NORFOLK, Va. - Old Dominion University Football opens the 2023 season at Virginia Tech on Saturday, Sept. 2 at 8 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the ACC Network.
| Old Dominion (0-0 Sun Belt) at Virginia Tech (0-0 ACC) | |
| Date | Saturday, Sept. 2 • 8 p.m. • Blacksburg, Va. • Lane Stadium |
| Where to Watch | ACC Network |
| Listen | ODU Sports Radio Network |
| Series | Tied at two |
| Game Notes | Old Dominion Virginia Tech |
• Old Dominion opens the season against Virginia Tech for the second-straight season. This year ODU travels to Blacksburg to take on the Hokies.
• This will be the fifth meeting between the two programs. The series is 2-2 with the home team winning all four games. This will be the first night game in the series at Virginia Tech.
• ODU defeated Virginia Tech 20-17 in Norfolk in last year's season-opener.
• ODU was 3-3 after six games but lost six-straight to finish 3-9 in 2022.
• ODU Head Coach Ricky Rahne has three new assistant coaches on staff. Offensive coordinator/quarterbacks coach Kevin Decker, offensive line coach Alex Huettel and cornerbacks coach Tarron Williams. Decker and Huettel came to ODU from Fordham, while Williams came from Richmond.
• Linebacker Jason Henderson led the country last season with 186 tackles, 8 shy of the single season FBS record set in 2003 by Lawrence Flugence of Texas Tech.
• Old Dominion's 58 newcomers are the seventh most of any FBS team in the country this season and 41 scholarship newcomers is also the seventh most in the country.
• The Monarchs are tied with New Mexico with six seniors, the fewest in the country.
• Of the 41 players it returned, ODU has 150 total combined starts. The sixth fewest in the country.
New Starting Quarterback
When Grant Wilson starts at quarterback for Old Dominion on Saturday at Virginia Tech, it will mark the ninth-straight season a different quarterback will start the season-opener. It is the longest streak in the country.
Season Opening Quarterbacks
| Year | Starter |
| 2014 | Taylor Heinicke |
| 2015 | Shuler Bentley |
| 2016 | David Washington |
| 2017 | Blake LaRussa |
| 2018 | Steven Williams |
| 2019 | Stone Smartt |
| 2021 | D.J. Mack Jr. |
| 2022 | Hayden Wolff |
| 2023 | Grant Wilson |
Quarterbacks on the Roster
ODU has four quarterbacks on the roster and none of them have taken a snap in an FBS game. Wilson threw 13 passes in two years at Fordham, while Lendon Redwine played parts of four seasons at Division II UVA Wise. Jack Shields and true freshman Colton Joseph have yet to play in a game. A former walk-on, Shields earned a scholarship at the end of spring practice.
ODU Quarterbacks
| Player | Year | Games Played |
| Grant Wilson | Jr. | 7 |
| Jack Shields | R-So. | 0 |
| Colton Joseph | Fr. | 0 |
| Lendon Redwine | R-Sr. | 0 |
All-American Jason Henderson
Linebacker Jason Henderson led the country in tackles in 2022 with 186. He led the No. 2 tackler in the nation by 39 and the No. 2 tackler in the Sun Belt by 51.
Henderson recorded 11 double-digit tackle games and was the only player in the country to have multiple 20+ tackle games. He set a school record with 22 tackles against Georgia Southern.
Most Tackles in Single Season FBS
| Player | School | Year | Tackles |
| Lawrence Flugence | Texas Tech | 2002 | 193 |
| Luke Kuechly | Boston College | 2011 | 191 |
| Jason Henderson | Old Dominion | 2022 | 186 |
2022 FBS Tackles Leaders
| Player | School | Tackles |
| Jason Henderson | Old Dominion | 186 |
| Shaun Dolac | Buffalo | 147 |
| Cedric Gray | North Carolina | 145 |
| Jackson Mitchell | UConn | 140 |
*All players returning for 2023 season
Harvey Raises Level
In the first four games of the 2022 season, Javon Harvey had two catches for 20 yards. In the final eight games of the year he had 28 receptions for 533 yards and four touchdowns.
The explosion from Harvey continues as he is ODU's leading returning receiver and leader on offense.
Block Party
Over the last two years, Old Dominion is tied for the nation's lead with 10 blocked kicks. The Monarchs blocked four last season to finish 10th in the country.
Blocked Kicks Last Two Years
| Team | Blocked Kicks |
| Old Dominion | 10 |
| Bowling Green | 10 |
| Middle Tennessee | 10 |
| Louisiana | 9 |
| Texas | 9 |
| SMU | 8 |
Monarchs in the NFL
Old Dominion has 12 players in NFL training camps this year. In just 13 years of football, Old Dominion has had five players drafted. This year ODU paced the Group of Five with three players taken in the draft. ODU combined had more draft picks than Virginia Tech and Virginia
Monarchs in NFL Training Camps
| Player | Team | Years in NFL |
| Taylor Heinicke | Atlanta Falcons | 9th |
| Rick Lovato | Philadelphia Eagles | 9th |
| Rashaad Coward | Houston Texans | 7th |
| Zach Pascal | Arizona Cardinals | 7th |
| Oshane Ximines | New York Giants | 5th |
| Stone Smartt | Los Angeles Chargers | 2nd |
| Isaac Weaver | Los Angeles Chargers | 2nd |
| Nick Saldiveri | New Orleans Saints | 1st |
| Tre Hawkins | New York Giants | 1st |
| Zack Kuntz | New York Jets | 1st |
| Marcus Haynes | Denver Broncos | 1st |
| BR Hatcher | Green Bay Packers | 1st |
Around The Game
The Old Dominion Alumni Association is having a pregame tailgate at Virginia Tech on Saturday. Click here for more information if interested in attending.
Watch Parties
The official Watch Party will be held at New Realm Brewing Company. The pregame tailgate will begin at 5 p.m in the Beer Garden. Activities such as cornhole, and food and drink specials will be available. Click here for information.
Up Next
ODU hosts Louisiana on Saturday, Sept. 9 at 6 p.m. in the home opener. The contest will be on ESPN+.