The FIU football spring game is set to take place on Saturday, April 11. And, as a result, there is no better time to take a deeper look at the offense, led by offensive coordinator Nick Coleman. With some new faces at quarterback, receiver, tight end, and offensive line, there already seems to be a sense of familiarity in year two under head coach Willie Simmons’ offense.
FIU Football Offensive Preview
Quarterback
JJ Kohl, the Appalachian State transfer, is the presumptive starting quarterback for the FIU football program. So far this spring, he has lived up to the hype.
After taking a visit to head coach Willie Simmons’ first offseason with the program, Kohl came back for a second visit a year after FIU went 7-6, clinching bowl eligibility for the first time since 2019, and committed to the program.
Delaware transfer Zach Marker, who is coming back from an ACL injury, is limited this spring, so he has not seen any scrimmage action just yet. Freshman DJ Alexander, who FIU brought in from New Manchester, has been thrown into the fire, and offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Nick Coleman said Alexander has “more reps than any freshman in the country.”
“You’re going to have good and bad days,” Coleman said. “You still should be getting ready for prom, bro. You shouldn’t be passing footballs. To me, it’s more along the lines of the psychology of him understanding it’s okay to fail, We talk about it all the time with Coach Simmons. It’s okay to fail because you’re going to grow from it. He’s very talented, and he’s done a really, really good job.”
Running Back
Despite the departure of Kejon Owens, the Panthers’ running back room still has the most depth. That group includes Anthony Carrie, Devonte Lyons, and Sterling Joseph as the top three backs. Beyond them, freshman Jayden Ford and Nate Henry should factor more on the special teams side of things.
Lyons, who played in all 13 games, ran for 142 yards and one touchdown. After a promising four-game stretch in his first year with the program, Lyons wasn’t utilized too much because of the emergence of Owens and Carrie. In 2026, he should see more reps.
“I think he’s learned how to be a pro. That comes with maturity and understanding,” Coleman said. “We were all brand new last year, so a lot of people are not saying he didn’t know about us, but like we were some people he really knew. So now he’s been with us for a year and understands what we’re asking of him. The few times that we spotted the ball and played, he’s shown up, and I think that’s been in his preparation, how he’s prepared, and understands the importance of not only playing on the field, but how you prepare off the field.”
Anthony Carrie will likely serve as the Panthers’ primary back. He ran for 469 yards and five touchdowns on 103 carries in his first season at FIU. The Georgia Tech transfer did not see a lot of action in the latest scrimmage; instead, it was a lot of Lyons and Joseph. Still, I expect Carrie to receive the lion’s share of the carries in 2026.
Wide Receiver
Rhode Island transfer Greg Gaines III has had a quiet camp. Yet, in the most recent scrimmage, Gaines showed off a similar profile to the one that Alex Perry showed last season. There was a lot of yards after the catch for Gaines, along with being a big-time 50-50 and red zone target. The 6-foot-3, 205-pound redshirt senior is coming off a season where he hauled in 65 receptions for 1,018 yards and four touchdowns. Before making his way to Rhode Island, Gaines was at Iowa State with JJ Kohl.
“Greg’s played a lot of football, and it shows up with how he prepares,” said Coleman. “When the ball comes away, he’s made the plays. I’ve been proud of him. We were fired up when we got him, and he’s been exactly what we thought when we got him.”
Kyle McNeal was the No. 2 receiver in 2025, and the likelihood is that he will remain the second receiver on the depth chart. However, he’s had a strong spring and should be a great target for Kohl in 2026. Last season, McNeal caught 31 passes for 310 yards and one touchdown, which came in the bowl game. A lot of McNeal’s improvements came from his offseason work, mentally more than anything.
“It was just about my mindset,” McNeal told The League Winners. “My mindset last year was to just get by. Coming into this offseason, I was just more focused; I wanted it more. I felt like last year, I came up short on a few opportunities that I know I should’ve been in. This year, it’s going to be about not worrying about that stuff and becoming an overall better receiver, mentally and physically.”
Jojo Stone, who really got things going towards the end of the regular season, will be an option as the team’s slot receiver. He caught 23 passes for 272 yards and two touchdowns in his first season at FIU. Expect Stone to also provide some help on special teams, either as the punt or kick returner, with his plus speed.
Maguire Anderson will likely win the job as the team’s specialist. After taking back a 97-yard punt return touchdown in the bowl game against UTSA, expect him to be the team’s primary punt returner at least. On the offensive side, last season, he hauled in 25 receptions for 250 yards and a touchdown that came in overtime against Liberty.
Another name on the younger side who has impressed is Tyson Carter, who played in 12 games as a true freshman last season. Towards the end of the most recent scrimmage, he hauled in a touchdown. He saw most of his reps on special teams, only recording three receptions for 32 yards.
Amari Isaac continues to show signs of growth as an overall player, while freshman Malik Penson has been making plays this camp. Expect those two names to continue to play a factor as we head into the actual spring game and fall camp.
Tight End
One of the newer groups this season, the only two returners are Jackson Verdugo and redshirt freshman Sean Burke. Through the transfer portal, FIU brought in Rhode Island’s Kevin Schaeffer and James Resar from the JUCO level. Both should be strong options, with Schaffer as more of a blocking tight end and Resar, a former quarterback, providing some speed on the outside.
Expect Verdugo to get the most reps within this group. In his true freshman season, he had 10 receptions for 101 yards and a touchdown, which came against Western Kentucky.
Freshman Aydan Passley and Davis Brown will likely not see much time on the field due to the amount of depth in that room. Yet with FIU, never say never. Jackson Verdugo, a true freshman, got a lot of reps last season, and we saw what happened with Jessiah McGrew on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensive Line
A group that experienced some turnover, the offensive line has a strong combination of homegrown players who are beginning to step up and experience from the transfer portal.
One name to keep an eye out for is Miami Central product Jeremy Smith, who only appeared in one game last season. Standing at 6-foot-5, 295 pounds, the redshirt freshman has seen most of his time at left tackle, but all guys on the offensive line have been rotating. Jonathan Rodriguez, a redshirt sophomore who saw action in 11 games last season, has been fighting for the starting center job. He stands at 6-foot-6, 300 pounds.
Fighting with Rodriguez for that starting center spot is Cal transfer Daveion Harley. Before transferring to Cal, Harley was a part of the Jacksonville State team that won the Conference USA Championship. The main difference between Harely and Rodriguez is the height and weight. Harley is a smaller player, but has a lot more experience than Rodriguez, who is on the taller side. At the moment, expect Harley to be the team’s starting center, with Rodriguez rotating in and out.
Returners Antonio Tripp Jr. and Zaire Flournoy will be the left and right guards to begin the season. Having two players who know about the program and have experience within this offense is always great to have; this is especially the case for someone like Flournoy, who, when he did play, had a strong 2025 season.
Discover more from The League Winners
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
