< Previous10 VILLANOVA.COM 2019 FOOTBALL 2019 GAMEDAY VILLANOVA STADIUM [VILLANOVA, PA. ] VILLANOVA ROSTER No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School / Prev. School ) 1 Josh McGrigg WR Jr. 5-8 170 Alexandria, Va./Mt. Vernon 2 Changa Hodge WR Jr. 6-1 200 East Stroudsburg, Pa/. East Stroudsburg South 3 Justin Covington RB Jr. 5-11 215 Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Hayes 4 Qwahsin Townsel LB R-Fr. 6-0 220 Egg Harbor Twp., N.J./St. Joseph 5 Jevon Jones WR Jr. 6-1 200 Syracuse, N.Y./Nottingham 6 Jaquan Amos DB Jr. 6-1 190 Philadelphia, Pa./Northeast 7 Julian Williams DB Sr. 6-3 215 Airmont, N.Y./Hun School 8 Qadir Ismail QB R-Fr. 6-6 220 Bel Air, Md./John Carroll School 9 Jack Schetelich QB Jr. 6-2 205 Cranford, N.J./Cranford 10 Dez Boykin WR So. 5-10 190 Whitehall, Pa./Whitehall 11 Keeling Hunter LB Sr. 6-0 225 Franklin, Tenn./Franklin Road Academy/ Peddie School (N.J.) 12 Daniel Smith QB Jr. 6-0 205 Leesburg, Va./Tuscarora/ Campbell Univ. 13 Julian Liaci WR So. 5-9 165 Nazareth, Pa./Nazareth 14 Connor Watkins QB Fr. 6-1 205 Williamsport, Pa./Loyalsock Twp. 15 Jaquan Allen WR Fr. 6-1 185 East Hartford, Conn./East Hartford 16 JJ Scarpello QB Jr. 6-2 215 Tabernacle, N.J./Seneca 17 Nowoola Awopetu DB Jr. 5-11 200 Staten Island, N.Y./Port Richmond 18 Matt O’Connor QB Fr. 6-2 185 Ardmore, Pa./ Lower Merion 19 Rayjoun Pringle WR Fr. 5-9 170 Dumfries, Va./Hayfield Secondary School 20 Darryl McDaniel DB So. 5-10 200 Washington, D.C./St. John’s 21 Elijah Trent DB So. 6-3 190 Rockville, Md./Thomas Wootton 22 Dan Cirino WR So. 6-0 190 Collegeville, Pa./Pope John Paul II 23 Isas Waxter DB Fr. 6-1 205 Orange, N.J./Immaculate Conception 24 Darius Pickett DB R-Fr. 6-0 190 Nottingham, Md./McDonough School 25 Jalen Goodman DB Fr. 6-0 185 Narberth, Pa./Lower Merion 26 Jaaron Hayek WR Fr. 6-1 190 Wayne, N.J./Wayne Hills 27 Jared Wolfe WR Sr. 6-1 195 Seaford, N.Y./ MacArthur 28 DeeWil Barlee RB Fr. 5-8 180 Upper Darby, Pa./Episcopal 29 Amin Black LB Jr. 5-9 225 Philadelphia, Pa./Imhotep 30 Elijah Glover DB Fr. 6-1 195 Pleasantville, N.J./Pleasantville 31 Elijah Solomon LB Fr. 6-0 225 Reisterstown, Md./Franklin 32 Josh Slay LB Fr. 5-11 200 Douglasville, Ga./Douglas County 33 Trajan Anderson LB Jr. 6-1 245 Fredericksburg, Va./Massaponax 34 Ike Osuagwu RB Sr. 5-8 190 Wilmington, Del./ Tatnall School 35 TD Ayo-Durojaiye RB Fr. 5-11 185 Damascus, Md./Damascus 36 Jalen Jackson RB So. 5-9 215 Richmond, Va./Thomas Jefferson 37 Hunter Cusimano DB Fr. 6-1 190 Greenwich, Conn./ Greenwich 38 Chucky Smith DB Sr. 5-11 205 Newbury Park, Calif./Newbury Park 39 Anthony Siragusa DB So. 5-11 195 Florham Park, N.J./Delbarton 40 Tahj Powell DB Jr. 6-0 170 Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic 40 Jeff Wiley DL Sr. 6-3 245 Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley 41 Christian Benford DB So. 6-1 190 Randallstown, Md./Randallstown 42 Michael Taylor DL So. 6-2 260 Rockville Centre, N.Y./Holy Cross 43 Forrest Rhyne LB Jr. 6-1 225 Waynesboro, Pa./Waynesboro Area 46 Jared Nelson DL So. 6-3 295 Glastonbury, Conn./Glastonbury 47 Jalen Howard DL Fr. 6-1 250 Woodbridge, Va./Woodbridge 48 Owen Thomas DE R-Fr. 6-4 245 Lansdale, Pa./North Penn 50 Tyler Will DL Sr. 6-1 245 Newtown Square, Pa./Episcopal 51 Joey D’Antonio LS Jr. 5-9 175 Hope, R.I./Bishop Hendricken 52 Drew Wiley LB Sr. 6-2 235 Pennington, N.J./Hopewell Valley 53 Patrick Reed LB Jr. 6-3 210 Westwood, Mass./St. Sebastian’s 54 Tyler Von Nessen LB Sr. 6-1 205 Manalapan, N.J./Freehold Twp. 56 Jake Northrop LB Fr. 6-3 230 Fairfield, Conn./ Ludlowe 57 Paul Meduri OL Jr. 6-0 300 Columbus, N.J./St. Augustine Prep No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School / Prev. School ) 59 Kevin Crabtree LS Jr. 6-2 215 Medfield, Mass./Milton Academy 60 Jacob Walton OL Fr. 6-3 275 Lansdale, Pa./ North Penn 62 Colin Gamroth OL Jr. 6-4 285 Mercer Island, Wash./Seattle Prep 65 Paul Grattan OL Jr. 6-4 300 Pittsburgh, Pa./Mt. Lebanon 66 James Petrovcik OL R-Fr. 6-3 285 Westfield, N.J./Seton Hall Prep 67 MJ Dumas OL Jr. 6-3 310 Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence North 68 PJ Szymanski OL So. 6-4 285 Doylestown, Pa./Central Bucks East 70 Wyatt Hummel OL Fr. 6-6 280 Dallas, Texas/Jesuit College Prep 71 Kofi Appiah OL Jr. 6-6 290 Bowie, Md./CH Flowers 72 Jaden Rolling OL Fr. 6-5 350 Brooklyn, N.Y./Hudson Catholic 73 Michael Corbi OL So. 6-3 295 Arnold, Md./Mount Saint Joseph 74 Patrick Lawler OL Jr. 6-7 310 Milton, Mass./Thayer Academy 75 Patrick La Rosa OL Jr. 6-3 275 Uniondale, N.Y./Kellenberg Memorial 76 Matthew Mazza OL R-Fr. 6-5 280 Manalapan, N.J./Manalapan 77 William Hambrook OL Fr. 6-2 275 Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic 78 Peter Fallon DL Jr. 6-3 300 Milford, Mass./Millis 79 Nick Torres OL R-Fr. 6-6 315 Whitestone, N.Y./Salisbury School (Conn.) 80 Andrew Perez WR So. 6-2 210 North Caldwell, N.J./Seton Hall Prep 81 Simon Bingelis TE Sr. 6-5 255 Brick, N.J./Brick Twp. 82 Zac Kerxton WR Sr. 5-11 195 Haymarket, Va./Battlefield 84 Robert Brady WR Jr. 5-10 180 Bloomington, Ill./Central Catholic 85 Jack Stanton TE Fr. 6-2 220 Alpharetta, Ga./Alpharetta 86 Todd Summers TE Jr. 6-5 245 Murrysville, Pa./Franklin Regional 87 Charlie Gilroy TE So. 6-5 245 Wilmette, Ill./Loyola Academy 88 Colton Niedzielski TE So. 6-4 235 Worcester, Pa./Germantown Academy 89 Jack Boomer TE Jr. 6-3 225 Ogden, Utah/Judge Memorial 92 Malik Fisher DL Jr. 6-4 255 New York, N.Y./Xavier 94 Garrett Zobel DL R-Fr. 6-2 290 Hatfield, Pa./La Salle 95 Billy Solms DL SO. 6-1 280 Marshall, Va./Woodberry Forest 96 Nathan Fondacaro K/P So. 5-10 185 Sewell, N.J./St. Augustine Prep 97 Aaron Seigle DL Jr. 6-3 275 Harrisburg, Pa./Susquehanna Township 98 Drew Kresge K/P Jr. 5-11 195 Douglassville, Pa./Daniel Boone 99 CJ Pressley DL Fr. 6-4 275 Philadelphia, Pa./West Catholic/ Peddie School (N.J.) COACHING STAFF HEAD COACH: Mark Ferrante OFFENSIVE COORDINATOR/QUARTERBACKS COACH: Chris Boden DEFENSIVE COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS COACH: Ola Adams WIDE RECEIVERS COACH: Nate Pagan RUN GAME COORDINATOR/OFFENSIVE LINE: Sean Devine RUNNING BACKS COACH: Brian Jones SPECIAL TEAMS COORDINATOR/DEFENSIVE LINE: Ross Pennypacker RECRUITING COORDINATOR/LINEBACKERS COACH: Dave Riede OUTSIDE LINEBACKERS COACH: Matt Colangelo OFFENSIVE ASSISTANT: Josh Fletcher DEFENSIVE ASSISTANT: Lenny Smith VIDEO COORDINATOR: TJ Landis STRENGTH & CONDITIONING COACH: Mike Tucker12 VILLANOVA.COM 2019 FOOTBALL 2019 GAMEDAY VILLANOVA STADIUM [VILLANOVA, PA. ] RICHMOND ROSTER No. Name Pos. Yr. Ht. Wt. Hometown (High School / Prev. School ) 1 Milan Howard R-Fr. RB 5-11 185 Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic 2 Dionte Austin Sr. DB 6-2 180 Baltimore, Md./Calvert Hall (Wake Forest) 2 Xavier Goodall R-Jr. RB 5-11 195 Henrico, Va./Henrico 3 Aaron Dykes R-Fr. RB 5-11 195 Knoxville, Tenn./Hardin Valley Academy 4 Brandon Feamster Gr. DB 6-4 208 Exton, Pa./Duke 5 Keyston Fuller R-Sr. WR 5-11 195 Griffin, Ga./Duke 6 Roland Williams So. DB 5-11 184 Memphis, Tenn./White Station 7 Noah Nicholson R-So. DB 6-0 200 Olney, Md./Our Lady of Good Counsel 8 Aaron Banks R-Fr. DB 5-11 165 Stephens City, Va./Sherando 8 Jeremiah Brown R-Jr. WR 6-2 195 High Point, N.C./Southwest Guilford 9 Charlie Fessler Gr. WR 6-4 220 Erie, Pa./Northwestern 9 Darius Reynolds R-Jr. DL 6-2 248 Yorktown, Va./York 10 Beau English R-So. QB 6-2 200 Stevenson, Md./Air Force 10 Philip O’Connor R-Fr. LB 6-1 226 Philadelphia, Pa./St. Joseph’s Prep 11 Justin Jasper R-Fr. WR 6-3 205 Mechanicsville, Va./St. Christopher’s 12 Joe Mancuso R-Jr. QB 6-4 215 Blairsville, Ga./Union County 12 Markus Vinson Jr. DB 5-11 180 Damascus, Md./Damascus 13 Ben Maffe R-So. WR 6-3 224 Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods 14 Jackson Walker Fr. QB 6-3 205 Memphis, Tenn./Briarcrest Christian 15 Isaac Brown R-Fr. WR 6-1 202 Winchester, Va./Millbrook 16 Reid Chenault R-Jr. QB 6-2 198 Goochland, Va./Goochland 16 Tyrek Funderburk R-Fr. DB 5-11 180 Indian Trail, N.C./Metrolina Christian Academy 17 Braxton Hughes R-Fr. QB 6-1 195 Kill Devil Hills, N.C./First Flight 18 Devon Perry R-So. WR 6-1 195 Raleigh, N.C./Ravenscroft 19 Jordan Schulefand Jr. ATH 6-0 185 Parkland, Fla./Pinecrest 20 Cameron Cloud Fr. WR 5-10 180 Greensboro, N.C./Northwest Guilford 21 Trent Williams Sr. DB 6-2 190 Chester, Va./Thomas Dale 22 Jordan Payne R-So. LB 6-0 210 Conyers, Ga./Pace Academy 23 Daniel Jones Sr. DB 6-3 210 Williamsburg, Va./Bruton 24 Noah Holmes Fr. LB 6-1 205 Williamsburg, Va./Warhill 24 Robert Rolfe Fr. QB 6-0 180 Lawrenceville, N.J./The Lawrenceville School 25 Gabe Thomas R-Jr. DB 6-1 190 Orlando, Fla./Trinity Prep 26 Xavier Marshall Fr. DB 6-1 200 Charlotte, N.C./Vance 27 Nile Harris R-Fr. DB 6-0 175 Greensboro, N.C./Grimsley 29 Gio Seigler Fr. DB 6-0 175 Leesburg, Va./Heritage 30 Tristan Wheeler Fr. LB 6-2 228 Bethlehem, Pa./Freedom 31 Savon Smith Fr. RB 5-9 189 Winchester, Va./Millbrook 32 Marlem Louis Fr. DL 6-3 228 Venice, Fla./Venice 33 Nick King Fr. DL 6-2 236 Charlotte, N.C./Charlotte Catholic 34 Devin Campbell R-Jr. RB 5-10 190 Yorktown, Va./York 35 Dermot McDonough Fr. DB 5-11 165 Troy, N.Y./La Salle Institute 36 Maurice Jackson Sr. DL 6-3 279 Levittown, Pa./Truman 38 Jacob Huhn Fr. RB 5-8 201 Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII 39 Micah Breckenridge So. K/P 5-10 181 Memphis, Tenn./White Station 41 Tyler Dressler Jr. LB 6-3 244 Covington, Va./Covington 42 Jake Larson Fr. K 5-11 170 Baltimore, Md./St. Frances Academy 44 Jimmy Marchese R-Sr. LB 6-2 220 Vernon Hills, Ill./ Illinois 45 Duncan Trau R-Fr. K 5-9 180 Alexandria, Va./Episcopal 47 Dan Jaques Jr. WR 6-1 175 Orange, Conn./Grinnell College 49 Kevin Laughlin R-So. LS 5-11 190 Little Silver, N.J./Red Bank Regional 52 Josh Hurlburt R-Jr. LB 6-2 230 Vienna, Va./Marshall 53 Scott Schenke Fr. OL 6-3 296 Venice, Fla./Venice 54 Joel Campos R-Fr. DL 6-2 260 Sterling, Va./Dominion 56 Tom Elia Fr. OL 6-3 288 McDonald, Pa./South Fayette 59 Billy Caughell R-Sr. LB 6-2 225 Apopka, Fla./Apopka 60 James Snavely R-Fr. OL 6-3 290 Marietta, Ga./The Walker School 61 Kris Seekford R-Fr. OL 6-2 275 Purcellville, Va./Woodgrove 62 Santiago Messmacher Fr. OL 6-3 298 Miami, Fla./Palmer Trinity 65 Clayton McConnell R-So. OL 6-4 290 Foley, Ala./Foley 72 Ryan Coll Fr. OL 6-5 309 Gainesville, Va./Battlefield 73 Tim Coleman R-Jr. OL 6-4 305 Stone Mountain, Ga./Pace Academy 74 Cade Salyers Fr. OL 6-4 315 Kingsport, Tenn./Dobyns-Bennett 75 Gavin Lamp Fr. OL 6-5 295 Viera, Fla./Viera 76 Foster Singleton R-Fr. OL 6-5 281 Richmond, Va./Trinity Episcopal 77 Seyoum Settepani R-Jr. OL 6-4 300 Harlem, N.Y./Cheshire Academy 78 Joe More R-Fr. OL 6-5 290 Franklin, Tenn./Christ Presbyterian Acad. 79 Tazle Sumpter R-Jr. OL 6-4 290 Richmond, Va./St. Christopher’s 80 Ben Castellano Fr. WR 6-4 215 Purcellville, Va./Woodgrove 81 Anthonie Powell R-So. WR 6-3 223 Fayetteville, Ga./Fayette County 82 Liam Simpson Fr. WR 6-2 191 Richmond, Va./Douglas Freeman 84 Reed Powell Fr. TE 6-3 268 Richmond, Va./Trinity Episcopal 85 Andrew Tsangeos R-Jr. TE 6-2 225 La Canda, Calif./Flintridge Prep 86 Avery Close Fr. TE 6-5 238 Salem, Va./Salem 87 Talon James R-Fr. DL 6-4 236 Fairview, N.C./A.C. Reynolds 89 Will Ahrens So. TE 6-1 255 New Canaan, Conn./New Canaan 92 Colby Ritten R-Jr. DL 6-2 285 Orlando, Fla./Boone 93 Ray Eldridge R-Fr. DL 6-4 290 McDonald, Pa./South Fayette Township 94 Louis Montana Fr. DL 6-4 257 Sparta, N.J./Pope John XXIII 95 Gershom Ejoni R-Sr. DL 6-5 231 Wake Forest, N.C./Heritage 96 Caleb Brooks R-So. DL 6-4 241 Clifton, Va./Centreville 98 Kobie Turner R-So. DL 6-3 275 Clifton, Va./Centreville 99 Aidan Murray R-Fr. DL 6-4 280 Ogdensburg, N.J./Pope John XXIII14 VILLANOVA.COM 2019 FOOTBALL 2019 GAMEDAY VILLANOVA STADIUM [VILLANOVA, PA. ] TODAY’S TWO DEEP VILLANOVA WILDCATS OFFENSE Quarterback 12 Daniel Smith 6-0 205 Jr. 9 Jack Schetelich OR 6-2 205 Jr. 8 Qadir Ismail 6-6 220 RFr. Running Back 28 DeeWil Barlee 5-8 180 Fr. 35 TD Ayo-Durojaiye 5-11 185 Fr. Wide Receiver 82 Zac Kerxton 5-11 195 Sr. 10 Dez Boykin 5-10 190 So. Wide Receiver 2 Changa Hodge 6-1 200 Jr. 1 Josh McGrigg 5-8 170 Jr. Wide Receiver 26 Jaaron Hayek 6-1 190 Fr. 5 Jevon Jones 6-1 200 Jr. Tight End 86 Todd Summers 6-5 245 Jr. 81 Simon Bingelis 6-5 255 Sr. Right Tackle 79 Nick Torres 6-6 315 RFr. 76 Matthew Mazza 6-5 280 RFr Left Tackle 71 Kofi Appiah 6-6 290 Jr. 76 Matthew Mazza 6-5 280 RFr Center 62 Colin Gamroth 6-4 285 Jr. 65 Paul Grattan 6-3 295 So. Left Guard 65 Paul Grattan 6-3 295 So. 66 James Petrovcik 6-3 285 RFr. Right Guard 67 MJ Dumas 6-2 310 Jr. 60 Michael Corbi 6-3 295 So. DEFENSE Defensive End 92 Malik Fisher 6-5 255 Jr. 94 Garrett Zobel 6-2 290 RFr. Defensive Tackle 78 Peter Fallon 6-3 300 Jr. 46 Jared Nelson 6-3 295 So. Defensive End 97 Aaron Seigle 6-2 275 Jr. 42 Michael Taylor 6-2 260 So. Linebacker 52 Drew Wiley 6-2 235 Sr. 48 Owen Thomas 6-4 245 RFr. Middle Linebacker 4 Qwahsin Townsel 6-0 220 RFr. 11 Keeling Hunter 6-0 225 Sr. Linebacker 43 Forrest Rhyne 6-1 225 Jr. 31 Elijah Solomon 6-0 225 Fr. Cornerback 21 Elijah Trent 6-3 190 So. 41 Christian Benford 6-1 190 So. Cornerback 6 Jaquan Amos 6-1 205 Jr. 41 Christian Benford 6-1 190 So. Free Safety 17 Nowoola Awopetu 5-11 200 Jr. 30 Elijah Glover 6-1 195 Fr. Weak Safety 24 Darius Pickett 6-0 190 RFr. 6 Jaquan Amos 6-1 205 Jr. Strong Safety 7 Julian Williams 6-3 215 Sr. 38 Chucky Smith 5-11 205 Sr. SPECIALIST Placekicker 98 Drew Kresge 5-11 195 Jr. 96 Nathan Fondacaro 5-10 185 So. Kickoffs 96 Nathan Fondacaro 5-10 185 So. Punter 96 Nathan Fondacaro 5-10 185 So. 82 Zac Kerxton 5-10 190 Jr. Holder 16 JJ Scarpello 6-2 215 Jr. 51 Joey D’Antonio 5-9 175 Jr. Long Snapper 59 Kevin Crabtree 6-2 215 Jr. 51 Joey D’Antonio 5-9 175 Jr. Kick Returner 26 Jaaron Hayek 6-1 190 Fr. 10 Dez Boykin 5-10 190 So. Punt Returner 1 Josh McGrigg 5-8 170 Jr. 26 Jaaron Hayek 6-1 190 Fr. RICHMOND SPIDERS OFFENSE Left Tackle 73 Tim Coleman 6-4 305 RJr. 75 Gavin Lamp 6-5 295 Fr. Left Guard 77 Seyoum Settenani 6-4 300 Sr. 74 Cade Salyers 6-4 315 Fr. Center 65 Clayton McConnell 6-3 290 RSo. 60 James Snavely 6-3 290 RFr. Right Guard 79 Tazle Sumpter 6-4 290 RJr. 56 Tom Elia 6-3 288 Fr. Right Tackle 78 Joe More 6-5 290 RFr. 72 Ryan Coll 6-5 309 Fr. Tight End 90 Ryan Coll 6-5 309 Fr. 85 Andrew Tsangeos 6-2 225 RJr. Wide Receiver 9 Charlie Fessler 6-4 220 Gr. 13 Ben Maffe 6-3 224 RSo. Wide Receiver 5 Keyston Fuller 5-11 195 Gr. 18 Devon Perry 6-1 195 RSo. Wide Receiver 15 Isaac Brown 6-1 202 RFr. 11 Justin Jasper 6-3 205 RFr. Tailback 3 Aaron Dykes 5-11 195 RFr. 1 Milan Howard 5-11 185 RFr. Quarterback 12 Joe Mancuso 6-4 215 RJr. 10 Beau English 6-2 200 RSo. .DEFENSE Defensive End 95 Gershom Ejoni 6-5 231 RSr. 9 Darius Reynolds 6-2 248 RJr. Defensive Tackle 92 Colby Ritten 6-2 285 RJr. 93 Ray Eldridge 6-4 290 RFr. Defensive Tackle 98 Kobie Turner 6-3 275 RSo. 99 Aidan Murray 6-4 280 RFr. Defensive End 36 Maurice Jackson 6-3 279 Sr. 96 Caleb Brooks 6-4 241 RSo. Linebacker 30 Tristan Wheeler 6-2 228 Fr. 44 Jimmt Marchese 6-2 220 Gr. Linebacker 59 Billy Caughell 6-2 225 RSr. 41 Tyler Dressler 6-3 240 Jr. Linebacker 27 Nile Harris 6-0 175 RFr. 22 Jordan Payne 6-0 210 RSo. Cornerback 7 Noah Nicholson 6-0 200 RSo. 12 Mark Vinson 5-11 180 Jr. Strong Safety 23 Daniel Jones 6-3 210 Sr. 16 Tyrek Funderburk 5-11 180 RFr. Cornerback 4 Brandon Feamster 6-4 208 Gr. 6 Roland Williams 5-11 184 RSo. Free Safety 21 Trent Williams 6-2 195 Sr. 16 Tyrek Funderburk 5-11 180 RFr.. SPECIALIST Placekicker 42 Jake Larson 5-11 170 Fr. 45 Duncan Trau 5-9 180 RFr. Kickoff 42 Jake Larson 5-11 170 Fr. 39 Micah Breckenridge 5-10 181 So. Punter 42 Jake Larson 5-11 170 Fr. 39 Micah Breckenridge 5-10 181 So. Holder 12 Joe Mancuso 6-4 215 RJr. 39 Micah Breckenridge 5-10 181 So. Long Snapper 49 Kevin Laughlin 6-0 195 RSo. 78 Joe More 6-5 290 RFr. Short Snapper 49 Kevin Laughlin 6-0 195 RSo. 87 Talon James 6-4 236 RFr. Kickoff Returner 3 Aaron Dykes 5-11 195 RFr. 1 Milan Howard 5-11 185 RFr. Punt Returner 9 Charlie Fessler 6-4 220 Gr. 15 Isaac Brown 6-1 202 RFr. 2019 FOOTBALL 2019 GAMEDAY VILLANOVA STADIUM [VILLANOVA, PA. ] HEAD COACH MARK FERRANTE 16 V I L L A NO V A . C OM A longtime member of the Wildcats coaching staff, Mark Ferrante returns for his third season as head coach in 2019. Ferrante was an assistant coach under Andy Talley for 30 years, including 18 seasons as Assistant Head Coach. It was announced at a press conference on January 30, 2016 that Ferrante would become the 30th head coach of the Villanova Football program following Talley’s retirement at the end of the 2016 season. Last season, Ferrante led an injury riddled team to a 5-6 overall record. Under Ferrante’s direction a season ago, freshman corner Christian Benford was named the CAA Defensive Rookie of the Year and a third team All- CAA honoree. In addition, senior running back Aaron Forbes and senior offensive tackle Ethan Greenidge were named to the All-Conference second team. Ferrante was also instrumental in helping offensive tackle Brandon Hitner (LA Rams), safety Rob Rolle (Miami Dolphins) and Greenidge (New Orleans Saints) sign NFL free agent contracts. The Wildcats also continued to excel in the classroom in 2018 as 41 players earned a spot on the CAA Commissioner’s Academic Honor Roll. In his first year as the Wildcats mentor in 2017, Ferrante guided Villanova to a 5-6 overall record and 3-5 CAA mark. Ferrante helped four Wildcats earn All- CAA honors in 2017 highlighted by linebacker Ed Shockley and punter John Hinchen who were first team honorees. Villanova also had three players sign NFL free agent contracts including Trey Johnson (Pittsburgh Steelers), Malik Reaves (Kansas City Chiefs) and Shockley (Dallas Cowboys). Ferrante leads one of the nation’s elite FCS programs after playing an instrumental role in the Wildcats rise to national prominence over the past three decades. He has been a part of the coaching staff for all 12 of the team’s FCS playoff trips, including three national semifinal appearances and winning the 2009 national championship. Villanova has also won six conference titles, three Lambert Meadowlands Cups and three ECAC Team of the Year awards. Others have taken note of the success that Ferrante has been a part of throughout his time on the Main Line. At the end of the 2015 season, he was named the FCS Assistant Coach of the Year by the American Football Coaches Association (AFCA). This award was first presented in 1997 and was created to honor assistant coaches who excel in community service, commitment to the student-athlete, on-field coaching success and AFCA professional organization involvement. Those characteristics exemplify Ferrante’s dedication to the complete student-athlete experience, evidence of which can be seen in the program’s consistent academic success. The football team has earned public 18 VILLANOVA.COM 2019 FOOTBALL 2019 GAMEDAY VILLANOVA STADIUM [VILLANOVA, PA. ] HEAD COACH MARK FERRANTE recognition awards from the NCAA in each of the last four years for ranking in the top 10 percent of FCS programs in academic performance measured by the multi-year Academic Progress Rate (APR). In addition, a Villanova student-athlete has been named the CAA Football Scholar-Athlete of the Year four times in the past 12 years. More than 40 student- athletes from the Wildcats have been named to the CAA All- Academic Team in each of the past four academic years. As Andy Talley’s right-hand man for so many years, Ferrante was involved in every facet of the Wildcats program. On the field, he coached the Villanova offensive line for 27 seasons and developed a unit that was traditionally one of the best in CAA Football. Over the years he has coached three All- Americans, 11 All-East performers and 15 first team all-conference selections. Two of Ferrante’s players went on to be NFL draft picks, including second-round selection Ben Ijalana by the Indianapolis Colts (2011) and seventh-round pick Brad Seaton by the Tennessee Titans (2017). Seaton was a second team CAA Football All-Conference selection in 2016, when the offensive line enabled Villanova to average 206.3 rushing yards and 378.7 yards of total offense per game. The Wildcats ranked third in CAA Football and 24th in the nation in rushing offense, in addition to ranking fourth in the league in total offense and fifth with a scoring average of 24.4 points per game. Ijalana was an All-American in both 2009 and 2010, as well as being a three-time first team All- CAA selection during his collegiate career. Villanova reached the FCS playoffs in each of Ijalana’s Next >