FIU Football: What to watch for during spring practices

Just like many other teams across the college football landscape, the FIU Golden Panthers are set to start their spring season in the coming weeks. Under exciting new head coach Willie Simmons, the team is in a position to make some significant improvements and get back on the right track as a program. Why is this the case? It is due to a very solid high school recruiting class and some impressive work in the first portion of the transfer portal.

However, there is one aspect many people overlook when it comes to having a more talented roster, and that is position battles.

FIU is slated to have interesting battles commence in the spring, with the first leg of competition wrapping up around the spring football game. With new coaches and players all around the team, the Golden Panthers should have a very fun and competitive environment.

But I would be remiss if I did not answer the golden question: What do you need to watch during spring practices?

Well, that’s why you read the League Winners! This article is your one-stop shop for all of the FIU football storylines to watch in the spring, and once you are done reading, you will be all set to follow the action that starts in March!

FIU Football: Position battles to watch

Quarterback

For a new coaching staff, the quarterback position is arguably the most important position on the entire team. When trying to set team culture, the field general is one of the main conduits a head coach uses to do so. A great quarterback helps expedite this process, while bad quarterback play can slow down progress or have the opposite intended effect.

FIU is set to have starting quarterback Keyone Jenkins return to the starting lineup this season, which would fall into the former category of the two presented above.

In 2024, Jenkins made some considerable improvements upon his 2023 freshman campaign with the Golden Panthers. He dropped his interceptions from 11 to 8, doubled his touchdowns from 11 to 22, and elevated his big-time throws from 17 to 19. Additionally, Jenkins had an ADOT of 10.6 and lowered his turnover-worthy plays to 15.  As a runner, Jenkins added 197 yards and two touchdowns this past season.

Heading into 2025, the presumed starter will look to improve on his breakout performance last season. If he reduces the fumbles and creates a few more big-time plays, Jenkins could elevate the Golden Panthers to a new level on offense.

However, the starter is not the only aspect of the quarterback position worth discussing.

Clayton Dees is an exciting rising sophomore, offering high potential as a passer and a runner. Chayden Peery is a former high-level recruit that offers high-upside as a passer. And that is not even including quarterback commit Christian Langford, who could factor into the team’s plans later this summer.

For a team that has been through its fair share of struggles, the quarterback position is in a good spot for the Golden Panthers.

Running Back

Unlike the quarterback position, the running back position could have some competition right off the bat in the spring.

FIU is set to have running back Kejon Owens return for his redshirt senior season in 2025. While not having an extensive workload, Owens racked up 392 yards and five touchdowns on the ground last year. He had 27 missed tackles forced, 12 runs of 10+ yards, and 4.3 yards per attempt.

The only other Golden Panthers running back who had significant touches in 2024 will also return. Devonte Lyons, who is heading into his sophomore year, had 275 yards and two touchdowns on 43 total carries. He had six missed tackles forced and 11 runs of 10+ yards, which are impressive numbers in such limited work.

Outside of Lyons and Owens, there are plenty of other options that could carve out significant roles starting in spring ball.

FIU landed former Miami Hurricanes running back Ajay Allen Jr. in the college football transfer portal. They also signed explosive running back Sterling Joseph out of Miami Edison High School. Both players could be great assets for the Golden Panthers and can start that journey during spring ball.

Additionally, the team also has T.J. Snowden, Shaborne Demps, Jose Corbo, and Nate Henry on the roster. None of these players logged any real number of snaps at the position in 2024; in 2025, they could have a chance to cement a role in the offense.

Outside of who will actually be playing the position, I am interested to see the scheme that head coach Willie Simmons implements. Depending on how he leans, certain players could be favored off the jump. A gap scheme is not the same as a zone scheme, and this can be further emphasized depending on whether the offense is spread-based or not. Essentially, I want to see how the coach fits his scheme to his players.

The running back position has plenty of variables heading into the spring. However, the FIU football team could have a good situation on its hands, depending on how things shake out.

Wide Receivers

In terms of offensive positions, the wide receiver spots might have some of the biggest questions heading into spring ball.

FIU lost star wideout Eric Rivers to Georgia Tech in the transfer portal, leaving a void of 97 targets and over 1100 receiving yards from 2024. They also lost their second-leading receiver to Georgia Tech, as Dean Patterson entered the portal after a very productive 2024 season.

If you are keeping track at home, FIU lost 1,858 yards receiving, 19 touchdowns, and 183 targets as a result of Rivers and Patterson leaving. As a result, it is imperative for the Golden Panthers to determine what they have at the wide receiver position.

There are many names scattered throughout the FIU football roster, both old and new, that could snatch this opportunity up.

Juju Lewis, who is heading into his junior year, had two touchdowns in very limited playing time last year. He could very easily earn a large amount of playing time with a great spring and summer, and he has the explosive ability to potentially make that a reality. C’Quan Jnopierre has shown great ability as a returner and could get real run at wideout this season. Sophomores Eric Nelson and Kyle McNeil offer some interesting upside at the position.

In their 2025 recruiting class, the towering Hawaii transfer Alex Perry could get on the field right away in specific situations and carve out a nice role within the offense. Freshman signees Kenny Williams, Tyson Carter, and Amari Issac also have a unique chance to make an impact in such an open room.

To sum it up, there are no set starting options for the Golden Panthers at wide receiver. Everything is up for grabs, and the spring sessions should allow the first real battles to begin.

Tight Ends

Just like wide receiver, it seems that the tight end position is wide open for the taking at FIU. No current tight end on the roster has caught a pass for the Golden Panthers, and only two have recorded game snaps for the team. As a result, plenty of fun options could burst onto the scene this spring.

Braiden Staten has only recorded snaps as a blocker, but he also has some receiving ability. Staten recorded 286 yards and five touchdowns over his final two high school seasons. With his dual-threat ability, Staten could emerge as the main tight end for FIU.

This role could also fall to one of the team’s new recruits. Whether it’s UAB transfer Dallas Payne, potential power slot Jackson Verdugo, or another dual-threat in Sean Burke, there is an influx of talent arriving on the scene for the Golden Panthers.

However, the starter is not what I am most interested in; rather, I am watching how the tight ends are utilized.

If you look at FIU’s stats last season, their tight ends barely contributed to the passing game. Three separate tight ends had 21 receptions for FIU; in comparison, the Golden Panthers had 206 completions as a whole during last season.

Will coach Simmons add the tight ends into the offense as a legitimate threat on every passing play? Will he make them be versatile options? Or will he, similar to last season, relegate them to becoming an extension of the offensive line?

How this question shapes up will allow the starting tight ends to emerge. This is a position heavily predicated on offensive scheme, and how the Golden Panthers decide to run their offense will likely dictate who their main contributors are.

Offensive Line

To be frank, I am not going over individual players for this unit. There is a lot of turnover at the offensive line positions, especially when it comes to a team that has a new staff and offensive scheme like FIU. A deeper discussion over individual positions on the offensive line will be reserved for a different article.

Rather, my focus on the offensive linemen revolves around the team’s offensive scheme.

In 2024, FIU leaned more toward a gap scheme than a zone-running scheme, running 198 plays of gap compared to 110 plays of zone. Additionally, the Golden Panthers leaned more toward the pass than the run, having 416 pass attempts compared to 356 rushing attempts.

Head coach Willie Simmons has spoken in the past about having a balanced offense and not focusing on a specific split between running and passing the ball. He also focuses on tempo, wanting the offense to move at a fast pace consistently.

Between his stops at Florida A&M and Duke, though, Simmons might have adjusted or tweaked his offensive scheme. He may have the same principles as an offensive mind, but could choose to attack them from a different angle.

Everything is connected in football, but it all starts up front. FIU’s offensive scheme will determine what type of players Simmons wants to start in the trenches and how the Golden Panthers will attack the first phase of their season. You can learn so much from offensive line play, and that will be emphasized once FIU starts its practices.

Defensive Line

On the opposite side of the ball, FIU needs to see some improvement from their overall defensive line to supplement some of their standout players.

The Golden Panthers’ interior defensive line returns a very productive defensive tackle in Jamarrion Solomon for 2025. While being a productive run defender, Solomon’s true value comes as a pass rusher. Registering an elite 85.0 PFF pass-rushing grade, the FIU defensive tackle had 20 pressures and seven quarterback hits. Solomon fits the modern college game and is a very valuable piece for FIU to have this season.

On top of Solomon, Claude Larkins and Robert Willaims offer some nice potential as overall players on the defensive line. Steven Shannon has a chance to rebound and get back to his 2023 CUSA All-Frehsman Team form. Antoine Cobb offers some run-stuffing potential as one of the bigger defensive linemen on the entire roster.

This does not even include players from the 2025 recruiting class, which is strong in its own right. Anthony Smith is a ready-made run defender at 350 pounds, while Marshall transfer Su Agunloye is a giant on the defensive line at 6-feet-6-inches and 293 pounds.

I am excited to see how this position group forms, meshes, and grows throughout the spring. The talent is there to be utilized, but it needs to be unlocked through some tough position battles.

Linebacker

Outside of a few good performers, FIU will need some new faces to step up at linebacker for their football team.

Eddie Walls III was arguably the team’s biggest standout player, producing in all facets of the game. He had 11 defensive stops, five sacks, and five quarterback hits. With 50 overall pressures, Walls combined solid run defense with elite pass-rushing metrics.

Percy Courtney Jr. was a solid run defender when on the field for the Golden Panthers, racking up nine tackles and four defensive stops in just under 70 offensive snaps.

Outside of those two players, though, there are a lot of question marks at the position.

Players like Josiah Taylor, Orlando Syp-Timmons, and Dylan Calero are all sophomores who have rarely seen playing time, but have some upside. Freshman Matthew Pointer is an imposing edge rusher waiting to be unleashed at 6-feet-5-inches, while Cameron Davis is a possible option to compete at middle linebacker.

FIU added Kani Smith, King Massey, and Marc Michel from the high school football ranks in 2025. They also added Florida State transfers Dante Anderson and Lamont Green Jr., along with Stanford transfer Aaron Armitage.

To say that FIU lacks talent at linebacker would be incorrect. Instead, they need to determine who to deploy and utilize as starters. As a result, this will be another great storyline to follow starting this spring.

Defensive Backs

After a productive 2024 season, the Golden Panthers will need the spring to start determining who the new players in the secondary will become.

2024 saw FIU play much more zone coverage than man coverage. The majority of the secondary played in it over 70 percent of the time, while most of the leading snap recipients played in man for 20 percent of their reps or less.

This helped players like JoJo Evans, Jamal Potts, and Hezekiah Masses have great seasons. Unfortunately, it also meant they were to transfer to different schools for 2025.

Headlined by a star cornerback in Brian Blades II, FIU has talent in their secondary. Whether on its roster, added from the high school ranks, or snagged in the transfer portal, the Golden Panthers will be able to compete in CUSA and with their opponents in general.

Victor Evans III and Mister Clark showed promise in limited action, while Shamir Sterlin and Antonio Patterson will look to have much-improved campaigns in 2025. Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine is an intriguing slot cornerback transfer from Arizona, while Colorado’s Johnny Chaney Jr. and Arkansas State’s Websley Etienne are fun options at safety. And that is not including freshman signee Christain Barnett.

How defensive coordinator Jovan Dewitt views this room is a mystery. However, it is a mystery that will begin to get unfurled during spring ball, which will help make sense of FIU’s plans to rebuild its secondary.