Coaching Career of Lee Williamson (CFB 25)

[superjames1992]

Alright, after some time away and testing sliders, etc., I am back! I will be using Canes21's Heisman sliders and implementing some recruiting house rules to keep things from getting too easy, as I eventually found in my WVU dynasty I was running (the game difficulty was fine, but the team's OVR just got too good due to unrealistic recruiting).

This time I'll be rolling with a "career" dynasty, though I'll be starting as a head coach as I don't really enjoy just being OC / DC. I'll be starting with the Kennesaw State Owls since they're new to FBS and tied for the worst team in the game. Their roster is young, but bad, and the situation at quarterback isnt' great, either, so it should be tough.

[superjames1992]

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[superjames1992]

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[superjames1992]

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[superjames1992]

Lee Williamson Takes Helm as Head Coach for Kennesaw State’s Historic Jump to FBS Football

Kennesaw, GA – In a groundbreaking move that marks a new era for Kennesaw State University football, Lee Williamson has been named the head coach of the Owls as the program transitions to FBS competition for the 2024 season. Williamson, known for his tenacious approach to coaching and a keen eye for talent, brings a blend of experience, leadership, and drive that university officials believe will be pivotal in establishing Kennesaw State's identity on the national stage.

Athletic Director Milton Overstreet introduced Williamson to an enthusiastic crowd of students, alumni, and media on Tuesday afternoon, calling the hire “a pivotal moment in the history of Kennesaw State athletics.”

"Lee embodies everything we’re looking for in a leader," Overstreet said. "He has a reputation for developing players, a proven record of success, and an understanding of what it takes to build a program. We’re excited to watch him lead us through this new challenge."

Williamson, who previously found success as a head coach at both the high school and lower level collegiate levels, comes to Kennesaw State with a reputation for high-octane spread offense and a disciplined defensive approach. Known for molding young talent and instilling a relentless work ethic, he wasted no time outlining his vision for the Owls.

“We’re here to win, and we’re here to build something that lasts,” Williamson said during his first press conference. “I’m beyond excited to work with these young men and this university to create a football program that can compete at the highest level. We’re stepping into a new league, and we’re going to do it the right way—with hard work, discipline, and a belief in each other.”

This will be Kennesaw State’s inaugural season competing in the FBS ranks, a significant leap that has generated excitement among fans and alumni. With the move comes a chance to compete against top-tier programs, and Williamson emphasized that the team will embrace both the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

Players are already buzzing about the hire, with several voicing excitement about the new leadership. Linebacker Donelius Johnson, who will return as one of the defense’s key leaders, said Williamson’s energy is already evident.

“Coach Williamson has made it clear that he’s here to make us better in every way—on and off the field,” Johnson shared. “We’re excited to show what Kennesaw State football is all about, and with him leading us, I know we’re going to make some noise.”

Williamson also stressed the importance of creating a lasting culture at Kennesaw State, one that goes beyond football and prepares athletes for life. "It’s about developing men, not just players," he said. "We’re going to be a team that’s strong on the field, responsible in the classroom, and engaged in the community. That’s how we’re going to build something special here."

As the countdown begins for the Owls’ first FBS season, fans and university officials alike have placed high hopes in Williamson’s leadership. The new coach has already begun assembling his staff, reportedly prioritizing individuals who share his commitment to discipline, innovation, and a player-centered approach.

With Williamson at the helm, Kennesaw State’s transition to FBS is more than just a step up in competition—it’s a statement. The Owls are ready to soar, and their new head coach is leading the way.

[superjames1992]

2024 Kennesaw State Owls Roster



(Number / Name / Rating / Height / Weight / Class)

(Redshirted players are shaded red)

OFFENSE

QB
9 Davis Bryson (65) 5'9, 190, RSo
12 Braden Bohannon (62) 6'1, 180, RSo
17 Lucas Scheerhorn (60) 6'1, 190, Fr
4 Khalib Johnson (51) 6'2, 215, So

HB
0 Michael Benefield (77) 5'7, 205, RSr
30 Qua Ashley (75) 5'10, 195, RSo
32 DJ Scott (69) 6'1, 195, RFr
24 Yesiah Clemons (64) 5'10, 210, RSr
26 Kenai Grier (54) 5'9, 190, RFr
13 Drew Edwards III (48) 5'11, 202, Fr
35 Mikell Joseph (38) 6'2, 209, Fr

FB
N/A

WR
6 Christian Moss (75) 6'3, 190, RJr
1 Gabriel Benyard (74) 5'10, 185, RJr
5 Blake Bohannon (72) 6'1, 190, RJr
8 Tykeem Wallace (69) 5'9, 165, RJr
80 Connor Finer (69) 6'2, 215, RJr
16 Destun Thomas (69) 6'1 195, So
81 Bryce Dopson (67) 6'2, 180, RFr
87 Dennis Sims (56) 5'11, 180, RFr

TE
86 Carson Kent (74) 6'4, 240, RSo
2 Preston Daniels (68) 5'11, 250, RSr
85 Rowan Darnell (65) 6'4, 215, RSo
42 Isaiah Williams (60) 6'3, 235, Fr
84 Gatlin Hancock (53) 6'3, 225, RFr

T
65 JT Pennington (71) 6'4, 305, RJr
73 Jacob Kettels (70) 6'5, 295, RJr
56 Trey Butts (68) 6'2, 295, RSo
78 Benjamin Kienz (59) 6'7, 295, Fr
54 Kaleb May (58) 6'4, 270, RFr

G
71 Nate Wright (73) 6'3, 275, RSo
66 Zacchaeus Williams (71) 6'4, 305, RJr
72 Ethan Newman (70) 6'3, 300, RFr
53 Kalari Gordon (70) 6'4, 340, Fr
67 Jarvis Adams (64) 6'1, 275, Fr
74 Havik Pettigrew (60) 6'0, 270, RSo
59 Jacob Norcross (57) 6'2, 285, Fr

C
76 Brian Habeck (70) 6'3, 260, RSo
64 Isaac Cannizzaro (63) 6'4, 260, Fr
68 Benton Dunn (59) 6'3, 295, Fr
77 Kevin Smith (57) 6'1, 280, RFr

DEFENSE

DE
96 Donovan Westmoreland (80) 6'1, 230, RSo
94 Jordan Miles (75) 6'2, 245, RJr
43 Jamar Rucks (74) 6'3, 230, RJr
50 Tylon Dunlap (74) 6'1, 260, RJr
51 Jaxon Colvin (66) 6'4, 250, Fr
98 RJ Taylor (58) 6'3, 225, RSo
90 Ugonna Nwoha (55) 6'3, 260, RSo
45 CJ Donaldson (52) 6'3, 215, RFr
95 Ramontei Dardy (51) 6'3, 240, RFr
69 Lane Decker (49) 6'4, 249, Fr

DT
97 Adam Watkins (78) 6'0, 300, RJr
99 Thomarius Walker (70) 6'1, 305, RJr
60 Jaiden Grimes (61) 6'2, 275, Fr
79 Dylan Hannon (60) 6'2, 295, RSo
93 Jaylan Jarrett (52) 6'2, 295, RFr

OLB
44 Baron Hopson (78) 6'1, 215, RJr
7 Garland Benyard (69) 6'1, 225, RJr
49 Juandarion Silas (66) 6'1, 215, RSo
38 Jaiden Kimble (64) 6'0, 195, Fr
41 Amir Scarver (53) 6'0, 210, RFr

MLB
48 Donelius Johnson (80) 6'0, 220, RSo
14 Jalen Barnum (70) 6'1, 205, Sr
52 Trey Hargrove (53) 5'11, 220, RFr
47 Deldrick Franklin (51) 6'0, 225, RFr

CB
21 Jerico Washington Jr. (81) 5'10, 175, RFr
20 Tyler Hallum (78) 5'11, 190, RJr
15 Jayven Williams (76) 6'2, 175, RSo
18 Nick Sawyer (68) 5'11, 170, RSo
36 Devin Ross (66) 5'11, 175, Fr
37 Terrence Curtis (65) 6'0, 170, Fr
19 Javon Rogers (65) 6'0, 170, Fr
25 Que Billingsley (53) 6'0, 190, RFr
27 Five Hamilton (52) 5'10, 175, RFr

FS
11 Sidney Porter (76) 6'0, 215, RJr
23 Isaac Paul (71) 5'11, 170, RFr
33 Austin White (69) 5'11, 195, Sr

SS
34 Chris Townsel (72) 6'2, 185, Sr
22 Markell Redding (59) 6'0, 190, RFr
46 Tywon Christopher (56) 6'0, 205, Fr
31 Sulaiman Bah (55) 6'1, 185, RJr
42 Danarius Johnson (55) 5'11, 220, RSo

SPECIALISTS

K
99 Austin Welch (73) 5'11, 170, Jr
96 Britton Williams (64) 5'11, 200, RJr
98 Erik Calvillo (61) 6'0, 180, Fr

P
83 Jacob Ulrich (76) 6'5, 205, Fr

[superjames1992]

2024 Preseason Outlook

AP Top 25
1. Georgia
2. Ohio State
3. Texas
4. Oregon
5. Ole Miss
6. Alabama
7. Penn State
8. Notre Dame
9. Michigan
10. Missouri
11. Florida State
12. Utah
13. LSU
14. Oklahoma
15. Tennessee
16. Arizona
17. Clemson
18. Oklahoma State
19. Kansas State
20. Louisville
21. Kansas
22. NC State
23. Miami
24. Texas A&M
25. USC

Heisman Watch
1. Ashton Jeanty - HB - Boise State
2. Travis Hunter - WR - Colorado
3. Shedeur Sanders - QB - Colorado
4. Dillon Gabriel - QB - Oregon
5. Tetairoa McMillan - WR - Arizona

Conference USA Outlook (Overall Rating)
1. Liberty (81)
2. Sam Houston (80)
3. Western Kentucky (79)
4. Louisiana Tech (78)
5. Middle Tennessee (77)
6. Florida International (76)
7. New Mexico State (76)
8. UTEP (76)
9. Jacksonville State (75)
10. Kennesaw State (73)

Season Schedule
8/31 at UTSA
9/7 vs. Louisiana
9/14 at San Jose State
9/28 vs. UT Martin
10/4 vs. Jacksonville State
10/15 at Middle Tennessee
10/23 vs. Liberty
10/30 at Western Kentucky
11/9 at UTEP
11/16 vs. Sam Houston
11/23 vs. Florida International
11/30 at Louisiana Tech

[superjames1992]

Roadrunners Pull Away Late to Spoil Owls' FBS Debut

SAN ANTONIO, TX — Kennesaw State’s inaugural game as a full FBS member ended in heartbreak as the UTSA Roadrunners surged in the fourth quarter to secure a 23-16 victory on Saturday. The Owls showed promise under first-year head coach Lee Williamson, keeping the game within reach until the final minutes but ultimately falling short.

The Owls (1-0) got on the board first with a 48-yard field goal from Austin Welch in the first quarter, staking an early 3-0 lead. Welch would prove instrumental throughout, hitting all three of his field goal attempts and accounting for 10 of the Owls' 16 points.

Kennesaw State’s Qua Ashley found the end zone late in the second quarter on a 2-yard run, extending the Owls’ lead to 10-3. However, UTSA kicker Chase Allen answered with his own 42-yard field goal just before halftime, narrowing the gap to 10-6.

The two teams traded field goals in the third quarter, but UTSA (1-0) capitalized on a 1-yard rushing touchdown from Robert Henry Jr. to tie the game at 13-13 heading into the fourth.

UTSA then took command in the final quarter. Kevorian Barnes’ 10-yard touchdown run with 8:21 left gave the Roadrunners their first lead at 20-13. Allen followed up with a 20-yard field goal to make it 23-13 with just over five minutes remaining. Welch hit a short field goal with just under two minutes left to cut UTSA's lead to a touchdown, 23-16. Kennesaw State's defense was able to force a UTSA punt and get one last chance to drive for a game-tying score with a little over a minute left, but Kennesaw State quarterback Davis Bryson threw his third interception of the game on their last-chance drive to seal the game for UTSA.

Bryson struggled against a tough Roadrunners secondary, completing 16 of 34 passes for 152 yards but throwing three costly interceptions. The Owls' ground game, however, provided some balance, with Qua Ashley rushing for 66 yards on 16 carries and Michael Benefield adding 59 yards on 15 attempts.

“We had our chances, but turnovers and missed opportunities hurt us,” Williamson reflected after the game. “The effort was there, and we’ll clean up the mistakes.”

UTSA’s Owen McCown played a steady game, going 24-for-35 for 323 yards and an interception, with Devin McCuin leading the receiving corps with 94 yards on six catches. The Roadrunners amassed 405 yards of total offense compared to the Owls’ 294 but struggled on third downs, converting only 2 of 10 attempts.

The Owls will look to bounce back next week at home against Louisiana, taking with them lessons learned from a tough FBS opener.

Kennesaw State Owls at Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners
Aug 31, 2024	1ST	2ND	3RD	4TH	SCORE
Kennesaw State Owls (0-1)	3	7	3	3	16
Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners (1-0)	0	6	7	10	23

Team Stats Comparison
	KENN	UTSA
Total Offense	294	405
Rushing Yards	142	82
Passing Yards	152	323
First Downs	19	18
Punt Return Yards	48	17
Kick Return Yards	50	16
Total Yards	392	438
Turnovers	3	1
3rd Down Conversion	11-22	2-10
4th Down Conversion	2-2	0-0
2-Point Conversion	0-0	0-0
Red Zone Touchdowns/Field Goals	2-1-1	4-2-2
Penalties	3-30	2-20
Possession Time	25:22	14:38

Scoring Summary
FIRST QUARTER SCORING		KENN	UTSA
6:28	(KENN) Austin Welch, 48 yard field goal	3	0
SECOND QUARTER SCORING		KENN	UTSA
8:09	(UTSA) Chase Allen, 26 yard field goal	3	3
1:54	(KENN) Qua Ashley, 2 yard run	10	3
0:40	(UTSA) Chase Allen, 42 yard field goal	10	6
THIRD QUARTER SCORING		KENN	UTSA
2:50	(KENN) Austin Welch, 42 yard field goal	13	6
1:04	(UTSA) Robert Henry Jr., 1 yard run	13	13
FOURTH QUARTER SCORING		KENN	UTSA
8:21	(UTSA) Kevorian Barnes, 10 yard run	13	20
5:34	(UTSA) Chase Allen, 20 yard field goal	13	23
1:59	(KENN) Austin Welch, 19 yard field goal	16	23

Kennesaw State Owls PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Davis Bryson 16/34 152 0 3 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Qua Ashley 16 66 4.1 1 Michael Benefield 15 59 3.9 0 Davis Bryson 13 13 1.0 0 Yesiah Clemons 1 2 2.0 0 DJ Scott 1 2 2.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Carson Kent 5 44 8.8 0 Blake Bohannon 2 39 19.5 0 Qua Ashley 4 21 5.2 0 Preston Daniels 2 21 10.5 0 Gabriel Benyard 1 15 15.0 0 Christian Moss 1 10 10.0 0 Yesiah Clemons 1 2 2.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Austin Welch 3/3 1/1 10 49 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Jacob Ulrich 5 222 44.4 1

Texas-San Antonio Roadrunners PASSING C/A YDS TD INT Owen McCown 24/35 323 0 1 RUSHING ATT YDS AVG TD Robert Henry Jr. 9 38 4.2 1 Kevorian Barnes 3 31 10.3 1 Owen McCown 8 7 0.8 0 Willie McCoy 1 4 4.0 0 Chris Carpenter 2 2 1.0 0 RECEIVING REC YDS AVG TD Devin McCuin 6 94 15.6 0 De'Corian Clark 5 88 17.6 0 Chris Carpenter 5 47 9.4 0 Robert Henry Jr. 1 42 42.0 0 Willie McCoy 4 34 8.5 0 Kevorian Barnes 2 16 8.0 0 Oscar Cardenas 1 2 2.0 0 KICKING FG XP PTS LONG Chase Allen 3/3 2/2 11 43 PUNTING NO YDS AVG IN20 Caile Hogan 5 192 38.4 0