The elephant is out of the room in CAA Football. With James Madison absent, the conference’s title race gets deeper, as evidenced by Villanova, Delaware, William & Mary, and Elon all receiving at least one first-place vote in the league’s preseason poll. That’s not to mention fellow FCS playoff contenders Richmond and Rhode Island or CAA newcomers Monmouth and Hampton, both of which add intrigue to the CAA’s new era.
Here’s a look ahead at the 2022 CAA season, including players to know and our predicted order of finish.
2022 FCS Preseason Preview Central
Returning All-Conference Players
From last season’s All-Conference Teams
Delaware – 7: DB Noah Plack (2nd team), DB Kedrick Whitehead (1st team), DL Chase McGowan (3rd team), DL Artis Hemmingway (3rd team), LB Johnny Buchanan (2nd team), PR Jourdan Townsend (2nd team), WR Thyrick Pitts (2nd team)
William & Mary – 5: DB Ryan Poole (3rd team), DL Nate Lynn (1st team), OL Colby Sorsdal (3rd team), QB Darius Wilson (OROY), RB Bronson Yoder (3rd team)
Monmouth – 5: DB Tyrese Wright (2nd team Big South), DB/PR Eddie Morales III (1st team Big South), P Ryan Kost (1st team Big South), QB Tony Muskett (1st team Big South), RB Juwon Farri (1st team Big South)
Villanova – 4: OL Michael Corbi (1st team), OL Colin Gamroth (2nd team), WR Rayjoun Pringle (2nd team), WR Jaaron Hayek (3rd team)
Hampton – 4: K Axel Perez (2nd team Big South), WR Jadakis Bonds (1st team Big South), RB Elijah Burris (Big South OROY, 2nd team), LB KeShaun Moore (2nd team Big South)
Elon – 3: DB Cole Coleman (1st team), DB Tre’Von Jones (3rd team), WR Jackson Parham (1st team)
Rhode Island – 3: DB Jordan Jones (2nd team), OL Nick Correia (2nd team), TE Caleb Warren (1st team)
Stony Brook – 3: LB Tyler King (2nd team), OL Kyle Nunez (2nd team), RB Ty Son Lawton (1st team)
Richmond – 2: KR Aaron Dykes (1st team), LB Tristan Wheeler (1st team)
Maine – 2: OL Mike Gerace (2nd team), TE Shawn Bowman (3rd team)
New Hampshire – 2: DL Josiah Silver (DROY, 1st team), OL Patrick Flynn (3rd team)
Towson – 2: FB Luke Hamilton (2nd team), PR D’Ago Hunter (3rd team)
UAlbany – 1: LB Jackson Ambush (3rd team)
Returning HERO Sports All-Americans
From last season
New Hampshire – 2: DL Josiah Silver (2nd team), AP Dylan Laube (Soph.)
Richmond – 1: LB Tristan Wheeler (3rd team)
Monmouth – 1: QB Tony Muskett (Soph.)
William & Mary – 1: DL Nate Lynn (2nd team)
Stony Brook – 1: LB Tyler King (Fresh.)
UAlbany – 1: LB Jackson Ambush (Fresh.)
Teams With The Most D1 Transfers
FBS-to-FCS Transfers & FCS-to-FCS Transfers
Towson – 14 (7 FBS, 7 FCS)
Delaware – 10 (2 FBS, 8 FCS)
Rhode Island – 10 (6 FBS, 4 FCS)
Names To Know
TOP OFFENSIVE PLAYER: Nolan Henderson, Delaware QB — In games started by Henderson since the 2020 season/spring 2021, Delaware is 10-2. In that spring term, Henderson’s 70.7 completion percentage was third in the FCS and a school record for single-season accuracy to go with 1,482 yards and a 10:4 TD:INT.
TOP DEFENSIVE PLAYER: Josiah Silver, New Hampshire DL — W&M’s Nate Lynn is CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year at the same position, but Silver’s 19.5 TFLs (ranking seventh nationally last season) outdoes Lynn’s 13. Silver is the combination of young and disruptive that gives a player Buck Buchanan Award upside for the duration of his career.
TOP NFL PROSPECT: Jadakis Bonds, Hampton WR — Hampton’s career receiving touchdown leader, Bonds paced the Pirates with 54 catches for 773 yards and six touchdowns in fall 2021. Evaluators figure to be interested in how Bonds fares against the defensive backs of the CAA.
HERO Sports’ Predicted Order of Finish
1. Delaware
2. Richmond
3. Villanova
4. Rhode Island
5. Elon
6. Monmouth
7. William & Mary
8. New Hampshire
9. Maine
10. Stony Brook
11. UAlbany
12. Towson
13. Hampton
I went about this P.O.O.F. “playing it by the book” — picking every conference game’s winner and tallying the league standings at year’s end based on those predictions. Unsurprisingly, 10 of the league’s 13 teams project for CAA records between 3-5 and 5-3.
It is conceivable that Hampton will struggle in its inaugural CAA season, making it notable that Rhode Island, Monmouth, New Hampshire, and Stony Brook do not oppose the Pirates in 2022, increasing each team’s perceived strength of schedule.
At the top of the conference, Delaware’s No. 1 placement hinges on Henderson’s on-field longevity as he returns from last fall’s season-ending surgery. If his offensive line, a trouble spot for the Blue Hens of late, fails him, or if he exposes himself to additional injuries, Richmond’s Reece Udinski (prior stops at VMI and Maryland) is poised to take over All-CAA QB honors with WR Jakob Herres alongside, recreating the duo’s potent connection from their VMI days. UR and UD meet in a critical November game for both programs.
Elon’s slot in the top 5 may surprise, but the Phoenix has a relatively advantageous schedule, getting Richmond and Delaware at home while avoiding Villanova and Monmouth.
My attempt at CAA tiers corresponding to the P.O.O.F. looks like this:
Auto bid range: Delaware, Richmond, Villanova
At-large expectations: Rhode Island, Elon, Monmouth, William & Mary
Uncertain external expectations, but viable contenders: New Hampshire, Maine, Stony Brook (particularly in the case of UNH and Maine, which return starting QBs from injury: Max Brosmer and Joe Fagnano, respectively)
Spoilers: UAlbany, Towson, Hampton
Especially in a post-JMU CAA, expect these tiers to be in shreds by mid-October with the conference’s middle groupings shifting up and down. But as we stand in August, it stacks up this way.
