Kent State senior center Nathan Puthoff (Columbus, Ohio) will don the No. 54 jersey this season in honor of his late teammate Jason Bitsko. The jersey was presented to Puthoff at a team meeting Sunday night inside Dix Stadium, exactly three years after Bitsko's tragic and sudden passing.
"Nathan's work ethic and leadership really stood out through camp practices and summer workouts," Head Coach Paul Haynes said. "He's a great teammate. And those are the things Jason stood for. As our starting center, it's kind of fitting. And he'll represent the jersey well.