5 local college takeaways including ex-FIU football standouts and Barry golfers
Ex-FIU football players Kejon Owens and Keyone Jenkins and former Barry University golfers AJ Ewart and Adam Swensson have made news recently.
Here are your five local-college takeaways:
1. MAJOR HONOR
Former FIU running back Kejon Owens is in Mobile, Alabama, practicing for Saturday’s annual Senior Bowl.
FIU coach Willie Simmons and offensive coordinator Nick Coleman flew to Mobile to support Owens, who is coming off a huge year as he set the Panthers single-season record with 1,334 rushing yards. He also scored 11 touchdowns.
In Mobile, Owens is one of 10 running backs invited to the prestigious NFL Draft showcase.
2. ORLANDO BOUND
Keyone Jenkins, who was FIU’s starting quarterback for most of the past three years, has transferred to UCF.
Curiously, Jenkins is now projected to serve as a backup to Alonza Barnett III, who led James Madison to a 12-2 record and a berth in the College Football Playoff.
Barnett completed 58.4 percent of his passes for 2,806 yards, 23 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He also ran for 589 yards and 15 TDs.
Jenkins in 2025 went 4-5 as a starter, completing 62.4 percent of his passes for 1,742 yards, nine TDs and six picks. He ran for 132 yards and five TDs, and the thought had been that he would transfer to a program where he would walk in as the projected starter.
According to a source, FIU wanted Jenkins back, but he would’ve had to compete for a starting job.
3. OFF TO THE PGA
Former Barry University golfers AJ Ewart, 26, and Adam Swensson, 31, recently earned their PGA Tour cards.
Ewart and Swensson – both of whom are Canadian natives – were two of just five players from a field of 176 to survive the 72-hole tournament at Ponte Vedra Beach. Ewart even shot a hole in one.
While at Barry, Ewart won the 2022 Jack Nicklaus Award given to the nation’s top NCAA Division II player. Swensson, meanwhile, led Barry to a pair of national titles in 2013 and 2014. He also won the Nicklaus Award in 2014.
4. SPRING IS IN THE AIR
FIU will start spring drills on March 10. There will be a total of 15 practices, including the annual Spring Game on April 11.
Meanwhile, St. Thomas University’s Drew Davis – son of Butch Davis – is preparing for his first spring practices as a head coach.
“We started our offseason program last week,” Davis said. “I wanted to give our players eight weeks of conditioning before we start spring practices in mid-March. That should get our kids bigger, faster and stronger.”
5. TOUGH LOSS
FIU’s men’s basketball team fell to visiting Jacksonville State, 78-74, on Wednesday night.
FIU (10-11 overall, 3-7 Conference USA) blew a 15-point lead as Jacksonville State true freshman Jacoby Hill broke a tie score with a mid-range jumper that came with just 0.9 seconds left in the game.
Following an FIU turnover, Jacksonville State made two free throws to seal the win.
FIU, which has lost five of its past six games, was led by Corey Stephenson, who scored 20 points and added six rebounds and four steals.
For the season, Stephenson – a 6-6 wing from Alabama -- leads FIU in scoring (17.7) and rebounds (6.7). Stephenson played the past two seasons at Cal-State Bakersfield.