flashes passing attack, as McCray hauled in nine receiving touchdowns and 705 receiving yards last season.
Sophomore Jay Jay Etheridge, who caught 14 balls for 137 yards and one score, becomes the offensive weapon with the most receiving yards following the departures of McCray and Luke Floriea. Expect him and freshman Wayne Harris to be the focal points of the Flashes passing attack.
Offensive line
O-Line and pass protection have been a key issue for the Kent State offense in the 1-23 stretch the team is currently in. However, the Flashes coaching staff is very confident in the anchor of the position group.
“I think Dusty’s an NFL player,” Carney said of redshirt junior center Dustyn Morell.
In addition to Morell, Kent State welcomed a pair of O-Linemen from the transfer portal in redshirt junior Ashton Rivera from FIU and redshirt senior Matt Pajuste from Mid-American Conference rival Buffalo.
Overall, this position group seems to bring the most vocal positivity from the coaching staff, as Carney said, “Our staff did a really, really good job recruiting.”
Defensive line
Carney told the media during his Monday press conference that the D-Line, especially the interior, will be a committee affair.
“I think the interior D-Line, you’re going to see seven or eight guys play throughout the course of the season,” Carney said.
South Illinois transfer and redshirt sophomore Jamond Mathis recorded three and a half sacks and 30 total tackles for the Salukis in 2024 and will look to anchor the left edge for the Flashes. On the right side, graduate student Mattheus Carroll recorded one sack and 14 tackles last season. Carroll is also on the Allstate Wuerffel Trophy watchlist, an academic and community service award.
Linebackers
Redshirt senior Mason Woods had a solid end to last season, recording a season high 11 tackles in the home finale against rival Akron. As the MIKE LB, look for Woods to patrol the middle of the field for Kent State.
Canaan Williams, a redshirt sophomore, is returning for the Flashes after starting in nine of 11 games in 2024, where he recorded 46 tackles and one interception.
Secondary
In the defensive backs unit, the Flashes will have to rely on young talent, as every member of the Kent State secondary is no older than a sophomore.
Similar to Woods’ hot streak at the end of last season, redshirt sophomore CJ Young racked up a season high of 14 tackles in the season finale against Buffalo.
Special teams
Senior place kicker Will Hryszko should handle the majority of the kicking and scoring opportunities for the Flashes. In 2024, Hryszko made all 15 of his PAT’s whilst also banking in three field goals; his longest, a 40-yarder, came against Akron.
Returning kickoffs and punts for KSU will be sophomore Da’Shawn Martin, who’s coming off an excellent 2024 season and looks to improve, as he was named to the Preseason Phil Steele All-MAC first team as a returner. Martin totaled 400 kick return yards and had a combined 137 yards from scrimmage against Ball State.
Looking forward
The pieces are certainly in place for Carney and the Flashes to rewrite the general narrative that permeates the KSU locker room.
According to Fanduel Sportsbook, Kent State is favored to win the season opener against Merrimack, with a six and a half point spread favoring the home team. Merrimack has also never defeated a D1 FBS team in the history of the program. In 2024 alone, the Warriors dropped both opportunities to beat a higher-level program when they lost to Air Force and UConn.
It’s also important to note that last season, Kent State had two solid opportunities to win games. The losses that stick out were the home opener against St. Francis and the road contest against Ball State; the Flashes lost by a combined eight points between the two games.
A lot is riding on this season for Kent State; the angst of not winning in almost two years, the public controversy the team had to go through in the offseason and the loss of star players to the NFL and transfer portal. But if the team can hone in on turnovers, improve the pass attack and capitalize in close game scenarios, the Flashes might have their first multi-win season since 2022.
“You know every day rent is due, right?” Carney said. “And just because we put in work from August 1 till now doesn’t guarantee us anything but an opportunity. I’m excited to take the field with a bunch of hungry dudes on Saturday and go earn it.”
Gage Wellman is a reporter. Contact him at [email protected] or @GageWellmanKSTV on X.
