FIU Football: Panthers Usher in Willie Simmons Era at CUSA Media Days

The FIU Panthers are set to open up fall camp today, shifting toward preparing for the 2025 college football regular season. Yet first, the Panthers had a pit stop at the 2025 Conference USA Kickoff!

Head coach Willie Simmons, quarterback Keyone Jenkins, and defensive back Brian Blades II spoke on ESPN+, while Simmons addressed the media in a press conference. Their appearances set the stage for their fall camp and gave the wider college football landscape a glimpse into what the Panthers could bring to the field in 2025.

FIU Football: C-USA Media Days

Willie Simmons Press Conference

At his press conference, the FIU head coach spoke about what having Keyone Jenkins back at the helm means for the football team.

“Keyone is a great young player. He has been starting since his freshman year, so he has taken his lumps and has learned a lot. He cut his interceptions in half, and his completion percentage went up; all the metrics that you evaluate a quarterback by went up from year one to year two. And that is what you want to see,” said Simmons.

“Obviously, with a new scheme and new coaching staff, you want to see him take the next step as a leader. He is the unquestioned leader of this offense and football team. Lot of potential, and he was named the conference player of the year. But I think Keyone’s ceiling is even higher than he knows. We will go as he goes.”

Additionally, I asked Simmons about his approach to the transfer portal and his process in targeting the players he did.

“Our approach to the portal is that we are going to attack it head on. We try to approach the portal based on need. We feel that we are a developmental program, so we want to build our roster from the high school ranks and then find quality transfers to fill in any voids that we may have, due to losses in the portal. But I feel really good about the team we have put together. Those guys have really jelled well and come together over the summer. I am looking forward to seeing them come together as whole to really see how good this team can truly be.”

ESPN+ Quotes

On the ESPN+ broadcast, Jenkins and Blades II had a chance to talk ahead of the 2025 season. Asked about his successful high school football career, the FIU quarterback said that it has helped formulate his game.

“That helped build up some confidence inside of me. Confidence is key as a quarterback, so my knowing the things that I can do can help my team in the best way possible. And with me knowing I am a winner, it puts a different type of confidence in me. I lead different, I move different, and I walk different.”

Additionally, both Jenkins and Blades spoke about how they take things one game at a time.

“We play on Saturdays for the first couple of games of the season. So from Sunday to that Saturday, you focus on that opponent and that opponent only. After that, it is all out of your head. Starting back on Monday, because you get that Sunday off, you begin focusing on the next opponent. So that is how I handle it,” said Jenkins.

“He [Keyone] pretty much hit on all of it. Just focus on being a professional with your preparation. Make sure you are in the film book, and make sure that you are giving 100-percent in practice every day,” said Blades II.

The Panthers open up fall practice this week, and their regular season begins with a home matchup against Bethune Cookman.