Villanova Picked To Win CAA Football Championship In 2022

Villanova Picked To Win CAA Football Championship In 2022

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RICHMOND, Va. (July 28, 2022) – Villanova, which went 10-3 overall last season and earned a share of the CAA Football championship for the first time since 2012, has been picked to capture the CAA Football title again in 2022 according to a vote of the league’s head coaches and media relations directors.
 
The Wildcats got 16 first-place votes and 270 points in the poll, topping rival Delaware, which received seven first-place votes and finished second with 235 points. Rhode Island placed third with 224 points and Richmond was close behind in fourth with 219 points. William & Mary, which picked up two first-place votes, and Elon, which received one first-place vote, finished fifth and sixth respectively in the poll. Stony Brook placed seventh followed by Maine, New Hampshire, Monmouth, Towson, UAlbany and Hampton.


 
Villanova returns many of its top offensive performers from last year’s team that advanced to the quarterfinals of the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2014 and was ranked No. 8 nationally. Back for the Wildcats are receivers Rayjoun Pringle and Jaaron Hayek, who combined for 17 touchdown catches, running backs Jalen Jackson and DeeWil Barlee, and All-America offensive lineman Michael Corbi. On defense, safety Ethan Potter is among three returning starters.
 
Delaware begins its first season under new head coach Ryan Carty. Nine starters are back for the Blue Hens defensively, including All-America safety Kedrick Whitehead and All-CAA performers Johnny Buchanan, Noah Plack, Artis Hemmingway and Chase McGowan. Offensively, quarterback Nolan Henderson returns after a season-ending injury in 2021, along with top receiver Thyrick Pitts.
 
Rhode Island is coming off a 7-4 campaign, which marked its highest win total since 2001. The Rams feature quarterback Kasim Hill, All-CAA tight end Caleb Warren and an offensive line that returns four starters. Seven starters are back on the URI defense, highlighted by All-CAA cornerback Jordan Jones and leading tackler Evan Stewart.
 
Richmond closed the 2021 season on a four-game winning streak to finish 6-5 overall. Running back/returner Aaron Dykes tops a group of seven starters back for the Spiders’ offense, which has added graduate transfer quarterback Reece Udinski and receiver Jakob Herres. There are also seven starters back on the Richmond defense, including All-America linebacker Tristan Wheeler.
 
CAA Football expands to 13 teams for the first time in 2022 as Hampton and Monmouth join the conference. CAA Football has had a team in the FCS championship game 11 times since 2003, a squad in the semifinals of the playoffs for the past nine seasons and a team in the quarterfinals every year since 1991. Eleven of the league’s 13 current members have participated in the FCS playoffs since 2015.
 
CAA Football also announced its preseason all-conference team. Delaware led all schools with five players honored while Villanova had four. Stony Brook running back Ty Son Lawton, who rushed a league-high 1,088 yards and 10 TD’s in 2021, was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year. William & Mary defensive end Nate Lynn, who was among the nation’s best with 12 sacks and six forced fumbles in 2021, was chosen as the preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
 
2022 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)

OFFENSE
Name, School                                            Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Tony Muskett, Monmouth                           Jr.           QB          6-2          195         Springfield, Va./West Springfield
Ty Son Lawton, Stony Brook                     Sr.           RB           5-10       215         Staten Island, N.Y./Curtis
Bronson Yoder, William & Mary                 Sr.           RB           5-11       195         Nappanee, Ind./Northwood
Luke Hamilton, Towson                              Sr.           FB           6-0          245         Cumberland, Md./Fort Hill
Jackson Parham, Elon                               Sr.           WR         6-3          205         Hillsborough, N.J./Hillsborough
Thyrick Pitts, Delaware                              Gr.          WR         6-3          200         Manassas, Va./Forest Park
Rayjoun Pringle, Villanova                         Jr.           WR         5-9          190         Dumfries, Va./Hayfield
Caleb Warren, Rhode Island                      Sr.           TE           6-3          235         Brandon, Fla./Seffner Christian
Michael Corbi, Villanova                             Gr.          OL           6-3          335         Arnold, Md./Mount Saint Joseph
Nick Correia, Rhode Island                         Jr.           OL           6-6          330         Nantucket, Mass./Nantucket
Colin Gamroth, Villanova                            Gr.          OL           6-4          305         Mercer Island, Wash./Seattle Prep
Michael Gerace, Maine                               Gr.          OL           6-4          305         Bel Air, Md./John Carroll
Kyle Nunez, Stony Brook                            Gr.          OL           6-2          340         East Islip, N.Y./East Islip
 
DEFENSE
Name, School                                           Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Artis Hemmingway, Delaware                    Sr.           DL           6-2          265         Hillside, N.J./Pope John XII
Nate Lynn, William & Mary                         Sr.           DL           6-3          265         Charlotte, N.C./Zebulon B. Vance
Chase McGowan, Delaware                       Sr.           DL           6-1          240         Stafford, Va./North Stafford
Josiah Silver, New Hampshire                    So.          DL           6-2          234         Hampton, Va./Phoebus
Jackson Ambush, UAlbany                         So.          LB           6-0          222         New Market, Md./Linganore
Johnny Buchanan, Delaware                      Sr.           LB           6-0          230         Brick, N.J./St. John Vianney
Tyler King, Stony Brook                               So.          LB           6-1          235         Wexford, Pa./Pine-Richland
KeShaun Moore, Hampton                          Sr.           LB           6-3          240         Suffolk, Va./Nansemond-Suffolk
Tristan Wheeler, Richmond                         Jr.           LB           6-2          228         Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom
Jordan Jones, Rhode Island                        Sr.           CB           6-0          170         Brooklyn, N.Y./Abraham Lincoln
Ryan Poole, William & Mary                        Sr.           CB           5-11       185         Annapolis, Md./Saint Mary’s
Cole Coleman, Elon                                    Sr.           S              5-10       193         Raleigh, N.C./Leesville Road
Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware                     Sr.           S              5-11       195         Middletown, Del./Middletown
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
Name, School                                             Cl.           Pos.       Ht.          Wt.        Hometown/High School
Aaron Dykes, Richmond                             Sr.           KR           5-11       202         Knoxville, Tenn./Hardin Valley Acad.
Eddie Morales III, Monmouth                      Gr.          PR           5-9          180         Farmingdale, N.J./Howell
Skyler Davis, Elon                                       Sr.           PK           5-8          170         Acworth, Ga./Allatoona
Tyler Pastula, UAlbany                                Jr.           P             6-3          200         Easton, Pa./Easton
TD Ayo-Durojaiye, Villanova                        Sr.           SPEC      5-11       210         Damascus, Md./Damascus
 
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Ty Son Lawton, RB, Stony Brook
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Nate Lynn, DL, William & Mary
 
Honorable mention: Nolan Henderson, QB, Delaware; Kasim Hill, QB, Rhode Island; Freddie Brock, RB, Maine; Juwon Farri, RB, Monmouth; Malachi Imoh, RB, William & Mary; Jadakis Bonds, WR, Hampton; Jaaron Hayek, WR, Villanova; Shawn Bowman, TE, Maine; Patrick Flynn, OL, New Hampshire; Colby Sorsdal, OL, William & Mary Anthony Lang, DL, UAlbany; Torrence Williams, DL, Elon; Evan Stewart, LB, Rhode Island; Tre’Von Jones, CB, Elon; Pop Bush, S, New Hampshire; Noah Plack, S, Delaware; D’Ago Hunter, KR/PR, Towson; Jourdan Townsend, PR, Delaware; Ryan Kost, P, Monmouth; Alex Washington, SPEC, William & Mary
 
 
2022 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches and Media Relations Directors)
 
  1. Villanova (16 first-place votes)                   270
  2. Delaware (7 first-place votes)                     235
  3. Rhode Island                                               224
  4. Richmond                                                    219
  5. William & Mary (2 first-place votes)             206
  6. Elon (1 first-place vote)                               191
  7. Stony Brook                                                 151
  8. Maine                                                           134
  9. New Hampshire                                           117
  10. Monmouth                                                    105
  11. Towson                                                          81
  12. UAlbany                                                         64
  13. Hampton                                                        31