Four practices in, as the Spiders were on the field four times in a five day stretch to kick things off. Always strange to watch practice with such a smaller roster, yet still plenty of takeaways early on.

Coaching changes

Keegan Kennedy was announced as the new offensive line coach, coming over from Harvard. He was there since 2019, and Rhode Island before that, and given the timing of it all we probably couldn’t have done much better. Fits with the structure of the school well, has experience in some good recruiting areas, and did a nice job with the Crimson in his tenure. He’s got a few starting spots to lock down but also some great experience on the interior, so I’m expecting a smooth transition.

Unfortunately Adam Ross leaving isn’t our last coaching change of the year, as running backs coach Justin Poindexter announced he was leaving the Spiders over the weekend. No word where he’s going as of now however Coach Huesman has another position to fill during the spring period. I’ll echo my sentiments from earlier – coaches leaving successful FCS programs isn’t surprising. Each coaching move puts more and more emphasis on Coach Huesman to keep the structure in place and right now he’s kept things perfectly on track.

Portal updates

Unofficial at this point, but hearing the Spiders have added Wofford safety John Michael DiRoberto. One year of eligibility remaining but I’m glad we’re starting to add some secondary depth. I think he’ll have some good battles for playing time with the guys we have in place now, and adding another experienced safety alongside Bryson Parker definitely puts this position group in a good spot.

Still wouldn’t be shocked in the Spiders added another secondary piece, potentially a corner, however that’s likely a little later on (if it happens). There’s a transfer window at the end of April and I’d imagine we’ll be keeping our options open. Still a few pending offers out there, so no matter what we’ve clearly got a scholarship open if the right guy becomes available.

Practice updates

Quarterbacks – Let’s get right to it. It’s been a STRONG showing from Wickersham/Coleman early on. Jackson Hardy is not taking his 5th year, so Ashten Snelsire is the only other rostered QB for the spring. With that, we’re getting to see even more of this battle and it really couldn’t have started better. Wickersham has been deadly accurate early on and looks to be making quicker reads. Great timing with his receivers and no shortage of shots down the field. Coleman continues to produce big plays as well, and continues to excel throwing on the move. They’ve moved the pocket more than usual early on and neither has had any trouble.

Coach Huesman said he expects this battle to go all the way up to UVA, but my guess is it goes beyond that. Way too early to be talking about this but with UVA to start the season, and then three non-conference opponents (none of which project to be too difficult) I wouldn’t be shocked if they split time early in September. I’ll save my thoughts on that until the fall but that’s my guess right now. This isn’t getting sorted out anytime soon, as there’s no reason to not expect high level QB play throughout spring/fall camp.

Offensive Line – Sadly the team doesn’t put out a spring roster, so if you weren’t aware both Tom Elia and Cade Salyers are thankfully returning for a final season. That makes the interior of the O-line all but set, with Keith Gouveia and Scott Hummel fighting for the other guard spot. No matter what we’ve got four established interior offensive lineman and I expect us to lean on them plenty in 2024. Tackle remains the area to watch this spring, with Parker Mitchell (RT) and Trey Gray (LT) taking reps with the 1s. Nothing so far to make me think they don’t ultimately win those spots, so for now it’s all about progression. It’s unfair to set the bar at the 2022 level, when we had Ryan Coll (NFL) and Joe More (Syracuse) anchoring those spots, but a lot of what this offense wants to do will hinge on how much progress the tackle position can make.

Linebacker – Carter Glassmyer may truly be a plug-and-play for Tristan Wheeler. Looks like he’s going to take over that Sam linebacker spot immediately, and if he has anywhere near the season he did last year this group will excel once again. Very strong trio of Quantraill Morris-Walker, Wayne Galloway, and Glassmyer.

The depth somewhat sorted itself out by Donovan Hoilette moving to a pure defensive end role. It’s only been four practices, so that may change, but early on he’s working fulltime with the DEs. A little undersized right now but I’d expect him to bulk up some before August. He’s got experience and familiarity with the techniques of the position, now it just seems like he’s got to adjust to doing it full time. We’re known for rotating defensive ends pretty consistently so that should help him throughout the course of a full season. Excited to see his progress, especially in fall camp after he’s had the entire summer to focus on his new spot.

Next Post

Two more practices for the Spiders before spring break, so I’ll do an update either Friday or Monday at the somewhat-halfway point. Lots to update regarding the skill positions and some younger guys.