The 2023 spring game has arrived and with it remain plenty of questions. All eyes will be on the new Spiders offense and how the quarterbacks look, however there are many other groups that have interesting battles ongoing. Here are the positions, and the players, to watch for at Robins Stadium this weekend.

Offensive playbook & coordinators

Before we get into the players we’ve got to mention the “new” offense. If you’re expecting to get a good look at what this year’s play-calling will be like on Saturday, I think you’ll be disappointed. Teams rarely open up the playbook too much during the spring, especially in the midst of a somewhat open QB competition. There will be plenty of underneath routes, screens, and almost assuredly more running. I do think we’ll see an emphasis on getting playmakers in space, but using the spring game play-calling to predict how things will look in September is a stretch at best. Despite that, I think we can pick up on two things throughout the game.

• Tempo – I can’t imagine we’ll see the offense push the tempo too hard in a spring game, however the pace at which they are ready to operate will be something to watch with the new coordinators. The Spiders really struggled with getting play calls in the years before Cosh and were able to use his decisive play-calling as a strength in 2022. The last thing you want is a new QB fighting the play clock throughout each drive, so seeing if October/Ross can keep that quick pace (even if we don’t snap it quickly) will be critical.
• Personnel groupings – I’m betting on a lot more 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 RB, 1 TE) this year compared to a hefty dose of 10 personnel (4 WRs, 1 RB) last season. Even with Connor Deveney not playing I’m excited for the TE group to start to show off their talent, and see how they fit into this scheme.

Players to keep an eye on

I want to highlight some of the Spiders that fans will get to see more of in 2023 compared to prior seasons. There will be plenty of time during the summer and fall camp to go over the established starters so I’ve picked at least one guy at most positions to feature that you probably haven’t heard too much about. Definitely had to cut a few guys out I really wanted to talk about but hoping this helps highlight some names we’ll hear more often going forward.

Quarterbacks

The QB situation at Richmond has gotten more intriguing as the spring has gone on. The Spiders entered spring with Kyle Wickersham clearly QB1 and a few guys behind him trying to make this a competition. As we exit spring, Wickersham still remains #1 but true freshman Camden Coleman has burst onto the scene to seemly grab the #2 spot and continue this battle heading into the summer months. Do I have Camden Coleman ultimately winning this job? No. Do I have him on the two-deep by the time Morgan State rolls around? Yes.

Players to watch – Kyle Wickersham (#16) and Camden Coleman (#14)

Wickersham will win this job with his quick decision making and his legs. He seems to be making consistently better decisions as the spring has gone on, and although we (hopefully) won’t see him run too much in the spring game that will be a key addition to the 2023 scheme.

Coleman made his arm strength known early on as he throws a tremendous deep ball and has a nice release. He doesn’t offer the same power running ability that Wickersham does, however his accuracy and placement seem to be at a QB1 level early on. Again – I’m not saying we should start a true freshman QB after seeing seven spring practices. I’m just saying the QB room is in a much better spot than we all could’ve imagined post-Reece Udinski.

Running Backs

Players to watch – Dante Black (#6) and Fonnae Webb (#8)

We only have two true running backs for the spring game, so it shouldn’t be too hard to notice Dante and Fonnae. Black is the quicker of the two backs, while Webb would be more of your typical power back. Both will have complimenting roles behind Savon Smith this season, and based on how the rotations went last year I’d expect both to get a few touches each game. I’m really excited to see Dante Black find his role, as the UConn transfer from back in 2020 hasn’t seen much time up until now. With Aaron Dykes off to the pros we’ll get to see the full depth of the running back room.

Wide Receivers

Players to watch – Ja’Vion Griffin (#89) and Quintarius Jefferies (#81)

No Spider has ever won multiple spring game MVPs in their career** but Ja’Vion Griffin will look to change that this Saturday. Coming off a two TD spring game performance in 2022, Ja’Vion looks to be the Spiders’ #3 target heading into 2023. He didn’t see a ton of action in 2022 but did fill in well when Williams & DeGennaro went down with injuries.

**Statistic is based on literally no actual data but it feels pretty unlikely this has happened before**

Quintarius Jefferies has stood out to me this spring, exceling in one-on-one situations and winning plenty of matchups outside. So much of the UR receiving production outside the numbers left when LeRoy Henley graduated, so look for Jefferies to be in the mix for the #3/#4 receiver role.

Tight Ends

Player to watch – Sean Clarke (#87)

If you prefer an offense that uses tight ends than last season was not a good year to be a Richmond fan. 10 personnel was the Spiders most commonly used personnel grouping, however early indications are we’ll see less of that in 2023. With Connor Deveney out for the spring it will offer a chance to see some of the younger guys featured at this spot, with Sean Clarke being someone who I thought had a strong spring. The staff will likely be looking for a guy with a strong run-blocking/pass-catching balance and Clarke seems to fit that mold. Hoping the redshirt freshman gets a few targets this Saturday.

Defensive Line

Player to watch – Thaos Figaro (#33)

This won’t be a name many recognize, as Thaos has not played in a game for Richmond yet, however the well recruited defensive end will finally get his chance to work into this rotation. Holding offers from Army, Mercer, and Nicholls St. out of high school, Figaro ultimately chose the Spiders in a big recruiting win for the staff. He redshirted in 2021 and was hurt for 2022 but should be full go come 2023. As a R-So with good size (over 230 lbs) he’ll have opportunities to fill in behind the trio of Louis/Grant/Barnett.

Linebackers

Player to watch – Donovan Hoilette (#34)

Donovan was arguably the brightest addition to a fairly established defensive rotation last season, and he really came on strong the last half of the year. He was used in a 3rd down pass-rushing role as an edge during October, and got to show his ability at linebacker against Sac St (11 total tackles, two TFLs). He’s had a solid spring early on and looks to have command of that starting linebacker spot in the middle of the defense. Expecting Spiders fans to see #34 flying around the field Saturday.

Cornerbacks

Player to watch – Chance Graves (#37)

Aside from Angelo Rankin Jr. and Stefan Black II (transfer from UNI), corner is a rather unknown position in terms of game experience. One guy who has a little more experience than we might think is Chance Graves, who made 10 appearances his freshman year before having his season cut short in 2022 after only three games. Working at the boundary corner spot, the 6’1″ Graves has good size and has a solid chance at working himself into the rotation this season. The personnel for the nickel package wasn’t really shown during the spring, so seeing who separates themselves at cornerback #3 remains a key battle. With Aamir Hall gone, Graves has a great opportunity to earn a lot more playing time in 2023.

Safeties

Player to watch – Kaiden Pritchett (#46)

I’ll admit it, I knew absolutely nothing about Kaiden entering this spring. He only has seven game appearances in two seasons, however his offseason work was strong enough to be a starter in the first 4-2-5 package we saw this spring. I haven’t seen that change much since then, so for now he seems to be safety #3 and his role in that group feels as if it’s his to lose. Similar to corner, we know plenty about the #1 and #2 guys (Banks & Parker) but after that the experience drops off a cliff. Excited to see a newer face make his name known to Spiders fans.

Next Post

I’ll recap the spring game and update where transfers and recruiting stands heading into the summer. Hope everyone has a great Saturday in the Brick House!