Deep, Versatile Linebacker Room Takes Shape Through Fall Camp
8/7/2026 7:51:00 PM | Football
KENT, Ohio — Three days into fall camp, Kent State's linebacker room looks markedly different from it did a year ago, but coach Kevin Snyder likes the mix of returning talent, transfer additions, and freshman potential he's watched come together on the practice field.
"We got a lot of new pieces, we had a lot of guys exit, graduate, we had to replace with a lot of guys," Snyder said. "We brought in a really good freshman backer that we're excited about in Kendall McNutt. We brought Rocco Nicholl back. We brought other guys in from the portal, including Hayden Dawahare. So we look a lot different, but we've got a lot of veteran players, and they've done a great job. We got a lot of smart players, good football players, so we're excited to see how they progress as a full unit in this camp."
Among the additions is Nicholl, who returns to Kent State after spending the 2025 season at South Florida following three seasons with the Golden Flashes. Snyder said the impact of having a familiar, established leader back in the room has been immediate.
"He's a guy that's a familiar face, right, that people know," Snyder said. "He's led this team by example. He's played a lot of football here, he's had a lot of success here, so people look to him, and he's a guy that we're comfortable with in our defense. Even if it's only been about six months, it feels like he's been here for four years, which he really had, you know, when you really look at it. So it was really great having him back."
Snyder said the room's newcomers, including transfers with Power Four experience and McNutt, a highly regarded freshman, have adjusted quickly despite the natural growing pains of a new system.
"There's always going to be a learning curve, and that's what really spring is for, for a lot of those portal guys," Snyder said. "But they've really just taken what we've done, and they've learned really well. We have a really smart, intelligent room, really good smart football players, so they've done a great job. We're only at day three, so there's still plenty of mistakes, plenty to learn, plenty to grow from."
On McNutt specifically, Snyder pointed to his early command of the playbook as a positive sign.
"Kendall got here this summer, so he's new; this is really his third day," Snyder said. "He was with the guys, and they were learning together in the summer when we were away, but he's done a great job. Another smart football player that I'm excited about how he's going to grow."
Returning leading tackler Sayed Abuhamdeh has stepped firmly into a leadership role at the position, according to Snyder, who said Abuhamdeh has developed into the room's primary communicator.
"Sayed has really grown into that mike-type role where he's a really good communicator," Snyder said. "He communicates at a high level, is very smart, can get our defense aligned, and understands everything around him, so there's a certain comfort that he brings to the field. He's grown as a player too; he's gained strength, he's gained speed, and he has the IQ to fit and be where he's supposed to be and be around the football."
Snyder also credited Kentucky transfer Hayden Dawahare and Nicholl for adding to the room's leadership depth heading into the season.
"Hayden's come in and he's a great voice as well," Snyder said. "He has confidence, he's a guy that guys look to, he's smart. So we're really looking forward to him also leading. And then Rocco Nicholl, as we've already talked about, a guy who's familiar in this room and a guy that we're really looking to hoist us up at that will linebacker position."
As camp continues, Snyder said the group's priorities remain unchanged from a year ago.
"It's always going to be the same. Can we get to the line? Can we put our eyes in the right spot? Can we beat blocks?" Snyder said. "That's really going to be the big three for us, because if we can't get to the line and we can't put our eyes in the right spot, we're going to give up big plays and we're going to have issues. If we can do those things, then we can go beat blockers and get to the football, and we're going to have success."
Snyder said the room's size and versatility give him confidence heading into the season.
"We have a lot of big, long guys who can run, guys who can communicate, guys who can play multiple positions," Snyder said. "We're always going to have guys that can cross-train, play a lot of places, and be really one gelled unit. I think we're going to have a lot of depth coming out of camp to be able to get into a game week."
Abuhamdeh, now in his fourth year, said he's felt the shift toward a leadership role naturally with a young room looking to him for direction.
"We have a pretty young room, and those younger guys see me as, like, a vet," Abuhamdeh said. "It's my fourth year, so just seeing me in the film room, getting extra work, being a vet, those younger guys kind of look up to me, so I got to take on that leadership role."
Abuhamdeh said his offseason focused on addressing a specific weakness from last season.
"At the end of last season, I feel like I really wanted to work on my body, get faster, stronger, and really work on block destruction, because I feel like that's a weakness in my game last year," Abuhamdeh said. "So getting stronger in the offseason and really working on block destruction is a big improvement for me."
Through the first three days of camp, Abuhamdeh pointed to Nicholl, Rafael Terrero Jr., and Quan Rhodes-McKee as players who have caught his eye.
"Rocco, he's been making noise," Abuhamdeh said. "Terrero, he had a great offseason, and he's been doing really well so far this camp. And Quan, he's a playmaker, he finds ways to get to the ball, and he makes plays."
Abuhamdeh described the linebackers' identity for the season as one built on disciplined execution.
"We just want to play through our alignment and assignment and make plays through them," Abuhamdeh said. "We want to be able to play the run, fit the run, be violent at the point of attack, and also be able to play the pass as well, take away the passing lanes for the quarterback. Being able to play the run and pass is kind of our identity, I feel like."
For Nicholl, the decision to return to Kent State after a season at South Florida came down to comfort and familiarity.
"I just wanted to come back to somewhere where I was comfortable, where all I really had to focus on here was football and school, no other distractions," Nicholl said. "I could just come back to somewhere I was comfortable, and I know a defense I could thrive in."
Nicholl, a Preseason All-MAC selection who ranked among the team's top tacklers in 2024 despite missing multiple games, said his goals extend beyond his own production.
"I just hope we can be the best unit in the MAC and in the country," Nicholl said. "We have a lot of talent, we're really deep. We've probably got six or seven guys who can rotate in. For me personally, I want to be the best teammate I can be for my brothers, and as a group, I think we can be the best in the conference for sure."
Nicholl pointed to Duquesne transfer Quan Rhodes-McKee, Abuhamdeh, and McNutt as players who have stood out to him early in camp.
"Quan, he's another will, he just transferred in from Duquesne, he plays with a lot of fire, a lot of physicality," Nicholl said. "Sayed, he's learning the playbook, he's really becoming a leader. Kendall, the freshman, has really developed, like mentally, which is kind of rare. We have a bunch of different guys."
Linebacker Room Breakdown
Returners: Sayed Abuhamdeh (R-Jr.), Brodyn Bishop (R-So.), Tanner Mintz (R-Fr.), Trey Rubinstein (So.), Matthew Sollberger (R-So., transitioned from running back), Rafael Terrero Jr. (R-Fr.)
Newcomers: Rocco Nicholl (R-Sr.), Hayden Dawahare (R-Jr.), Quan Rhodes-McKee (R-So.), Semaj Bridgeman (R-Jr.), Nate Gregory (R-Fr.), Kendall McNutt (Fr.)
The Golden Flashes open the 2026 season on the road at South Carolina, on September 5, at 12:45 p.m. Eastern. Season tickets for the 2026 season are available now at KSUtix.com.
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