It’s not easy to replace a 5-time All-American. Richmond has that task in 2024 with the departure of Tristan Wheeler, and while we won’t simply replace his production it would be hard to find a roster more ready to take on that task.

Player Profiles

Wayne Galloway – Wayne Galloway – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Quantraill Morris-Walker – Quantraill Morris-Walker – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Carter Glassmyer – Carter Glassmyer – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Owen Laughlin – Owen Laughlin – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Zach Chambers – Zach Chambers – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Jordan Allen – Jordan Allen – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Ed McDonough – Edward McDonough – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Peyton Seelmann – Peyton Seelmann – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Blake Houser – Blake Houser – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Jordan Wilkes – Jordan Wilkes – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Joe Poinelli – Joe Poinelli – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Ryan Hammoud – Ryan Hammoud – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

Harrison Wood – Harrison Wood – Football – University of Richmond Athletics (richmondspiders.com)

I’m expecting three main linebackers for the Spiders in 2024: Wayne Galloway, Quantraill Morris-Walker, and Carter Glassmyer.

Wayne Galloway

I like transfers. Transfers are a part of college football these days, and I like that we find pieces to add each year. The two linebackers starting alongside Galloway are both excellent transfers. Nick DeGennaro is fantastic. We’ll see a transfer running back get carries this year, as well as transfers on both lines. But there’s just something about guys who stay for 4+ years and work their way to the top. Going from a freshman that plays sparingly, progressing to a complimentary role, and eventually a junior/senior starter. That’s what Richmond fans have in Wayne Galloway, as #9 is set to lead this Spiders linebacking corps in 2024.

Galloway returns for his fifth year on campus after recording the 3rd most tackles on the team in 2023. He initially didn’t start last year, however he earned his way into a starting role midway through the season and quickly took advantage of it. I’ll be honest, I didn’t see him taking Hoilette’s spot last year. Galloway has continually impressed with each game, and guys like him are the reason we can lose Tristan Wheeler and Phil O’Connor the past two seasons and still have solid LB play.

His efforts aren’t lost on his teammates, either. Galloway will captain the Spiders this year, after co-winning the Gus Lee Winter Warrior Award (w/ Elia). Both Coach Wood and Coach Huesman spoke highly of Galloway’s play and leadership this spring, something that’s been evident in camp as well. This defense asks for a lot from the middle linebacker position, and it’s reassuring to know an established leader will be out there for the Spiders once again in 2024.

Quantraill Morris-Walker

Morris-Walker joined the Spiders last season from Idaho State, splitting time with Jared Joseph at Will linebacker. With Joseph now gone, this is solely QMW’s spot. We only saw him for just under 300 snaps in 2023 but I was really impressed with his ability to go sideline to sideline and play in space. He played safety at Idaho State yet has the size to play linebacker in the CAA. That combination makes him a great fit for this role, as he’s asked to play towards the wide side of the field each snap.

He ranked 16th out of FCS linebackers in run defense rating last season, so he can be an every-down linebacker that UR needs this year. There’s no indication this will be a shared role so expect to see plenty of #16 – based on last year’s snap counts that could land him north of 600 snaps. He’ll still come off the field when we use the 4-2-5 package, but with a full year of experience in this defense I’m anticipating a strong year in his UR finale.

Carter Glassmyer

On the other side of Galloway will be newcomer Carter Glassmyer, from St. Francis. He’ll be tasked with “replacing Tristan Wheeler” – I put that in quotes because one does not simply just replace Wheeler. Glassmyer joins the Spiders after a superb freshman season, earning FCS Freshman All-American honors and being named a Jerry Rice Award Finalist. He racked up 90 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. He’s as close to a plug-and-play as we’ll get with Wheeler out of the picture, and the comparisons (although extreme) are somewhat understandable. Glassmyer was top 35 in run defense rating of FCS linebackers. His 80.8 grade was only slightly behind Wheeler’s 81.2. Their freshman numbers aren’t too different either, although CAA vs NEC plays a factor in that.

All things considered, it’s great to have someone who even finds themselves mentioned alongside Wheeler, we just have to remember that isn’t the only standard we should hold this sophomore to. Glassmyer will be plenty good on his own in a Richmond uniform, and it’s a great job by the staff to land such a coveted transfer at such a critical time. He’s looked good so far during the spring/fall, so I don’t see him coming off the field much this season. Really feels like all three guys will take 85%+ of the snaps at their respective positions this year.

Depth

Similar to the secondary, once you get past the starters there isn’t much game experience. The difference at linebacker is that the depth isn’t freshmen, it’s guys with 3+ years under Coach Wood’s system. The 2s include Zach Chambers (R-So.), Owen Laughlin (R-Jr.), and Jordan Allen (R-So) – those three combined for less than 25 defensive snaps in 2023. I’m looking to see who can be that first linebacker off the bench, something I hope we can determine during non-conference play.

I’ve spoken about Zach Chambers before and am always partial to local guys (Glen Allen High School), however I’m leaning towards Owen Laughlin. You likely recognize the name from his fake punt theatrics last season, converting 1st downs against Michigan State and Campbell. He’ll be a central part of the punt unit again in 2024, showing the staff continues to trust Laughlin in a pivotal role. The two aren’t exactly related, however his in-game experience plus his knowledge of this defensive scheme would be valuable for a guy filling in snaps at linebacker. I’m hoping the first few games give us some clarity on how the LB rotation will look this year, for both the 1s and 2s.

Justin Wood

I didn’t do this for any other position group however this linebacker room has been too good for too long for me to not mention him. Wood joined UR in 2017 as the linebackers coach before being promoted to defensive coordinator in 2020/2021. He’s coached some fantastic LBs at Richmond (Tyler Dressler, Phil O’Connor, Tristan Wheeler, etc.) and has returned this defense to the level we all expect it to be.

I’ve spent more time watching this group this fall, partially due to the number of freshmen, and it’s clear to me that Coach Wood is going places. He’s awesome to listen to in post practice interviews, a great teacher during practice, and clearly a great recruiter. This group has three true freshmen and two redshirt freshmen this season, which means there’s surely a young Spider right now who we’ll be seeing do great things in a few years. We’re very fortunate to have Coach Wood at the helm of the defense again in 2024.

Next Post

2024 Fall Camp: Final Update – tomorrow, August 24th