MIAMI — College football season is nearly here, and Florida International University is preparing to open the Willie Simmons era.
Simmons, just seven months into his tenure as the Panthers’ head coach, is looking to reshape a program that has faced its share of struggles in recent years.
“This team is hungry to win,” Simmons said.
The rebuild goes beyond the coaching change, with roster turnover bringing in 48 new players. Instead of lamenting the impact of the transfer portal, Simmons said he’s choosing to embrace it.
“We’re going to be thankful for the ones that we get to coach, and so whether it’s the returning guys from last year or the 48 new guys that we brought in this year, we’re going to coach them all,” he said.
One of the few returning starters is quarterback Keyone “Lights Out” Jenkins, the Panthers’ offensive leader.
“He’s a dual-threat guy, very dangerous with his legs, has a live arm, with a lot of touch, so he can make all the throws,” Simmons said.
Jenkins is coming off a sophomore season in which he completed 188 passes for nearly 2,600 yards and 22 touchdowns.
“That comes with timing — you know, the speed of the game is slowing down to me,” Jenkins said. “And it also goes to trust. I’m going to trust those guys to stand in that paint and block for me, and they’re going to trust me to make that play for them.”
FIU opens the season against Bethune-Cookman but will face a major test in week two when the Panthers travel to Happy Valley to take on Penn State.
“I told the team every game is a chance to win, just like it’s a chance to lose it,” Simmons said. “So we’re going to do everything we can to go in and win the game. This is not just a game to go out there and collect the check. We’re going with a sole mission to try to win and play our best football.”
While preseason polls aren’t high on the Panthers, Simmons said he isn’t concerned.
“We define our own success in this program, and that’s our pursuit of excellence,” Simmons said. “So as long as we keep that mindset, we won’t worry about what the world says about us.”
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