By Harry Minium
NORFOLK, Va. – Many national publications have already penciled in Old Dominion quarterback Hayden Wolff as the starter when the Monarchs open Sept. 2 at home against Virginia Tech.
But while Wolff is working with the first team, so is sixth-year senior D.J. Mack Jr. And the guy who's going to make the decision on who starts says it's still open competition.
"I've been probably as happy during this quarterback camp as I've been in a while," head coach Ricky Rahne said.
"If nothing else, it's making the decision very hard for everybody. It's also making everyone very confident that when we make that decision, we're going to have a starting quarterback who is not only going to help us win games but is going to be one of the reasons we win games."
Mack started the first six games last season and Wolff the final seven, including ODU's Myrtle Beach Bowl game against Tulsa. ODU won five of seven games with Wolff and one of six with Mack at quarterback, but Rahne said both have made immense progress over last season.
A transfer from Central Florida, Mack has a much firmer grasp of the offense than he did last season and that has shown in practice.
Brendon Clark, a transfer from Notre Dame who was a 4-star quarterback at Manchester High School just south of Richmond, has also made progress since spring practice, when he was still showing some after-effects from ACL surgery.
"Our quarterbacks have played as well as they've played since I've been here," Rahne said.
"I think Hayden Wolff is playing as well as he's played since I've been here. I think D.J. Mack is playing as well as he's played since I've been here. Brendon Clark is really making some major strides as well, both mentally and physically.
"And we've got some freshman who are doing some nice things."
Rahne said he may not announce who starts before the Friday night, nationally televised game against the Hokies.
Blake Seiler Expects More From His Defense
ODU made immense strides defensively last season under defensive coordinator Blake Seiler, the former Kansas State defensive coordinator. And that was with a team with tons of underclassmen and not a lot of depth.
With more experience and a lot more depth, Seiler is expecting more this season.
"We need to grow," he said.
Defensive coordinator Blake Seiler
"Last year we played hard, we played tough, but there was a lot of youth. Our mission this season is discipline, doing your job on every play, every day. That's been our focus.
"We've got to improve on the little things, the difference between winning a third down or jumping offsides on third down."
ODU lost linebacker Jordan Young, the school's all-time leading tackler. Seiler said rather than replace Young with one player, the Monarchs will do so with numbers.
"I feel like as group, we've got the guys to do that," he said and then named returning starter Ryan Henry, sophomore Jason Henderson and sixth-year senior Steven Williams Jr.
"Guys like EJ Green and Malcolm Britt are going to be beneficial. We had experience last year but were so thin."
Britt was a three-star recruit out of Oscar Smith High School who turned down some Power 5 schools to sign with ODU. In 2020, his first season, the Monarchs did not play.
Then he missed last season with an injury.
"Malcolm is doing very well," Seiler said. "He's a very cerebral player. He plays like a junior as far as all of the mental aspects of making the right call, making the checks, lining up right, getting guys around him lined up right and then being able to see how the offense is lined up."
ODU also lost standout safeety Joe Joe Headen to graduation, and again, he will be replaced with numbers.
"Terry Jones has really stepped up and that shouldn't surprise anyone," Seiler said. "He really stepped up last year.
"The new face is Robert Kennedy. He played a little bit last year and he's healthy and has done a really nice job so far."
Robert Kennedy III is a transfer from East Carolina.
The best of the newcomers at cornerback so far is Tobias Harris, a senior transfer from West Texas A&M, a Division II school where he was a first-team All-American cornerback and return specialist. He had 17 career interceptions, 42 pass breakups, 162 tackles and 1,964 return yards in four seasons, including an abbreviated 2020 season.
"Tobias has done very well," Seiler said. "You can tell he's an experienced player. What he did in Division II, that's good football at that level.
"We needed an experienced guy to come into that position and compete and we really couldn't be happier with him. He's done a really nice job."
ODU Puts Mini Plan Tickets On Sale
ODU put two mini season ticket plans on sale this week and so far, they are selling briskly.
One three-game package includes Virginia Tech, ODU's first Sun Belt game against Arkansas State and Marshall, the Monarchs' former Conference USA rival.
The other package includes home games with new Sun Belt rival James Madison, who plays ODU for the first time in a decade, as well as Liberty and Georgia Southern. The mini plans are $125 apiece.
Tickets are also available for all ODU away games. The closest games to Norfolk are ODU's first two road dates – Sept. 10 at East Carolina and Sept. 17 at Virginia.
Venture Tours is sponsoring bus rides to both games that includes a game ticket -- $74 for the trip to ECU and $100 for U.Va.
CLICK HERE to learn more about the Venture Tour bus trips.
Single game-tickets for premium seats, including a new premium seating area called The Deck, are also on sale.
ODU season ticket sales are approaching the 11,000-seat mark, which is nearly 4,000 more than were sold last season.
To purchase football tickets, CLICK HERE or call Justin Ross at 757-683-3360.
Minium: In Spite of What Pundits Are Saying, ODU Hasn't Settled on a Starting Quarterback
