Camp is winding down with only a few more practices left before the Spiders start officially preparing for the opener against Bucknell.

Injuries

I’m assuming most saw John O’Connor’s article on the mounting injuries. Losing Jordan Allen hurts and it hurts doubly because he would’ve masked not having Glassmyer. Allen, a physical safety who originally played linebacker, was slated to slide from strong safety and into Glassmyer’s role during his absence. The staff felt comfortable with Geronomi at strong safety in Allen’s place, so the move made sense. Now without two 5th-year captains, we’re scrambling in terms of experience and what to do at linebacker. This isn’t the first time we’ve either entered or exited camp with what Coach has described as “too many” injuries, so I’m curious if he’ll expand on what can be done during the offseason/preseason to have our roster in a better spot come September.

Offense

Lots more situational work for the offense, which is typical as camp progresses. Early on we had far too many INTs; however the QBs have protected the ball better in recent practices. Based on availability, it looks like Callaghan will be QB2 on the opening 2-deep.

I continue to be impressed with the O-line’s progression in the run game. I like Kelsey Hundley much more at guard than at tackle. Feels like that spot fits him better and it’s been nice to see this group hold firm all three weeks. Luke Surrett has done a nice job as the backup center. Surrett was a lineman I liked early on and it’s good to know we have a few options at center after seeing how last season played out. It’s difficult to get a feel for pass protection because our D-line is so good, however Coach Huesman was not overly pleased after the scrimmage. We’ll have to wait until we play someone to find out if that’s more about our O-line’s inability to protect or our D-line’s pass rush dominance.

It still feels like everything is going to center around our ability to run the ball inside. Foster-Powell and Creamer are a solid 1-2 punch and I like some of the run schemes we’ve put into play. You’ll still see Snelsire throw on the run and distribute across the field, but one way or another we must run the ball inside the tackles with improved consistency.

Defense

Right now, we’re at four defensive tackles (Coach Huesman spoke on this) and we’ll for sure see all four in the opener. Baldwin and Lassiter will start, with Bryce Lee and Jack Reece supporting them. Given our numbers, there are more instances of an extra DE playing inside so I’ll be watching D-line snap counts even more than usual. I like what I’ve seen from Moses Bailey coming off the edge, as the Spiders have plenty of options to rush the passer as we sort out the interior rotation.

Matthew Martin (now at nickel) looks very comfortable for a guy who recently moved there. Working there in the spring helped, plus I saw film of him playing the OLB spot at Atlee so it’s not too surprising. He’s been disruptive in the backfield. We now have four guys working at this position, with Harrison Wood spending a few days there rather than with the safeties.

It feels like Kyree Richardson and Tramayne Bullock are taking more of the snaps with the 1s at corner, but like most seasons we should see this position group rotate throughout the early games. Jeremiah Washington remains very much in the mix.

Blake Houser is ready at MIKE. At SAM, the shuffle continues. Keep an eye on true freshman Quintin McCray. With no Glassmyer for camp and Jordan Allen sidelined, the freshman is going to get his shot alongside Jackson Thorne.

Special Teams

Kyle Bitsko and Gavin Winterhalter have done a nice job throughout camp. Kyle Bitsko will get the nod (more below) but that’s not a knock on Winterhalter by any means. Two solid options for the Spiders and very impressive showings from two underclassmen.

On kickoffs, Bitsko and Jackson Bonser have split reps. I don’t have a great read on the true starter, but both carry it between the goal line and 5-yard line most times, with a few touchbacks.

True freshmen

I highlight five true freshmen each camp, something that’s even more important given the new eligibility rules. You’ll see more freshmen with the removal of redshirts, and these five guys really stood out to me.

Caleb Geronomi – How many more Geronomis are there and have we offered them yet? Caleb is following older brother Devin’s path, making an impact in his first camp and almost assuredly earning a spot on the 2-deep this fall. He’s playing the free safety spot (opposite Devin), which means there’s a chance the brothers play alongside each other in the coming weeks.

Bryce Allen – Allen’s going to find himself on the opening 2-deep. #8 had a very nice camp, displaying his ability to make tough catches and using his size/athleticism against smaller corners. I talked about how he and Andreas Hill are our two tallest receivers and there’s no doubt Allen has some targets coming his way. Curious to see how involved we can get the freshman in our passing attack.

Matt Holland – Both corner spots were up for grabs this camp but I wasn’t expecting a true freshman to make such a splash. Holland got plenty of run with the 1s and 2s these past two weeks, and while I don’t know where exactly he’ll land, that’s a very good sign for a position group that continues to need production from young players.

Jefferson Serkfem – There’s a lot of Jeremiah Grant in Serkfem. Really good size for a freshman and absolutely no issues playing any spot on the D-line. Given our lack of depth at DT, I saw #91 line up at 3-tech as often as I saw him on the edge and he excelled at both. Super versatile player who will definitely contribute given the 5-for-5 rule.

Kyle Bitsko – Looks like we found our kicker. The local product (Douglas Freeman) has already been announced as the starting kicker against Bucknell and may also handle kickoffs. I’ll have more on him in the Specialists Preview on Friday but it’s refreshing to see a freshman perform well in his first fall camp.

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2026 Position Group Preview: Specialists – Friday, August 21st