By Harry Minium
After nearly eight months of waiting, first-year Old Dominion University football coach Ricky Rahne finally gets to see his team practice Thursday at noon.
However, because of the coronavirus, it will be the longest first practice in ODU's 12 seasons.
The team will actually hold three practices a day in order to adhere to COVID-19 restrictions.
After COVID-19 cases spiked in Hampton Roads in recent weeks, Gov. Ralph Northam recently limited gatherings of any group to 50 or less. That means ODU can't have more than 50 people on the field at a time.
Practices will run from noon until six, across three practice fields, to ensure that players social distance as much as possible. Every practice will have 34 players, with coaches, athletic trainers, film crew and others filling the remaining 50 slots.
That means every coach will work three practices each day.
"Having three pods will put a lot of stress on our coaches," Rahne said. "It's critical that we're taking of ourselves and our bodies. That's a lot more stress on us.
"It's going to be very interesting. Like I told everyone when this (the pandemic) started, let's not complain about things we can't control. Let's deal with the hand that's been dealt to us."
Hired away from Penn State, where he was offensive coordinator, Rahne saw his team in winter workouts but COVID-19 forced ODU to cancel spring practice. The Monarchs have been going through walk-thru drills in recent weeks in which the coaching staff could players walk thru plays.
Thursday is their first chance to see the Monarchs go at full speed.
Keion White is one of the best defensive players in Conference USA
"We haven't seen anybody in pads," Rahne said. "We've seen very few balls thrown and caught. And our players know that.
"That's one of the things our kids are excited about. They've worked hard. They're excited to get out there and show us what they can do."
His coaching staff, the youngest in the Football Bowl Subdivision, is also anxious to hit the field, he said.
"Even when we've gone through the little walk-thru practices, the staff got so excited," he said. "I think that reinvigorated them."
While practice is starting, there is a ton of uncertainty about whether ODU will play this fall. As COVID-19 infections ramped up this summer, nearly a dozen conferences have called off fall sports.
UConn became the first Football Bowl Subdivision school Wednesday morning to announce it won't play football. For now, at least, the other 129 FBS remain committed to playing, although there is speculation rife in the media that others will soon follow UConn's lead.
Many Football Championship Subdivision schools have opted to cancel fall sports, including Hampton, Norfolk State, William and Mary and Richmond. VCU and Richmond of the Atlantic 10 have also cancelled fall sports.
For now, at least, ODU's schedule is down to 10 games – the Monarchs were to host Hampton and play at UConn.
ODU, Virginia, Virginia Tech, Liberty, VMI and James Madison are the only Division I Virginia schools planning to play at this point. Most Division II and Division III leagues have also shut down.
There is hope among the programs who canceled play this spring that a vaccine will emerge and make it possible to play in the spring.
Rahne said regardless of when and where ODU plays, his coaches expect to learn a lot about their players during summer practice.
"We're all going into this as if we are going to play," Rahne said. "If we go into it like we're not going to play and we do, we're going to regret it and look like a lot of fools.
"If we go at it and don't play, well, then we've practiced hard and gotten better."
Practice begins with players wearing helmets and jerseys and the Monarchs graduate to full pads next week. ODU's first scrimmage, closed to the public, is set for Aug. 11
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All practices this season are closed to the media, in part because adding a couple of reporters to the field would mean reducing training or filming staff.
Even with 34 players on three fields, ODU is taking additional steps to keep players healthy. No more than 50 players are allowed in the L.R. Hill Sport Complex at a time and players will social distance while conditioning in the weight room facility.
Senior Isaac Weaver
Players will dress and shower in their residential halls or off-campus housing to prevent crowds from gathering in the locker room. Surfaces at the L.R. Hill facility will be cleaned several times a day.
ODU is coming off a 1-11 season but has 16 starters back, eight each on offense and defense. Moreover, 247Sports rates ODU's class of freshmen the best in ODU history.
The class includes seven of the best 19 players ever to sign with ODU, according to 247Sports – No. 1 LaMareon James, a 5-foot-11, 170-pound cornerback from Indian River High in Chesapeake; No. 6 Santana Saunders, 6-5, 270 offensive tackle, Upper Marlboro, Md.; No. 9 Adrian Spellman, 6-4, 240. defensive end, Elizabeth City, N.C.; No. 11 Keyshawn Hunter, 6-3, 296, defensive tackle, Washington, D.C.; No. 14, Tyrik McDaniel, 6-1, 184, safety, Irmo, S.C.; No. 18 Malcolm Britt, 6-0, 207, linebacker, Oscar Smith High and No. 19, Amorie Morrison, 6-4, 235, defensive end, Salem High, Virginia Beach.
Rahne purposely watched little film of last season so that he could judge his players on what they do on the field.
ODU faltered last season in part because of poor quarterback play, but has every scholarship QB back, including redshirt freshman Hayden Wolff, who passed well in the three games in which he played. Wolff completed 75 of 129 passes for 737 yards, two touchdowns and three interceptions, in three of ODU's last four games, but failed to lead the Monarchs to a victory.
Junior college transfers Stone Smartt and Messiah deWeaver both started in games last season with mixed results. Former starter Steven Williams Jr., who was moved to wide receiver last season, has been moved back to quarterback.
ODU also has a pair of freshmen with good credentials. Dominique Anthony from Oxon Hill, Md., threw for 2,962 yards, 38 touchdowns and six interceptions at Potomac High.
Reese Poffenbarger is an intriguing recruit who walked-on at ODU without a scholarship after turning down scholarship offers from VMI and Towson. A two-sport star, he gave up basketball his junior year to focus on football and it paid off.
He passed for 2,932 yards and 32 touchdowns and led Middletown (Md.) High to a state championship, passing for 318 yards and four TD's in the title game.
ODU should be stronger on both the offensive and defensive lines. Four starters and a fifth player who started in some games return on offense, including standout Isaac Weaver. Four starters or strong backups return on the defensive front, including Keion White, an NFL prospect.
Linebacker Jordan Young and cornerback Kaleb Ford-Dement are outstanding defensive returnees, while Eric Kumah, the transfer from Virginia Tech who redshirted last season with injuries, is healthy and adds a ton of firepower to ODU's offense.
After being force not to practice since November, Rahne said his players are eager to get back on the field.
"The No. 1 thing I think we're looking for is just to watch them perform the techniques and schemes we've been teaching on Zoom for so long," he said. "Our guys have had a bunch of meetings and walk thrus and we're excited to see them executive that against people.
"Every single opportunity we get to get out on the field, or to perform in front of us, is something we've got to see as a positive. We need all the reps we can get.
"Our guys didn't have spring ball and didn't have a normal summer. Being able to get out and pay full speed, have fun with each other, is something they're all looking forward to."
Contact Minium: hminium@odu.edu
Minium: Rahne Gets his First Look at ODU Football Team When Practice Begins Thursday
