FIU Football: Four Storylines Going into Fall Camp in 2026

Preseason polls, awards and head coaches addressing the media at a neutral site are how you know that the college football season is on the horizon. For head coach Willie Simmons and the FIU football program, everything gets underway on Saturday, September 5 against the University of South Florida Bulls.

FIU Football: Four Storylines Going into Fall Camp in 2026

Before we begin previewing the in-state matchup, there is fall camp, a period where the preparation for Week 1 begins. More specifically, the starting 11 begins to take shape through position battles. Fall camp is all about installing the rest of the playbook on both sides of the ball and fine-tuning what was already worked on in the spring.

Here are the biggest storylines going into FIU’s fall camp.

How will the defensive line take shape?

The defensive line will have quite the new look. Of the four starters from last season, the only returner is Kenton Simmons, who missed all of spring due to an offseason surgery. His edge rusher mate from 2025, Keegan Davis, has graduated. On the interior, Xion Chapman transferred and Olasunkonmi Agunloye graduated.

Simmons will likely remain the starter on one edge. On the other side, it’ll be returner Dante Anderson. The two newcomers to keep an eye out for are Division II transfer Elijah Baldridge and Ole Miss transfer Deejay Holmes.

Elijah Baldridge, who was a late add in the transfer portal, played in 13 games, posting 90 total tackles (35 solo, 55 assists), 16.0 tackles for loss, 13.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles. He will be a name to keep an eye out for throughout camp. As for Holmes, he played in four games, registering five total tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He comes to FIU as a redshirt junior.

On the interior, you will likely see the biggest position battle. The returner of the bunch is Jermaine Carter. Carter played in all 13 games last year, posting 19 total tackles (nine solo/10 assisted), three tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks and one forced fumble.

The newcomers to the room fighting for a spot are Elijah Simmons, Nathan Jennings and RJ Moss.

Simmons, a West Virginia transfer, played in just one game last season. Prior to his time with the Mountaineers, Simmons was at Garden City Community College. In 11 games, he posted 21 tackles, one sack, 5.5 tackles for loss, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Simmons started his collegiate career at Kent State. He also stands at 6-feet and weighs 285 pounds.

Meanwhile, Jennings and Moss are both South Alabama transfers. Jennings, a redshirt sophomore, played in all 12 games, posting 13 total tackles (three solo/10 assisted), 1.5 TFL, and 1.5 sacks. He stands at 6-foot-4 and weighs 295 pounds.

As for Moss, he comes in as a redshirt junior. In 2025, Moss played in all 12 games, posting 24 total tackles (nine solo/15 assisted), one tackle for loss, one sack and a fumble recovery. He stands at 6-foot-3 and weighs 285 pounds. Going solely off experience, Moss may have the upper hand early on, but that will all be decided in fall camp.

Who will be the next Jessiah McGrew?

Last season, we saw freshman safety Jessiah McGrew steal the job from polished upperclassmen. That showed that it doesn’t matter what year you are in, you can still win a starting job at FIU. Yet, following the season, McGrew transferred to Arizona State. However, that does not mean a freshman or redshirt freshman can’t come into fall camp vying for playing time, or potentially a starting spot.

The first name that comes to mind is wide receiver Barrett Schulz. The Lake Mary product already made his name known when he caught a last-second Hail Mary and lateraled it over to his teammate in the FHSAA game against Vero Beach, notching the school’s first-ever state title.

Schulz finished the season hauling in 65 catches for 1,058 yards and 14 touchdowns. He averaged 81.4 yards. Schulz did not participate in spring practice, coming to campus ahead of summer workouts, but that does not mean he can’t make a name for himself. Standing at 6-foot-5 will immediately make you stand out as a potential 50-50 target and red-zone threat.

Only two tight ends from last year’s FIU football roster remain: Jackson Verdugo and Sean Burke. With incoming transfers James Resar and Kevin Schaffer as the two “vets” of the room based on year, they could see some time on the field. One freshman to keep an eye out for in that room is Jupiter native Ayden Passley. In his senior season of high school, he caught 13 passes for 166 yards and four touchdowns.

Karaijus Hayes, who FIU was able to snag after decommitting from UConn due to a coaching change, came in the spring and really impressed. Hayes played high school ball at Booker T Washington, posting 124 tackles (20 TFLs), 4 PBU, one interception, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. In a secondary that will look brand new, Hayes should be able to fight for at least some playing time.

Eric Johnson, the safety out of Loganville, Georgia, is a name to keep an eye out for. A three-star recruit coming out of high school, Johnson posted 43 tackles in 13 games, including three tackles for loss and one forced fumble. He stands at 6-foot and weighs 190 pounds. However, he may have put on some muscle since this original weigh-in.

In the return game, running back Jayden “Mook” Ford will play a factor. His size, speed and experience alone make him a great option to return punts and kickoffs.

What will life after Kejon Owens look like?

Willie Simmons admitted that FIU relied on Kejon Owens too much in 2025, and rightfully so. Owens ran for 1,334 yards and 11 touchdowns last year as the team’s workhorse. FIU does not need one running back who can match Owens’s production, but having multiple players who can add up to his production may be the way to go.

Anthony Carrie will likely go into camp as the starter. Last season as the No. 2 running back, Carrie played in 13 games, rushing for 469 yards and five touchdowns. Now, as a starter, those numbers can increase by just a tiny bit, assuming the playing time increases.

Sterling Joseph and Devonte Lyons are the two other running backs that should see playing time in 2026.

Joseph played in three games, rushing for 123 yards and two touchdowns. He was named Conference USA Freshman of the Week after the season finale against Sam Houston State. Per 247 Sports, Joseph is the 14th-highest-rated recruit in program history. He will split playing time with Lyons for the time being.

Lyons, who impressed towards the end of the 2024 season, did not get as much run in 2025. He played in all 13 games, but primarily on special teams. As a running back, he ran for 142 yards and one touchdown. He is the Panthers ‘ 11th-highest-rated recruit in program history. After an impressive spring camp, Lyons goes into the fall with a chip on his shoulder.

Between these three players, FIU hopes to replicate, or at least get close to, the run game that they had last season. The good news is that they don’t necessarily need to have it exactly like last season, because with new quarterback JJ Kohl, they can rely on the passing game just a bit more than they did in 2025.

What does the wide receiver room look for Week 1?

One can make the case that the most talented room on this FIU football roster is the wide receiver room. Based solely on talent, there are a lot of names that stand out. Now, it is about putting it all together.

Alex Perry, the team’s leading receiver and an all-conference selection, is now off to Illinois, meaning someone new will have to step up. Similar to Owens in the running back room, it opens a new avenue to seeing the ball spread out more.

Rhode Island transfer Greg Gaines was one of the biggest gets from the transfer portal. He played in 14 games, hauling in 65 receptions for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns. The big-bodied receiver had a solid spring and impressed in the spring game. Expect his name to be mentioned a lot throughout fall camp and early on in the season.

Kyle McNeal played in his first full season as a wide receiver. He caught 31 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown in 2025. As someone who now knows the offense and has that experience under his belt, improvements are the expectation. The Dwyer High School product will likely enter fall camp as a starter, and now 10 pounds heavier, that will also be huge for him.

Jojo Stone made a name for himself towards the end of the season. He played all 13 games, hauling in 23 receptions for 272 yards and two touchdowns. His speed will make him an option as the team’s slot receiver. He can also factor into the return game, which he did a bit of in 2025.

Maguire Anderson was the big surprise of the group last season. Not expected to play a major role, Anderson finished the season with 25 receptions for 280 yards and one touchdown. He will also compete for more return reps, as he did make an impact there last season.

Eric Nelson and Tyson Carter are two wild cards. With Nelson, the talent is there, but he just has not seen consistent action for a variety of reasons. He did begin to play more in 2025, finishing the season with eight receptions for 125 yards and one touchdown. Carter did play a little bit at the start of the season as a wide receiver, but primarily spent most of his time on special teams. He had three receptions for 32 yards.

The talent on the Panthers’ roster is there. Now, it’s just a matter of who will put it all together and come out as the top wideout, or even who will start. This is a room that returns almost everybody, now with an opportunity to play more and the expectation around the program being that they will be a bit more pass-heavy with Kohl behind center; this can be the year we see some more explosive plays through the air.