The Spiders are nearly halfway through camp and we’re less than three weeks out from the opener against Bucknell.

Offense

Not a ton I want to talk about from a scheme perspective. I know everyone’s concerned about how much we’re going to run the QB but you’ll never get a good feel for that in camp. I have seen a wide variety of personnel groupings. Plenty of 11 personnel (3 WRs, 1 RB, 1 TE) but also a fair number of 2 back sets (20 & 21). I think with Sean Clarke healthy, we’ll keep one tight end on the field for a majority of the game, so not a lot of 4 WR packages.

Ashten looks comfortable as QB1. Definitely some days where the defense is winning/making plays but I think he’s helped keep everyone in check. Coach Huesman mentioned the redzone periods in a recent press conference, as we had some series that were flawless and some that were quite forgettable. McCauley hasn’t practiced as much so it’s been mostly Snelsire, Callaghan, and Levin. I think across all of the QBs the consistency could be better, so I’m hoping the second and third weeks of camp start to see everyone rounding into form.

Aziz Foster-Powell looks fantastic. Great vision, very decisive when he runs, and still has great hands out of the backfield. This wasn’t a spot anyone was worried about however it’s always fun to take a break from a position battle to watch an All-Patriot level talent.

There are so many wide receivers that could make an impact in 2026. It was just a few years ago we had stretches where only one or two guys were influencing games and that won’t be the case this year. This group’s preview comes out later this week so I won’t dive into everyone but I’m very curious how we divide up the snaps. I do want to mention that Jaiden Fair is 100% and looks like the guy we saw last August/September. Very excited to see #2 put together a full season in a Richmond uniform.

Another guy who is healthy after an early 2025 injury is Sean Clarke. He talked in a recent press conference about being pumped to be back out on the field and how he has great cohesion with Ashten Snelsire, as they’ve lived together for five years. Surely that will get us to throw the ball to the tight ends more….. (right?)

On the O-line, these guys came out strong in the run game. Maybe a bit unfair given the injuries on the D-line but still encouraging. Another group that I’ll dive into more in their position group preview however we’ve kept the same starting 5 so far, which is good. Bo Fowler, who missed the spring game, is at one guard spot with Jason Smith sliding back to center. The snapping wasn’t great during spring ball but he clearly worked on it this summer. He was fantastic at guard but I think locking down the center spot, which gave us trouble early last season, is a positive sign. Between that and solid inside running, these guys were my big winners of week 1.

Defense

“We’ve got three defensive tackles right now, it’s tough on them.” I don’t get into full injury reports but since Coach Huesman said this in the recent presser, it’s worth discussing. On one hand it’s great to see youngsters Jack Reece and Bryce Lee getting so much time, however this is not a position we can afford to be thin at. I do think we’ll get TJ Baldwin back soon, which is a huge boost, however we’re going to see defensive ends take some snaps inside to help balance the numbers. Speaking of the DEs, Jamar Hodges is off to a solid start this fall. He’s looked good in the run game and having a third DE that can play to the level of our starters will really help balance snap counts out across the D-line.

At linebacker there’s a very different vibe without Carter Glassmyer. All of the sudden Blake Houser, who was going to settle into a big role beside the established graduate student, is now the veteran of the LBs with no experience at SAM next to him. It’s early but the inexperience is showing. Plenty of coaching points throughout the practices (which, yes, is literally the point of practice) but you can feel the growing pains. Still two weeks left and a long season ahead, however if Glassmyer isn’t ready to go in week 1 I could see the staff getting creative at SAM. More to come.

Tayshaun Burney is a pleasure to watch. It’s rare to see someone so good at the nickel spot at the FCS level, so while there’s no position battle here it’s hard to not watch #3 always improving his craft. Especially with how good our slot receivers are, the battles between him and Quanye Veney/Jaiden Fair are a real treat throughout practice.

At corner, it’s easy to see why Coach Huesman wanted to play Jeremiah Washington for more than four games last season. He’s absolutely in contention for a starting spot, continually in great position and breaks on the ball well. The DB position group preview comes out Wednesday.

Special Teams

Not much to say regarding special teams. It looks like we made a tweak to our punt protection this season – otherwise Ned Gray continues to do well. The kicking battle is too early to decide however it’s great to truly have four guys on the roster who can confidently make a 30-yard field goal. I haven’t seen much kickoff work yet, so in the next update I’ll hopefully have more on place kicking and kickoff duties.

No surprise with any of the returners – Fair and Veney look to be the main two returning punts with Jamaal Brown and Donovan Higgins also included for kickoff returns.

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2026 Position Group preview: Defensive backs – Wednesday, August 12th