2018 Personnel
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Homesick? Nope. Stuck on bench? Nope. At UR, ex-Furman starting OT Tim Coleman found fit- By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
13 hrs ago
UR offensive tackle Tim Coleman transferred from Furman, where he started as a true freshman in 2016.
JOHN O'CONNOR/TIMES-DISPATCH
The list of reasons for transfer, in any college sport, commonly begins with one of these two: to get more playing time, or to attend a school closer to home.
Neither applies to Tim Coleman, penciled in during spring ball as the University of Richmond’s left offensive tackle.
Coleman, who’s from Stone Mountain, Ga., made the move to UR from Furman, where he started all 11 games as a true freshman in 2016.
“First, I want to say thank you to Furman for my first year. It was an excellent year with them,” said Coleman, a 6-foot-4 285-pounder. “But the (offensive) system they ran just really didn’t fit me. … It was more of a triple-option, zone scheme. I just never could really get the grasp of it.
“Great coaching staff, great team, I’m happy for them to have success, but it just wasn’t the best fit for me anymore.”
When Coleman determined he would switch schools, Richmond became an attractive option because of the presence of Kevin Johnson, who will start as a junior quarterback this year, and redshirt freshman defensive back Jordan Payne. The three played at Atlanta’s Pace Academy for coach Chris Slade, the former Virginia All-American from Newport News and NFL linebacker from 1993-2001.
Coleman did not draw recruiting attention from UR as a high school player, but Spiders coach Russ Huesman was aware of him. Huesman, in his second year at UR, previously coached at Chattanooga, which offered Coleman a scholarship and plays in the Southern Conference, as does Furman.
“I’m glad I transferred (to UR), great team, great environment,” Coleman said after Thursday’s spring practice. “I think we’re going to do big things this year.”
The addition of Coleman, following his redshirt year at Richmond in 2017, makes the Spiders’ rebuilding job on the offensive line around senior center John Yarbrough less demanding. Yarbrough is the only returning starter on the O-line.
Furman went 3-8 in 2016 with Coleman as a starter, and his first college game came as an 18-year-old at Michigan State, which defeated the Paladins 28-13. After committing an offside penalty on Furman’s second play, “I held my own,” Coleman said. “I’d say this, the biggest thing I realized is it’s not necessarily the talent, it’s just the size.”
As a freshman, Coleman said he played like a veteran in some games and like a first-year player in others. That’s typical for a freshman, particularly along the offensive line, where college rookies rarely start because of the nonstop physicality and chemistry required.
Coleman said his redshirt year at UR involved a significant strength gain and film study, in addition to practice.
“I want to build on that,” Coleman said. “Richmond has a history of winning. I know if I want to win the national championship, this would be a great team to come to.” - By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
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Coleman will pay big dividends for the next three years at the tackle position. I think this group will surprise us all in the fall. Injuries last year forced some of them to get some early playing time. Definitely biggest question mark going into season.
Q&A With Defensive Coordinator Adam Braithwaite
Matt McCollester
Football
Posted: 04/10/2018
RICHMOND, Va. – Richmond football defensive coordinator Adam Braithwaite enters his second year on the Spiders' staff and his sixth-straight season on Russ Huesman's staff. Braithwaite sat down with Spider Athletics in the midst of spring practice to talk about the team's offense.
What is the defensive philosophy of Richmond Football?
Philosophically, it has nothing to do with X's and O's. We have our own brand and scheme that we run with how man down linemen we have and how many DB's we have on the field. For us, it is about the culture we are trying to build defensively. We are trying to cultivate the right attitude with guys in terms of being unselfish players, being gritty tough-minded guys and being coachable players. We want our guys to play longer, harder and more physical than our opponents, while executing our scheme and fundamentals on a consistent basis.
How different is it this spring compared to last spring both for the coaches and the players?
We are one year into it so there is a comfort level across the board. We started from scratch last year with our guys in terms of things we wanted them to do. We asked them to change their way of thinking and to change their way of playing to a certain extent. We felt last year it was a victory if we got our guys to step in the right direction at the snap of the ball. It was a challenge for them to understand where they fit in the scheme and where their teammates were going to be during the play.
I think we have a greater grasp of that as a unit this spring and we have a greater grasp of where everyone fits in the system. Now it is a matter of fine-tuning those fundamentals and trying to take our game to another level this year.
Last year's defense improved a lot in the second half of the season, what do you think the biggest improvements were and is that something you can build off of this spring?
We weren't a very good defense to begin with last year and it showed on the field. Our victories as a unit were very small and very few and far between defensively in the first part of the season. To our guys' credit, they kept fighting, kept working and continued to believe in the coaches and the scheme. Eventually, you saw them turn the corner and start to understand things a little bit better. Once you have success, the ball gets rolling and we saw that late in the season last year.
We feel positive on how it progressed last year and we have done a good job building on that during the offseason. We are excited for that continued growth as a unit as everyone has a better grasp of their role in the defense.
What are some of the big areas you are working on this spring as a defense?
We are really focusing on fundamentals. We are working on body position, making sure we take great angles to the football, making sure our techniques are honed in and making sure we are attacking the football. Those are things we are going to emphasize and work on as a unit. Those are things we want to be great at as a team and things we will continually look to improve on throughout the year.
Richmond will have to replace three starters it the secondary from last year's team. How is that competition setting up this spring and what positives come from that competition?
Competition is beneficial and is one of the great motivating factors in sports. The more competition you have gives you more depth, which allows people to rise up to meet those challenges. Certainly, we lost five scholarship defensive backs from our roster last year but I think we feel really good about the talent we have this year. We are thin in the secondary and have been since making the switch from four DBs to five DBs, but that is a process we are remedying each year in recruiting.
We lost three guys who started last year but we also have four guys returning that have started multiple games for us in the past, so we some experience coming back. There is a good mixture of veteran guys and new guys that we are excited about this year.
Coach Huesman said that defensive live will be a strong point of the team this year. What are you seeing from that group fans can be excited about come the fall?
Our defensive tackle position in Andrew Clyde, Colby Ritten and Andrew Jackson are all blue collar, hard-working players that lead by example. They are tough players and are day-in and day-out consistent players for us. That is the nucleus of our team and what we want our entire team to look like. We lost two starters at defensive end, but I think we have some good competition on the edge this spring. Darius Reynolds is a redshirt sophomore that has had a really good spring for us and has really improved. We have some other guys in that group that are competing and improving each day. There is a strong battle out on the edge right now and that competition will only help us moving forward.
Your line backing corps brings experience players back this year. How important will that experience be this year and how much farther along are they as a group from last year?
We feel good about our defense through the middle in terms of our experience, in terms of the snaps we have played and in terms of players we have at linebacker. We have Dale Matthews and Justin Rubin coming back, Billy Caughell coming back off of injury and two young guys in Tyler Dresslerand Jordan Payne who are doing a nice job. We feel good about that position, about the guys we have coming back who have played and about how our young guys are progressing.
It has been a big transition for our defense in terms of what we ask our linebackers to do compared to what they have done in the past schematically. There was a big learning curve for them, but you can see them moving in the right direction now. They are seeing things better in the box and understanding where they and their teammates fit in the big picture.
If fans haven't seen many Richmond games recently, what can they expect from a Spider defense this year?
I want fans to see a group that plays with a lot of confidence because they have prepared well. Everyone talks about playing with confidence and having a chip on your shoulder but that is all a product of your preparation throughout the year. We have prepared well but it is a long haul between now and game time so we have to continue to work and move forward. We will be a team that plays harder, longer and more physical than opponents while playing more discipline and consistent each play. If we can get ourselves to that point each time we step on to the field, we will have a good
Saw the second half of the practice this evening. A few notes...
- Offense still beating the defense in most scrimmaging situations. The D had a few more good plays tonight but still not on par with the O. Secondary/linebackers were getting burned quite a bit in 7 on 7 drills.
- Still a lot of red non-contact jerseys. Wondering if we will have enough personnel to field two quality teams in the spring game.
- We need a few more OL transfers, and quick. Group is talented but we are 1-2 injuries away from being in trouble.
- I heard DL Chad Wiggins (40) has left the team. Cannot confirm that but he has not been on the field in any capacity the last two practices.
- Looks like they have moved some of the freshmen around. Payne (42) now at LB; Dressler (41) now at DE; Powell (81) now at TE.
- We should have a good idea of the depth chart soon. Seems like they are starting to really nail down who the 1s and 2s are on both sides of the ball.
- The TEs look pretty good. Geraghty and Jacob both looking solid getting open and catching as well as blocking.
- Both KJ and Mancuso look good at QB at this point. To echo my previous observations, both looking better on the short routes/outs than on the long ball. Tre Story (15) did not practice tonight and Chenault (16) got all of the 3rd group reps.
- Offense still beating the defense in most scrimmaging situations. The D had a few more good plays tonight but still not on par with the O. Secondary/linebackers were getting burned quite a bit in 7 on 7 drills.
- Still a lot of red non-contact jerseys. Wondering if we will have enough personnel to field two quality teams in the spring game.
- We need a few more OL transfers, and quick. Group is talented but we are 1-2 injuries away from being in trouble.
- I heard DL Chad Wiggins (40) has left the team. Cannot confirm that but he has not been on the field in any capacity the last two practices.
- Looks like they have moved some of the freshmen around. Payne (42) now at LB; Dressler (41) now at DE; Powell (81) now at TE.
- We should have a good idea of the depth chart soon. Seems like they are starting to really nail down who the 1s and 2s are on both sides of the ball.
- The TEs look pretty good. Geraghty and Jacob both looking solid getting open and catching as well as blocking.
- Both KJ and Mancuso look good at QB at this point. To echo my previous observations, both looking better on the short routes/outs than on the long ball. Tre Story (15) did not practice tonight and Chenault (16) got all of the 3rd group reps.
Football Team Takes Part In “Be The Match” Bone Marrow Registry Drive
RICHMOND, Va. – For the third-straight season, the University of Richmond football team took part in The Andy Talley Bone Marrow Foundation "Be The Match" registry drive on campus Wednesday.
Members of the Spiders' football team joined the campus community to generate over 220 new potential matches for the foundation as part of the #GetInTheGame recruitment drive.
"Get in the Game. Save a Life" is a program designed to educate college football players and their peers about the ability to save the lives of people diagnosed with life-threatening blood cancers through marrow and stem cell transplants. Together, the Get in the Game family has registered over 71,000 donors, resulting in 306 transplants.
The mission of the Foundation is simple and straight forward. It wants to promote bone marrow testing awareness, as well as organize, host and fund bone marrow donor testing across college campuses nationwide.
Be The Match manages the largest and most diverse bone marrow donor registry in the world, which includes nearly 13.5 million volunteers who stand ready to be a live-saving bone-marrow donor. Marrow transplants can provide a cure for more than 70 different diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma and sickle cell anemia
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I stand corrected, after some digging it is Matt Moretti who has been doing these in the PR department
Thanks for sharing this. That would be a shame if Chad Wiggins is gone. Dressler being moved to defensive end would sort of follow in the footsteps of Wiggins moving from LB to DE here.
Did you see Adam Samee out there or is he gone too? Those would be two really big losses.
First Flight’s Hughes to become Spider man
First Flight senior Braxton Hughes will be taking his talents to Richmond next year.
Photo by Michaela Kelly/Nighthawk News Magazine
As the Sentinel went to press this week, First Flight High School senior and football quarterback Braxton Hughes was slated to sign his letter to commit to the University of Richmond Spiders. The Nighthawks squad finished last year with an 8-4 overall record.
An all-around athlete, Hughes also plays on the school’s baseball team, where he is currently hitting .344, and he played varsity basketball, leading the team in rebounding average (6.5 per game) this past season.
ORGANIZATION
First Flight High School
LOCATION
Kill Devil Hills, NC
GRAD YEAR
2018
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
6'1" 195lbs
TEAM HISTORY
First Flight High SchoolBoys Varsity Football
2014 - 2017
#12
QB, P
- Apr 10, 2018
First Flight senior Braxton Hughes will be taking his talents to Richmond next year.
Photo by Michaela Kelly/Nighthawk News Magazine
As the Sentinel went to press this week, First Flight High School senior and football quarterback Braxton Hughes was slated to sign his letter to commit to the University of Richmond Spiders. The Nighthawks squad finished last year with an 8-4 overall record.
An all-around athlete, Hughes also plays on the school’s baseball team, where he is currently hitting .344, and he played varsity basketball, leading the team in rebounding average (6.5 per game) this past season.
ORGANIZATION
First Flight High School
LOCATION
Kill Devil Hills, NC
GRAD YEAR
2018
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
6'1" 195lbs
TEAM HISTORY
First Flight High SchoolBoys Varsity Football
2014 - 2017
#12
QB, P
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Wow! Maybe I'll get a little more respect when I wear my Spiders gear along the Beach Road and on the beach in the KDH area...First Flight’s Hughes to become Spider man
- Apr 10, 2018
First Flight senior Braxton Hughes will be taking his talents to Richmond next year.
Photo by Michaela Kelly/Nighthawk News Magazine
As the Sentinel went to press this week, First Flight High School senior and football quarterback Braxton Hughes was slated to sign his letter to commit to the University of Richmond Spiders. The Nighthawks squad finished last year with an 8-4 overall record.
An all-around athlete, Hughes also plays on the school’s baseball team, where he is currently hitting .344, and he played varsity basketball, leading the team in rebounding average (6.5 per game) this past season.
ORGANIZATION
First Flight High School
LOCATION
Kill Devil Hills, NC
GRAD YEAR
2018
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
6'1" 195lbs
TEAM HISTORY
First Flight High SchoolBoys Varsity Football
2014 - 2017
#12
QB, P
Congrats to Braxton and good luck...welcome to UR...Go Spiders!
I’m not sure about others...but as a spider fan I needed that. Gordon seems like a great kid and that video certainly makes you want to see him do well on the field. Proud he’s a spider.
Former walk-on D-lineman Kobie Turner became Spiders' King of Spring, and he loves to sing
Richmond defensive lineman Kobie Turner arrived at UR as a walk-on in 2017 and earned a scholarship in his first year.
The University of Richmond’s King of Spring loves to sing.
Former walk-on defensive lineman Kobie Turner, a vocalist who also plays the guitar, piano and drums, earned a scholarship after less than a year on campus. Richmond coach Russ Huesman says, “We kind of fell into one there. Thank goodness we’ve got him.”
Turner executed a rapid depth-chart ascent during spring ball. When Huesman was asked about players who made notable jumps through the 15 sessions, he spoke of Turner, who was first team all-state, but not in football.
As a senior at Centreville High School, he was one of 66 Fairfax County Public Schools students named to the 2017 All-Virginia Chorus.
Turner, a 6-foot-2 250-pounder who will be a redshirt freshman this coming season, looks like a scholarship football player. There evidently is no issue with his effort level. “Tenacity” was the word Richmond center John Yarbrough pulled when describing Turner.
Though young, Turner is projected to be the first substitute among the Spiders’ interior defensive linemen this year.
So why was this guy a walk-on? Music played over recruitment.
“My junior year of high school, I focused more on music,” Turner said. “I wasn’t really going to (football) camps or really trying to put myself out there in the football aspect. Music was a big part of my life. It still is.”
Turner started singing in choirs as a middle school student. Guitar came next, then piano, then drums.
“Guitar is my second instrument. My voice is my first,” said Turner, who intends to major in music. “Even now, when there are tough days, I just go back to my dorm, play some guitar and sing.
“I think God has really blessed me. I haven’t had to spend a ton of time (learning to play) instruments. I do a lot by ear.”
Turner’s Centreville football teammate and close friend, defensive lineman Caleb Brooks, signed with the Spiders. Through Brooks’ recruitment, Turner became familiar with UR, which investigated him through assistant coach Marc Bacote. Richmond extended the walk-on offer.
“I wanted to at least give it a shot for a year,” Turner said. “I know it was a little bit expensive for my parents, but they believed in me and they allowed me a year to try to come out, do what I could, and see what I could make of this opportunity.”
Turner appreciates that he has a lot to learn along the line. He did well at Centreville with his size and effort, but it was unpolished performance.
“There wasn’t a lot of technical things that you had to know. It was just go, go, go,” Turner said. “I need to add [tracking blocking schemes] to my skill set so that I can be a better football player. … I want to be ready to contribute on this defense.”
Turner said after Saturday’s spring game that the NFL is now his goal. If that doesn’t happen, he already has Plan B.
“I would like to use music to bring joy into people’s hearts,” Turner said. “I want to give back. I want to be a teacher in music.”
- By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
- 5 hrs ago
Richmond defensive lineman Kobie Turner arrived at UR as a walk-on in 2017 and earned a scholarship in his first year.
The University of Richmond’s King of Spring loves to sing.
Former walk-on defensive lineman Kobie Turner, a vocalist who also plays the guitar, piano and drums, earned a scholarship after less than a year on campus. Richmond coach Russ Huesman says, “We kind of fell into one there. Thank goodness we’ve got him.”
Turner executed a rapid depth-chart ascent during spring ball. When Huesman was asked about players who made notable jumps through the 15 sessions, he spoke of Turner, who was first team all-state, but not in football.
As a senior at Centreville High School, he was one of 66 Fairfax County Public Schools students named to the 2017 All-Virginia Chorus.
Turner, a 6-foot-2 250-pounder who will be a redshirt freshman this coming season, looks like a scholarship football player. There evidently is no issue with his effort level. “Tenacity” was the word Richmond center John Yarbrough pulled when describing Turner.
Though young, Turner is projected to be the first substitute among the Spiders’ interior defensive linemen this year.
So why was this guy a walk-on? Music played over recruitment.
“My junior year of high school, I focused more on music,” Turner said. “I wasn’t really going to (football) camps or really trying to put myself out there in the football aspect. Music was a big part of my life. It still is.”
Turner started singing in choirs as a middle school student. Guitar came next, then piano, then drums.
“Guitar is my second instrument. My voice is my first,” said Turner, who intends to major in music. “Even now, when there are tough days, I just go back to my dorm, play some guitar and sing.
“I think God has really blessed me. I haven’t had to spend a ton of time (learning to play) instruments. I do a lot by ear.”
Turner’s Centreville football teammate and close friend, defensive lineman Caleb Brooks, signed with the Spiders. Through Brooks’ recruitment, Turner became familiar with UR, which investigated him through assistant coach Marc Bacote. Richmond extended the walk-on offer.
“I wanted to at least give it a shot for a year,” Turner said. “I know it was a little bit expensive for my parents, but they believed in me and they allowed me a year to try to come out, do what I could, and see what I could make of this opportunity.”
Turner appreciates that he has a lot to learn along the line. He did well at Centreville with his size and effort, but it was unpolished performance.
“There wasn’t a lot of technical things that you had to know. It was just go, go, go,” Turner said. “I need to add [tracking blocking schemes] to my skill set so that I can be a better football player. … I want to be ready to contribute on this defense.”
Turner said after Saturday’s spring game that the NFL is now his goal. If that doesn’t happen, he already has Plan B.
“I would like to use music to bring joy into people’s hearts,” Turner said. “I want to give back. I want to be a teacher in music.”
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First Flight’s Hughes to become Spider man
- Apr 10, 2018
First Flight senior Braxton Hughes will be taking his talents to Richmond next year.
Photo by Michaela Kelly/Nighthawk News Magazine
As the Sentinel went to press this week, First Flight High School senior and football quarterback Braxton Hughes was slated to sign his letter to commit to the University of Richmond Spiders. The Nighthawks squad finished last year with an 8-4 overall record.
An all-around athlete, Hughes also plays on the school’s baseball team, where he is currently hitting .344, and he played varsity basketball, leading the team in rebounding average (6.5 per game) this past season.
ORGANIZATION
First Flight High School
LOCATION
Kill Devil Hills, NC
GRAD YEAR
2018
HEIGHT & WEIGHT
6'1" 195lbs
TEAM HISTORY
First Flight High SchoolBoys Varsity Football
2014 - 2017
#12
QB, P
Oh. Hope someone whispered in his ear that it's not "Richmond University"
It's tough when you get old and out of touch.We'll help the Maryland native with the lapse of mentality acuity.
"If you not excited..."
"I don't know what you on cause..."
Hey hot shot- is this English?
The Queen's English must always be spoken. First rule of Twitter.
Also message boards for that matter. Hot shot is 1 word not 2. It's also slang. Automatic suspension. Alert 05 and thanks for playn.
Also message boards for that matter. Hot shot is 1 word not 2. It's also slang. Automatic suspension. Alert 05 and thanks for playn.
Spiders' summertime offensive-line development centers on snapper John Yarbrough
University of Richmond senior center John Yarbrough, a three-year starter, leads an offensive line on which he is the only returning regular.
John Yarbrough
An offensive line’s coordinator is the center, who calls coded blocking assignments before the quarterback’s cadence commences. This summer, University of Richmond center John Yarbrough will take that leadership role to another level.
Yarbrough, a 6-foot-5 285-pounder from Homewood, Ala., is the only starter returning on the Spiders’ offensive line. Yarbrough, a senior, will spend the next few months participate in non-football internships in the Richmond area, with his other summer job being an extension of what he did through 15 spring sessions: guide the newcomers on this offensive line to a place where they can support a team with several established play-makers.
Junior quarterback Kevin Johnson is new, but has starting experience. The Spiders’ top four running backs return, as do their top three receivers.
“You want to block for these guys because you know they can score at any moment in the game, and I mean any moment,” said Yarbrough, heading into his third season as a starter.
Richmond also returns six defensive starters. The question second-year coach Russ Huesman will probably hear most often heading into preseason practice is “How is your offensive line coming along?”
“I am encouraged because they work so hard at it. All those guys will have a great summer,” said Huesman, whose program comes off a 6-5 season (4-4 CAA). “We’ve got to remember, we still have 26, 27 (preseason) practices with these guys, so I feel good about where they’re going to be.
“Some of the young guys, they’re not there yet. They’re very talented, and I do think they’ll get there.”
Nine offensive linemen, with only two seniors among them, participated full-go through spring ball. Involvement by a number that low, relatively speaking, may turn out to be a significant advantage down the line, according to Yarbrough.
“You’re working with different guys at different places a lot. So you learn a lot about each other,” he said. “I think that’s going to help a lot moving forward in the summer and again into the fall.”
This offensive-line group is learning a new form of discipline. Without drop-back passer Kyle Lauletta, who the New York Giants selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in late April, the Spiders will use Johnson often in pass-run options. Richmond’s blockers must develop a sense for when Johnson is running and when he is passing, to avoid illegally moving downfield, which happened a couple of times in UR's spring game.
Huesman went through this previously with the offensive linemen at Chattanooga, where he coached for eight years before shifting to UR. He said the adjustment does take some time.
But as Yarbrough noted, the defense doesn’t know whether Johnson will be running or passing, either.
“It’s a fun game of cat-and-mouse,” said Yarbrough.
NOTES: The Spiders open Sept. 1 at Virginia. The last time UR played at U.Va. was 2016, with Richmond winning 37-20. … In addition to Virginia, UR will play Fordham and St. Francis in games outside of CAA competition. … Six of Richmond’s 11 games will be played at Robins Stadium.
CAA media day won't arrive until late-July, but here's a projected order of finish that may resemble what's released at that time: 1. James Madison, 2. Delaware, 3. Elon, 4. New Hampshire, 5. Villanova, 6. Richmond, 7. Stony Brook, 8. Towson, 9. William & Mary, 10. Maine, 11. Albany, 12. Rhode Island.
- BY JOHN O'CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
- 2 hrs ago
University of Richmond senior center John Yarbrough, a three-year starter, leads an offensive line on which he is the only returning regular.
John Yarbrough
An offensive line’s coordinator is the center, who calls coded blocking assignments before the quarterback’s cadence commences. This summer, University of Richmond center John Yarbrough will take that leadership role to another level.
Yarbrough, a 6-foot-5 285-pounder from Homewood, Ala., is the only starter returning on the Spiders’ offensive line. Yarbrough, a senior, will spend the next few months participate in non-football internships in the Richmond area, with his other summer job being an extension of what he did through 15 spring sessions: guide the newcomers on this offensive line to a place where they can support a team with several established play-makers.
Junior quarterback Kevin Johnson is new, but has starting experience. The Spiders’ top four running backs return, as do their top three receivers.
“You want to block for these guys because you know they can score at any moment in the game, and I mean any moment,” said Yarbrough, heading into his third season as a starter.
Richmond also returns six defensive starters. The question second-year coach Russ Huesman will probably hear most often heading into preseason practice is “How is your offensive line coming along?”
“I am encouraged because they work so hard at it. All those guys will have a great summer,” said Huesman, whose program comes off a 6-5 season (4-4 CAA). “We’ve got to remember, we still have 26, 27 (preseason) practices with these guys, so I feel good about where they’re going to be.
“Some of the young guys, they’re not there yet. They’re very talented, and I do think they’ll get there.”
Nine offensive linemen, with only two seniors among them, participated full-go through spring ball. Involvement by a number that low, relatively speaking, may turn out to be a significant advantage down the line, according to Yarbrough.
“You’re working with different guys at different places a lot. So you learn a lot about each other,” he said. “I think that’s going to help a lot moving forward in the summer and again into the fall.”
This offensive-line group is learning a new form of discipline. Without drop-back passer Kyle Lauletta, who the New York Giants selected in the fourth round of the NFL Draft in late April, the Spiders will use Johnson often in pass-run options. Richmond’s blockers must develop a sense for when Johnson is running and when he is passing, to avoid illegally moving downfield, which happened a couple of times in UR's spring game.
Huesman went through this previously with the offensive linemen at Chattanooga, where he coached for eight years before shifting to UR. He said the adjustment does take some time.
But as Yarbrough noted, the defense doesn’t know whether Johnson will be running or passing, either.
“It’s a fun game of cat-and-mouse,” said Yarbrough.
NOTES: The Spiders open Sept. 1 at Virginia. The last time UR played at U.Va. was 2016, with Richmond winning 37-20. … In addition to Virginia, UR will play Fordham and St. Francis in games outside of CAA competition. … Six of Richmond’s 11 games will be played at Robins Stadium.
CAA media day won't arrive until late-July, but here's a projected order of finish that may resemble what's released at that time: 1. James Madison, 2. Delaware, 3. Elon, 4. New Hampshire, 5. Villanova, 6. Richmond, 7. Stony Brook, 8. Towson, 9. William & Mary, 10. Maine, 11. Albany, 12. Rhode Island.
The Woodbridge, Virginia native would have been a nice pick up as a lineman from Ohio State but he is headed to Sam Houston State,of all places.
https://247sports.com/player/matthew-burrell-27604
https://247sports.com/player/matthew-burrell-27604
One of the most impressive frosh I have ever listened to. He will be someone we see in the spotlight outside of athletics one day.
Saw Aidan Murray at our Spring game.He looked body ready to play as a true frosh.
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32 has done of great job of accumulating players offered in the recruiting battle. I am impressed with the shear number
and the quality of the athlete. I congratulated a friend in the area on his grandson getting a football scholie to
Towson as a WR and he ended up getting a lot of attention. He visited UR and was recruited hard and loved the
school. But Towson was in his backyard since he was a Delaware native. Name is Logan Justice and was at FUMA.
Point is we have the coaching and facility in place to be attractive to a recruit, plus having a strong football tradition over the past 8-10 years does not hurt either.
and the quality of the athlete. I congratulated a friend in the area on his grandson getting a football scholie to
Towson as a WR and he ended up getting a lot of attention. He visited UR and was recruited hard and loved the
school. But Towson was in his backyard since he was a Delaware native. Name is Logan Justice and was at FUMA.
Point is we have the coaching and facility in place to be attractive to a recruit, plus having a strong football tradition over the past 8-10 years does not hurt either.
Thanks.It’s all eye-hand coordination....Been keeping me busy for last couple of weeks.Russ and his staff have settled into the recruiting machine mode.In year 1,they had a 1.5 month recruiting window with signing in Feb. 2017.NCAA signing /recruiting rules were changed with Early signing green light on Dec 20,2017 for year 2.Our last game was on Nov 20,2017 only 30 days before signing date.UR Coaches have now hit a familiar full stride in this 3rd recruiting class.REMEMBER THAT THESE COACHES HAVE BEEN AT UR FOR LESS THAN 18 MONTHS.During that period they’ve been doing all the hard work with high school coaches and players and parents in order to build continuing trust, familiarity and friendships as a UR representative.
Re:Justice,I recall Logan as a big kid and a track star at FUMA.As you might be aware we are wired into FUMA with the Barnette twins there as coaches,both former bigtime UR players.I don't recall whether or not we ever offered Logan a scholarship.
Reggie:
https://mobile.twitter.com/coachreggieb?lang=en
Stephen:
https://mobile.twitter.com/Coach_Steve29
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QB Kevin Johnson, Spiders receivers involved in summer 'chemistry class' to maintain air game
University of Richmond quarterback Kevin Johnson threw to receiver Cortrelle Simpson in a warm-up before a recent passing session among Spiders.
Shorty after 3 p.m. on a recent weekday, University of Richmond quarterback Kevin Johnson walked onto Robins Stadium’s playing surface with a blue equipment bag full of footballs. Not far behind him was Spiders’ receiver Cortrelle Simpson. By 3:15, three more UR receivers joined them.
Johnson and Simpson warmed up by playing catch along a sideline, and soon after, receivers ran pass routes as Johnson zipped throws to them. These 60-minute, players-only sessions are designed to generate cohesion between passing targets and Johnson, who will be a first-year starter this year as a junior.
“We want to get the playbook down, make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Johnson, a 6-foot 195-pounder. Timing is another focus. A quarterback often releases the ball before a receiver comes out of his break. That QB-receiver synchronization is developed, to a great extent, through summer engagements. Typically, four or five UR receivers meet Johnson for each summer practice.
These Spiders want to reach the point at which the receivers “know what to expect, I know what to expect, and there are no surprises,” said Johnson. “If you can play a game without surprises with your receivers, then that would lead to a completion percentage that’s pretty high.”
Most of the receivers involved with Johnson in these summer sessions have far more college game experience than he does. But the quarterback leads the workouts, which occur several times a week, between summer-school classes and other obligations.
Johnson succeeds Kyle Lauletta, Richmond’s starter the last three years and the fourth-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Spiders went 6-5 (4-4 CAA) last season and ranked fourth among FCS teams in passing offense (341 ypg), while averaging 31 points.
“We’re all trying to get that same energy and chemistry,” said Simpson, UR's leader last year in receiving yards per game (92.6).
Lauletta left Richmond as the program’s career-leading passer. Johnson started three 2016 playoff games for the Spiders after Lauletta suffered a knee injury.
Questions about Lauletta leading up the draft involved his arm strength. Johnson may, or may not, one day be considered an NFL prospect. But there are no questions about is arm strength, according to Simpson.
There are adjustments receivers must learn to accommodate Johnson, and Johnson must adjust to the receivers. Simpson said he believes it’s always the obligation of the receivers “to make the quarterback right.”
Johnson said he tried to learn from Lauletta the art of anticipating when a receiver is about to enter an uncovered area, and aims to emulate Lauletta's coordination of the pass release to match that opening.
As the receivers stretched before Johnson began passing, one noted that his legs felt heavy.
“This is really our third workout of the day,” said Johnson, an Atlanta resident.
Johnson and his teammates earlier had lifted weights and then gone through some agility training.
The Spiders open Sept. 1 at Virginia.
- BY JOHN O'CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
- 40 min ago
University of Richmond quarterback Kevin Johnson threw to receiver Cortrelle Simpson in a warm-up before a recent passing session among Spiders.
Shorty after 3 p.m. on a recent weekday, University of Richmond quarterback Kevin Johnson walked onto Robins Stadium’s playing surface with a blue equipment bag full of footballs. Not far behind him was Spiders’ receiver Cortrelle Simpson. By 3:15, three more UR receivers joined them.
Johnson and Simpson warmed up by playing catch along a sideline, and soon after, receivers ran pass routes as Johnson zipped throws to them. These 60-minute, players-only sessions are designed to generate cohesion between passing targets and Johnson, who will be a first-year starter this year as a junior.
“We want to get the playbook down, make sure everyone is on the same page,” said Johnson, a 6-foot 195-pounder. Timing is another focus. A quarterback often releases the ball before a receiver comes out of his break. That QB-receiver synchronization is developed, to a great extent, through summer engagements. Typically, four or five UR receivers meet Johnson for each summer practice.
These Spiders want to reach the point at which the receivers “know what to expect, I know what to expect, and there are no surprises,” said Johnson. “If you can play a game without surprises with your receivers, then that would lead to a completion percentage that’s pretty high.”
Most of the receivers involved with Johnson in these summer sessions have far more college game experience than he does. But the quarterback leads the workouts, which occur several times a week, between summer-school classes and other obligations.
Johnson succeeds Kyle Lauletta, Richmond’s starter the last three years and the fourth-round pick of the New York Giants in the 2018 NFL Draft. The Spiders went 6-5 (4-4 CAA) last season and ranked fourth among FCS teams in passing offense (341 ypg), while averaging 31 points.
“We’re all trying to get that same energy and chemistry,” said Simpson, UR's leader last year in receiving yards per game (92.6).
Lauletta left Richmond as the program’s career-leading passer. Johnson started three 2016 playoff games for the Spiders after Lauletta suffered a knee injury.
Questions about Lauletta leading up the draft involved his arm strength. Johnson may, or may not, one day be considered an NFL prospect. But there are no questions about is arm strength, according to Simpson.
There are adjustments receivers must learn to accommodate Johnson, and Johnson must adjust to the receivers. Simpson said he believes it’s always the obligation of the receivers “to make the quarterback right.”
Johnson said he tried to learn from Lauletta the art of anticipating when a receiver is about to enter an uncovered area, and aims to emulate Lauletta's coordination of the pass release to match that opening.
As the receivers stretched before Johnson began passing, one noted that his legs felt heavy.
“This is really our third workout of the day,” said Johnson, an Atlanta resident.
Johnson and his teammates earlier had lifted weights and then gone through some agility training.
The Spiders open Sept. 1 at Virginia.
Ray,
Congrats.It’s absolutely mandatory that your Mom attend each and every UR football game.
Congrats.It’s absolutely mandatory that your Mom attend each and every UR football game.
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https://athlonsports.com/college-fo...eivers-fcs-2018?amp&__twitter_impression=true
Top returning FCS receivers.
Top returning FCS receivers.
