Roster updates

Not a ton of activity but we did have some departures find their landing spots since the last update.

• Jabril Hayes | NFL Draft
• Cam Coleman | JMU
• Nick DeGennaro | JMU

Excited for Jabril to start the NFL process. He played so well this season there’s no better time to take that next step, especially since he already has his degree. I’ll be keeping an eye on him, Jeremiah Grant, and probably a few others during pro days/team workouts.

And then two more offensive weapons landed in Harrisonburg, which will always feel strange but really shouldn’t anymore.

Richmond & JMU isn’t what it was from decades ago. Back then we were both competing for national championships, CAA titles, and recruiting the same VA talent. It feels like yesterday when we went up there for a top 25 showdown and beat them in front of College Gameday.

Their move to the FBS changed all that, and the roster moves we’ve seen recently shouldn’t be too shocking. We hadn’t lost a player to JMU since their transition but loved the contributions from Matei Fitz and Scott Hummel in past seasons. It was only a matter of time before the inverse happened, and losing three (Ellis previously committed) in one year rips the Band-Aid off and signals in the new age of this rivalry. You’ll still never see me wearing purple or throwing streamers, but the “sting” is nowhere near the same. FBS/FCS moves are common and I’m sure this won’t be the last time we lose, or add, a player from Harrisonburg.

Coaching updates

Jerry Taylor – Taylor is the new Wide Receivers coach. He got his start at UR as a GA and has been at schools such as W&M, Columbia, and St. Francis. Last year he was the Assistant Head Coach and OC for Bluefield State, so he’s moved up the ranks fairly well. I like that he’s called plays, and that he’s a 35 under 35 coach from the AFCA. Another younger hire with a good track record seems to be a solid blueprint for the Spiders.

Mike Cummings – Cummings comes from App State, where he coached the O-line for two seasons. He’s been a ton of places over 30+ years, with a few stints as OC at UConn and Central Michigan. I love the youthful push but you’ve got to blend that with experience, and that’s definitely what Cummings brings. He’ll also be our co-offensive coordinator, alongside QB coach Jacob Huesman. The co-OC approach isn’t surprising, as Coach Huesman went this route in 2023 with October and Ross. The overall operation went fine so I’m not shocked to see this approach again.

The fact that this involves Huesman’s son will bring mixed reactions. You’re not wrong to question him promoting his own kid, especially since he’s never called plays at the collegiate level. Two things we should keep in mind: 1) FCS schools aren’t going to be able to consistently hire established, veteran play callers too often, so positioning ourselves to promote from within (even if that means less experience) will greatly help with continuity. 2) Jacob Huesman isn’t some random football player. Two time All-American, three time SoCon Player of the Year, and plenty of other FCS accolades & records during his years at Chattanooga.

Now, being a great player (or the coach’s son) doesn’t mean you’ll be a great coach. Also, every young coach isn’t the next Billy Cosh. Those attributes don’t make the promotion of Jacob an immediate success, however these are the style of moves I’m ok with the Spiders pursuing. Remove the last name and I’ve got no problem with us blending a younger QB coach with an experienced O-line coach. How does all this play out given the Head Coach/Offensive Coordinator dynamics we saw last season, and did that play a factor in his decision? That’s the big wildcard and I know it will be heavily scrutinized all the way until opening kickoff. He should be, and will be, held to the same standard we would hold any OC, yet I find myself much more intrigued than skeptical about what we’ll see from the Spiders this spring. Plenty more to come on this throughout the 15 practices.

2025 Schedule

No official announcement yet, but here’s the 2025 schedule. 11 of the 12 games are posted online, and I was able to piece together where Bucknell would fall based on their other games.

Only one flight game from Richmond (Colgate) is nice and the Spiders won’t have any long travel the entire second half of the season. No home game until week 4 is weird, though.

I won’t get into it here, but starting the season AT Lehigh and AT Wofford is pretty fitting after the home debacles in 2024.

Next Post

Future Scheduling – mid-February, definitely before spring ball starts