As one of the most brilliant careers in UR history starts to wind down for senior Tristan Wheeler the linebacker room will continue to feature plenty of familiar faces in 2023, with multiple guys having expanded roles in what this staff will ask them to do.

Player Profiles

Tristan Wheeler – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/tristan-wheeler/5764

Donovan Hoilette – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/donovan-hoilette/5733

Jared Joseph – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/jared-joseph/5735

Wayne Galloway – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/wayne-galloway/5723

Zach Chambers – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/zach-chambers/5713

Prince Ekwughalu – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/prince-ekwughalu/5719

Owen Laughlin – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/owen-laughlin/5737

Tristan Wheeler

I typically open each player’s profile online when I start writing these, so when the first thing I opened was the UR all-time record book you know we’re about to talk about someone special. Four time All-CAA selection, three 1st team All-CAA selections, two time All-American, team captain, 37 straight starts, and soon to be the second highest tackler in the history of Richmond football. This preview basically writes itself because what do you say about a guy with that list of accolades.

I think many of us (myself included) have been so used to Tristan being a All-Conference selection or earning other recognition that you lose track of just how crazy his career has been. As he steps onto the field for the Spiders for a final season in 2023 it’s unfortunate that we likely won’t see the full impact of what #30 brings until he’s gone. His leadership on this defense has helped this Richmond program improve every season since 2019, and he’s rarely out of position or a step-behind the opposing offense. Multiple guys have talked about how they look to Wheeler for guidance throughout practices/games, so while the hole he leaves next season will be quite apparent I hope Spiders fans are able to appreciate all #30 has done (and is still doing) for this program throughout the season.

As you can see from the UR career tackling numbers (above), Wheeler will almost certainly claim the #2 spot but has literally not shot at #1. Passing All-American, National Champion, and local legend Eric McBride (LC Bird high school) will be an incredible feat for Wheeler and ultimately speaks to his toughness. There’s no easy games playing inside linebacker, but if you think our star LB is too good for special teams you’re thinking of the wrong guy. You’ll see Wheeler out there on the KOC unit once again in 2023, proving that his heart and toughness is the embodiment of what it means to be a Richmond Spider.

Donovan Hoilette

I mentioned Donovan during one of my fall camp updates however what he’s doing for this defense is worthy of more than a few bullet points. Hoilette, entering his sophomore season, is set to start at middle linebacker in Justin Wood’s defense. He only has one full season of experience under his belt but the impacts he made in his freshman season were significant. We mostly saw Hoilette in a 3rd down pass-rushing role, as the Spiders were trying lots of combinations early on to help the pass rush and to give the D-linemen a break. In the games where UR only had five defensive linemen they were comfortable playing, Hoilette was added to a third down package that allowed him to rush the edge. In nine games last season he accumulated four TFLs and had multiple pressures on opposing QBs. Then the Sacramento St playoff game happened, and immediately upon Phil O’Connor going down Hoilette stepped in at linebacker to have 11 tackles, two TFLs, and a deflection. For a guy in his redshirt freshman season to show that level of versatility, and at such a high level, speaks to how good of an athlete Hoilette is and how he’s likely nowhere near his ceiling yet.

He’ll be a full-time starter for the Spiders at linebacker this season but don’t expect that pass-rushing ability to go to waste. I’ve seen a few packages where he steps into that old role of a defensive end off the edge, and although we have more depth on the D-line now I’d expect us to use this a few times each game. It’s also realistic to assume we’ll be more open to blitzing, as both Wheeler and Hoilette are great at blowing up plays behind the line of scrimmage. With the secondary further improved in 2023, I’d imagine the staff will be willing to bring one or two backers more often this season.

Other contributors

There are a lot of players worth mentioning here. Arguably our deepest position and the one with most players who have had real impacts on games.

Jared Joseph is set to take over the spot previously occupied by Xavier Marshall. He’s played mostly special teams in his first two seasons but was the new starter this spring and has held that role ever since. Another guy who looks quick off the edge and doesn’t have a problem playing in space. For now he’s backed up by Quantraill Morris-Walker, the transfer from Idaho St. He is listed as a safety on Idaho St’s roster and as a DB on our roster, but he’s worked with the group of Will linebackers so far during camp. Both he and Joseph look to plug in well here so hoping we get to see both early on.

We’ve also got Wayne Galloway, Zach Chambers, Prince Ekwughalu, and Owen Laughlin that have all seen relevant game action. Galloway has a few starts on record and has done a nice job when called upon. He’s gotten a fair amount of run with the 1s this fall so don’t be shocked if we see more of #9 out there, especially on downs when Hoilette switches to an edge rusher. Chambers (from local Glen Allen high school) if someone I’ve been really high on from the beginning and he continues to learn behind Hoilette. Great range from sideline to sideline and a hard hitter. Laughlin has seen a lot of his action in goal-line situations, so the fact this staff is comfortable inserting him in at critical moments speaks to his awareness and talent.

I don’t highlight this many guys to say that this will be a linebacker by committee situation – we’ve got three clear starters and we want to see them out there as much as possible. However the ability to go six or seven deep based on the situation will be a valuable asset for this staff over the course of the season.

One goal for 2023

Keep disruption high – Whether it’s creating negative plays in the backfield or not allowing the QB to get comfortable in the pocket our linebackers have set a solid standard the past two seasons.

Huesman had a few interviews back in 2018/2019 discussing how he wanted to get back to keeping offenses “off-schedule,” as the Spiders weren’t creating enough negative plays to continually keep offenses behind the chains. 2021 and 2022 have both seen great disruption caused by our top-3 linebackers, and although this is directly correlated to D-line play it does show how this group is improving in both the run & pass game. Nearly 24 TFLs and 11 QB hurries from our top-3 backers last season displays the improvement in our blitz packages and run fits, and outside of the W&M game very few offenses looked comfortable for four quarters. Hard to really set a target, especially if we don’t play the base 4-3 as much this season, but I’d like to imagine our top LBs can keep these two statistical categories near the top of the CAA once again.

Next Post

2023 Position Group Overview – Wide Receivers