Seemingly the staple of Richmond defenses year in and year out, the 2026 Spiders return key pieces up front that should keep us among the best.

Roster

#5 | TJ Baldwin | Senior

#6 | Camden Byrd | Graduate

#8 | Braxton Lassiter | Junior

#32 | Jamar Hodges | Senior

#44 | Moses Bailey | Sophomore

#47 | Daniel Sellers | Junior

#55 | Tanner Wheeler | Sophomore

#90 | Marcus Yeager | Freshman

#91 | Jefferson Serkfem | Freshman

#92 | Jack Reece | Sophomore

#94 | Rob Edwards | Freshman

#95 | Bryce Lee | Sophomore

Additions

Marcus Yeager – Hailing from Pennsylvania, Yeager opted for Richmond over FBS schools Buffalo and UMass, as well as FCS opponents Cornell, New Hampshire, and Georgetown. Yeager also played tight end in high school, displaying great length as a receiver that will surely help as a defensive end. In his first interview after committing, Marcus mentioned fellow Spider Daniel Sellers (also from PA) as playing a role in his recruitment, which is always a sign of a healthy program.

Rob Edwards – Another Pennsylvanian, Edwards arrives at Richmond as a 6′ 2″ 300 lbs. defensive tackle. A 2x 1st team All-State selection, Edwards turned down offers from Fordham, Towson, and Maine to land the Spiders another big win in Pennsylvania. The only DT in this class, Edwards is exactly what we needed to beef up the interior of our D-line.

Jefferson Serkfem – Serkfem held offers from Army, Rhode Island, William & Mary, and plenty of other FCS foes before deciding on Richmond last summer. Listed at 6’3″ 245 lbs., he has great size for a freshman DE however there’s plenty of snaps on his high school tape where he’s lined up inside as a 3-tech. That versatility is something that really fits in with how we use our DEs.

Defensive ends

Cam Byrd & Daniel Sellers

Cam Byrd’s decision to enter the portal wasn’t a shock, and yet at the same time neither was his return. This past winter Byrd was set to earn his UR degree and had plenty of FBS interest, with no one faulting him for exploring bigger options for his final collegiate year. Yet everyone you talk to that knows Cam speaks about his love of this school and his teammates. He made that clear when he announced in his return that Richmond truly is home, and with #6 back the Spiders’ pass rush will be top tier once again.

With seven sacks in 2024 and 8.5 sacks in 2025, Byrd will be the focal point of opponent’s protection schemes once again. Sitting at 17.5 career sacks, he’s one more solid season away from potentially reaching #2 on the UR career sacks list.

The Buck Buchanan Award watchlist nominee + preseason Patriot League Defensive Player of the Year + team captain will be our biggest Edge threat however this is no one-man show. Daniel Sellers steps into a bigger role this season (replacing Donovan Hoilette [UNC]) after a breakout 2025. After playing just eight snaps his freshman season, Sellers totaled 19 tackles, 4.5 TFLs, three sacks, and two forced fumbles. Per PFF, he was the 2nd highest rated UR defender behind Peyton Seelmann, and while his snap count wasn’t as high as other starters I’m excited to see what #47 does in an increased role this fall.

Defensive tackles

TJ Baldwin & Braxton Lassiter

After an injury shortened 2024, TJ Baldwin came back strong in 2025. He tallied 469 snaps, leading to 32 tackles, six TFLs, and a forced fumble. Now a senior, he’s essentially tasked with filling the void left by Matei Fitz. Playing over 72% of snaps and graded as UR’s best run defender, Fitz’s production was critical each week. As the more “run-stopping” defensive tackle, Baldwin will be asked to play an even bigger role in run support to sure-up the interior of our defense.

Alongside him will be Braxton Lassiter. As the third DT in 2025, Lassiter had a nice campaign. 21 tackles, three sacks, three pass deflections, and a critical INT in the William & Mary win. He’s more of the pass-rushing defensive tackle, grading highest among Richmond DTs last year, and his style is a great compliment alongside Baldwin. Both have shown they can play at a high level, but how much more they’ll be asked to do will be determined by the depth behind them.

2026 rotation

No position I track snap counts more than on the D-line and there’s plenty to ponder entering 2026. Last year’s final numbers ended with a clear cut four-man rotation at DE and a three-man rotation at DT.

At defensive end, there’s no concern about Byrd or Sellers playing 70% of the snaps, so the focus turns to how productive the back half of the DE rotation will be.. With Jamar Hodges likely at DE3 and playing closer to 40%, I really want to see the jump he makes. He had a great freshman campaign in 2024 in limited action, recording two sacks and two forced fumbles, but couldn’t record a TFL or a sack in 211 snaps last year. With a 12-game season the new norm, you must have at least three Edges that can consistently produce. Hodges’ progression likely determines how often we’ll see DE4, who I assume will be sophomore Moses Bailey. Bailey didn’t play in 2025 but is as pure of a pass rusher as they come. He (or a breakout true freshman) could land anywhere between 15-30% of snaps depending on production.

Any battles at DE will be overshadowed by the DT rotation. With zero career snaps behind Baldwin and Lassiter, sophomores Jack Reece and Bryce Lee continue to battle for playing time as the Spiders need to establish a DT3. Add in the new 5-for-5 rule and you can count true freshman Rob Edwards too. Anything this early would be pure speculation – I think we’d all love one guy to separate themselves however it wouldn’t surprise me to see both in supporting roles. The younger DTs are getting plenty of time with DT coach Rob Noel, who has done an excellent job of developing players. He’s in just his 4th season at UR but the development of DTs since 2023 (Fitz, Stocklinski, Baldwin, Lassiter) in undeniable.

Next Post

2026 Position Group preview: Running backs – Friday, August 7th