CJ Montes Named Starting Quarterback for Kent State Golden Flashes
8/21/2025 8:38:00 PM | Football
KENT, Ohio – Kent State interim head coach Mark Carney announced today that redshirt senior CJ Montes has been named the starting quarterback for the Golden Flashes for the upcoming season.
Montes, who transferred to Kent State from Fordham University this spring, brings impressive credentials and proven experience to the Golden Flashes' offense. The signal-caller earned STATS Perform Preseason All-America Third Team honors and Preseason All-Patriot League recognition heading into the 2024 season at Fordham.
"CJ Montes brings exactly what we're looking for in terms of a starting quarterback," said interim head coach Mark Carney. "His experience, leadership, and proven track record of success in valuing the football gave him the edge in a really close QB battle this camp. He's shown tremendous command of our offense throughout camp and has earned the respect of all his teammates. We're excited to see what he will accomplish in a Golden Flash uniform."
In his 2023 redshirt sophomore campaign at Fordham, Montes delivered an outstanding season that earned him Second Team All-Patriot League honors and Walter Payton Award finalist recognition. He completed 241 of 376 passes for 3,000 yards with an impressive 26 touchdowns against just one interception. His completion percentage of .641 ranked second in the Patriot League and 27th nationally in the NCAA FCS.
Montes led the Patriot League in multiple categories during his standout 2023 season, including passing yards (3,000), passing yards per game (272.7), and passing touchdowns (26). He also recorded five 300-yard passing games and one 400-yard performance while posting a passing efficiency rating of 153.4.
The experienced quarterback's 241 completions rank as the seventh-best single season in Fordham history, while his 3,000 passing yards rank ninth all-time, and his 26 touchdown passes are tied for seventh in program history.
Montes began his collegiate career at New Mexico, where he saw action in seven games over two seasons (2021-2022) before transferring to Fordham for the 2023 season.
The Golden Flashes open their season versus Merrimack on August 30 at noon in Dix Stadium. Season tickets and single game tickets are available at KSUtix.com.
---
Follow Kent State Football
For complete coverage of Kent State Athletics, download the official Kent State Golden Flashes app (iOS, Android) and follow the Golden Flashes on social media on X, Instagram, and Facebook for news and updates.
