Coach Lacy is a great addition to our staff. He’s not going to allow the guys to settle on just being good.
He wants great.
2019 Summer Practice Observations
- Thread starter Stork3
- Start date
He wants great.
This is a 180 from what he said the past two years about his philosophy of redshirting every freshman. Interesting.
Comments by Coach at the breakfast - put the best people on the field who will allow the team to win - regardless of class year; probably a 4-6 freshman will play the entire season, but it is likely that all freshmen will see game experience and still retain the redshirt by staying within the 4 game limit. He also emphasized the players who protect the ball will be the ones who play - again regardless of class year; you can see this is clearly being drilled into the players at practices.
Transfer quarterback Beau English took step forward in Spiders' Saturday scrimmage
https://www.richmond.com/sports/col...cle_94482c44-b159-53d3-9eda-3dc27aa9366b.html
Transfer quarterback Beau English took step forward in Spiders' Saturday scrimmage
UR redshirt sophomore quarterback Beau English transferred from Air Force over the summer. He did not play in a game in two years as a Falcon.
Quarterback Beau English may have been shaking off rust early in University of Richmond preseason camp, which began on July 31. It appeared to be gone Saturday night, when the Spiders held their first scrimmage at Robins Stadium.
English, a redshirt sophomore from Stevenson, Md., transferred from Air Force over the summer. He didn’t play in a game during his two years as a Falcon. English, a 6-foot-2 200-pounder, completed two passes for major yardage early Saturday night after coming in for Joe Mancuso.
Both worked with the first-team offense. Both threw well and ran effectively, though QBs weren’t tackled.
“It’s good to be back in game situation. It’s good to be out in front of the fans, and the coaches see us in the live setting,” English said. “I think I did OK, but I’ve got a lot of things to work on. I’m still getting the system down. Some of these plays, I have never run before. I got a chance to try them out (Saturday).
“But I’m having so much fun in this system.”
Mancuso, a 6-4, 215-pound redshirt junior, last season made four starts and played in nine games. He finished as UR’s leading rusher (354 yards). Mancuso threw 10 of Richmond’s 18 interceptions and seven touchdown passes.
“They both looked like they were really composed back there,” UR coach Russ Huesman said of English and Mancuso. Huesman, in his third year, said there is no timetable at this point to determine a starter.
Handling kickoffs and field goals is freshman Jake Larson, who’s from Baltimore. He kicked field goals of 51, 43, 39, 27 and 23 yards Saturday night. He missed (left) from 45 yards.
“Pretty excited to have him,” Huesman said. “He’s got a powerful leg and he’ll get the ball in the end zone on kickoffs.”
That was a significant issue on kickoffs last season for Richmond.
Richmond lost all of its top-tier receivers from last season. Charlie Fessler, a graduate transfer from Northwestern, and Keyston Fuller, a graduate transfer from Duke, appear to be UR’s top two receivers.
“They look like they’ve got great legs and fresh legs every day. You can tell they worked really hard in the summertime,” Huesman said. Justin Jasper, a redshirt freshman from St. Christopher’s, has also been very involved as a receiver.
The Spiders, picked to finish 10th among 12 teams in the CAA preseason poll, will hold their second and final scrimmage on Friday at 2 p.m. Richmond opens on Thursday, Aug. 29, against visiting Jacksonville, at 7 p.m. The Spiders finished last year 4-7 (2-6 CAA), their first losing season since 2011.
Note: On the first play of Saturday’s scrimmage, a kickoff, junior linebacker Josh Hurlburt injured his right knee, was helped to the sideline, and left the stadium in a cart. He appeared in eight games last season, primarily on special teams.
https://www.richmond.com/sports/col...cle_94482c44-b159-53d3-9eda-3dc27aa9366b.html
Transfer quarterback Beau English took step forward in Spiders' Saturday scrimmage
- By JOHN O’CONNOR Richmond Times-Dispatch
- 2 hrs ago
UR redshirt sophomore quarterback Beau English transferred from Air Force over the summer. He did not play in a game in two years as a Falcon.
Quarterback Beau English may have been shaking off rust early in University of Richmond preseason camp, which began on July 31. It appeared to be gone Saturday night, when the Spiders held their first scrimmage at Robins Stadium.
English, a redshirt sophomore from Stevenson, Md., transferred from Air Force over the summer. He didn’t play in a game during his two years as a Falcon. English, a 6-foot-2 200-pounder, completed two passes for major yardage early Saturday night after coming in for Joe Mancuso.
Both worked with the first-team offense. Both threw well and ran effectively, though QBs weren’t tackled.
“It’s good to be back in game situation. It’s good to be out in front of the fans, and the coaches see us in the live setting,” English said. “I think I did OK, but I’ve got a lot of things to work on. I’m still getting the system down. Some of these plays, I have never run before. I got a chance to try them out (Saturday).
“But I’m having so much fun in this system.”
Mancuso, a 6-4, 215-pound redshirt junior, last season made four starts and played in nine games. He finished as UR’s leading rusher (354 yards). Mancuso threw 10 of Richmond’s 18 interceptions and seven touchdown passes.
“They both looked like they were really composed back there,” UR coach Russ Huesman said of English and Mancuso. Huesman, in his third year, said there is no timetable at this point to determine a starter.
Handling kickoffs and field goals is freshman Jake Larson, who’s from Baltimore. He kicked field goals of 51, 43, 39, 27 and 23 yards Saturday night. He missed (left) from 45 yards.
“Pretty excited to have him,” Huesman said. “He’s got a powerful leg and he’ll get the ball in the end zone on kickoffs.”
That was a significant issue on kickoffs last season for Richmond.
Richmond lost all of its top-tier receivers from last season. Charlie Fessler, a graduate transfer from Northwestern, and Keyston Fuller, a graduate transfer from Duke, appear to be UR’s top two receivers.
“They look like they’ve got great legs and fresh legs every day. You can tell they worked really hard in the summertime,” Huesman said. Justin Jasper, a redshirt freshman from St. Christopher’s, has also been very involved as a receiver.
The Spiders, picked to finish 10th among 12 teams in the CAA preseason poll, will hold their second and final scrimmage on Friday at 2 p.m. Richmond opens on Thursday, Aug. 29, against visiting Jacksonville, at 7 p.m. The Spiders finished last year 4-7 (2-6 CAA), their first losing season since 2011.
Note: On the first play of Saturday’s scrimmage, a kickoff, junior linebacker Josh Hurlburt injured his right knee, was helped to the sideline, and left the stadium in a cart. He appeared in eight games last season, primarily on special teams.
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think most coaches would prefer to red shirt the entire frosh class but you have to get your numbers up, rocco did a great job of that, before you can really get the program where you want it to be. work in progress, will take a few years, maybe more.
Observations from the first scrimmage. It's still early; so don't anybody jump off a cliff, please.
1 - The freshman kicker (42) seems to be the real deal. He kicked field goals in excess of 40 yards and basically kicks the hell out of the ball. Extra points and field goals look like a done deal. Impressive. Breckenridge and Trau were less then adequate.
2- Offensive linemen are as big as advertised. Lots of guys will see action. So far, they are strong and healthy.
3 - Good play and depth from the d-line and the defense in general. One freshman will play a lot at linebacker; young guys with some size will provide depth on the line. We have better size than we did a year ago.
4 - The QB position is a concern at the present. The only QB who was even mildly impressive was Beau English (10). Mancuso looked good at one point in the scrimmage, and looked lost in another. The freshman (14) looks poised and decisive - but I'm sure we would rather redshirt him at this point. English is quick on his feet and made some good throws. Fessler and Jasper looked pretty good at WR, and help us with their height. Fuller, the transfer from Duke, looks faster than other receivers and will help us out at that position.
5 - We need to encourage these young men at the beginning, and stick with them as the season progresses. Things are definitely looking better in our program. How long it will take to excel is a question none of us can answer right now. But I am impressed with what I am seeing. The talent level is on the rise - and the new coaches look like they are having a positive impact.
1 - The freshman kicker (42) seems to be the real deal. He kicked field goals in excess of 40 yards and basically kicks the hell out of the ball. Extra points and field goals look like a done deal. Impressive. Breckenridge and Trau were less then adequate.
2- Offensive linemen are as big as advertised. Lots of guys will see action. So far, they are strong and healthy.
3 - Good play and depth from the d-line and the defense in general. One freshman will play a lot at linebacker; young guys with some size will provide depth on the line. We have better size than we did a year ago.
4 - The QB position is a concern at the present. The only QB who was even mildly impressive was Beau English (10). Mancuso looked good at one point in the scrimmage, and looked lost in another. The freshman (14) looks poised and decisive - but I'm sure we would rather redshirt him at this point. English is quick on his feet and made some good throws. Fessler and Jasper looked pretty good at WR, and help us with their height. Fuller, the transfer from Duke, looks faster than other receivers and will help us out at that position.
5 - We need to encourage these young men at the beginning, and stick with them as the season progresses. Things are definitely looking better in our program. How long it will take to excel is a question none of us can answer right now. But I am impressed with what I am seeing. The talent level is on the rise - and the new coaches look like they are having a positive impact.
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Would agree with your comments about 42, ball gets off quickly and up quickly. 10 has a cannon, receivers need to work, too many misses that were there. D line well ahead of O line. Hard to tell much about RBs as not many holes to run through.
31,34 look like they contributed positively as RBs.They look wider and lower to the ground than our regular RBs.Did #2 participate?
would agree 31 & 34 showed more than others. Yes 2 was out there tonight. difficult, lots of numbers did not match up with roster. Ex think Maffe was wearing 7 not 13
Agree with your observations. Is there some reason that it takes so long to get the updated roster available? It is really annoying to us diehard Spider fans to sit in a scrimmage and constantly be confused with the number switching and two offensive tackles wearing the same number. I hope our athletic department has this mess straightened out by the second scrimmage. They HAVE to get the roster right by the first game.
Heard Russ mention in post scrimmage Ryan Coll(#27)to be used at TE(6-5,295) for at least blocking.Now we are talkin’.
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i know it was just a scrimmage , but so nice to see spider football ,
I hate to take shots at BB, but how about our SID gets the football rosters updated rather than defending the woeful basketball program. There should be excitement around football this year. If we can start quickly we could really surprise some folks.
Go take 2 minutes and read the staff directory. One person handles football https://richmondspiders.com/staff.aspx?staff=30
another handles basketball https://richmondspiders.com/staff.aspx?staff=34
if you're really complaining about a roster for a "free" scrimmage you need assistance.
UR safety Daniel Jones defends passes, but also has knack for 'thumping it with the big boys'
JOHN O'CONNOR·2 hours ago
Linebackers were the CAA's top eight tacklers last season. Checking at No. 9 was University of Richmond safety Daniel Jones, who can be mistaken for a linebacker.
The Spiders like to keep Jones, who averaged a team-leading 7.8 stops, around the ball as often as possible. That means that even though he's a safety, Jones may set up three yards from the line, as a linebacker normally would, or 13 yards away from scrimmage, as a safety might.
Amalgamation agrees with him.
"You're in the box for a few plays, then you go play deep in the post and play the ball, and then you're back in the box, thumping it with the big boys," said Jones, a 6-foot-1, 205-pound senior from Williamsburg. "Both worlds are great."
The versatile Jones, a UR captain who attended Bruton High, will be particularly valuable to the Spiders as they face an eclectic set of offenses in their first three games:
- UR opens on Thursday, Aug. 29, against visiting Jacksonville, a triple-option team that features junior quarterback Calvin Turner. He averaged 143 rushing yards last season, and Turner's overall athletic ability cannot be questioned. In 2017, as a freshman, he started as a Jacksonville defensive back (honorable mention All-Pioneer League) and was the Dolphins' top kickoff returner.
- The Spiders visit Boston College on Sept. 7, and the Eagles will try to overpower Richmond with 6-0, 245-pound junior AJ Dillon, who averaged 110.8 rushing yards last year. He's running behind a talented, deep offensive line.
- In UR's CAA opener on Sept. 14, Elon visits Robins Stadium, and the Phoenix will be led by junior quarterback Davis Cheek, whose passing made him the league's 2017 offensive rookie of the year. Cheek missed half of last season with a torn ACL. That happened a week after Elon got off to a 4-1 start that included a win at James Madison.
Daniel Jones, stay loose. You're about to be busy.
"When you've got good players, there's always talk of, 'How can we get him involved? What can we do scheme-wise that best utilizes his skill set to make plays?'" Russ Huesman, in his third year as Richmond's coach, said of Jones. "We've talked about that in the offseason."
Jones' tackle total from last year illustrates his ability and some Spiders' issues. They struggled to defend, particularly early in the season. Richmond switched from a 4-2-5 setup to a more standard 4-3-4 about halfway through the year in order to deal more effectively with the run.
"These teams are getting so big. It's hard to handle the run game without a little bit of bulk in there," said Huesman, whose team comes off a 4-7 season (2-6 CAA).
Huesman added that the Spiders will mix in plenty of the 4-2-5 resistance. Regardless of what's called in the defensive huddle, Jones will be engaged. He'd like for UR linebackers to make more tackles than he does this year, but said, "I'm just going to keep running to the ball and doing what I need to do."
NOTE: The Spiders will hold their second, and final, scrimmage of the preseason Friday at 2 p.m. at Robins Stadium. It is open to the public and free.
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Having healthy upfront big boys would be an important ingredient to this year’s success:
6-4,290
6-4,305
6-4,300
6-5,290
6-4,290
Add in Ryan Coll at 6-5,295 at TE on short yardage situations
Ross is obviously cultivating the 2nds to be ready as subs which is just as important.
6-4,290
6-4,305
6-4,300
6-5,290
6-4,290
Add in Ryan Coll at 6-5,295 at TE on short yardage situations
Ross is obviously cultivating the 2nds to be ready as subs which is just as important.
Having a solid starting 5 with a few capable subs at OL would be huge for this team especially since whoever is going to be taking snaps is going to have some growing pains. It seems like forever since we've had a fully healthy starting group with depth on the o-line. I'd love to see us establish a strong running game this year. Start pushing folks around up front and a lot of the offense will open up as the season progresses.
This Trent Williams, a Spiders safety from Chester, is in camp, in shape, ready for turnaround
JOHN O'CONNOR·13 minutes ago
The Times-Dispatch late Friday afternoon conducted an exclusive one-on-one interview with Trent Williams. He had just finished an impressive on-field session, looked to be in great shape, sounded fully committed to his team, and earned the praise of his coach for leadership and performance.
Unfortunately for Washington Redskins fans, the interview subject was Trent Williams from Chester who plays safety for the University of Richmond, not the holdout offensive tackle who's been reluctant to publicly explain his absence.
"Me, as a Redskins fan, I believe that he should be in camp, but it's not my place to say what the guys with the big money should do," said Williams, a senior from Thomas Dale High.
Williams is part of a secondary whose members stood out Friday at Robins Stadium in the Spiders' second and final preseason scrimmage. UR opens on Thursday, Aug. 29, against visiting Jacksonville. There may not be much passing to defend that night.
The Dolphins, of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League, employ the triple-option. On the way to a 2-8 record last season, they threw 63 times, with 24 completions that gained 423 yards (last in the FCS).
Based on Friday's scrimmage and preseason practices, Richmond's secondary may be the program's most improved crew, largely because of a couple of transfers.
"We have a lot more competition in practice making everybody better as a unit," said the 6-foot-2, 185-pound Williams.
At cornerback, Richmond added Duke graduate transfer Brandon Feamster and junior-college transfer Roland Williams, who were with the Spiders for spring ball. According to coach Russ Huesman, the UR staff hasn't determined starting cornerbacks. At that position, the Spiders return a pair of regulars from last season, junior Markus Vinson and redshirt sophomore Noah Nicholson.
"Any time you've got to compete every day for a job, you come out to practice understanding that, 'Today may be the day I get it. Or I may lose it,'" said Huesman. "We didn't have that last year."
Williams and senior Daniel Jones are back as safeties from a defense that finished last in the CAA in scoring D (32.6 ppg) and No. 11 among 12 in total D (375.1 ypg). Richmond's turnovers (18 interceptions, 9 lost fumbles) frequently put its defense in challenging situations during a 4-7 season (2-6 CAA).
"The difference this year will be the level of competition we have in practice, the amount of film we're watching, the amount of extra work that we're all putting in together, and everything extra we did over the summer," Williams said of the secondary.
Huesman said he hasn't yet identified a starting quarterback. Getting work with the first team have been redshirt junior Joe Mancuso, who started four of the nine games in which he played last season, and redshirt sophomore Beau English, a transfer from Air Force. The decision, according to Huesman, could come next week when preparations for Jacksonville commence.
In Richmond's first scrimmage last Saturday night, freshman Jake Larson kicked field goals of 51, 43, 39, 27 and 23 yards. He missed (left) from 45 yards. Friday, Larson hit field goals from 36 and 42 yards, and missed from 46 (wide, but adequate distance).
Friday's scrimmage, scheduled to start at 2 p.m., was delayed by rain, and then lightning. It kicked off at about 2:45.
Brief observations from the second scrimmage:
1 - I felt that Beau English looked more comfortable and more confident at QB than he did last week. The guy has some talent. Mancuso, at one point, threw to the receiver at the wrong spot, then overthrew two straight passes. I still see Joe doing things that good quarterbacks don't do. Hopefully, there is improvement and some more consistency in his future. Right now, I would give the keys to the kingdom to Beau and see what happens.
2 - Milan Howard and some of the other backs were impressive. Fessler holds onto the ball in traffic - he's tough. The freshman kicker was impressive, just like he was last week. Defensive linemen, linebackers, and some backups look ready to go. Maurice looked even quicker than last year. The defense in general should be much better. It looks more cohesive even two weeks before gametime. Offensive linemen get after the defenders well - I love having plenty of fat boys so that we can have some depth for a change. The Coll kid who played tight end in high school is up to 309. A few of the freshmen came in pretty heavy. Russ' OL recruits seem to show up about 20 lbs. heavier than Rocco's recruits.
Too early to predict anything; but I feel that the new coaches have made a difference. Things in practice are a bit snappier. I like the fact that we have a full-time special teams coach. Ask me again after four games. I just feel that we are deeper and more talented than we were the last two years. Russ' improved recruiting may begin to pay dividends this year. I am encouraged. Go Spiders.
1 - I felt that Beau English looked more comfortable and more confident at QB than he did last week. The guy has some talent. Mancuso, at one point, threw to the receiver at the wrong spot, then overthrew two straight passes. I still see Joe doing things that good quarterbacks don't do. Hopefully, there is improvement and some more consistency in his future. Right now, I would give the keys to the kingdom to Beau and see what happens.
2 - Milan Howard and some of the other backs were impressive. Fessler holds onto the ball in traffic - he's tough. The freshman kicker was impressive, just like he was last week. Defensive linemen, linebackers, and some backups look ready to go. Maurice looked even quicker than last year. The defense in general should be much better. It looks more cohesive even two weeks before gametime. Offensive linemen get after the defenders well - I love having plenty of fat boys so that we can have some depth for a change. The Coll kid who played tight end in high school is up to 309. A few of the freshmen came in pretty heavy. Russ' OL recruits seem to show up about 20 lbs. heavier than Rocco's recruits.
Too early to predict anything; but I feel that the new coaches have made a difference. Things in practice are a bit snappier. I like the fact that we have a full-time special teams coach. Ask me again after four games. I just feel that we are deeper and more talented than we were the last two years. Russ' improved recruiting may begin to pay dividends this year. I am encouraged. Go Spiders.
QB starter to be publically known by Wed 8/21,at the latest.Team meeting Tuesday night in Prep of Jacksonville.
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Hand-Eye coordination day
Spiders skipped football on Monday, but kept their heads in the games. Video games, that is.
JOHN O'CONNOR·30 minutes ago
The University of Richmond's football team took Monday off. No practice. No meetings. This doesn't often happen during preseason camp.
Competition continued, however.
Just after lunch, 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman Tazle Sumpter, a redshirt junior from St. Christopher's, stood next to 6-4, 300-pound offensive lineman Seyoum Settepani. Their knees were bent and backs straight, as if involved in a pass-protection drill.
Sumpter and Settepani quickly and forcefully drove their palms into a blue wall of flashing lights, and then retracted them before striking other flashing lights mounted to a shaking wall.
After time expired on the reaction test, the two linemen congratulated one another. Sumpter used his shirttail to wipe the sweat off his brow.
The place: Dave & Buster's, a restaurant and video-game arcade that's part of West Broad Village in Short Pump. A party of 85, the Spiders' team, feasted on a noon buffet in a reserved area. That was followed by the gaming frivolity. UR financed the trip.
"They've worked hard. They need a reward," said John Srofe, the Spiders' recruiting coordinator/video coordinator, who greeted the players and coaches at the head of the buffet line.
The Spiders, who open against visiting Jacksonville on Thursday, Aug. 29, reported to preseason camp on July 30. It's common for coaches to arrange some sort of team-building, amusing excursion toward the conclusion of laborious August training.
"It's just good to get them off campus, around each other, having some fun," third-year Richmond coach Russ Huesman said after eating lunch at Dave & Buster's. "Get these guys out in a different setting and get them away from campus for a little bit."
During a typical preseason camp day, the Spiders are up at 6:30 a.m., and on the field for practice at 7:45 a.m. They are involved in meetings later in the day, and often conduct walk-throughs during the evening hours. In their living quarters, lights are out by 10:30 p.m.
In recent seasons, Richmond players were treated to a movie or bowling late during camp. Dave & Buster's was their preference this year, according to Srofe.
"It's a good opportunity to get everyone together outside of football and just sort of take a break, take a step back, take a deep breath," said Settepani, a redshirt junior captain who's from Harlem, N.Y.
"At the end of the day, we're a brotherhood. Football, football, football is great, but we need a little break sometimes. To not even think about football for a couple of hours is sort of nice."
As far as the more serious competition, the Spiders on Wednesday will start their preparation focused on Jacksonville. Huesman said he and his staff may determine a starting quarterback by then.
The candidates are redshirt junior Joe Mancuso, who started four times last season, and redshirt sophomore Beau English, a transfer from Air Force who hasn't played in a college game.
More than one quarterback may be engaged in game activity, Huesman suggested.
"We're going to need everybody on board here this year," he said. "You don't know how it's going to play out."
Spiders skipped football on Monday, but kept their heads in the games. Video games, that is.
JOHN O'CONNOR·30 minutes ago
The University of Richmond's football team took Monday off. No practice. No meetings. This doesn't often happen during preseason camp.
Competition continued, however.
Just after lunch, 6-foot-4, 290-pound offensive lineman Tazle Sumpter, a redshirt junior from St. Christopher's, stood next to 6-4, 300-pound offensive lineman Seyoum Settepani. Their knees were bent and backs straight, as if involved in a pass-protection drill.
Sumpter and Settepani quickly and forcefully drove their palms into a blue wall of flashing lights, and then retracted them before striking other flashing lights mounted to a shaking wall.
After time expired on the reaction test, the two linemen congratulated one another. Sumpter used his shirttail to wipe the sweat off his brow.
The place: Dave & Buster's, a restaurant and video-game arcade that's part of West Broad Village in Short Pump. A party of 85, the Spiders' team, feasted on a noon buffet in a reserved area. That was followed by the gaming frivolity. UR financed the trip.
"They've worked hard. They need a reward," said John Srofe, the Spiders' recruiting coordinator/video coordinator, who greeted the players and coaches at the head of the buffet line.
The Spiders, who open against visiting Jacksonville on Thursday, Aug. 29, reported to preseason camp on July 30. It's common for coaches to arrange some sort of team-building, amusing excursion toward the conclusion of laborious August training.
"It's just good to get them off campus, around each other, having some fun," third-year Richmond coach Russ Huesman said after eating lunch at Dave & Buster's. "Get these guys out in a different setting and get them away from campus for a little bit."
During a typical preseason camp day, the Spiders are up at 6:30 a.m., and on the field for practice at 7:45 a.m. They are involved in meetings later in the day, and often conduct walk-throughs during the evening hours. In their living quarters, lights are out by 10:30 p.m.
In recent seasons, Richmond players were treated to a movie or bowling late during camp. Dave & Buster's was their preference this year, according to Srofe.
"It's a good opportunity to get everyone together outside of football and just sort of take a break, take a step back, take a deep breath," said Settepani, a redshirt junior captain who's from Harlem, N.Y.
"At the end of the day, we're a brotherhood. Football, football, football is great, but we need a little break sometimes. To not even think about football for a couple of hours is sort of nice."
As far as the more serious competition, the Spiders on Wednesday will start their preparation focused on Jacksonville. Huesman said he and his staff may determine a starting quarterback by then.
The candidates are redshirt junior Joe Mancuso, who started four times last season, and redshirt sophomore Beau English, a transfer from Air Force who hasn't played in a college game.
More than one quarterback may be engaged in game activity, Huesman suggested.
"We're going to need everybody on board here this year," he said. "You don't know how it's going to play out."
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Imposing cornerback Brandon Feamster started Duke's last seven games in 2018, then shifted to UR
JOHN O'CONNOR·17 minutes ago
University of Richmond cornerback Brandon Feamster stands out physically, and because of the circumstances associated with his January transfer from Duke.
A half-inch shy of 6-foot-4, the 205-pound Feamster dwarfs most cornerbacks, at any level. As far as his transfer, how often do players leave a Power Five program after starting their last seven games?
Feamster sat out as a Duke freshman, and primarily played special teams the next two years. As a redshirt junior last season, Feamster became a starter, in part because of injuries to those ahead of him on the depth chart. Feamster started the last seven games in 2018 for Duke, which finished 8-5 (3-5 ACC).
"I just felt like things weren't really working out the way that I planned," said Feamster, who's from Exton, Pa., and earned a political science degree from Duke.
The Blue Devils beat Temple 56-27 in the Dec. 27 Walk-On's Independence Bowl. Feamster took part in four tackles, and also had an interception and a pass break-up. In the Blue Devils' 42-35 win over North Carolina on Nov. 10, Feamster batted away a Hail Mary pass to seal the win.
Nevertheless, long before the season ended, Feamster determined he would transfer.
"The biggest thing was just to finish strong. From an academic standpoint, getting the degree, and also finishing strong with my teammates in that bowl game," he said. "Definitely, there were second thoughts. Obviously, once you get into the starting rotation, things start to change.
"But I felt like for me, the biggest thing was going to a place where there would be as few distractions as possible, and (moving) a little closer to home, so it would be easier on my family."
Feamster arrived at UR in January along with Charlie Fessler, a graduate transfer from Northwestern who is expected to be the Spiders' top receiver. Richmond later brought in Air Force transfer Beau English, a quarterback with three seasons of eligibility, Illinois graduate transfer Jimmy Marchese, a linebacker who has missed most of preseason because of an ankle injury, and receiver Keyston Fuller, also a graduate transfer from Duke.
Feamster fortifies a secondary that struggled last season, when UR went 4-7 (2-6 CAA). Spiders coach Russ Huesman believes Feamster's size and strength will be valuable as Richmond tries to press receivers at the line. Feamster said he looks forward to trying to throw off passing-game timing by jamming receivers as they begin their routes.
Feamster's familiarity with UR made the Spiders a logical option. At Downington East High School in Pennsylvania, he was a teammate of Kyle Lauletta, the leading passer in Richmond history. Feamster also spent a year at Connecticut's Cheshire Academy, the school attended by UR redshirt junior/captain Seyoum Settepani, an offensive lineman.
"I think we've got a great program here. We've got some good leadership, whether it's in the office with the coaches and administrators, or in the locker room with the players," said Feamster. "So I think everyone's on the same page and we've got this goal to win, and everybody has been working really hard to contribute."
Joe or Beau? Spiders still evaluating QBs Joe Mancuso, Beau English, says coach Russ Huesman
Richmond redshirt junior quarterback Joe Mancuso drilled with coach Russ Huesman looking on during a recent scrimmage at Robins Stadium.
- MARK GORMUS/TIMES-DISPATCH
Richmond quarterback Beau English is a redshirt sophomore who transferred from Air Force.
- MARK GORMUS/TIMESDISPATCH
“Joe or Beau?”
The question continues to hover over the University of Richmond football camp. The Spiders, who open against visiting Jacksonville on Thursday, Aug. 29, have not determined a starting quarterback, coach Russ Huesman said after Wednesday morning’s practice at Robins Stadium. The candidates are redshirt junior Joe Mancuso, who started four of the nine games he played last season, and redshirt sophomore Beau English, a transfer from Air Force who has not played in a college game.
Huesman suggested during camp that Wednesday might be the day he would announce a starter, but Wednesday he said, “It’s either/or right now, between Joe and Beau.”
Huesman said he has never been a big fan of playing two quarterbacks, but the Spiders may begin the season that way.
“We’ll kind of have to make that decision as we get closer, but that has been discussed, to get them out there to see who moves the football team,” said Huesman. “Whoever starts, we may get the other guy in there during the course of the game.”
The disadvantage of playing two quarterbacks is the starter may have an inauspicious series or two, and then be replaced without the opportunity to redeem himself, according to Huesman.
“I’ve just always been of the nature that you find a guy and you go with him and you try to let him get hot,” said Huesman. “If you go late into the second quarter and we’re still not moving the ball and making mistakes, then you make decisions. But maybe the first game we’ll play them both. I don’t know yet.”
Jacksonville is a member of the non-scholarship Pioneer Football League. The Dolphins went 2-8 last season.
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