Dover, Del. (Aug. 3, 2016) --- The Delaware State football team hits the field Friday for the beginning of preseason camp in preparation for the 2016 campaign. Second-year head coach Kenny Carter has spent much of the last nine months re-structuring a team that posted a 1-10 overall record and 1-7 mark in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference last season.
The Hornets' preseason roster features just 29 returners from the 2015 squad, 13 on offense, 14 defenders and two specialists.
A total of 58 players are new to the squad this season, although one is a 2015 FCS transfer and the other is in his third year with the program, but sat out in 2014 as a redshirt and could not play in the '15 campaign due to injury.
Carter has scheduled 25 practices during summer camp, including four two-session days. The Hornets will begin regular practices on Aug. 29 in preparation for the season opener at the University of Delaware on Sep. 1.
OFFENSE
The battle for the starting quarterback job will likely be between left-handers Kobie Lain (so.) and junior college transfer Daniel Epperson (jr.).
Lain appeared in five games, starting two, as a true freshman in 2015. He completed 25-of-50 passes for 329 yards with two touchdowns and three interceptions for the season. Lain was selected as the MEAC Rookie-of-the-Week after completing 14-of-27 passes for 181 yards and two touchdowns, and rushing for 52 yards and a score on 15 attempts, in the Hornets' 32-31 win over Howard in last year's finale.
Epperson is new to the team after competing at San Bernadino (Cal.) JC where he passed for 2,767 yards and 27 touchdowns, and rushed for 254 yards and four scores in two seasons. He helped lead the team to 2015 Mountain League Championship.
Veteran QB Gil Rivera (sr.) is in his third season with the Hornets. Rivera has appeared in 19 games (10 starts) the past two years, completing 176-of-342 passes (51.5%) for 1773 yards. He has nine career touchdowns and 15 interceptions.
Freshmen Keenan Black (Concord, N.C./Concord HS), Evan Young (Upper Marlboro, Md./St. Mary's Ryken HS) and Shayne Smith (Phila., Pa./Del. Valley Charter) round on the list of 2016 Hornet quarterbacks.
Black was his conference Offensive Player-of-the-Year after passing for more than 2500 yards and 23 touchdowns, and rushing for nearly 500 yards and 10 scores during his senior season.
Whichever quarterback is on the field for the Hornets will have one of the MEAC's top receivers, Aris Scott (sr.), as a target. A Preseason All-MEAC Third Team selection, Scott was tops on the Hornets with 46 catches for 683 yards to rank fourth in the league in receiving yards per game (62.1) and fifth in in receptions (4.2 pg) in 2015. He has 75 catches and needs 12 receiving yards to reach 1000 in his career with the Hornets.
Jerimiah Williams (jr.) is the only other veteran wide receiver on the roster. Williams had seven catches for 97 yards (13.9 ypc) in 10 games last season.
Wide out Taronn Selby (so.) saw limited action as a true freshman in 2015, but was impressive during spring camp.
The incoming wide receivers include Fatu Sua-Godinet (fr.; Honolulu, Hi./Kamehameha HS), a former Hawai'i high school star, junior college transfer Mason Rutherford (jr.; San Bernardino, Cal./San Bernardino CC) and Michael Piersawl (jr.; Suffolk, Va.), a transfer from Div. II Livingstone College (N.C.).
Five other freshman receivers have also joined the Hornets this season.
The Hornet offense is also expected to be bolstered by the move of former linebacker Dominic Floyd (so.) to tight end. Floyd impressed the coaching enough during spring camp to make him the favorite for the starting tight end job.
New tight ends Raymie Ferreira (fr.; Lebanon, Pa./Cedar Crest HS) and local product Karim Beatty (fr.; Dover, Del./Dover HS) will also compete for playing time this season.
The revamped offensive line will be anchored by three-year starter Ernest Mengoni (sr.) at center and preseason All-MEAC Third Team selection Chuka Ezeuzoh (so.) at guard, although a solid crop of newcomers is providing a reason for optimism.
Lamont Bradford (jr.) has seen spot duty along the offensive front the past two seasons, while Jacob Jones (so.) is now a full-time O-lineman after switching from the defense midway through the 2015 campaign.
The Hornets added much needed size on the offensive line with the addition of 6-6, 350-pound Peter Borum (jr.), a transfer from Lackawanna Junior College (Pa.).
Also joining the line this year are first-year collegians Joshua Fala (6-7, 355) of Manteca, Cal. (Sierra HS), Cade Pedro (6-5, 295) of Kailua, Hi. (Kamehameha HS), Kaden Crawford (6-4, 290) of Phila., Pa. (Simon Gratz HS), Kensky Celestin (6-2, 280) of Brooklyn, N.Y. (Grand Street Campus HS) and Ernest Sellars of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. (Dillard HS).
The performance of the offensive line will go a long way in determining the fate of DSU's running game this season. The Hornets were in the bottom tier among all FCS teams at 79.2 yards rushing per game in 2015 and have not cracked the 100-yard mark in rushing yards per game since the 2009 season.
The Hornets have plenty of speedsters in the backfield, highlighted by sophomore tailback Brycen Alleyne (so.; Wilmington, Del./Concord HS), the team's top returning runner and kick returner. Alleyne was second on the Hornets in rushing yards (249) and rushing yards per game (22.6) and ranked second on the team in all-purpose yards at 78.4 per game (862 total) in 2015. He was also third on the Hornets with 16 receptions and 132 receiving yards, and was team leader with 481 kickoff return yards (25.3 ypr) last season.
The only other returning runner with carries in 2015 is Kesselly Tyler (so.), who had just 19 yards on 12 attempts.
Speedy twins Sika Bendolph (so.) and Tecumseh Bendolph (so.) are expected to battle for playing time after showing considerable promise during spring camp.
The tops newcomers in the backfield are freshmen Nyfease West from North Penn HS in Lansdale, Pa., and Mike Waters of Philadelphia's Imhotep Charter.
West is No. 2 in North Penn High School history with 4,098 rushing yards and 45 touchdowns in three seasons, while Waters tallied nearly 3,000 yards and 51 TD to lead Imhotep to a 15-0 record and its first Pennsylvania State Championship during his senior season in 2015.
DEFENSE
On paper, it appears the linebacker corps could be the strength of the Hornet defense, which will be under the direction of new coordinator Gerard Wilcher. Leading the group is inside backer Malik Harris (jr.), a 2016 College Football Scouting News Preseason FCS First Team All-America Selection. A 2016 Preseason All-MEAC Second Team pick, Harris was tops on the Hornets and second among all MEAC players in tackles-per-game (9.5) and total tackles (104) last season. He also ranked second on the team and sixth in the league with 14.5 tackles-for-loss, in addition to recording 1.5 sacks, an interception, two pass break-ups and a fumble recovery in 2015.
Returning at an outside linebacker post is Rashawn Barrett (sr.), who was second on the Hornets and sixth among all MEAC players in tackles at 7.6 per game (84 total tackles) last season. A 2016 Preseason All-MEAC Third Team pick, Barrett was third on the team and 14th in the league with four sacks and tied for second on the Hornets with 8.5 tackles-for-loss in 2015.
Outside backer Kameron Rogers (so.) was limited to six games and five tackles, two behind the line-of-scrimmage, due to an injury in 2015, but performed well enough during spring camp to raise hopes this season.
Denzel Burgette (so.) is expected to see more playing time after gaining valuable experience as a true freshman in spring ball and showing promise during spring drills.
Former fullback Kyle Taylor (so.), a former Hodgson Vo-Tech (Del.) star, has moved to linebacker and opened some eyes with his play in the spring.
The coaching staff is excited about the new talent in the linebacker corps, which includes two junior college transfers
Ted Noble (jr.) helped lead Contra Costa CC (Cal.) to two conference championships and a bowl victory before enrolling at DSU, while Garfield Heslop (jr.) joins the Hornets after two seasons at Monroe College (N.Y.).
Former Concord High School (Del.) star Brian Cavicante (fr.) will compete at linebacker for the Hornets after recording 80 tackles, including 11 backfield stops, 10 sacks, three interceptions and two fumble recoveries at Milford Academy Prep in 2015.
Another Delaware product, freshman Donte' Newell (Newark) is new to DSU after helping lead Hodgson Vo-Tech to the 2015 state Division II championship.
Juwan DeVone (so.; Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes) also joins the linebacker corps this season.
The defensive front will be vastly different from last season. The coaching staff is hoping what the group lacks in experience will be made up in size, execution and hustle.
The top returner up front is 300-pound tackle Javon Barnes (so.), who had 23 stops (12 solo), two tackles for loss and a sack as a true freshman in 2015.
Another big body, Trey Wallace (so.) joins the active roster this year after sitting out last season following his transfer from FCS Stetson. The 6-3, 300-pounder joined the Hornets as an offensive lineman but moved to the defense in the spring.
The Hornets have also added 6-4, 300 freshman tackle Ulises De Los Santos from Union City, N.J. (Union City HS) to help provide some push in the middle of the line.
End Nick Nelson (sr.) is the most experienced member of the line, while Abdul Kamal-Abdelero (so.) and Christian Johnson (so.) are energetic outside linemen.
Freshmen Eljon Williams (Dumfries, Va./Potomac HS), and Delaware high school products Jordan McCullough (Dover HS) and Dominique Drewery (Glasgow HS) are other newcomers to the line this year.
The 2016 secondary is led by cornerback William Burton (sr.), a Preseason All-MEAC Second Team selection. Burton was sixth on the Hornets in total tackles (51) and solo stops (30) last season. He also recorded one interception, five pass break ups and a fumble return for a 35-yard touchdown against FBS Kent State.
Strong safety Logan Wescott (so.) emerged as the top newcomer on the defense as a true freshman last season. Wescott was eighth on the Hornets with 39 tackles (27 solo) and also credited with an interception and a blocked kick return for a touchdown in 2015.
Veteran corner Gary Melton, Jr. (sr.) was tops on the Hornets and fifth in the MEAC with eight passes defended (seven pass break-ups; one interception) and also tallied 13 tackles.
Cornerback Keyjuan Selby (so.) had a solid debut with the Hornets last season, collecting 21 tackles (16 unassisted) and a sack.
Safety Xavier Wilcher (r-so.) joins the active roster this season after sitting out the 2014 campaign as a redshirt and suffering an injury that kept him out of action a year ago.
Among the newcomers to the defensive backfield is freshman Marlon Carter from Hampton, Va. (Phoebus HS), who recorded 41 tackles and four interceptions and seven pass break-ups as a senior.
Eleven other freshmen, including Delaware high school products Nyree Williamson (New Castle, Del./St. George's Vo-Tech) and Nigel Bynum (Claymont, Del./Mt. Pleasant HS) will also join the Hornet secondary this season.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Wisdom Nzidee (jr.) is in his second season as the Hornets' placekicker after transferring from Paine College (Ga.) prior to the 2015 season, while Fidel Romo Martinez (fr.; Banning, Cal./Banning HS) is the early favorite to assume punting duties.
The Hornets also have a solid long snapper in Jonathan Scandrett (so.), who played in every game as a true freshman last season.
Brycen Alleyne (so) led DSU with 481 kickoff returns yards on 19 attempts (25.3 avg.), highlighted by an 88-yard touchdown in the season finale against Howard.
Aris Scott (sr.) is an experienced kickoff and punt returner, while newcomer Mason Rutherford (jr.) is also expected to perform return duties.
SCHEDULE
The renewal of the First State Rivalry with the Delaware Blue Hens, a visit to Missouri and five home games at Alumni Stadium highlight the 2016 Delaware State University football schedule. The Hornets will play three non-conference games and eight Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference contests this season.
Delaware State will kick-off the 2016 season on Thursday Sep. 1 at the University of Delaware in the seventh meeting between the state's two Division I football programs. Each of the previous games in the series has been played at UD's Tubby Raymond Field. The Hornets and Hens did not meet in 2015 after battling the previous four years. DSU is seeking its first win in the series. A member of the Colonial Athletic Association, Delaware was 4-7 overall and 3-5 in conference games in 2015.
The Hornets will play their 2016 home opener on September 10 ( 5 p.m.) against Monmouth University. This will be second contest between the Hornets and Hawks. Monmouth won the first meeting 53-21 in 2014. The Hawks posted a 5-6 overall record and 3-3 mark in the Big South Conference last season.
After an open week, DSU will visit the University of Missouri of the Southeast Conference on Sep. 24, marking the third straight year and seventh time in team history that the Hornets will face a major college opponent. The Tigers are coming off a 5-7 overall record and 1-7 SEC mark during the 2015 season.
Delaware State will begin MEAC play the following Saturday (Oct. 1) at Morgan State in Baltimore, Md.
The Hornets will try to snap a three-game losing streak to the Bears, who won last year's contest 26-6 at DSU's Alumni Stadium to open up a 35-24 series lead. Morgan State was tied for sixth in the MEAC with a 4-4 league record and posted a 4-6 overall mark in 2015.
The Hornets begin two-game MEAC homestand on October 8 against the Hampton Pirates. Kickoff is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Alumni Stadium. DSU will try to avenge a 21-7 road loss to the Pirates last season. Hampton holds a 27-14 lead in the series after winning the last three games. The 2015 Pirates had a 6-5 overall record and were fifth in the MEAC with a 5-3 mark in the conference.
The Hornets remain home the following Saturday (Oct. 15) to take on the Florida A&M Rattlers in the annual homecoming contest at 2 p.m. This will be the 34th meeting between the MEAC rivals. Florida A&M has won the last two contests, including the 2015 meeting in Tallahassee, Fla. The Rattlers are coming off a 1-10 overall record (1-7 MEAC) last season.
DSU will begin a tough two-game road swing on Oct. 22 at South Carolina State in Orangeburg, S.C., for the 44th meeting between the rivals. The Hornets and Bulldogs have split their last two meetings. SC State (7-4 overall; 6-2 MEAC in 2015) won last year's contest at DSU's Alumni Stadium.
The following Saturday (Oct. 29), Delaware State will visit Bethune-Cookman in Daytona, Fla. The Wildcats have won or shared five of the last six MEAC championships. BCU shared the crown with North Carolina A&T and North Carolina Central in 2015. The Wildcats have won the last five games between the teams, although the all-time series is tied at 19-19. BCU has won nine or more games in each of the last four years, including a 9-2 overall record and 7-1 mark in the MEAC last year.
The Hornets return home on November 5 to face 2015 MEAC co-champ North Carolina Central at 2 p.m. The Eagles were 8-3 overall and 7-1 in the conference, including a victory over DSU in Durham, N.C., last season.
Delaware State will wrap up its 2016 home schedule against reigning Black College National Champ North Carolina A&T on Nov. 12 at 2 p.m. The Aggies shared the 2015 MEAC championship with Bethune-Cookman and NC Central, and defeated SWAC champion Alcorn State in the inaugural Celebration Bowl. NCA&T has won the last two games, although the Hornets have an 8-3 lead in the last 11 meetings to hold a 22-21-1 edge in the series. The Aggies had a 10-2 overall record and were 21st in the final STATS FCS Top 25 poll in 2015.
The Hornets will close out the 2016 regular season against its oldest rival Howard University in Washington, D.C. Delaware State captured its lone victory of the 2015 season against the Bison 32-31 in Dover, Del. The Hornets have faced Howard each year since 1958 and a total of 72 times overall. DSU has won 13 of the last 17 meetings, and leads the series 37-34-1.
