Five practices down for the Spiders as they arrive at their first “off” day. The first two were helmets only so most of my focus is on skill positions until we see more shells/full pads. Overall it’s just great to see a full roster after a pretty sparce spring.

SpiderNation Community forum

Rivals shut down the SpiderNation message boards after they sold to On3, however some loyal Spiders fans have renewed these message boards on a new site, linked here: https://spidernation.community.forum/forums/ur-football.3/

The guys do a great job of keeping up with high school recruiting, different media covering the Spiders, and other commentary, so I wanted to make sure everyone knew this was back in case you’re interested.

Player Interviews

Normally I don’t take much from the player interviews but I truly enjoyed what Kyle Wickersham and Jordan Allen shared.

Rather than give us coach speak or downplay prior failures, Wickersham addressed those head on – “those games still haunt me to this day.” He even went as far as talking about how those losses impact playoff seeding/draws. That’s a leader who doesn’t shy away from accountability while also ensuring the locker room understands the standards of this program go far beyond regular season wins.

Jordan Allen (Patrick Henry High School) shared what being a captain means to him, specifically as a Richmond local. “Being the Richmond area captain, a champion of 804… means everything.” The increased local recruiting push means a lot to the players, and to hear Allen discuss that will really resonate with fans. We have not had the local presence many would like in past seasons but the dynamics are shifting and the players are taking that to heart. I hope everyone appreciates how forthcoming both Wickersham and Allen were in their short interviews.

Practice updates

The roster size really jumps out. A very full practice field, with the Spiders officially having 90 guys for the fall. Plenty of reps to share and seemingly too many freshmen to get up to speed in such a short time, however those are welcomed problems.

Defensive line – Coach Huesman gave an injury update after the first practice, so I’ll relay that here. TJ Baldwin is 100% cleared for action, with Donovan Hoilette participating but still having his snaps monitored. He didn’t mention Zion Bryson but he looks to be in a similar situation. I can’t overstate how big that is for our defense. Baldwin and Hoilette are set to start with Bryson in the rotation. An already good D-line will have three key pieces back for the season opener.

Offensive scheme – Pretty much what I expected based on spring ball. Much more than just a inside running team, we’re still seeing a lot more horizontal action. RPOs and read options are giving Wickersham more freedom to use the entire field. Obviously you’ve got to be able to go north & south but I like the variety so far. Likely to learn more about our rushing after more practices with shells/full pads.

Jaiden Fair is going to do damage this season. #2 is a fantastic slot receiver that is set to make an immediate impact. He showed flashes in the spring game and is off to a great start in camp. With Fair in the slot, Quanye Veney is taking all of his reps outside. How the X/Z receivers played out was a big question mark after last year’s departures, and pairing Veney outside along with Ja’Vion Griffin effectively solves that.

Special Teams – The kicking competition may not be a competition at all as this feels like true freshman Jackson Bonser’s job to lose. #97 has been solid, connecting from 45+ without much issue. Will McManus is not taking many field goals/PATs, as #45 will likely be our exclusive kickoff specialist once again. He did a great job last year and every kick in camp is at least to the 5-yard line with a good percentage of touchbacks.

Replacing Aaron Trusler is another true freshman, Ned Gray. Gray is a lefty punter who is hitting most punts around 40 yards. The hang time is good and he seems capable of directionally angling punts away from the returner. No matter how good everyone looks in camp, entering week 1 with a true freshman kicker and punter will have us all a little on edge.

Offensive line – Kade Capristo continues to impress at center, with JT Sowell (App St transfer) working behind him. We’re in a good spot to fill the void left by Elia and have more depth there than usual. Kelsey Hundley is working the 1s at right guard, with Jason Smith (UNC transfer) with the 2s. We’re obviously set at our starting tackles (Carbajal & Gray) but the depth behind them isn’t the same as guard/center. Very interested to see who continues to develop throughout August and if a clear “first-tackle-off-the-bench” emerges.

Will linebacker – Fascinating to see how the Spiders are approaching this spot with QMW’s departure. The four players involved are Blake Houser, Harrison Wood, Christian Soltis and… cornerback Tayshaun Burney. Yes, Burney has not worked with the traditional corners at all, exclusively practicing with the outside linebackers the first week. When he’s on the field it’s a de-facto nickel package, getting him aligned against the slot receiver which gives us a lot of options. I have no idea if they view this as a 3rd down option or if he can go win the starting job, but for all the guesses I had leaving the spring I didn’t anticipate a DB (per the official roster) being in contention. Definitely more to come on this.

Tight ends – The athleticism of the group stands out to me early in camp, especially on RPOs. The speed to get across the formation and either be a lead blocker or release into the flat is something we can use anywhere on the field. Sean Clarke, Ryan Campbell, and Aidan Steinfeldt are all getting time with the 1s/2s at this point.

Next Fall Camp update will be Monday, August 18th. That immediately follows the scrimmage on Saturday the 16th, which hopefully won’t be closed to the public again. Will focus more on O-line/D-line, running backs, and linebackers.

Next Post

2025 Position Group Preview – Wide Receivers – Friday, August 8th