Kent State Football received a verbal commitment for the class of 2025 on Thursday night from Bryce Griffin. Bryce is a 6-3, 210 pound edge player from Yorkville, Illinois and Yorkville High School.
In his junior season for the Fighting Foxes Griffen accumulated seven sacks, 53 total tackles including 22 solo, and 21 tackles for loss. Griffin also had offers from Western Illinois, Bowling Green, Illinois State, Eastern Michigan and Northern Iowa. Offered back in February after a conversation with KSU linebackers coach C.J. Robbins, Griffin is the second verbal commit for the Flashes in 2025, joining running back TaRyan Martin from East Saint Louis who committed last week.
“As soon as I stepped foot on campus I fell in love with the atmosphere of Kent State,” Griffin said. “It was very energetic. I loved the whole coaching staff, and I just instantly knew that Kent State is a great fit for me.”
Griffin has a burst and can get to the quarterback as a rush end, a role the Flashes continue to use him in.
“I’m being used as a rush end, I’m very excited about that. I bring a lot of energy to the table and just a dawg who can get to the quarterback at any given time.”
CONRAD & ROBINSON TO STAFF:
Malcolm Robinson is joining the staff as rush end coach and will potentially get to work with Griffin starting in the fall of 2025 when Griffin gets to campus.
Robinson, along with CJ Conrad (Tight Ends Coach) were officially named to the KSU staff this week.
Robinson joins the KSU from Pittsburgh where he was a defensive line graduate assistant since January 2023. Before to working with the Pitt, he started with Akron where he served as a Quality Control coach for defense. Robinson was a four-year member of the University of Minnesota football team where he earned four Academic All-Conference honors. He also was a graduate transfer at Morgan State where he earned pre-season All-MEAC honors as well as honor roll accolades.
A former tight end for Kentucky, Conrad got his coaching start with the Wildcats as a graduate assistant. For two years he worked with tight ends and special teams before serving as the offensive quality control coach during the 2023 spring season. Conrad comes to Kent State after one season at Eastern Kentucky where he coached tight ends. Conrad was a team captain for Kentucky and an undrafted free agent with the New York Giants where he made the practice squad for the 2019 season. Conrad is a native of Northeast Ohio and went to high school at Keystone in LaGrange.
BEERS WITH BURNS:
Head Ball coach Kenni Burns will be at Bellacino’s in Stow this Monday, May 13 for Pizza, Punts & Pints presented by The Golden Flashes Club. Learn the ins and outs of the Kent State Football team from Burns, featuring a keynote address and Q&A session. Pizza and soft drinks will be included with a ticket and a cash bar will be available.