When the 2022 season ended all of the focus turned to who was leaving from the senior class. Aaron Dykes went pro, Joe More went to Syracuse, Tyrek Funderburk went to App St… yet hardly anyone talked about how the Spiders were getting their most reliable safety back for a sixth and final season. It’s time we stop forgetting to mention the name Aaron Banks and start realizing just how big his impact and presence on this team really is.

Player Profiles

Aaron Banks – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/aaron-banks/5703

Bryson Parker – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/bryson-parker/5748

Mikey Jarmolowich – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/mikey-jarmolowich/5788

Kaiden Pritchett – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/kaiden-pritchett/5749

Matthew Traynor – https://richmondspiders.com/sports/football/roster/matthew-traynor/5780

Bryson Parker

After the 2021 season, it was pretty clear that one of Aamir Hall, Angelo Rankin Jr., or Bryson Parker would need to move from corner to safety. All three had great starts to their careers at corner but we had to find a way to get all three on the field. Parker was ultimately the one to make the switch and I don’t think it could’ve gone much smoother. He didn’t start initially but he was the starting strong safety by the end of the year. Parker ended the year as the top tackler in the secondary, with 63 tackles, two INTs and eight breakups.

It was clear he understood this system from his freshman season, and the staff was quick to mention in interviews his eagerness and willingness to learn the new role. His ability to come down into the box and make tackles, cover tight ends, yet still be able to play a more traditional safety role on other downs is exactly the versatility Huesman is looking for in this defense. As we see this Spiders’ unit play more packages in 2023 is good knowing that Bryson will be a central part of the game plan.

Mikey Jarmolowich

The only reason this post isn’t fully dedicated to the returning duo of Parker & Banks is the addition of Mikey Jarmolowich, who comes in as one of the biggest secondary additions in Russ Huesman’s tenure as UR head coach. The Brandon Feamster addition (from Duke) at corner in 2019 will be hard to top, however in terms of safety additions it certainly feels like Jarmo will have the biggest impact. He racked up 86 tackles for Colgate in 2022 on his way to an All-Patriot League honor, and his two INTs and nine passes broken up show how he mirrors Parker in his ability to both defend the run and the pass.

He’s also going to play in the boundary at strong safety, so we’ll see him and Parker rotating early in the year. He’s been excellent in camp in his 1-on-1 coverage, so I’d expect us to have the advantage in most match-ups when he’s facing off against a tight end. He specifically talked about his strength of playing in the box and near the line of scrimmage in his Transfer Tracker interview, so I’m expecting him to a be a great addition in run support. I’m sure Justin Wood will call games to highlight the strengths of Parker/Jarmo, all while letting Aaron Banks continue to roam out in center field.

Aaron Banks

Last – but certainly not least – of the three safeties is Aaron Banks, who has simply flown entirely under the radar in his six seasons as a Spider. Huesman was hired in late 2016 so his first full recruiting class came after the 2017 season – that first “full” class included Aaron Banks, and with #8 set for his final season in a Spider uniform it’s fitting that he’s been a part of this secondary transformation the entire time. Staring in 2018 the safety position for Richmond has been a revolving door that never took a break – we were playing the 4-2-5, then we stopped. We shifted some guys to safety, and then back to corner the next year with new safeties in place. Ten players started at safety for UR in a three year stretch, however the one constant we’ve been fortunate to have since 2019 is Banks.

An injury derailed his season in 2019, otherwise we might be talking about someone with 30+ starts entering the 2023 campaign. He does still come in with 24 career starts (21 straight) and the quietest 2nd team All-CAA season you’ll ever see. With names like Marlem Louis and Tristan Wheeler on defense it’s easy to get overlooked, but after notching 53 tackles, four INTs, and 10 deflections it’s crazy to me that Banks isn’t viewed as more of a centerpiece of this defense. This secondary has taken huge strides the past three seasons and Aaron Banks is absolutely at the center of that, excelling in his free safety role and really allowing this staff to play the coverages they want. He operates in the wide-side of the field and has great instincts as the Spiders’ last line of defense.

No one performs better on a bigger stage than Banks, who has had his best games against FBS competition (INT against VT in ’21, two turnovers against UVA in ’22) and UR’s biggest FCS games (two turnovers against Delaware in ’22). When you have a senior starter that excels in the big moments it helps set the standard for those around him, and for the younger guys learning from him. Banks will no doubt be incredibly impactful on the field for the Spiders again in 2023 but we’ll likely see the effects of his play and leadership for years after, as he really has reshaped this unit and redefined what this UR secondary can accomplish.

What I’m watching for

How much 4-2-5 will we get to see? What we’ve seen in camp seems like a more 3rd down/passing down focused group, so we may still primarily play the 4-3. I thought with these three safeties we see a little more balance but they may rotate them more rather than play all three at once. Either way, the personnel used is worth keeping an eye on during the first few games.

Can we get some inexperienced guys some early playing time? I’ve said this a lot in the position group overviews but with so many positions returning multiple starters there haven’t been too many game snaps available to younger Spiders. Kaiden Pritchett looked good during the spring, and Huesman has mentioned how good Matthew Traynor has done early on. He seems like to guy to fill in at free safety once Banks graduates so, like many positions, I’m hoping the non-conference slate is full of opportunities.

One goal for 2023

Keep the rotations intact – I’ve referenced the revolving door at safety and although it wasn’t five or six guys continually swapping out there is a lot of value to having established starters. 2019 was an excellent statistic year for the UR pass defense, finishing with the lowest yards allowed in the CAA. 23 of the 24 starts at safety that season were made by Daniel Jones and Trent Williams, as the Spiders had two proven and consistent options. 2021 saw a dip statistically, as the second safety spot was nearly split in half between a rotating Aaron Banks and Nile Harris. Early 2022 saw this as well, with Bryson Parker and Gio Siegler splitting snaps until Parker ultimately started the final seven games.

I don’t think “keeping the rotations intact” means we only play two guys. Much of 2021/2022 felt like we were finding guys to fit the role, rather than working in proven options. Even if there’s a clear sharing of duties amongst these three safeties, having established rotations will go a long way towards building cohesion. There have been plenty of seasons where we’re still trying to find our starters as we enter CAA play, yet thankfully we are far from that this season. Having a season of continuous, steady safety play from the same few guys will be fun to watch.

Next Post

2023 Position Group Overview – Tight ends (8/28)