# 2025 FIU Panthers football team

The 2025 FIU Panthers football team will represent Florida International University (FIU) as a members of Conference USA (C-USA) during the 2025 NCAA Division I FBS football season. The Panthers are expected to be led by Willie Simmons in his first year as the head coach. The Panthers play home games at Pitbull Stadium, located in Miami-Dade County, Florida.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Ja'Coby Matthews | WR | Alcorn State |
| Nazeviah Burris | WR | Arkansas State |
| Travion Barnes | LB | Baylor |
| Hezekiah Masses | DB | Cal |
| Rocky Beers | TE | Colorado State |
| Jackson Lee | LS | Florida Atlantic |
| Mike Jackson | WR | Florida Memorial |
| Eric Rivers | WR | Georgia Tech |
| Dean Patterson | WR | Georgia Tech |
| JaDarious Lee | OL | Kennesaw State |
| JoJo Evans | S | Louisville |
| Naeer Jackson | OL | Louisville |
| Travis Burke | OL | Memphis |
| Shomari Lawrence | RB | Missouri State |
| Amari Jones | QB | South Carolina State |
| John Bock II | OL | Tulane |
| Antonio Ferguson | TE | UAB |
| CJ Christian | S | Washington |
| Marquez Tatum | DL | Unknown |
| Claude Larkins | DE | Unknown |
| Reggie Peterson | LB | Unknown |
| Ming Tjon | OL | Unknown |
| Rowdy Beers | TE | Unknown |
| Kejon Owens | RB | Withdrawn |
| Keyone Jenkins | QB | Withdrawn |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Reece Larson | WR | Appalachian State |
| Websley Etienne | S | Arkansas State |
| Jai-Ayviauynn Celestine | CB | Arizona |
| Johnny Chaney Jr. | LB | Colorado |
| Trey Wilhoit | P | Florida A&M |
| Lamont Green Jr. | DE | Florida State |
| Dante Anderson | DE | Florida State |
| Alex Perry | WR | Hawaii |
| Demetrius Hill | S | Illinois |
| Su Agunloye | DL | Marshall |
| Ajay Allen | RB | Miami (FL) |
| Antonio Tripp | IOL | Miami (FL) |
| Julius Pierce | IOL | Middle Tennessee |
| Trent Sims | LS | Mississippi Valley State |
| Aaron Armitage | DE | Stanford |
| Dallas Payne | TE | UAB |

### Coaching staff additions

| Name | New Position | Previous Team | Previous Position |
| Willie Simmons | Head coach | Duke | Running backs |
| Nick Coleman | Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks | UAB | Quarterbacks |
| Kenneth Gilstrap | Special teams/Safeties | UAB | Secondary |
| Ryan Smith | Linebackers | Murray State | Defensive coordinator/Safeties |
| Frank Ponce | Associate head coach/Tight ends | Appalachian State | Offensive coordinator/Quarterbacks |
| Benedick Hyppolite | Running backs | Miami | Offensive analyst/Running backs |
| Edwin Pata | Offensive line | Miami | Offensive line |
| Jelani Berassa | Wide receivers | Youngstown State | Wide receivers |

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site |
| August 30 | Bethune–Cookman* | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL |
| September 6 | at Penn State* | Beaver StadiumUniversity Park, PA |
| September 13 | Florida Atlantic* | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL (Shula Bowl) |
| September 20 | Delaware | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL |
| October 4 | at UConn* | Rentschler FieldEast Hartford, CT |
| October 14 | at Western Kentucky | Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith StadiumBowling Green, KY |
| October 21 | Kennesaw State | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL |
| October 29 | at Missouri State | Robert W. Plaster StadiumSpringfield, MO |
| November 8 | at Middle Tennessee | Johnny "Red" Floyd StadiumMurfreesboro, TN |
| November 15 | Liberty | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL |
| November 22 | Jacksonville State | Pitbull StadiumMiami, FL |
| November 29 | at Sam Houston | Bowers StadiumHuntsville, TX |
| *Non-conference game ||||

## Game summaries
### vs. Bethune–Cookman

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Wildcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Bethune–Cookman | Passing |
| Bethune–Cookman | Rushing |
| Bethune–Cookman | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### at Penn State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nittany Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Beaver Stadium • University Park, PA
* Date: Saturday September 6, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| Penn State | Passing |
| Penn State | Rushing |
| Penn State | Receiving |

### vs. Florida Atlantic (Shula Bowl)

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Saturday September 13, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Florida Atlantic | Passing |
| Florida Atlantic | Rushing |
| Florida Atlantic | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### vs. Delaware

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Fightin' Blue Hens | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Saturday September 20, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Delaware | Passing |
| Delaware | Rushing |
| Delaware | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### at UConn

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Huskies | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Rentschler Field • East Hartford, CT
* Date: Saturday October 4, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| UConn | Passing |
| UConn | Rushing |
| UConn | Receiving |

### at Western Kentucky

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hilltoppers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Houchens Industries–L. T. Smith Stadium • Bowling Green, KY
* Date: Tuesday October 14, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| Western Kentucky | Passing |
| Western Kentucky | Rushing |
| Western Kentucky | Receiving |

### vs. Kennesaw State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Owls | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Tuesday October 21, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Kennesaw State | Passing |
| Kennesaw State | Rushing |
| Kennesaw State | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### at Missouri State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bears | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Robert W. Plaster Stadium • Springfield, MO
* Date: Wednesday October 29, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| Missouri State | Passing |
| Missouri State | Rushing |
| Missouri State | Receiving |

### at Middle Tennessee

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Blue Raiders | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Johnny "Red" Floyd Stadium • Murfreesboro, TN
* Date: Saturday November 8, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| Middle Tennessee | Passing |
| Middle Tennessee | Rushing |
| Middle Tennessee | Receiving |

### vs. Liberty

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Flames | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Saturday November 15, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Liberty | Passing |
| Liberty | Rushing |
| Liberty | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### vs. Jacksonville State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Gamecocks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Pitbull Stadium • Miami, FL
* Date: Saturday November 22, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Jacksonville State | Passing |
| Jacksonville State | Rushing |
| Jacksonville State | Receiving |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |

### at Sam Houston

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bearkats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Bowers Stadium • Huntsville, TX
* Date: Saturday November 29, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| FIU | Passing |
| FIU | Rushing |
| FIU | Receiving |
| Sam Houston | Passing |
| Sam Houston | Rushing |
| Sam Houston | Receiving |