University of Richmond Athletics
Spiders Named Preseason Favorite; Seven Tabbed Preseason All-Conference
07/26/2016 | Football
BALTIMORE, Md. – The official countdown is on. Football season is right around the corner.
Anticipation is at an all-time high for the Richmond Spiders football program and that was on display at the annual CAA Media Day in Baltimore when Richmond was named the league's preseason favorite and seven different student-athletes were named to the league's preseason all-conference team.
Leading the way is Preseason CAA Offensive Player of the Year Kyle Lauletta and Preseason CAA Defensive Player of the Year David Jones. It marks just the second time in 10 years that a CAA program was named the league's favorite and took home preseason offensive and defensive player of the year honors.
Joining Lauletta and Jones on the Preseason All-CAA squad are seniors WR Brian Brown, OL Thomas Evans, OL Nicholas Vergos, FB James Pavik and LB Omar Howard.
Richmond returns 16 of 22 starters from last year's squad that reached the FCS Semifinals and reached double digits in victories for the fifth time in program history. The Spiders are looking to tie a program record with a third-straight trip to the NCAA postseason.
Lauletta is back under center for the Spiders for a second-straight year after throwing for 3,598 yards (second highest single-season total in program history), 19 touchdowns (tied for fifth most in a single season) and rushing for seven touchdowns. He earned All-CAA Second Team honors last year.
Jones returns to lead the Richmond defense after a record-setting 2015 season in which he tied for the most interceptions in the country with nine, a new program record in that category. He also recorded 97 tackles, the second-most on the team and knocked down 12 passes. He earned Preseason All-American honors earlier this summer.
Brown is on the cusp of history entering 2016, needing less than 400 yards to break the program's all-time record in receiving yards. He is the only player in Richmond history to record two or more seasons of 1,000+ yards.
Howard was one of the best defensive players in the CAA last year, ranking second in the league in total tackles with 136. He had 5.5 tackles for a loss and seven pass deflections. He earned All-CAA First Team accolades last season.
Evans, Vergos and Pavik were critical to last year's protection of Lauletta and All-American RB Jacobi Green. Last year, the Spiders ranked second best in the league in fewest sacks allowed and sixth best nationally in fewest tackles for a loss per game.
