As FCS Expect (and hope) national competitors to emerge in the East and South, and Villanova is the frontrunner. It has happened before. Following the national championship in 2009, they reached the semi-finals in 2010. But in 2012 and 2019 he made the first round, in 2016 he made it to the second round, and in 2014 he made it to the quarterfinals, and the Wildcats continue to have their ups and downs. Last season he reached the quarterfinals again, losing to South Dakota 35-21.
Ranking 6th Stats Perform Preseason Top 25 Media PollCan Villanova replace some outstanding players and run as CAA’s premier team after James Madison leaves?
2022 FCS Pre-Season Preview Central
last season
The Wildcats finished 10-3 overall, while the CAA finished 7-1. They won their share of the conference title with his 28-27 win over James Madison. Nova earned the No. 5 playoff seed and in the quarterfinals he beat Holy Cross 21-16 in the second round before losing to SDSU 35-21.
Nova ranked 34th in FCS scoring offense (30.1 PPG) and 9th in scoring defense (16.7 PPG).
2022 roster
DB Christian Benford. DL Malik Fisher. LB Forest Line. QB Daniel Smith. RB Justin Covington. TE is Todd Summers. These are big names not on Villanova’s roster. Overall, the Wildcats had OL Michael Corbi (1st Team), OL Colin Gamros (2nd Team), WR Rayjun Pringle (2nd Team), and WR Jaron Hayek (2nd Team) out of last season’s 12 All-CAA selections. Only 4 of the 3 teams) will be revived.
But the talent remains thanks to a strong recruiting class under sixth-year head coach Marc Ferrante.
Fourth grader Conor Watkins is expected to be the starting QB. As a high school freshman, he turned down nearly 20 offers from his FCS to play for his Villanova. He should be comfortable behind the offensive system and strong offensive line. His weapon remains in a skilled position. Jaren Jackson was a strong complement to Covington last year with 96 rushes for 587 yards and seven touchdowns. DeeWil Barlee is back again as he added 100 carries for 414 yards.
Nova has a dynamic pairing of Pringle and Hayek at WR who combined for 81 catches, 1,514 receiving yards and 17 receiving touchdowns last fall.
On defense, Nova recalled only two of their top seven tacklers and lost their top four tacklers. DB’s Ethan Potter (49 tackles) and Jalen Goodman (46 tackles) are returning tackles. The Wildcats have transferred LB Danda Miko from CAA member Hewa UAbany. D’Amico has made more than 300 career tackles in his four seasons with the Great Danes, and was named All-CAA Second in his team for the spring season.
Veteran punter Nathan Fondakahlo is back (averaging 37.84 last season). Nova will have to replace his Cole Bunce, the kicker for All-His CAA.
2022 schedule
- against Lehi
- @long island
- @ FBS Army
- vs Monmouth
- @Main
- @ No. 24 Richmond
- vs UAbany
- vs Hampton
- @ Towson
- @William & Mary
- vs. No. 19 Delaware
Nova will likely go 2-1 and lose to Army in a non-counter FBS (9-4 last season). It will be a weekly fight in CAA featuring quality depth from a solid team, but not including this season’s standout squad. So did his game at W&M before the rivalry showdown with Delaware.
outlook for the season
I don’t rate Villanova as highly as voters in other media polls. I had Wildcats No. 11 on my ballot. But it’s understandable why voters placed Nova near the top five, and ended up placing her sixth in the poll.
Nova has a strong brand name with a history of success in FCS. It has great potential to become a national competitor, especially after JMU leaves.
This season will test your depth, recruiting and nurturing. Not many FCS programs can replicate the success of the previous year by replacing the top four tacklers and star QB/RB combination. Individual talent remains, however, which places Nova at the top of his CAA tier, alongside Richmond and Delaware. Rhode Island isn’t far behind either.
Hope the Wildcats are back in the playoffs. Seeding is secured if Nova is expected to go 7-1 in CAA and 2-1 in non-conference. However, a 6-2 record for him in the league is more realistic. 5-3 and he’s 4-4. Monmouth, Maine, Richmond, William & Mary and Delaware will all be tough outs for Nova. I’m still not entirely convinced that this team will be seeded.
Many are on QB play. The defense may not be as robust as last season, but Nova will always play a tough D. Offense he has plenty of strength in RB and WR. But we saw it last year when Delaware starting QB Nolan Henderson got hurt. Without strong quarterback play, it would be difficult to win games no matter how much talent there was around the signal caller. We’ll see what Watkins brings to the table as an expected starter.
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