MIAMI, FL – With football approaching for the FIU Panthers, anticipation for the upcoming season requires a deep dive into all aspects of the team, ensuring the best view of what 2024 could look like for the 305.
In this article, we’ll be detailing the Quarterbacks of the FIU Panthers, including who will likely be the starter, who will be the serviceable backup, and the other names fans should keep an eye on in case the worst happens.
Let’s get to it.
The “Key” To Success
It’s not every season that the quarterback position is one of the more positive aspects of a Panthers’ squad, but these are exciting times for FIU.
A massive decision was made by the coaching staff last season, in which Grayson James was named the starter for Week Zero against Louisiana Tech – a game in which the Panthers lost, and James only threw four passing yards.
James has since transferred to Boston College, and the starting job for the remainder of last season was Keyone Jenkins, a young talent from Miami Central High School who brought hype to the Panthers as soon as he committed.
With that said, it was Jenkins’ ship to steer from Week One onwards, and he proved to be serviceable with flashes of greatness in games here and there.
He ultimately wound up with 2,422 passing yards, a 58.4 completion percentage, 11 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions.
His passing ability in the third game of last season against North Texas, in which he threw 20 completions for 291 yards and a touchdown. The stat line is once again disturbed by two interceptions.
At the same time, there were some games down the stretch in which Jenkins was benched late in games that were out of reach, and backup quarterbacks stepped in.
A New Look For Lyghts?
As was the case for the team last season, there’s always room for improvement.
In Spring practices, head coach Mike MacIntyre and Jenkins talked about how he’s bulked up his muscles and overall weight to increase his throw distance while maintaining his movement speed when the pocket collapses.
“Last season, the longest Jenkins could throw was about 60 yards. He believes now with his added muscle, he can go further than that. Jenkins mentioned that he would know in a couple of days when practices get more intense,” said Kevin Barral in an article for Sports Illustrated back in March.
In addition, Keyone has looked forward to the role of leader in his offense. With a full year of football under his belt, taking part in drills to ensure that he’ll be the best fit for the starting job come the Fall semester.
It’s not just Jenkins, or even MacIntyre, who notes this. In an episode of the Paws Up Podcast, linebacker Reggie Peterson talked about how he’s motivated Jenkins to play better in practices. After throwing an interception to Peterson, he threw five touchdowns.
Spoiler alert, but it’s HIGHLY likely that Jenkins will be the Week One starter for the Panthers this season and beyond. He’s put in a lot of work to get here in Year Two, and the expectations are beyond high.
Always Need A QB2
The biggest question that needs to be addressed is who will be the backup to Jenkins. There are a few quarterbacks who could play the part, but one stands out more than the others.
That QB in question is Haden Carlsson – the backup for the Panthers last season. In three games, he recorded seven completions for 120 yards, no touchdowns, and no interceptions.
Truthfully, this isn’t a reliable way to determine his skillset, considering the limited time on the field in which the game was out of reach for the Panthers. But still, the fact that he’s been in this spot before gives him some room over other quarterbacks.
A new addition to the QB room is Clayton Dees, a freshman out of Palmetto High School who signed with the team in the Winter. His statistics in high school do look solid – over 3,500 yards and 27 touchdowns.
Along with Dees, you also have Amari Jones, a redshirt sophomore who has yet to see the field in an actual game, Chayden Peery, a transfer from Georgia Tech in 2022 who hasn’t seen action for the Yellow Jackets or Panthers, and Zachary Waters, a redshirt freshman from West Boca High School.
Overall, keep an eye on Jenkins to break out this season. It won’t be easy, as he’ll be working with a new-looking receiving core and offensive line, but his talent should have developed since the final game of 2023.
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