University of Delaware Athletics
Young and Talented Delaware Football Squad Opens Spring Practice Drills Tuesday
3/23/2015 7:16:00 PM | Football
NEWARK, Del. -- The University of Delaware football squad will kickoff a month of spring practice drills Tuesday afternoon when the Blue Hens hit the field at Delaware Stadium.
Third-year head coach Dave Brock will welcome nearly 75 players back from last year's squad that went 6-6, including 18 with starting experience. The team will take part in 15 practice sessions beginning Tuesday and concluding with the annual Blue-White Spring Game on Saturday, May 2, at Delaware Stadium.
The squad will practice twice this week - Tuesday and Thursday - before taking a week off for UD Spring Break and returning to action Apr. 7. The team will practice each Tuesday and Thursday at 3:30 p.m. and on Saturday mornings. The dates of practices are March 24 and 26, April 7, 9, 11, 14, 16, 18 (Smyrna HS), 21, 23, 25, 28, 30, and May 1 and 2 (Spring Game).
"Spring football is about player development," said Brock. "If you can make everybody better, the team is better, and that is our goal. I'm excited about what's here and how well they've played and how much they've played. We've got an awful lot of production back. And we are as healthy as we've ever been.”
Delaware will return five full-time starters on offense but must replace the likes of three-year starting quarterback Trent Hurley, All-American tight end Nick Boyle, All-Colonial Athletic Association wide receiver Michael Johnson, and All-CAA guard JD Dzurko. Hurley threw for 2,275 yards and 13 touchdowns, Johnson caught 78 passes for 830 yards, and Boyle, a top NFL prospect, snared 37 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns.
Among the top returning players on offense include junior running backs Wes Hills (952 yards rushing and six touchdowns) and Jalen Randolph (629-9 TD), senior wide receiver Jerel Harrison (31 receptions for 448 yards and 4 TD), sophomore wide receiver Diante Cherry (35-283-1 TD), All-CAA tackle in senior Ben Curtis, sophomore center Brody Kern, junior guard Will Lewis, and junior tackle Connor Bozick.
One of the most notable battles on offense will be at quarterback where Hurley's replacement will come from a trio of hopefuls in sophomore Blake Rankin, redshirt freshman Joe Walker, and incoming freshman Jamie Jarmon. Rankin, a second-year transfer from Rutgers, served as the Hens' No. 3 signal-caller a year ago but did not see game action. Walker sat out last season as a redshirt while Jarmon, a former All-State selection at Delaware's Indian River High School, played minor league baseball the last three seasons before enrolling at UD this past winter.
On defense, the Hens also welcome back five full-time starters but must replace tackles for loss Derrick Saulsberry at defensive end, linebackers Patrick Callaway and David Mackall, and defensive backs Jake Giusti, C.J. Jones, and Mario Rowson. Mackall led the team in tackles with 84 while Callaway was a three-time All-CAA selection who was in on over 300 career tackles. Giusti played in 51 career games and was the team's lone holdover from the 2010 NCAA national championship runner-up squad.
A young and talented defense will be bolstered by the return of All-CAA defensive tackle and 2014 CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year Blaine Woodson (team-high 8.5 sacks), junior defensive linemen Josh Plummer and Vince Hollerman, and defensive backs Justin Watson and Simba Gwashavanhu.
Junior All-American punter Eric Enderson (44.9-yard average) returns to lead the special teams but the Hens must replace kicker Garrett Greenway (6 of 11 on field goals, 31-33 on PATs). Redshirt freshman Frank Raggo is the frontrunner to replace Greenway.
Delaware will also visit Smyrna (Del.) High School and scrimmage as part of Downstate Day on Saturday, Apr. 8. Programming that day will also begin at 10 a.m. and will include athletics skills fun in football, soccer, and field hockey, inflatables, face painting, giveaways, concessions, and merchandising. The football action will get underway at 12 noon and will be followed by a meet and greet with the team on the field. The event is free and open to fans of all ages.
The annual Blue-White Spring Game and Fandemonium VI is set for Saturday, May 2. Fandemonium, an action-packed day with Blue Hens, includes the Fan Zone with live entertainment, inflatables, pony rides, face painting, food, fun, Blue Hens autographs, and more for fans of all ages. Admission and parking is free. The event will begin at 10 a.m. with the spring game getting underway at 12 noon.
Great season ticket packages for the 2015 season are on sale now and can be purchased in-person at the Bob Carpenter Center Ticket Office, by phone at 302-831-2257, and online at www.bluehens.com (select “Tickets” at the top of the page).
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Scott Selheimer | selheime@udel.edu | Office: 302-831-8007 | Cell: 302-562-5129
