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Spring Ball Schedule 2025

I only counted it once but saw 75 rostered counting 16 incoming freshmen in the fall.

Should be time for plenty of one-on-one work if only 59 who could participate if some are back from injury.

Someone in the know please tell me I missed some
 
Wickersham is the starter for now, and is up to 250 pounds.

Russ is happy with the high schoolers we signed and doesn't think it affected the quality of our records, though recruiting base may shift a bit north with our increased exposure up there. Not having grad transfers anymore is obviously an issue though.

Russ also still looking to add three more transfers.
The Spiders, in football only, are now officially members of the Patriot League. That conference does not allow grad transfers.

“It’s tough. We’ll see if the Patriot League ever kind of gets to that,” Russ Huesman, UR’s coach since 2017, said after the Spiders opened spring practice Sunday. “We’ve just got to find and identify undergrad transfers - those guys have some experience - and go from there.

“You go with the hand you’re dealt.”

 
250lbs, a hoss to bring down. Any guesses on how many QB runs?
 
Coach Taylor, thank you for having way too much SPUNK for some🏈🕷️🕸️
Hope it is contagious! GO SPIDERS, many Spiders need more SPUNK
He was running all around the field yesterday. Def seems to have good energy. Im hoping we have the arms and the scheme to get the ball deep this year.
 
Never really could not understand why we didn’t use 2 QB’s the last 2 years to their strengths. We could have kept Wickersham healthy also maybe if we had done this and also have had Coleman back this year but oh well?🕸️🕷️🏈
 
Never really could not understand why we didn’t use 2 QB’s the last 2 years to their strengths. We could have kept Wickersham healthy also maybe if we had done this and also have had Coleman back this year but oh well?🕸️🕷️🏈
I thought Coleman kind of implied he wanted a redshirt year at JMU to give him more time to hopefully get a shot at NFL as his skills further developed. I took that as he might well have stayed if he had not been forced to play the last two years. Of course, he probably goes at some point anyway to take a shot at being seen at the FBS level.
JMU and the other FBS schools are going to continue to recruit and take transfers so he will have to get better to get a shot.
 
I thought Coleman kind of implied he wanted a redshirt year at JMU to give him more time to hopefully get a shot at NFL as his skills further developed. I took that as he might well have stayed if he had not been forced to play the last two years. Of course, he probably goes at some point anyway to take a shot at being seen at the FBS level.
JMU and the other FBS schools are going to continue to recruit and take transfers so he will have to get better to get a shot.

He did. he flat out said he didn't get to use redshirt here & knew grad transferring was no longer at option if stayed at UR.

ideally yeah he got to redshirt 1 of last 2 years. if he had then 2 more years then gone as 5th year. except we also don't make playoffs with him redshirting either of those years. we had good reasons to burn it.

I think his plan is to reshirt this year backing up Sluka. start next year at JMU, do well and then transfer to P4. or do 2 years as starting QB if the P4 didn't materialize.
 
Post scrimmage,Huesman says he’s looking for 3-4 transfers to provide specific needs to round out the roster.

Previously he had mentioned the need for 7 players.We settled on 2 players as the Spring transfer adds.
 
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FYI.

The college football spring transfer portal window is open from April 16th to April 25th, 2025, a 10-day period for players to enter the transfer portal.
32...do you have any idea whether, or not, we'll get hit again by transfers out during this period?

Go Spiders!
 

Spring Practice 2025: Spring Game recap​

c/o RollSpides


Clean and competitive – all you can ask for from a spring game. Richmond looked solid in all phases, showcasing some growth in a few areas and ending spring ball on a high note entering the summer.

Spring Game​

I really liked the format given our small roster. Two offensive units (with some interchanging of players) against the 1s and 2s of the defense. Allowed us to see plenty of the younger guys while still having a good structure to the game. Joe McCauley as the red team QB gave him plenty of reps, which makes sense looking into the future. McCauley didn’t see the field last year, and with Wickersham/Snelsire the clear QB1/QB2 it will be difficult for #12 to get on the field in 2025. Good building block for him on Saturday.
You could see the lack of depth in some key spots. Only two running backs active, along with just three corners, four safeties, and two defensive tackles. Plenty of reinforcements are on the way (roster update below), however I was very pleased with the overall execution of the scrimmage given our situation. A very positive note to end the spring and it leads to plenty of optimism heading into the summer months.

Spring Game thoughts​

Biggest takeaway for me was both McManus and O’Haire recording multiple touchbacks on kickoffs. Wind aided to some degree, but having two guys capable of doing that at the FCS level is rare. I’m expecting McManus to be the kickoff specialist again in 2025, and we should be one of the top KOC units in the Patriot League.
Blake Houser got the start at Will linebacker. We saw Laughlin, Wood, and Houser all run with the 1s this spring. Excited to see how this spot shakes out, especially once the freshmen arrive. Any portal additions could make the secondary more interesting this fall, but for now this position is the most intriguing.
Four defensive linemen that could be in the 2025 rotation were out, yet this group still made an impact. Redshirt freshmen Daniel Sellers (DE) and Braxton Lassiter (DT) really made the most of their opportunities and should find themselves in the rotation this fall. Fitz will be the fixture at defensive tackle, with Camden Byrd in the same spot at defensive end, however there’s plenty of guys in contention to play alongside them.
Wickersham looked comfortable and got through his progressions well in the 1st half. He looked in sync with his receivers, and although he said afterwards he’s not at the exact weight he plans on being this August, it was a solid spring for a QB that missed nearly all of 2024.
Quanye Veney, Isaiah Dawson, and Jaiden Fair all recorded chunk plays, and I’m looking forward to how we use all three slot receivers this fall. Not as much from the X/Z receivers outside, but for a spring game we moved the ball downfield well. Disappointed we didn’t get to see Aziz Foster-Powell at running back. King and Brown ran well but I’d imagine Foster-Powell will be in the mix too.
First team offensive line looked great. Capristo seems ready to take over at center and I like our options at guard. Pretty clear divide between the 1s and 2s (as we expected), so how the depth develops will be important. A super young group outside of the starters so lots of opportunities for someone to step up.

Roster update​

Six more freshmen have signed/committed to Richmond the past month or two, and although not all are official I’ll include them in this roster update. A couple are walk-ons, but depth is depth.
roster-breakdown-4.6.25.png

Definitely a chance we lose someone to the portal when it reopens on April 16th, but for now we’ve got a great shot at getting into the high 80s come August. 22 is one of the biggest freshman classes we’ve had, with 10 of those recruits coming from the state of Virginia. A huge push for local talent pays off in high volume in our first year of recruiting for the Patriot League.

Portal targets​

Our large freshmen class lessens the need for a large number of portal additions, but I still feel a few spots need more immediate help.
  • Secondary – I don’t think we need a starter from the portal anymore. I said we needed one over the winter, but this spring changed my mind. Moving Jordan Allen worked well and I think one freshman will step up. Overall this is our youngest position group, so an experienced player would be a big boost. If there were a position we would take a 1-year player in, this would be it.
  • Wide receiver – We had an offer out to a big target this winter, and I could see us going for a multi-year guy if one becomes available. Lower on the priority list after getting Jaiden Fair from Maryland.
  • Offensive line – Spiders are projected to have 13 this fall, so there’s room for another, but it would have to be a multi-year player. Tackle is our thinnest spot right now, so someone with experience who could backup Carbajal/Gray wouldn’t hurt.
  • Tight end – Sean Clarke looked good in the spring game, there’s just not much experience behind him. Had a few offers out this winter so this one wouldn’t surprise me one way or another.
 
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