Gone is two-time 1st team All-CAA selection Ryan Coll, however the Spiders still have plenty of experience up front. Albany gave this group a taste of what the most physical teams in the country can do, and I expect these guys to respond to that in 2024.

Player Profiles

Tom Elia – Tom Elia – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Cade Salyers – Cade Salyers – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Keith Gouveia – Keith Gouveia – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Parker Mitchell – Parker Mitchell – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Phillip (Trey) Gray III – Phillip Gray III – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Scott Hummel – Scott Hummel – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Gabriel Carbajal – Gabriel Carbajal – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Kade Capristo – Kade Capristo – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Ethan Calveric – Ethan Calveric – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Godwin Burger – Godwin Burger – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Kelsey Hundley – Kelsey Hundley – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Ronald Anderson – Ronald Anderson – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Bo Fowler – Bo Fowler – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Luke Surrett – Luke Surrett – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

2023 shuffle

2023 was chaotic for this group. Hoping to replace Joe More with the return of Gavin Lamp, Ryan Coll shifted from LT to RT. An unfortunate injury in camp eventually forced Coll to shift to guard, and Salyers going out for the season in September only made the opening month even worse.

It leaves the Spiders with a well-known group in 2024, but with two big question marks. How will the Spiders solidify the tackle spots, and can Salyers return to his 2022 form?

2023 by the numbers

Above are the PFF ranks amongst the top 8 Richmond lineman in terms of snap count. In no way a perfect grading scale, but it’s the best data we’ve got at the FCS level. Since we don’t have anyone not on this list starting this season, I’ll base the preview around this.

Tom Elia

Plenty of things stand out from 2023, however you can’t watch UR football the past few seasons and not appreciate what Elia continues to do.

Over the past two seasons, #56 has amassed more than 1,800 snaps (essentially every meaningful snap we’ve played). He led the Spiders in pass block rating, run block rating, and continued his steady rise in play since he stepped on campus in 2019.

His overall grades have improved each season, and there’s no doubt he will continue that into 2024. Against the entire FCS, Elia ranked #7 among qualifying centers in overall blocking grade, good for 2nd in the CAA. What’s most impressive is that in 437 “true pass sets” in 2023, Elia allowed zero sacks and only four QB hits.

We’ve seen the Spiders play with tempo the past few seasons and earn plenty of free plays with hard counts. You can’t do that without a disciplined center, which is one of the many things Elia brings to this team that won’t show up in the box scores. He’ll be a captain for the Spiders in 2024, and with question marks at a few key positions it’s nice to have center not be one of them.

With a CAA championship, multiple playoff wins, and 26 consecutive starts under his belt, there isn’t much Elia hasn’t done in a Richmond uniform… except win an All-CAA honor. Despite plenty of top-3 rankings compared to the other CAA centers in 2023, the conference didn’t feel Elia’s play warranted a spot on any of the all-conference teams. They’ve got one more chance to get it right in 2024, otherwise we’re leaving for the Patriot League….

Guards

The conversation about our guards starts with how ready Cade Salyers will be come September, and early in August he looks great. The best version of this Spiders’ offense in 2024 includes Salyers, however even if they manage his snaps in the early part of the year, we’re in a good spot at guard.

A return to his 2022 form would guarantee UR has one of the top center/guard combos in the country. Salyers was the Spiders’ highest rating lineman in 2022, allowing zero sacks on 544 true pass sets at RG. His rating put him in the top 25 of all FCS guards that season, and he played the most snaps out of any guard that allowed zero sacks that season. It’s unfair to hold him to that standard out of the gates in 2024, however a season anywhere near that of 2022 would go a long way for the UR O-line.

With the injury situation last year, Scott Hummel got plenty of reps at guard (nearly 300 snaps) and puts UR in a fine position no matter how Salyer’s progression comes along. Still just a R-Jr., the JMU transfer made plenty of contributions upfront in 2023, splitting time at both guard spots. On the opposite side, Gouveia has been a reliable piece to this UR rotation the past few seasons after being forced into action in 2022 due to the Gavin Lamp injury.

I admittingly hadn’t watched a lot of interior line play early in camp, as both sides of the ball are very established inside. With more scrimmages and full pads practices of late I’ve focused on them more, and the battles have been awesome. Both are tops in the CAA and going head-to-head each day benefits everyone. The physicality is at another level and I think this is a group we can (and will) continually lean on in short yardage situations.

Tackles

The make-or-break spot of the UR offense in 2024. Our tackles won’t have as much experience as our interior linemen, however an improvement in protection on the edges will be necessary to see this team get past the 2nd round.

The “2023 by the numbers” summary listed above shows that guard ranked higher than tackle on average, which I don’t think will surprise anyone. To be completely honest, a lot of that was to be expected. Gavin Lamp returned after missing all of 2022, and while no position is easy to return to after a season long injury, LT is exceptionally difficult. On the other side, the injury to Ryan Coll forced Parker Mitchell to shift to RT, despite having worked at guard for most of camp and still only being in his second year.

The good news is Richmond enters 2024 in a much better spot. Mitchell got over 700 snaps at RT last season, and I think he’s in a similar spot to a lot of guys in the secondary. Having that first full season at a position under your belt really makes a difference entering the following season, and I think that’s showing early on. Mitchell is undoubtedly the most vocal of the Spiders, and the fire he brings sets the tone for the style this group wants to play with.

On the other side, Trey Gray (projected LT) has been working at tackle since he got to UR. Gray hasn’t seen as much game action as the rest of the O-line (only 200 snaps last season), however the R-So. was well recruited out of high school (offers from Elon, Wofford, etc.) and has looked comfortable so far during camp. We’ve also seen Gabe Carbajal work with the 1s at left tackle, so no matter who we go with this will be the spot with the least experience.

If this group can make a big jump from 2023 to 2024, the Spiders will be able to play with anyone up front. Plenty of eyes will be watching how the entire O-line comes together in a few weeks.

What to watch early on

Not as much of a shuffle this season compared to last, so I’m hoping the Spiders can come out with a much faster start.

Richmond gave up 3+ sacks three times last September, contributing to the early hole we dug ourselves in.

Although Wofford and Charleston Southern won’t scare anyone on the schedule, if we want to avoid this September looking even remotely like last there’s got to be cleaner play from the beginning. The O-line was by no means the only September issue we had last season, however I know it will be on their minds to start the 2024 campaign in much better fashion. The Elon road game in late September should be our first real test of the year, but more consistent play early on will help the flow of the offense and keep our FCS at-large resume intact.

Next Post

2024 Position Group Overview: Specialists – Wednesday, August 21st