The Monarchists

Old Dominion Spring Game Preview

David Asbury

The Annual Priority Charity Bowl

This Saturday at 2 PM the Monarchs will play a game at SB Ballard Stadium.  But there will not be another team.  The Monarch’s offense will take on the Monarch’s defense in what will be more akin to a practice scrimmage.  Rahne and his staff will take an early look at what they have to work with this fall and there might even be some high-profile position battles heating up.  Last year, Grant Wilson and Jack Shields dueled at quarterback with many saying Shields had the better day.  But just like that competition, most position battles will likely be decided during the summer preseason camp.

Instead of battles, the most important purpose of spring football is simply player development.  Established players like Grant Wilson and Kelby Williams will prepare to take the next step, newly transferred players like receiver Diante Vines and corner Angelo Rankin will try to settle in with their new team and the playbook, and younger players like running back Devin Roche will get ready to take on more important roles.

It is also important to note that the score will look different.  The teams are separated by offense versus defense and a defense cannot score many points.  So the Spring Game will not exactly be like watching an actual football game.  But still, it is fun to watch and is a way to sate your football appetite through the long summer ahead.

Starters to Watch

Grant Wilson is set to return as the starting quarterback.  He had an up and down year in 2023 but showed real growth through the end of the season.  The spring practices are likely helping with his development and he may become a top player in the conference if he continues to improve.  The rhythm he makes with the returning wide receivers will be key to a good passing game in 2024.  But he is also getting into a rhythm with Diante Vines, the transfer wide receiver from Iowa who is getting first-team reps.

Do not expect to see Jason Henderson padded up.  He is still recovering from his injury that he suffered against Georgia State.  However, EJ Green’s season-ending injury occurred much earlier and is likely to play.  With Wayne Mathews’ transfer to Michigan State, Green’s return is a sight for sore eyes.  Green is now a super senior and along with Henderson should be a leader on the defense.

Position Battles

There are three groups that are facing a lot of turnover and will have some of the biggest position battles this spring and summer.  The running backs, offensive line, and the entire secondary.

At running back, Kadarius Calloway (Cal) and Keshawn Wicks (Spring Portal) announced they were transferring.  But the running back room still looks good with Aaron Young (Rutgers), Bryce Duke (VT), Obi Sanni, Tariq Sims, and Devin Roche.  These players are not competing to be the “starter” as much as they are competing for touches.  Each will likely receive opportunities with the ball but how they play now and in the summer may determine just how many opportunities they get.  Tariq Sims has been a “depth guy” at running back with only 85 rushing yards in the past two seasons.  It will be interesting to see if he can take the next step and be a serious contributor in 2024.

On the line, we should look out for who starts at center (Illinois transfer Zach Barlev would be our guess) and guard with their open position battles.  We should also have an early look at how the unit improved in pass blocking.  ODU led the nation in allowed sacks last season and the team will surely not want that to happen again.  But do not expect any players to hit the silver-shirted quarterback (cannot risk injury).  Sacks will be determined by the staff using an eye test when the defender would have sacked the quarterback.  Seeing if the defensive line can generate pressure will also be interesting as that unit also struggled in the sack department.

In the secondary, we have an all out battle.  All five of 2023’s starters transferred or graduated.  There are opportunities for guys to step up.  Senior transfer Angelo Rankin (Richmond) is expected to get significant playing time this season.  After that, it could be anyone’s guess which players emerge.  Could it be Jahron Manning?  Patrick Smith-Young? Or maybe Mario Easterly?  It is easy to see why the offense will have a step above the defense right now with so much turnover but the defense will get there once those players can emerge as playmakers.

Younger Players

The Spring Game is a great opportunity to see younger players develop and determine if they may be starters and contributors in a year or two.  Freshman running back Devin Roche played in four games in 2023 in order to keep his redshirt.  The staff must think highly of him to give him snaps against Virginia Tech, Wake Forest, and Western Kentucky in the Famous Toastery Bowl.  A smaller sized back similar to Maurice Jones-Drew, in 2023 he averaged 6.2 yards per carry and rushed for 191 yards.  Can he emerge as the starting running back in 2024 or 2025?

At quarterback, Grant Wilson will not play the whole game.  Expect to see plenty of Jack Shields and Colton Joseph.  Joseph is from Newport Beach, California and redshirted in 2023.  He was expected to get some minimal playing time last year to help his development.  However, there were just no blow-out games that warranted giving him any snaps.  He may be third string behind Jack Shields and Grant Wilson but it is possible he is the future starter.  It is hard to see that far in the future given the current state of college football but could he be the qb1 by 2026?  Rahne certainly hopes so.

Finally, the wide receiver room’s depth needs to be re-evaluated.  The starting receivers appear to be Kelby Williams, Isiah Paige, and Diante Vines with Dominic Dutton getting his deep shots in.  However, Ahmarian Granger and Reymello Murphy recently announced they were transferring.  These transfers appear to be playing time related.  They want to go where they can start.  However, the departures means the room lacks the depth it once had.  The Spring Game will be a great opportunity for younger receivers like Myles Alston, TJ Lott, Marshawn Ferguson, Jaylen Pretlow, and Devin Queen to step up and see if they can fill that void in case one of the starters go down.

Closing Takeaway

The Spring Game is just a snapshot of the spring practices.  It may look that a great player had a poor day or vice versa.  However, the one day is not a great basis to judge the entire team.  Some teams’ fans will freak out if the team is not firing on all cylinders at the Spring Game (cough cough-Clemson fans-cough cough).  But a Spring Game should never cause anyone to panic or celebrate too hard.  It is essentially just a practice.  The coaching staff will have a much bigger picture on the status of the team and how much work they need to do in the summer to be ready for South Carolina on August 31st.

On the other hand, the Spring Game is a great sneak peak on the team’s progress.  It gives us a peak behind the curtain on the team’s hard work.  It is okay to get a little excited when a player shows development and gives you a glimpse at what he wants to bring this fall.  In return, we should show the players what we intend to bring:  our support. See you there!