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2018 Personnel

MolivaManiac

MolivaManiac

Spider's Club
Feb 8, 2004
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Some important losses to graduation but some good things to look forward to. Here's an overview...

Quarterback - Mancuso and Johnson is probably the best quarterback battle since Ward and Levi Brown more than a decade ago. Tre Story is going to be a good player too but probably not his time yet.

Running back - Xavier should have cemented himself as the #1 going into next season. The band is all back here and i hope we find a true pecking order.

Wide Receivers - The band is all back here and we add Bevels back to the mix. It's going to be a quite a fight for reps here.

Tight end - Hudson is a big loss but we'll be fine with Jacob and Gerraghty

Offensive Line - Light is a big loss but some good young talent here too. Yarbrough did a nice job at Center this season. I'm not sure he even missed a snap. Add Coleman, the Furman transfer and Sumpter backs to the mix and we are very strong in the middle. Samee, Markham and Dixon make a good competition at tackle.

D Line - Waller is a big loss and Trey Moore did some good things this year. Clyde and Ritten make a formidable middle. Wiggins did a good job but we need more options at end. Caleb Brooks was redshirting and appears promising. Defensive line is again a spot where i wouldn't mind a transfer or three.

LB - Add Billy Caughell back into this mix with Dale Mathews and Rubin. Good group.

Secondary - hope Micah Keels is OK. I really like some of the young talent here. #23 Jones, #21 Williams and #37 Springs all did some really good things this year. Marcus Vinson is a player here too - he's probably has the distinction of being the next person that SpiderK writes some really insulting things about not being tall.

Specials - Trau is back. Excited to see what Breckenridge brings to the table.

What did i miss?
 
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I am very optimistic about next year. Agree we need some depth on D line, but I think we have a chance to be a good defensive team. Continue to stop the run the way we did post Elon and the continued development of our younger secondary should make us a solid defensively. Offensively, obviously replacing Kyle will be hard. He is one of the best QBs in UR history. However, KJ and Mancuso are both good fits with our offensive system. As Mo mentioned, we will return great receiving and running back corps, and the offensive line should be solid. I think we should be able to score plenty of points to win. Looking forward to signing day and Spring Ball. Go Spids.
 
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Any RS-Jr going to graduate and not return next season?
 
Goodall was phenomenal the last few game of the season, quite an improvement from where the running game started this year which was a major disappointment considering the talent we had back.

Don’t think Thompson played after getting hurt at the UD game, was that for injury reasons?
 
ur2K said:
Goodall was phenomenal the last few game of the season, quite an improvement from where the running game started this year which was a major disappointment considering the talent we had back.

Don’t think Thompson played after getting hurt at the UD game, was that for injury reasons?
Click to expand...

Yes.Back-Neck.Was tackled by the helmet in a missed call.
 
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Not that it makes any difference but he was sick and should not have any played that first game but we had no real options known on that short notice
 
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UR79&Peanuts said:
Not that it makes any difference but he was sick and should not have any played that first game but we had no real options known on that short notice
Click to expand...

Was very unfortunate that he was ill as this was his only blemish on a brilliant, but often unnoticed career.
 
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Very nice Mo. Not sure if they would consider shifting him outside but I think either Jackson or Darius Reynolds makes a big jump and plays a key role upfront in 2018 (barring some transfers).

Like last year, it sounds like most are more optimistic about the O-line than I am. I think the fairly good pass protection, along with great pocket presence from KL, hid just how little we got a decent push in the run game. Hopefully the transfer & another year gives them a big boost, but that's where I think we need a transfer most
 
Also concerned about depth on the D-line. Thought coaches did great work there this season but really need some ends with decent size to help with stopping the run. Safety we seem to be in ok shape but corner is another area of concern. Think we may have underestimated the strain we put on our corners this year.

As to offense, really concerned about the o-line. Need to build depth. It should be the easiest position to recruit at UR but not sure we have taken advantage recently. Have to redshirt those guys so may take until 2019 to have more ready. However, rest of offense feel we have good depth. We’re not going to replace #5 so means we’re going to need more from #2. X is a dynamic runner and really think it took him half the season to recover.

At this point it’s been a decade since we had a good special teams coach. I don’t see it changing.
 
I'll echo a lot of the thoughts above. I'm most worried about both lines of scrimmage. I think we will be able to run the ball better next year because you will see the QB heavily involved in the run game giving us an extra blocker...but our o-line has to do a better job of moving people off the ball. We have good, experienced RB's but those guys need the holes to run through.

I think the defense will be much more comfortable with Russ's system next year. I'm excited about the young players in the back 7 but the DL is a huge concern. We need to be bigger, stronger, and more dynamic at the DE spots. Guys who can set the edge against the run and also put pressure on the qb without us having to blitz.
 
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Someone ought to send this to the incompetent CAA commish and tell him this is what can happen if you don't call a game correctly. I can see the CAA on a slow decline with the lack of leadership. I hope and pray the Deontez comes back in great shape. Not just for football but as a 40 year old man one day.
 
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R&B fan said:
Someone ought to send this to the incompetent CAA commish and tell him this is what can happen if you don't call a game correctly. I can see the CAA on a slow decline with the lack of leadership. I hope and pray the Deontez comes back in great shape. Not just for football but as a 40 year old man one day.
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Should also include calling a game fair and not allowing the best team to win so they can go undefeated and grab the number 1 seed for the conference. Cough cough jmu game.
 
Mo,

Thanks for the very nice position-by-position summary near the top of this thread! I will plan to take your summary with me to the spring game and have no doubts it will be a helpful cheat-sheet. Hope your assessment is spot-on. The 2nd year under a good coach is usually the one where you see the most improvement. Hope we have a positive upward trajectory coming in the near future...
 
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UR's Russ Huesman on life without Kyle Lauletta, recruiting, CAA being 'a pain in the neck'
JOHN O'CONNOR·5 hours ago


University of Richmond football coach Russ Huesman heads into his second season with a formidable task: replacing the most productive passer in school history.

Kyle Lauletta, a three-year starter, was named Most Outstanding Player in the Senior Bowl, will participate in the NFL Combine, and is projected as an NFL draft pick. Lauletta is one of nine starters gone from UR's 6-5 team that went 4-4 in CAA play, but his loss will be the most obvious when the Spiders begin spring ball on March 20. Huesman's view on the QB position, and other football matters:

What are the Spiders going to do at quarterback?

"It'll be a big spring for (junior) Kevin Johnson and (sophomore) Joe Mancuso because it's not Kyle Lauletta's team anymore. It's been Kyle's team for a while and those guys now need to take control."

Johnson was Richmond's quarterback for three games in the 2016 FCS playoffs after Lauletta was injured, so is it safe to assume Johnson begins spring ball as the starter?

"Obviously Kevin is going to be going with the (first team). There's no question about that. He's proven that he's a good player. I watched (those three playoff) games. He's legit. But Joe is just kind of creeping up the depth chart. Now, he's got to pick his game up. He's got a lot of ability, but Kevin is going in number one."

How about another spring-ball priority or two?

"I think one thing for sure is to continue to get our defensive guys acclimated to what we want to do. I think as the year went on, we got better on defense, and they started to really grasp what we want to do. We've got to take that and keep moving it forward.

"And I always say the biggest thing about spring practice is develop the young kids that haven't played, whether it's a redshirt freshman who ran down on kickoff cover, whether it's a true freshman we redshirted, whether it's a true freshman who we played. Continue to get those guys better."



Richmond signed 11 prospects in December during the first early-signing period, and five more on Feb. 7. Would you anticipate the same breakdown in future years?

"I would hope so. You don't know how it's all going to play out, but if you can get 10, 11 each time (in the) early-signing period ..."


What are your thoughts concerning the early-signing period after the first one?

"I love the early-signing period. I think it's great. I would bet the majority of coaches like the early-signing period. I know there are some out there who don't like it all.

"It's probably the really elite programs that may not like it quite as much because the fringe players, maybe they're not (quite good enough for) Ohio State. They're maybe the next tier from the top 10. (Elite programs) want to make sure those guys are still (available in February), just in case. But I would say most people like the early-signing period. I think it's fantastic."


With the proposed change to the NCAA redshirt rule that would allow a player to participate in as many as four games and retain his redshirt year, does that change how you look at this incoming class?


"I love that. I hope that passes. If it passes, as coaches we've got to sit down and kind of formulate a game plan for all 16 of these (incoming freshmen), and how we can use them, when we need to use them. As of right now, we haven't talked about what we would do or how we would do it. If the rule passes, we will have the discussions of how we're going to play these 16 guys."

How has recruiting for Richmond changed since you were a Spiders' assistant 2004-08?


"Recruiting is pretty much the same as when I was here my first time. You're going to probably get the kids at Richmond you're supposed to get. You're going to get the guys that are looking for the best education they can get and the best football they can get.

"It's why people probably go to Stanford, why people go to Duke, why people go to Vanderbilt. Stanford's not going to be a top 10 school in the country as far as their recruiting numbers. Vanderbilt's not. Northwestern's not. But they're getting great kids that can play the game, just like we are."

Any transfers coming in for this season?

"After spring (football), at some point in time, we'll look for some transfers, and probably add three before it's all said and done. That'll kind of fill us up."

Any coaching staff changes?

"No changes. We wanted everybody to come back. A couple of them potentially had opportunities and declined the offers, which was good. So, as of right now, we're good to go, same staff."

What are your impressions after one season as a head coach in the CAA (following eight at Chattanooga in the Southern Conference)?

"I just know week in and week out, it was such a pain in the neck. I've had easier years in my day, let's put it that way. There was never one (CAA opponent) where I put on the film and said, 'Wow, we got ourselves a slam dunk here.' Every (CAA game) was just a nail-biter, smash-mouth. This league's tough. I wish it was easier. I wish everybody was horrible. But it doesn't happen that way."
 
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I use to dread playing the football team in basketball intramurals. Always take a physical pounding when Shawn Barber is rolling through your fraternity like a hot knife through butter. At least the carpet slowed them down a little bit.
 
SpiderFan said:
I use to dread playing the football team in basketball intramurals. Always take a physical pounding when Shawn Barber is rolling through your fraternity like a hot knife through butter. At least the carpet slowed them down a little bit.
Click to expand...
Hey how about Barty Smith driving the lane?
 
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CarolinaSpider said:
Hey how about Barty Smith driving the lane?
Click to expand...
remember playing against the football player IM teams well...

lacking in speed, quickness and general athleticism I was relegated to the frat's "B" team

we were no more than mediocre backyard "HORSE" shooters...we were badly abused by the players under the boards, but had no conscious about hurling up shots that would now be considered NBA threes...at gatherings today we still laugh about those games...

some still believe we would have had a chance if the officials hadn't been intimidated too...Ha! would you call a foul on Barty Smith?

Go Spiders!
 
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