NORFOLK, Va. – With a bevy of returning starters bolstered by the addition of a promising recruiting class, the Norfolk State football team enters season two under head coach Latrell Scott with plenty of optimism. Following is a position-by-position breakdown of the Spartans’ roster heading into this Saturday’s season-opener against Elizabeth City State.
Quarterback
In 2015, Greg Hankerson Jr. provided two things that the Spartans have lacked in recent years – stability and a dual-threat playmaker at the quarterback position. The Florida Atlantic transfer made a splash for NSU last fall, finishing third in the MEAC in total offense with 2,475 yards (225.0 ypg). Hankerson passed for the sixth-most yards in a single-season for an NSU quarterback (2,052) while also leading the team in rushing, with 423 yards. He accounted for 16 touchdowns, including 13 through the air and three on the ground. Two of his three rushing touchdowns covered more than 50 yards.
Hankerson will help mentor a promising young quarterback this season in true freshman Tyre Givers-Wilson. Givers-Wilson was a key part of NSU’s touted recruiting class of 2016. He enrolled in the spring to get an early start to his college career after leading Indian River High School in Chesapeake to the state playoffs last season. Part-time wide receiver Kinan Humphrey, who redshirted as a freshman last season, gives NSU another athletic option at quarterback.
Running Back
NSU has the good fortune of returning its top four running backs from last season while also welcoming talented newcomers to the mix this season. All four of the team’s returning backs had the opportunity to start last season during a year which saw injuries affect the Spartans’ backfield depth. Gerard Johnson started eight games before going down with a knee injury in the ninth game of the year. The former ODU transfer was the team’s top rusher among running backs, with 418 rushing yards and one score. He also caught 18 passes, two going for touchdowns. He expects to be back healthy for his senior season.
Johnson’s absence, both last fall and during spring practice, gave sophomore Quintreil Chung a chance to get more repetitions with the first-team offense. Chung ran for three touchdowns in short-yardage situations last year, but has also shown breakaway speed. Chung missed three games last year due to nagging injuries, but enjoyed a strong spring showing and will challenge Johnson for the top spot on the depth chart.
Juniors Shakeem Copeland and Larry Bishop III were the recipients of more playing time as last year progressed and as injuries took their toll on Johnson and Chung. Copeland ran for 115 yards and one touchdown, while Bishop, who began the year as a fullback, showed versatility by also playing tailback late in the season. Bishop ran for 84 yards on the year and is also a pass-catching threat.
That group will be joined this fall by freshman recruit Malik Butts from Virginia Beach. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards as both a junior and a senior at Salem High School and earned second-team all-state accolades in his final season.
Aaron Savage also debuts for the Spartans this year after joining the team in the spring. Conley Smith and Tim Flood add depth to the fullback position along with Bishop.
Receiver/Tight End
No position for NSU was hit harder by graduation than the receiver position. The Spartans’ top three pass catchers from a year ago –DeAndre Sangster, Isaac White and Quinta Funderburk – all exhausted their eligibility last season. The trio combined for 108 receptions and 1,500 receiving yards, with Sangster and White both ranking among the MEAC’s top seven in catches and yards.
The cupboard isn’t bare for Scott at the receiver position, however. Speedster Marcus Taylor caught 21 passes for 215 yards as a true freshman last year and showed game-changing speed at both wideout and as a kick returner. Senior James Church Jr. was poised to have a strong year last season before suffering a season-ending knee injury in the fourth game of the year. He’s the most experienced returning receiver on the roster.
With good depth at receiver last year, Scott was able to redshirt two freshmen from his first recruiting class, George Wahee andChuma Awanna. Both figure to challenge for key spots in the rotation this year. Awanna is one of NSU’s biggest targets, while Wahee is a strong route-runner with good speed and hands.
NSU added New Jersey prep standout Marcque Ellington and Virginia Tech graduate transfer Joel Caleb in this year’s recruiting class. Both will get a chance to make their mark immediately.
Other options include Antonio Perryman, who missed last season due to injury; and walk-ons Floyd Jones and Michael Curtis.
The Spartans also could utilize the tight end more this season, with three players vying for time. Incumbent starter Demetreus Ferebee has seen the most playing time of the three. The junior has started 12 games over his first two seasons and made three catches. Redshirt senior Torian Henderson was limited to three games last year due to injury, but he made the most of his one reception on the year, scoring on a 29-yard pass play at Rutgers.
Jeff Lee, another member of Scott’s first recruiting class at NSU, redshirted the 2015 season but will battle for playing time this year. The same could be said of incoming freshman and Norfolk-area prospect Anthony Williams.
Offensive Line
No position epitomized NSU’s tough luck in 2015 more than the offensive line. Eight different players started in seven different combinations up front for the Spartans last year as the unit was constantly in flux due to injuries. In fact, the two regular starters back from last year’s offensive line both ended the year out of uniform due to injury. Redshirt seniors Louis Humphrey and Daniel Oladimejiare both healthy after recovering from ankle and knee injuries, respectively. Humphrey started the first seven games of the season at center before suffering his injury. He has started 19 games over the last two season at the position, bringing toughness and experience to a critical position.
Oladimeji has been a Swiss Army knife of sorts during his career at NSU, changing from one position to another based on what the team has needed. After playing either guard position his first two years, Oladimeji started the first nine games of the season at right tackle before sustaining an injury. He returns for his final year in 2016 and figures to see most of his time at guard.
Coaches expect an infusion of youthful talent and size will make for a much-improved unit this season. Sophomore Wes Jones, who started once as a true freshman at guard last year, earned the team’s Most Improved Offensive Player Award during spring ball. He has been penciled in to start at left guard heading into the year.
The two tackle positions could be manned by any number of players. Redshirt freshman Jake O’Sullivan and true freshman Kenneth Kirby held down the first-team tackle positions during spring practice. Redshirt junior Jake Mazgajewski and freshmen Taro Lipscomband Jordan Crockett will also compete for time at tackle. Mazgajewski has split time between tackle and tight end in his Spartan career, but moves back to the trenches this season. Lipscomb and Crockett are two more members of the 2016 recruiting class. Crockett enrolled in January with Kirby out of Fork Union Military Academy, while Lipscomb got his first taste of college football in preseason camp.
Redshirt freshman Craig Rodwell and true freshmen Kevin Staton and Mike Carney could also be in the mix early for playing time. Rodwell sat out last season, while both Carney and Staton were ranked among the top 100 offensive guards among high school seniors in the class of 2016. Freshman Dominic Jordan, another athletic freshman lineman, adds depth to the center position behind Humphrey.
Defensive Line
Injuries and offseason attrition left the Spartans young and thin at times last season on the defensive front. In spite of that, the Spartans more than held their own up front last season. Converted tight end Chris Lee ranked among the MEAC’s leaders in sacks (6.0) and tackles for loss (13.5) on the way to earning All-MEAC third-team honors. Freshmen Walter Brantley, Hadji Gaylord andCornelius Tyler all showed play-making ability. Brantley was second among the linemen in tackles for loss, with 7.5 among his 38 total stops, while Gaylord and Tyler combined for 44 tackles.
With the new four-down look, the Spartans will look to employ more pass-rushing pressure from the defensive end positions. SeniorJay Anderson, who started all 11 games at outside linebacker last year, showed the ability to bring speed off the edge during spring practice. Another converted linebacker, Jonathan Okafor, will also look to emerge as a defensive end in the Spartans’ new-look scheme.
The returners will be joined by a phalanx of reinforcements. Senior Kevin Williams returns after sitting out last fall. He could help fortify the middle of the Spartans’ new-look four-man defensive line. N.C. State transfer Deshaywn Middleton and ODU transfer Terrell Reid also enter the fold, adding to an already impressive rotation. Freshman recruits Josh Bryant and Ian Williams and Virginia State transfer Ray Prosise add to the embarrassment of riches at the position.
Linebacker
The Spartans’ biggest loss on defense undoubtedly is the graduation of Buck Buchanan Award winner and first-team FCS All-American Deon King. King led all of Division I football with 163 total tackles last season.
As with the departure of any star player, King won’t be replaced by one player alone, but the Spartans do welcome back the bulk of last year’s linebacking corps aside from King. Junior Kyle Archie had a breakthrough year in 2015 in his first year as a starter. Archie was second on the team with 66 tackles, eight of which came behind the line of scrimmage. He showed the ability to play inside or outside linebacker, a trait which will benefit the Spartans’ new 4-3 look.
Junior Anthony Smith started six times in the first eight games as an inside linebacker last year, but suffered a season-ending injury in the eighth game of the year. He still registered 42 tackles and one interception for the year, and will enter camp as the projected starter at NSU’s middle linebacker spot.
Senior Raynard Revels performed well in Smith’s absence last year, starting the final three games of the year while recording 43 tackles, three for loss. He also will battle for time inside with freshman recruit Cephas Harden.
Outside linebacker T.C. Livingston is an upperclassman with game experience who looks to assume a bigger role this year. Damiyan Caldwell, Antwan White and James Chapman are also names to look out for.
Defensive Back
Despite losing All-MEAC first-team pick D’Metrius Williams from last year’s team, the Spartans return plenty of experience and playmaking ability in the secondary. The senior quartet of cornerbacks Donte’ Haynesworth and Sandy Chapman and safetiesBrandon Walker and Leroy Parker have combined to start 56 games at NSU. Parker (62) and Chapman (57) ranked third and fourth, respectively, on the team in tackles last year, with Chapman tying for the team lead with two interceptions. Walker, a three-year starter, was having another solid season (45 tackles, 2.0 TFL) before an injury cut short his year in the ninth game of the year, while Haynesworth played both corner and safety and amassed 34 tackles and one interception.
That quartet will be joined by junior Harry Freeman in providing the secondary with plenty of experience. Freeman tied for the team-lead with two interceptions and showed the knack for making the big play at corner. North Carolina Central transfer Hakiem Swannstarted for the Eagles as a true freshman and will look to make his mark on the secondary this season. Additionally, sophomoresEbenezer Agyemang-Kusi and Aaron Chandler gained some experienced in backup roles last year.
What incoming recruits Bobby Price and J.T. Wahee and redshirt freshman Edwin Lee lack in experience, they make up for with talent and athleticism. The trio will also push for time in this year’s defensive backfield.
Special Teams
NSU returns its primary kicker and punter last year in the form of senior Cameron Marouf and sophomore Bo Lomax, respectively. Marouf was a third-team All-MEAC pick as a sophomore in 2014. He has made 26 career field goals and 33 career extra points.
Lomax handled almost every punt last year, and looks to build on the confidence gained from being placed in that position as a true freshman in 2015.
NSU lost its long snapper from a year ago with the graduation of Mike Pierson and will look to fill that position, as well as kick and punt return slots, leading up to the season-opener.
Originally published at nsuspartans.com
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