2021 Fall Football Roster
Dykes, Aaron
Jersey Number 3
Aaron Dykes
- Position:
- Running Back
- Height:
- 5-11
- Weight:
- 202
- Class:
- Redshirt Junior
- Hometown:
- Knoxville, Tenn.
- High School:
- Hardin Valley Academy
Bio
Redshirt Senior (2022)
- Named preseason All-Colonial Athletic Association.
- Team captain.
- Finished his career ranked sixth among active kick returners with 1,802 yards.
- Finished his career second all time among Spiders in all purpose yards with 4,521 via 1,969 rushing yards, 750 receiving yards and 1,802 kick return yards.
- Started all 13 games.
- Picked up 772 rushing yards, 196 receiving yards and 301 kick return yards
- Scored four touchdowns
- Recorded 100+ yard games on two occasions with 102 yards at Elon (Oct. 1) and 109 at Sacramento State (Dec. 3).
- Recorded a career season-high 59.4 yards rushing per game.
- Averaged 17.7 yards per return.
Redshirt Junior (2021)
- Dykes averaged 27.3 yards per kickoff this year, ranking second all-time in program history in a single season trailing only Justin Rogers' 30.4 yard average in 2004.
- Named All-State by Virginia Sports Information Directors (VaSID).
- Finished season with 1197 all-purpose yards.
- His 1019 all-purpose in conference play only was second in the CAA.
- Completed season with 492 kick-return yards.
- His 402 return yards in conference play was fourth in the CAA.
- Raked in 11 total touchdowns on the season.
- His seven total touchdowns in conference play was fifth in the CAA.
- Posted six rushing touchdowns on the season.
- His three rushing touchdowns in conference play only was 12th in the CAA.
- Notched four receiving touchdowns on the season.
- His three receiving touchdowns was 12th in conference play.
- Finished season with 516 rushing yards on 125 carries.
- Posted 309 receiving yards on 25 receptions on the season.
- Delivered a career-high 80 rushing yards and a season-high 22-yard run in the Capital City Cup victory over William & Mary (Nov.11).
- Recorded career-high 88 receiving yards vs. vs. New Hampshire.
- Notched a career-high two receiving touchdowns vs. New Hampshire.
- Caught a career-high 58-yard reception vs. New Hampshire (Oct. 30).
- Added season-long 98-yard return vs. Villanova (Sept. 18).
- Lehigh (Sept. 11) marked the third time in his career he posted at least on rushing touchdown and receiving touchdown.
- Secured a season-high two rushing touchdowns on a season-high 15 carries vs. Howard (Sept.4).
- Started in all 11 games.
- Named Honorable Mention Preseason All-CAA Football.
- Named Preseason All-America by Athlon Sports as a kickoff returner.
- Started all four games at running back.
- Led the team in rushing with 229 yards on 44 carries, averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
- Recorded five touchdowns in four games in the spring.
- Rushed for three touchdowns on the year.
- Caught eight passes for 90 yards, including two touchdowns receiving.
- Scored two touchdowns - one rushing and one receiving - against William & Mary (March 6).
- Finished with 94 yards of total offense against the Tribe.
- Rushed for 57 yards on 13 carries, including his six-yard score.
- Caught three passes for 37 yards and a seven-yard score.
- Rushed for 66 yards on 13 carries and a touchdown at Elon (March 13).
- Caught two passes for 17 yards against the Phoenix.
- Rushed for 70 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown on the ground in the second game against Elon (March 27).
- Caught two passes for 32 yards, including a 38-yard catch for a score.
- Rushed for 36 yards on seven carries against James Madison (April 17).
- Named First Team Freshman All-America by Phil Steele.
- Named Third Team All-Colonial Athletic Association as a kickoff returner.
- Played in 10 games, making eight starts at running back before suffering a season-ending injury during the Villanova game (Nov. 9).
- One of only three freshmen honored on the CAA All-Conference teams.
- Became the first Spider kickoff returner to earn All-Conference honors since Justin Grant in 2012.
- Finished second in the CAA and eighth in NCAA FCS averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return.
- Led all freshmen in the country at 27.1 yards per kickoff return.
- Tied for the CAA and national lead with two kickoff returns for touchdowns,.
- Became the first Spider in program history to return two kickoffs for scores in the same game when he accomplished the feat at Delaware (Oct. 26).
- Posted four returns for 226 yards against the Blue Hens, earning both CAA Special Teams and STATS FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
- His 226 yards are the most in a single-game in Spider history.
- Recorded a 100-yard kickoff return in the first quarter and an 88-yard kickoff return for touchdown in the second quarter against Delaware.
- Became the fourth Spider in program history to record a kickoff return of 100 yards.
- Returned 23 kicks on the year for 623 yards, ranking 10th in Richmond history for kickoff return yardage in a season.
- His 27.1 yards per kickoff ranks second in a single-season in Spider history.
- Finished second on the team and first among running backs with 309 yards rushing on 90 carries.
- Recorded a season-high 77 yards rushing on 12 carries against Yale (Oct. 19).
- Finished with a season-high 103 total yards of offense against Yale.
- Rushed for 50 yards on 10 carries against Fordham (Sept. 28).
- Posted 68 yards rushing on six carries, including his lone rushing touchdown against Jacksonville (Aug. 29).
- Caught 14 passes for 153 yards on the year.
- Caught a career-high three passes for a career-high 72 yards against Stony Brook (Nov. 2).
- Posted a career-long 50-yard reception against Stony Brook.
- Played in four games making one start, earning a redshirt
- Got his first career start against Delaware (Oct. 6)
- Ran 32 times for 154 yards and two touchdowns
- Season-high 13 carries for 53 yards against James Madison (Sept. 29)
- Carried the ball 12 times for a season-high 76 yards and two scores in the game at Elon (Oct. 20)
- Grabbed his first pass against Delaware, while carrying the ball seven times for 25 yards
- Returned 14 kicks for 354 yards, averaging 25.29 yards per return
- Season-long 60-yard return against James Madison (Sept. 29)
- Four year letterman at Hardin Valley
- As a senior, Region Offensive MVP, All-Kil First Team offense, All-Prep Extra First Team offense
- As a junior, All-Region, All-Kil First Team offense, All-Prep Extra First Team offense
- Leader in all-time points at Hardin Valley, second all-time leading rusher
- 1,283 rushing yards on 207 carries as a senior to go with 15 touchdowns
- 20 receptions for 179 yards as a senior
- As a junior, rushed for 1,483 yards with 15 touchdowns on 223 carries
- For his career, rushed for 3,148 yards (6.6 ypc, 87.4 ypg) to go with 35 total touchdowns.
Football Weekly Press Conference - September 3rd
Wednesday, September 03
Football Weekly Media Availability: Lehigh
Wednesday, August 27
First Football Camp Scrimmage Press Conference
Saturday, August 09
Football First Day Press Conference
Friday, August 01
