Miami, FL — The second spring game under FIU football head coach Willie Simmons took place on Saturday afternoon, between the “Navy” and “Biscayne” squad. In the end, the Navy team came out of top by a final score of 17-6, highlighted by Sterling Joseph’s two touchdowns. We’ll break down the event, key players, and more in this breakdown of the team’s spring game.
FIU Football: Spring Game Recap
Navy Team Analysis (Kevin Barral)
The main takeaway from this Navy team was the defensive line, led by redshirt freshman Matthew Pointer, who recorded an early sack. Kyrie Samuel and Anthony Smith both had some pressures that led to decisive throws from freshman quarterback DJ Alexander.
The linebackers also looked good. Kani Smith, playing in only seven games as a defensive lineman in 2025, made the switch to linebacker this spring. He has looked comfortable, making multiple plays in Saturday’s spring game. JaCorey Stewart, a transfer from Kansas, also had a couple of stops while showcasing his speed and instincts on multiple occasions.
“That was a learning curve, to try to learn to play off the ball and play at the second level,” head coach Willie Simmons said after the game. “That’s not something that comes naturally for a lot of guys. He’s still learning the position, but when he goes, it’s a blur. He can fly to the ball and be a demon on special teams. He’s had a really, really good spring. To see him line up as a defensive end on pass rushing downs and play linebacker on normal downs, I think gives you that Antoine Barnes type of player.”
Safety Demetrius Hill was the star of the Navy defense, racking up two interceptions. Hill has continued to make plays throughout the spring. The former Freshman All-American with FIU just made defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt’s job a lot tougher to decide who will be the two starting safeties to begin the season.
Despite a slow start for the Navy offense (led by quarterback JJ Kohl), both of their touchdowns came from redshirt freshman running back Sterling Joseph on one-yard runs.
Kohl’s two main targets were redshirt sophomore Jojo Stone and redshirt junior Kyle McNeal. The latter was impressive, primarily on short-yardage plays that can become explosive, similar to how fans saw FIU use Alex Perry last season. McNeal was awarded the most improved player this spring on the field and in the weight room.
As for Stone, he was lining up quite a bit out of the slot and was used for chunk plays.
Running back Devonte Lyons, who was awarded the most improved player in his position group, had a strong performance. His ability to find gaps allowed him to break free for multiple runs that set up the Navy offense with good field position.
The big issue, and it is a good issue to have, is how they will utilize all three running backs. Anthony Carrie, Lyons, and Joseph can’t replace the production that Kejon Owens gave. However, the plan is to do it with all three, with Simmons calling it “running back by committee.”
“They’re an unselfish group,” Simmons said. “They pull for one another and don’t care who gets the credit that’s going to see from that group. I do believe we’ll need all of them to have the successful running attack we want to have, maybe not like last year. We kind of had to lean on KJ at times, even a little bit too much.”
Towards the end of the game, Navy began connecting passes to tight ends Kevin Schaffer and Sean Burke. With Jackson Verdugo out for the game, FIU, the Schaffer and Burke got a lot more targets than maybe originally anticipated.
“I love it when they get receptions,” quarterback JJ Kohl said. “Those guys work really hard in the run game, too. It’s awesome when they get those receptions to kind of make them feel like they get the glory a little bit too, and some of those catches, so when they’re out there trying to get down the ball as much as possible.”
Key Standout, Team Navy: RB Devonte Lyons
Biscayne Team Analysis (Brandyn Pokrass)
Despite not securing the victory in Saturday’s spring game, the Biscayne Team showcased its talent on both sides of the ball. More than that, it was a culmination of production for many players on the Panthers’ roster for the spring.
Offensively, two of the best players for Biscayne were Greg Gaines III and Tyson Carter, both at the wideout position. Carter made his impact early on in the game. On a free play, he made a leaping contested catch over a defensive back for a huge gain. It continued what’s been seen from the second-year wideout all spring long. Carter has been an awesome vertical threat, has showcased impressive route running, and has made multiple tough catches through contact. In a wide receiver room with plenty of spring standouts, Carter has been one of the best. He is a player who could break out in 2026.
Gaines III made his biggest impact late in the game for Biscayne. The wideout carried the offense down the field on a drive in the fourth quarter, making multiple contested catches. He showcased impressive route running, speed, and overall football knowledge during the game. Gaines III understands body positioning on jump balls, how to settle against zone coverage, and how to make players miss in space.
The FIU spring game capped an impressive football camp for Gaines III. Over the course of 15 practices, the wideout won deep down the field, got open consistently, and flat out was one of the best players on the team. In the mold of a prototypical “X” wideout, Gaines III brings more speed and elusiveness after-the-catch ability than Alex Perry, who was more of a physical presence. FIU made Gaines III a priority in the transfer portal, and if his production in the spring continues into the fall, it will be a great investment.
Outside of the wideouts, D.J. Alexander had some great moments playing quarterback for the Biscayne team. His pocket presence was upper-level, and he made multiple great throws over the course of the game. He even showed off his speed, picking up a first down on a read option play. There were mistakes, such as when he was intercepted by Demetrius Hill, but there were plenty of great things to take away from the freshman’s performance.
Just like Carter and Gaines III, Alexander’s spring game was very similar to his overall production over the spring. He has made a very large number of great throws to all levels of the field, with his willingness to rip throws over the middle standing out immediately. Alexander made his fair share of mistakes, too, but he showed the ability to bounce back and make plays after them. It was by no means a perfect spring, but a fantastic foundation was laid by the quarterback in a spring when he could still have been in high school.
Anthony Carrie, while not having too many big plays on Saturday, ran hard and showed some impressive strength as a ball carrier. Combined with a large amount of great runs, great vision, and great passing game work this spring, Carrie looks primed for a big-time 2026 season.
Tight end Ayden Passley had a very impressive contested catch late in the fourth quarter, twisting and securing the pass through contact. With Jackson Verdugo, Sean Burke, and James Resar in the room, don’t expect Passley to immediately see the field. But with impressive overall ability and upside, expect him to be a key part of FIU’s offense going forward.
Defensively, Biscayne had players stand out at all three levels of the unit.
In the trenches, Nick Watson, Lamont Green Jr., and Nathan Jennings made plays across all four quarters. As he has all spring, Watson dominated as a pass rusher and made multiple key plays against the run. Green Jr. showcased an impressive arsenal of pass-rushing moves, along with some above-average strength against the run. Jennings, a South Alabama transfer, was a force against the run, making multiple plays in the middle of the defense.
It was a showing that, combined with the play of the Navy’s defensive line, demonstrated the sheer amount of talent the Panthers have at the position. Outside of the wideouts, the defensive line was arguably the best position group for the Panthers over the course of the spring.
At linebacker, Josiah Taylor made multiple tackles and looked extremely comfortable in coverage. Ormond Wallace made multiple key plays in the secondary, including a diving interception off a deflection. Jakari Johnson showcased his trademark stellar tackling ability in the run game, while Eric Johnson displayed ridiculous range on an interception that was ultimately wiped out due to a penalty. DeAndre Boykins, even with a penalty being called, showed versatility and comfort in multiple facets of playing defense back.
There has been some turnover on the Panthers’ overall unit, but make no mistake, this is an extremely talented room from top to bottom. The Biscayne team, even without having all of the “starters” on the field, truly showed the potential that could be achieved in the 2026 season.
Key Standout of the Game, Biscayne Team: WR Greg Gaines III
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