ALBANY, Ga. (WALB) — Albany State head football coach David Bowser said the program has 94 players available for summer workouts, with daily attendance averaging between 70 and 75 players as the Golden Rams build toward fall camp.

Bowser, who was hired to lead the program after the previous coaching staff’s departure, said the roster grew significantly since he arrived Jan. 5, when only 42 players remained from the previous year’s group.

“January 5th, when I first got here, we only had 42 guys that were returning from the previous roster,” Bowser said. “And so that was tough.”

Building the roster

The program added 28 players at mid-semester, held an open tryout that retained seven walk-ons, and brought the spring roster to 77. Albany State then signed 52 players in high school recruiting, 28 of whom came from the South Georgia region. An additional 10 to 12 transfer players described as “plug-and-play type guys” rounded out the 94-player summer group.

Of those 94, approximately 52 are enrolled in regular summer school and 28 freshmen are participating in a summer success academy. Players who placed out of the summer program due to dual-enrollment credits have continued to attend workouts voluntarily.

Strength and conditioning coach Troy Williams, an Albany State and Fitzgerald, Ga., native, has overseen the daily workouts. Bowser said Williams runs sessions without coaching staff present and provides feedback on player progress.

“If you’re in Division II and you’re averaging 70 to 75 guys working out every day with your strength coach, that’s a big plus,” Bowser said.

Wellness checks and player development

Bowser said he has implemented regular wellness checks with players, a practice he said stems from his time as a player at NC State and later from his experience on staff at Johnson C. Smith University under coach Flowers.

“Wellness check is just letting them know that somebody cares,” Bowser said. “The relationship runs more than just football.”

He said the checks are intended to address academic concerns — the program held one following midterms — as well as personal matters, and to remind players that staff members are available as advocates.

Bowser said he also communicates with team leaders individually by text message to reinforce expectations and encourage players to step into leadership roles, particularly those who were backups or shared time under the previous staff.

Seven-on-seven and satellite camps

Albany State hosted a seven-on-seven tournament on campus that included Dougherty High School, Crisp High School, Columbus Carver, Columbus Spencer, and Franklin County (Fla.). Lee County won the event. A second seven-on-seven is scheduled for July 9 at Albany State.

Coach Ryan Petrosik served as camp coordinator for the event. Bowser said the format was chosen over a traditional prospect camp to bring larger numbers of players onto campus and expose them to Albany State’s facilities, including the blue turf field and Lovett Hall.

The program also conducted satellite camps in the Raleigh-Durham, N.C., area; Lexington, S.C.; and Tampa, Fla.

Season tickets and upcoming schedule

Albany State is offering an early bird season ticket package at $135 through July 15. The package includes three home games — against Kentucky State, Lane (homecoming), and Benedict — as well as tickets to the FAMU game and the Fountain City Classic in Columbus, Ga.

Bowser said the program has three home games this season because, as conference champions, Albany State is required to participate in the Black College Football Hall of Fame game in Ohio. He said the program plans to have four or five home games in the 2027 schedule.

SIAC Media Days and camp outlook

Bowser said three players will represent Albany State at SIAC Media Days in Macon: De’avary Weeks, Derek Drayton, and Cameron Watts. Drayton was an All-American last season. Watts earned all-conference honors in special teams as a kick and punt returner.

Bowser said he expects Albany State to be ranked third to fifth in preseason polling, noting the team carries nine seniors and 12 juniors but also 26 sophomores and 29 redshirt freshmen with limited game experience.

“It’s a long season,” Bowser said. “Our focus right now is to put ourselves in position to be 1-0 on August the 29th.”

Camp opens Aug. 2, with the first practice scheduled for Aug. 4.

The Albany State football program will also host a golf tournament July 31 at the Flint River course. Check-in begins at 8 a.m. with a 9 a.m. tee time. Registration information is available on the Albany State athletics website.

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