Back To Work! Kent State Football Begins 2014 Preseason Camp

The Golden Flashes passed the eye test as they hit the field at Dix Stadium on Monday morning for the first practice of Kent State’s 2014 preseason camp.

The hard work they put in during a summer in the weight room is evident as just about everyone on the team has added muscle to the frame.

Head coach Paul Haynes told the media after practice that the work in the weight room was “one of the things we really wanted to attack. We wanted to make sure we got stronger. We are still a little way away from where we want to be … but the guys look good. We are close to looking like a football team.

Haynes pointed to junior defensive lineman Clay Miller, sophomore offensive lineman Reno Reda as players on each side of the ball who have made noticeable changes to their bodies since the end of the 2013 season. Miller is up to 270 pounds while Reda is up to 290. 

I chatted with strength and conditioning coach Antoine Sharp on the sideline on Monday and he pointed to sophomore offensive lineman Jake Witucki, sophomore running back-wide receiver Nick Holley and fifth-year senior Calvin Tiggle as three players who may have made the biggest strides in the weight room. Holley jumped from 178 to 191 pounds, which could help him take some extra pounding with his added duties as a running back. Tiggle, who is now healthy after dealing with injuries in recent years, put in the most work in the weight room, according to Sharp.

Even the arms of quarterback Colin Reardon are noticeably more defined as he heads into his sophomore season. 

The Flashes take the field just before 9:20 a.m.

“Holy cow, look at the guns on Reardon. He looks like a different guy,” one reporter said from the sideline as the Flashes started 7-on-7 drills.

SOME BIG NEWCOMERS, TOO ... The Flashes are not just getting bigger through the hard work of their returning players. Several members of this year’s freshman class also looked the Division I part on Monday. 

The size up front in Zach Singer, Kalil Morris and Jon Cunningham should help the Flashes replace some key losses along the defensive line. Singer arrived at 6-3, 290, Morris at 6-3, 280 and Cunningham at 6-foot, 265. All have frames to add more mass.

Add in the return of big-and-athletic fifth-year senior Richard Gray after a year off and the Flashes have some intriguing new parts to add to the defensive front.

EXPERIMENTING ON O-LINE … The Flashes are taking a look at a few familiar faces in new places along the offensive line. 

Junior Jason Bitsko opened camp at center after starting every game of 2014 at right tackle. Sophomore Alex Nielsen, who had played center during the spring season, was at right guard. The rest of the first-team offensive line featured Reda at left tackle and sophomore Wayne Scott at left guard while the right tackle spot was split by redshirt freshman Brock Macaulay and fifth-year senior Terrell Johnson.

Bitsko and Wayne Scott looked particularly impressive. The added size of the 6-foot-3 Bitsko next to the 6-3, 345-pound Wayne Scott gives the Flashes two potential road graders on the left side, and they should be side by side for three full seasons. 

HIGHLIGHTS … The big play of Practice No. 1 was turned in by redshirt freshman Jontey Byrd, who reacted to a pass that deflected off of the hands of sophomore wide receiver Charles Chandler and made a diving interception early in 1-on-1 drills. The athletic play by 5-foot-11, 280-pound defensive tackle drew some enthusiastic cheers from his teammates on defense. 

Sophomore cornerback Najee Murray and sophomore safety Nate Holley added interceptions during 7-on-7 work. At one point, the defense during those drills, the defense had seven potential starters who were all sophomores all on the field at the same time. Talking to Haynes recently, he is extremely excited about the potential of this year’s sophomore class.

Redshirt freshman Kris White was also impressive on Monday. The 6-foot-1 Clermont, Fla. native is competing for time at wide receiver.

The best catch of the day was turned in by sophomore Ernest Calhoun, who caught a deep ball from Reardon in traffic early in 11-on-11 drills. 

Haynes introduces Kevin Kels to the Flashes DB's

DAY-ONE GUEST ... Haynes welcomed a teammate from his playing days at Kent State to talk exclusively with the Flashes' defensive backs after practice.

"Kevin Kels was a player who played with me who was a beast when he played," said Haynes. "He is what a defensive back should be mentality wise. He tried to lay out everybody he got in contact with. Everyone knew who he was ... We always try to get former players back here to show our guys what pride people have in them for being a Golden Flash."

After watching all of practice from the sideline, Kels singled out Ohio State transfer Najee Murray and fifth-year senior cornerback Malcom Pannell as two players who impressed. 

"I like your style,"  Kels told Murray and Pannell. "You play hard. You play physical, and you look like you are having fun."

Kels played defensive back for Kent State from 1985-87.

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