By David Rogers. BOONE, N.C. — Reciprocity. That could well have been the key takeaway from “The Battle of the Rock” spring football game on April 12, pitting App State’s offense against the Mountaineers’ defense, with a sprinkling of special teams play along the way.
An estimated 15,000 fans from AppNation got a firsthand glimpse of new head coach Dowell Loggains’ gridiron product during the crisply-run drills and scrimmage. At the same time, the legion of new recruits — including a staff of assistant coaches loaded with NFL and major college pedigrees — received a taste of what playing in “The Rock” is like, the energized atmosphere in Kidd Brewer Stadium not quite up to gameday standards but certainly headed in that direction.
After some opening, warmup drills, the teams got down to the main event, a live scrimmage pitting the offense against the defense — and whether you favor a dynamic defense or a thrill-a-minute offense, there were some nice moments for all.
New names surfaced on big plays, including interceptions by junior defensive back Cristian Conyer (a transfer who played at Coastal Carolina in 2024 and appeared in 10 games for Tennessee in 2023) and redshirt freshman Kaleb Neal (following a deflection from defensive back Tyshawn Sanders).
Redshirt senior Joseph Bakhoe, a Charlotte native (Myers Park HS) who initially played at Coffeyville Community College before one-year stints at Louisiana-Monroe (2023) and Chattanooga (2024), impressed coaches and fans with a forced fumble. There were also non-contact “sacks” by redshirt senior Thomas Davis, redshirt freshman DeNigel Cooper, and redshirt junior Josiah Wyatt, all returning defensive linemen.
Admittedly, though, much of the day’s curiosity centered on the revamped Mountaineer offense, given Loggains reputation as an innovator on that side of the ball and the big vacancy left with the graduation and transfer of quarterback Joey Aguilar to UCLA.
The quarterback room may be one of the most crowded as well as competitive of the skill positions. AJ Swann, a 6-2, 215 lb. redshirt junior with two seasons of eligibility remaining after playing for Vanderbilt in 2022-23 and serving as a backup QB for LSU in 2024, got the first look on offense and didn’t disappoint with three TD throws during his rotations, one each to redshirt freshman Jose Leon (Miami, Fla.), junior Jaden Barnes (a transfer from Austin Peay) and Michael Dipasquale, a returning redshirt sophomore running back from Wake Forest, N.C.
Freshman quarterback Noah Gillon (6-3, 180 lbs., Tupelo, Miss.) lit up the scoreboard to start the second half with a long pass to redshirt senior tight end David Larkins, a returning starter. The play covered more than 70 yards, prompting 6-5, 255 lb. Larkins to admit to reporters after the game that it was the furthest he had ever run on a scoring play. After slipping behind the defensive secondary to find himself wide open, Larkins gathered in Gillon’s perfectly thrown spiral and sprinted untouched to the end zone.
“My greatest fear in being that wide open,” said a smiling Larkins, “is not catching the ball in that situation. I would rather be more closely guarded.”
In his first taste of collegiate football, Gillon had several shorter completions, too.
Another transfer QB candidate lived up to his major college pedigree and 4-star rating as a high school prospect in JJ Kohl, a 6-7, 250 lb. redshirt sophomore signal caller with three years of eligibility remaining. Kohl spent his 2023 and 2024 seasons at Iowa State. In “The Battle at the Rock” on Saturday, the towering QB found William Fowles for a TD. The redshirt sophomore wide receiver from Hialeah, Fla. transferred to App State a year ago, from Louisville.
Another strong QB prospect, Matthew Wilson, tossed a TD pass to Larkins, too. Wilson is a redshirt freshman from Rock Hill, S.C., who was an early enrollee to App State a year ago after being named the Offensive MVP of the 2023 Shrine Bowl of the Carolinas and an all-state selection as a high school senior.
The quarterback room also includes redshirt senior Billy Wiles, who transferred from Southern Miss a year ago. He was a scholarship player at Clemson before transferring to Southern Miss. As a veteran college QB who led his high school to a Virginia state title his senior year, Wiles is also a strong contender for the App State starting job.
The sixth QB candidate, redshirt sophomore Cameron Estep, also has a strong high school pedigree after leading Charlotte Christian to two state titles and setting the school’s record for touchdown passes.
Of the quarterback room, Swann told reporters afterwards that he was part of “… a close-knit group. Everyone gets the same number of reps as evenly as possible and I really enjoy it… We have a close-knit locker room, everyone coming together as one and that is what Coach is preaching.”
Swann said he really likes the offensive system.
“It is really well-run. They ran this offense last year at South Carolina and were very successful, one of the most successful in the SEC,” said Swann.
Kohl said he loved the atmosphere at Kidd Brewer and the enthusiasm of the fans.
“The fact they could fill the stadium on a very cold, windy day is impressive.”
Like Swann, Kohl described the transition into the new offense has been pretty smooth.
For his part, head coach Loggains seemed pleased with what he saw.
“We’ve got a lot to clean up, and there was a lot of good, but there is still a lot of work ahead,” Loggains said. “We’re going to have a busy summer with these guys. The good thing for us is we have a whole training camp to clean that stuff up.”
The first test for the new-look Mountaineers will be Friday, Aug. 29, at Bank of America Stadium against Charlotte, which is also coming into the 2025 season with a new head coach, Tim Albin, a two-time Mid-American Conference “Coach of the Year” and head coach of the 2024 MAC champions, Ohio University.
