Old Dominion University football reports to camp on Sunday and starts fall camp practice on Monday. ODUSports.com previews the offense heading into camp.
Quarterback
For the first time since the Monarchs started football in 2009, ODU will not have a quarterback on its roster that has thrown a collegiate pass. Four-year starter Taylor Heinicke is gone after throwing for 14,959 yards and 132 career touchdowns.
Redshirt freshman Shuler Bentley heads into fall camp as the starter after winning the job with a solid spring. A Parade All-American, Bentley was a two-time South Carolina Gatorade Player of the Year and set a state single-season record with 71 touchdown passes as a senior. He also set career records with 13,245 passing yards and 177 TD passes.
True freshman walk-on Blake LaRussa and redshirt junior Colin McElroy will backup Bentley. McElroy has appeared in one game in his career but has not attempted a pass. LaRussa had a strong spring and will battle McElroy for the top backup position. Joey Verhaegh, a transfer from Fullerton CC in California, will redshirt this season after suffering an injury this spring.
Also on the roster is David Washington, who moved to wide receiver full-time last season, catching 47 passes for 599 and four touchdown passes. Washington was Heinicke’s backup the last two seasons but did not throw a pass last season. In six games in 2013 he completed 22-of-31 passes for 259 yards and four touchdowns. He also carried the ball 29 times for 124 yards and a touchdown.
Running Back
Ray Lawry gave the Monarchs an extra dimension last season, adding a threat to the ODU offense not seen in the past. As a freshman, Lawry rushed for a school record 947 yards and 16 touchdowns while leading all Division I freshmen with 7.1 yards per carry.
Lawry had just 20 carries through the first five games of the year, but rushed for at least 100-yards in five of ODU’s last seven games, including a 148-yard, four touchdown performance in his first start at Western Kentucky and a career-best 213-yards in the season finale win at Florida Atlantic.
The reigning C-USA Rookie of the Year also caught 17 passes for 155 yards and looks to see an expanded role in the passing game this season.
Behind Lawry are several new faces with the departure of the graduated Cam Boyd and the transfer of Gerard Johnson. The pair combined for 667 yards and four touchdowns, but ODU appears to have replacements at the ready.
A mid-year addition from Fork Union, Jeremy Cox bursted onto the scene in spring practice with an impressive combination of size and speed as he competes with sophomore Brandon Simmons and wide receiver turned running back, Vincent Lowe for carries behind Lawry.
Lowe played in 10 games last season, starting the season at receiver but also had touches at running back. He caught 14 passes for 69 yards and rushed eight times for 36 yards.
Simmons played in seven games last year as a walk-on true freshman on special teams and will compete for more of a role on offense this season.
True freshman Gemonta Jackson and Kesean Strong will also compete for playing time in the backfield.
Wide Receiver
The wide receiver position is annually one of great depth for ODU and the 2015 season looks to be no exception. The group returns six players that caught passes in 2014 and a plethora of players that redshirted last season.
The group lost just one starter from last season, but that was ODU’s all-time leading receiver, Antonio Vaughan. He was named First-Team All-Conference USA after leading the league with 1,019 receiving yards on 63 receptions and 12 touchdowns.
Despite the loss of Vaughan, there are plenty of candidates to step up and take Vaughan’s lead role.
Junior Zach Pascal finished 2014 second on the team in receiving with 59 catches for 743 yards and seven touchdowns. He notched a career-best nine catches at NC State and broke 100-yards against Rice and Middle Tennessee.
David Washington caught 47 passes for 599 yards and four touchdowns in his first season as a wide receiver after backing up Taylor Heinicke the last two years. He exploded onto the scene with five catches for 99 yards in the win at Rice and produced a career-high eight catches for 106 yards and scored the game-winning touchdown in overtime against Louisiana Tech.
Junior Melvin Vaughn adds a different dynamic to the receiving core as the 6-2, 250 pounder can line up as a tight end and also a wide receiver. A native of Chesapeake, Va., Vaughn caught 30 passes for 315 yards and three touchdowns last season, but looks for a more expanded role in 2015.
Another junior, Nick England, caught 12 passes for 177 yards and a touchdown in the win at Rice. The Atlanta, Ga., native will look for an increased role on offense as will a pair of sophomores in Marques Little and Jonathan Duhart.
Duhart jumped out in fall camp and finished the year with seven receptions for 127 yards. Little scored three touchdowns in a five-game stretch, as he made an impact the last half of the season.
Also returning at the position is Blair Roberts, who redshirted in 2014 following off-season back surgery. Roberts was full go in spring practice and has 106 career receptions for 1,326 yards and 13 touchdowns.
The Monarchs also redshirted several top targets including Isaiah Harper, Travis Fulgham and Adam Swann, who will compliment Vaughn as a second tight end.
ODU once again added valuable depth in February, signing Hasaan Patterson from Georgia, Eri’Reon Hayes of South Carolina and Kyle Goddard of Maryland.
Offensive Line
Just like the wide receiving core, the offensive line loses just one starter, but that player was First-Team All-Conference USA center Josh Mann. Mann had a tryout with the Jacksonville Jaguars, giving ODU three offensive linemen to appear in NFL minicamps the last two years, along with Jack Lowney (Baltimore Ravens) and D.J. Morrell, who spent 2014 with the Buffalo Bills.
Connor Mewbourne returns as the lone senior. A two-year starter from Virginia Beach, Mewbourne will once again man left tackle.
Junior Tyler Fisher earned C-USA honorable mention accolades last year and has started 17 career games at left guard.
Tyler Burns and Tyler Compton split last season at right guard. Compton started the first eight games of the year with Burns taking over and starting the final four games. Compton adds versatility to the group being able to play every position up front.
Darius Garcia became the second true freshman to start on the offensive line in ODU’s short history, joining Fisher, starting the final nine games at right tackle and earning C-USA All-Freshman honors.
Junior Troy Butler received a redshirt year after injuring his ankle in the fourth game of the year. He started the first three games of the year at right tackle but is slated to start the season at center. Like Compton, Butler can play any position up front.
Redshirt sophomore Eli Kessner adds depth at center and guard with another redshirt sophomore, Eric Hampson, providing backup at tackle.
Nick Clarke redshirted in 2014 and will compete with Butler and Compton for the starting spot at center.
Tony Barnett was added as a mid-year transfer and the Monarchs signed Hunter Sosebee and Devin Hannan in February.
*ODU Football season tickets are on sale now at www.ynottix.com. Each season ticket includes seven home games featuring Norfolk State, NC State, Appalachian State, and four C-USA opponents. The Monarchs have sold out all 41 home games since re-starting the program in 2009. Secure your seat in S.B. Ballard Stadium while they last and be part of the tradition of Monarch Football!