University of Richmond Athletics
Football Picked Fourth In CAA Poll, Six Spiders Earn Preseason Honors
07/27/2021 | Football
RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond football team was selected to finish fourth overall in the Colonial Athletic Association Football preseason poll and six Spiders were honored with preseason All-Conference honors Tuesday morning during the CAA Virtual Media Day, according to a vote from the league's head coaches and media relations directors.
Earning All-Conference honors for the Spiders were defensive lineman Kobie Turner (Clifton, Va.), linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.), linebacker Tyler Dressler (Covington, Va.), tight end John Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md.) and offensive lineman Clayton McConnell (Foley, Ala.). Kickoff returner Aaron Dykes (Knoxville, Tenn.) was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA.
Richmond, which posted a 3-1 record in the shortened spring season and finished the year ranked No. 14 nationally, earned 169 total points in the preseason poll, including a pair of first place votes. The Spiders were one of just three teams in the CAA to earn a first place tally. James Madison was picked first overall with 231 points and 15 first place votes while Delaware was second at 222 points and seven first place votes. Villanova was just in front of the Spiders with 194 points while New Hampshire was behind Richmond in fifth place with 135 points. Rhode Island (121), Towson (115), UAlbany (114), Maine (99), Stony Brook (73), William & Mary (61) and Elon (50) round out the 12-team prediction.
Turner headlines the selections after being named All-America by the Associated Press and STATS Perform last spring. He was the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the spring, becoming just the fifth Spider in program history to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year accolades and the first since 2010 when Eric McBride was Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Turner was the first interior defensive lineman in the CAA to earn the award since 2011 (Ronnie Cameron, ODU). He finished the Spiders' four-game season with 19 total tackles, including 10 solo tackles. He was tied for the team lead with 6.0 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 3.5 sacks. His 1.50 tackles for loss per game ranked third in the CAA while his 0.88 sacks per game ranked fourth. He closed out the year with nine tackles, including 2.0 for loss against No. 1 James Madison.
The Spiders picked up two of the four linebacker slots on the preseason All-CAA team in Wheeler and Dressler. Wheeler finished 14th in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award during the spring, given to the top defensive player in all of NCAA FCS Football. He was named All-America by STATS Perform in the spring after leading the Spiders and the entire CAA averaging 9.5 tackles per game. He ranked 21st in the country in tackles per game, finishing the Spiders' four-game season with a team-high 38 tackles. Wheeler recorded 25 tackles in his last two games, posting a career-high 14 tackles in the Spiders' win over Elon (March 27) before closing out the season with an 11-tackle performance against No. 1 James Madison. He was a finalist in 2019 for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in all of NCAA FCS Football. In his first two years, he has recorded 142 tackles in 16 games, averaging 8.9 tackles per game in his young career.
Dressler is a two-time First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection at the linebacker position. He combined with Wheeler to become the first linebacker duo for the Spiders to earn First Team honors in the same year since 2009 (Eric McBride & Collin McConaghy). He was second on the team with 29 tackles, including 15 solo in the spring. He ranked seventh in the CAA at 7.2 tackles per game. He also added 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception on the year. In his last full season in 2019, Dressler was tied for the team lead with 104 tackles and led the CAA at 9.5 tackles per game.
Fitzgerald picks up his first career preseason honor from the CAA after bursting onto the scene as a transfer tight end last spring. He picked up First Team All-Conference honors after leading all tight ends in the conference with 14 receptions and leading the position with 131 yards receiving. He scored his first career touchdown against William & Mary in the season opener, giving the Spiders the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald was recently the named the 14th best tight end in the country by HERO Sports FCS.
McConnell also records his first career preseason honor after being named First Team All-Conference in the spring. That honor was the first of his career and he became the Spiders' first offensive lineman to earn First Team All-CAA honors since Alex Light in 2017. He helped the Spiders offense finish fifth in the conference in rushing at 153.2 yards per game and allowed quarterback Joe Mancuso to rank second in the league in total offense at 224.0 yards per game.
Dykes was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA as one of just two kickoff returners on the entire preseason team. He was named First Team Freshman All-America by Phil Steele in 2019 and was a Third Team All-CAA selection that year for his work as a kickoff returner. He finished the year second in the CAA and eighth in the country averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return, leading all freshmen in the country with that average. He was tied for the CAA and national lead with two kickoff returns for touchdown in 2019, both coming in the same games in the Spiders' win at Delaware.
The Spiders kickoff the 2021 fall season with two-straight home games at Robins Stadium, beginning September 4 hosting Howard. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
2021 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
SPECIAL TEAMS
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Percy Agyei-Obese, RB, James Madison
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Greene, DL, James Madison
Honorable mention: Davis Cheek, QB, Elon; Daniel Smith, QB, Villanova; Jeff Undercuffler, QB, UAlbany; Justin Covington, RB, Villanova; Gene Coleman II, WR, Delaware; Ivory Frimpong, WR, Rhode Island; Antwane Wells, Jr., WR, James Madison; Bryce DeMaille, TE, Delaware; Andrew Trainer, OL, William & Mary; Will Kiely, DL, William & Mary; Niko Kvietkus, DL, New Hampshire; Jared Verse, DL, UAlbany; Kelvin Azanama, LB, James Madison; Danny Damico, LB, UAlbany; Christian Dixon, LB, Towson; Cole Coleman, S, Elon; Aaron Dykes, KR, Richmond; Shane McDonough, P, Towson; Bryce Colee, SPEC, Maine
2021 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)
--UR—
Earning All-Conference honors for the Spiders were defensive lineman Kobie Turner (Clifton, Va.), linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.), linebacker Tyler Dressler (Covington, Va.), tight end John Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md.) and offensive lineman Clayton McConnell (Foley, Ala.). Kickoff returner Aaron Dykes (Knoxville, Tenn.) was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA.
Richmond, which posted a 3-1 record in the shortened spring season and finished the year ranked No. 14 nationally, earned 169 total points in the preseason poll, including a pair of first place votes. The Spiders were one of just three teams in the CAA to earn a first place tally. James Madison was picked first overall with 231 points and 15 first place votes while Delaware was second at 222 points and seven first place votes. Villanova was just in front of the Spiders with 194 points while New Hampshire was behind Richmond in fifth place with 135 points. Rhode Island (121), Towson (115), UAlbany (114), Maine (99), Stony Brook (73), William & Mary (61) and Elon (50) round out the 12-team prediction.
Turner headlines the selections after being named All-America by the Associated Press and STATS Perform last spring. He was the CAA Co-Defensive Player of the Year in the spring, becoming just the fifth Spider in program history to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year accolades and the first since 2010 when Eric McBride was Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Turner was the first interior defensive lineman in the CAA to earn the award since 2011 (Ronnie Cameron, ODU). He finished the Spiders' four-game season with 19 total tackles, including 10 solo tackles. He was tied for the team lead with 6.0 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 3.5 sacks. His 1.50 tackles for loss per game ranked third in the CAA while his 0.88 sacks per game ranked fourth. He closed out the year with nine tackles, including 2.0 for loss against No. 1 James Madison.
The Spiders picked up two of the four linebacker slots on the preseason All-CAA team in Wheeler and Dressler. Wheeler finished 14th in the voting for the Buck Buchanan Award during the spring, given to the top defensive player in all of NCAA FCS Football. He was named All-America by STATS Perform in the spring after leading the Spiders and the entire CAA averaging 9.5 tackles per game. He ranked 21st in the country in tackles per game, finishing the Spiders' four-game season with a team-high 38 tackles. Wheeler recorded 25 tackles in his last two games, posting a career-high 14 tackles in the Spiders' win over Elon (March 27) before closing out the season with an 11-tackle performance against No. 1 James Madison. He was a finalist in 2019 for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in all of NCAA FCS Football. In his first two years, he has recorded 142 tackles in 16 games, averaging 8.9 tackles per game in his young career.
Dressler is a two-time First Team All-Colonial Athletic Association selection at the linebacker position. He combined with Wheeler to become the first linebacker duo for the Spiders to earn First Team honors in the same year since 2009 (Eric McBride & Collin McConaghy). He was second on the team with 29 tackles, including 15 solo in the spring. He ranked seventh in the CAA at 7.2 tackles per game. He also added 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception on the year. In his last full season in 2019, Dressler was tied for the team lead with 104 tackles and led the CAA at 9.5 tackles per game.
Fitzgerald picks up his first career preseason honor from the CAA after bursting onto the scene as a transfer tight end last spring. He picked up First Team All-Conference honors after leading all tight ends in the conference with 14 receptions and leading the position with 131 yards receiving. He scored his first career touchdown against William & Mary in the season opener, giving the Spiders the lead for good in the fourth quarter. Fitzgerald was recently the named the 14th best tight end in the country by HERO Sports FCS.
McConnell also records his first career preseason honor after being named First Team All-Conference in the spring. That honor was the first of his career and he became the Spiders' first offensive lineman to earn First Team All-CAA honors since Alex Light in 2017. He helped the Spiders offense finish fifth in the conference in rushing at 153.2 yards per game and allowed quarterback Joe Mancuso to rank second in the league in total offense at 224.0 yards per game.
Dykes was named Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA as one of just two kickoff returners on the entire preseason team. He was named First Team Freshman All-America by Phil Steele in 2019 and was a Third Team All-CAA selection that year for his work as a kickoff returner. He finished the year second in the CAA and eighth in the country averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return, leading all freshmen in the country with that average. He was tied for the CAA and national lead with two kickoff returns for touchdown in 2019, both coming in the same games in the Spiders' win at Delaware.
The Spiders kickoff the 2021 fall season with two-straight home games at Robins Stadium, beginning September 4 hosting Howard. Game time is set for 2 p.m.
2021 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)
OFFENSE
| Name, School | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown, High School |
| Nolan Henderson, Delaware | Jr. | QB | 6-1 | 195 | Smyrna, Del./Smyrna |
| Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison | Sr. | RB | 6-0 | 204 | Frederick, Md./Oakdale |
| Dejoun Lee, Delaware | Sr. | RB | 5-7 | 185 | Springfield, Va./Lake Braddock |
| Karl Mofor, UAlbany | Sr. | RB | 5-9 | 225 | Greenbelt, Md./Eleanor Roosevelt |
| Joey Kenny, Rhode Island | Sr. | FB | 6-2 | 253 | Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills |
| Andre Miller, Maine | Gr. | WR | 6-2 | 220 | Old Town, Maine/Old Town |
| Thyrick Pitts, Delaware | Jr. | WR | 6-3 | 200 | Manassas, Va./Forest Park |
| Kris Thornton, James Madison | Jr. | WR | 5-8 | 179 | Manassas, Va./Osbourn Park |
| John Fitzgerald, Richmond | Gr. | TE | 6-4 | 250 | Baltimore, Md./The Gilman School |
| Michael Corbi, Villanova | Jr. | OL | 6-3 | 295 | Arnold, Md./Mount Saint Joseph |
| Liam Fornadel, James Madison | Sr. | OL | 6-5 | 310 | Wyckoff, N.J./Don Bosco Prep |
| David Kroll, Delaware | Sr. | OL | 6-7 | 315 | Reston Va./South Lakes |
| Clayton McConnell, Richmond | Sr. | OL | 6-4 | 290 | Foley, Ala./Foley |
| Kyle Nunez, Stony Brook | Sr. | OL | 6-2 | 340 | East Islip, N.Y./East Islip |
DEFENSE
| Name, School | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| Malik Fisher, Villanova | Sr. | DL | 6-4 | 255 | New York, N.Y./Xavier |
| Mike Greene, James Madison | Sr. | DL | 6-3 | 285 | Richmond, Va./Highland Springs |
| Chase McGowan, Delaware | So. | DL | 6-1 | 240 | Stafford, Va./North Stafford |
| Kobie Turner, Richmond | Sr. | DL | 6-3 | 285 | Clifton, Va./Centreville |
| Johnny Buchanan, Delaware | Jr. | LB | 6-0 | 230 | Brick, N.J./St. John Vianney |
| Tyler Dressler, Richmond | Gr. | LB | 6-3 | 245 | Covington, Va./Covington |
| Forrest Rhyne, Villanova | Sr. | LB | 6-1 | 225 | Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro Area |
| Tristan Wheeler, Richmond | So. | LB | 6-2 | 228 | Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom |
| MJ Hampton, James Madison | Sr. | S | 6-0 | 196 | Fredericksburg, Va./Stafford |
| Evan Horn, New Hampshire | Sr. | S | 6-0 | 220 | Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest |
| Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware | Jr. | S | 6-11 | 195 | Middletown, Del./Middletown |
| Christian Benford, Villanova | Jr. | CB | 6-1 | 190 | Randallstown, Md./Randallstown |
| Nijuel Hill, Delaware | Sr. | CB | 5-10 | 185 | Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall |
SPECIAL TEAMS
| Name, School | Cl. | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | Hometown/High School |
| D'Ago Hunter, Towson | Jr. | KR | 5-8 | 160 | Culpeper, Va./Eastern View |
| Tre'Von Jones, Elon | So. | PR | 6-0 | 166 | Warrenton, N.C./Trinity Christian |
| Bronson Yoder, William & Mary | Jr. | PR | 5-11 | 190 | Nappanee, Ind./Northwood |
| Ethan Ratke, James Madison | Sr. | PK | 5-10 | 178 | Mechanicsville, Va./Atlee |
| Harry O'Kelly, James Madison | Sr. | P | 6-1 | 180 | Wynnum, Queensland, Australia/Iona |
| Anthony Del Negro, Stony Brook | Sr. | SPEC | 6-2 | 230 | Bohemia, N.Y./Connetquot |
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Percy Agyei-Obese, RB, James Madison
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Mike Greene, DL, James Madison
Honorable mention: Davis Cheek, QB, Elon; Daniel Smith, QB, Villanova; Jeff Undercuffler, QB, UAlbany; Justin Covington, RB, Villanova; Gene Coleman II, WR, Delaware; Ivory Frimpong, WR, Rhode Island; Antwane Wells, Jr., WR, James Madison; Bryce DeMaille, TE, Delaware; Andrew Trainer, OL, William & Mary; Will Kiely, DL, William & Mary; Niko Kvietkus, DL, New Hampshire; Jared Verse, DL, UAlbany; Kelvin Azanama, LB, James Madison; Danny Damico, LB, UAlbany; Christian Dixon, LB, Towson; Cole Coleman, S, Elon; Aaron Dykes, KR, Richmond; Shane McDonough, P, Towson; Bryce Colee, SPEC, Maine
2021 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)
- James Madison (15 first-place votes), 231
- Delaware (7 first-place votes), 222
- Villanova, 194
- Richmond (2 first-place votes), 169
- New Hampshire, 135
- Rhode Island, 121
- Towson, 115
- UAlbany, 114
- Maine, 99
- Stony Brook, 73
- William & Mary, 61
- Elon, 50
--UR—
Players Mentioned
LB
/ Football
RB
/ Football
TE
/ Football
QB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LB
/ FootballFootball Spring Game Press Conference
Saturday, April 11
Blake Houser Making Offseason Strides
Wednesday, April 01
Russ Huesman Spring Football Update
Wednesday, April 01
Football Weekly Press Conference November 19
Wednesday, November 19