Kennesaw State
The record is going to flatter them
No. 113 in team strength, No. 59 in projected wins, and that 54-spot gap says more about who they play than who they are, so 7-5 will read better than they play.
- 01
01Why are they here?
Building a caseKennesaw State opens at No. 113, near the foot of the national field, and No. 4 in the C-USA. In the preseason that placement comes down to one thing: how good the roster projects to be.
0.1 behind No. 112 Louisiana0.4 clear of No. 114 New Mexico - 02
02What's helping them?
- Developing Team Strength30.8
How good the team actually is — talent, roster and returning production.
0303What's hurting them?
- Nothing on the ledger yet
What they have actually done — who they beat, who beat them, and how good those teams were.
- 04
04What would change Verdict's mind?
Kennesaw State is 0.1 Verdict points behind No. 112 Louisiana — that's the gap to close.
- Start playing to begin earning a résumé
- Beat a quality opponent to log a Statement Win
- String together dominant wins for Game Control
- 05
05Where are they headed?
Earned So FarNo games playedThe record is blank until the first kickoffProjected Finish7-524% likeliest outcomeExpected Wins6.5Bowl Odds73%Playoff Odds<1%90% Range4-8 to 9-3Favored in 8 of 12 — with 6 of the 12 near coin-flips, the likeliest finish comes out 7-5 at 24%.
Schedule value · projected - 06
06What's next?
vs West GeorgiaWeek 1 · Home · Verdict win probability 84%West Georgia is not an FBS program, so this game never enters the résumé. It counts toward the record, at most one win like it counts toward bowl eligibility — and a loss would go straight into Case Weaknesses.
Who carries this case
Baron Hopson is back at LB after 139 tackles (10 TFL, 0.5 sacks). Amari Odom (2,594 passing yards), Coleman Bennett (764 rushing yards), Gabriel Benyard (949 receiving yards) and Elijah Hill (9 sacks) are gone.
Kennesaw State's 2025 statistical leaders, and whether they are still here. Recorded production only — Verdict does not grade a player.
Source: public roster and 2025 player statistics · production is a record, not a projection
What changed before a snap
2025 ended 10-3, scoring 368 and allowing 316 — outscoring people by 4.0 a game.2025
- 29 portal additions, the loudest a 0.86-rated WR out of Northern Colorado.2026 transfer portal
- A 0.86-rated S from UCF and a 0.85-rated CB from Miami (OH) arrived alongside him.2026 transfer portal
- 2nd-best scoring margin in the C-USA last season, at 4.0 a game.2025
- The door swung the wrong way: 19 out against 29 in.2026 transfer portal
- A 0.87-rated WR left to Washington — the one they will miss first.2026 transfer portal
Real game evidence switches on the moment these teams actually play.· Data: CollegeFootballData API
Statistical Record
No completed games for Kennesaw State at this point in the season.
The games that decide this case
6 home dates, 6 road trips — one of them against a top-25 team. A 2-game road run opens in Week 3.
- Week 3 sends them to #13 Tennessee.
- Week 4 is a trip to #90 Arkansas State.
- Week 12 brings #94 FIU to town.
- It opens Week 1 at home against West Georgia.
- It closes Week 13 on the road at Western Kentucky.
What this case is built on
New evidence from the wire
Link-only reporting from independent publishers. Opens at the source. Never affects any Verdict metric.
Do you uphold #113?
Weigh the evidence and rule on Kennesaw State's current case.
The arguments about Kennesaw State
All arguments →“Okay, but who have they actually played?”
The season they have actually played
“Yeah, we lost — but who did we lose to, and how?”
The season they have actually played
“Put them through our schedule and see what happens.”
Against Georgia State
“Play that game at our place and it's different.”
Week 3 at Tennessee
“I'm telling you — they're getting upset.”
Week 4 at Arkansas State
“Nobody is getting through that stretch.”
Their worst three or four weeks
Test Kennesaw State's case against the field.
Run the next matchup through the model, or put this team where you think it belongs.
Baseline established — No. 113. Every move from here is logged with its previous rank, its new rank and the evidence event that caused it. A case never moves without a traceable reason.