The Coastal Athletic Association’s football media day was held virtually over a two-day span last week, and coach Ryan Carty was the final coach to speak via zoom. It will be a season like never experienced before in Delaware’s illustrious history as the Hens are not eligible to be crowned CAA champions or to play in the postseason because of their commitment to move up to the FBS next year.
Delaware is picked to finish fifth in the 16-team conference as the Hens welcome 37 newcomers, of which 14 are transfers, 11 of them coming from FBS programs. Twenty-nine players from last season chose not to return to the team for a variety of reasons. Welcome to modern day Division I college football.
Running back Marcus Yarns and offensive lineman Fintan Brose have been named to the 2024 CAA Football Preseason All-Conference team. Yarns also has been named to the Stats Perform FCS Preseason All-America Third Team and the FCS Football Central Preseason All-American Team. Additionally, wide receiver and kick returner JoJo Bermudez, punter Josh Cupitt and defensive back Tyron Herring all earned CAA preseason honorable mention accolades.
The Hens are coming off a 9-4 season and second straight playoff appearance, and one of the first questions Carty was asked by the moderator related to the fact that there can’t be a third consecutive trip to the playoffs and therefore, how does Carty address that fact and what are the goals for the season.
“The goals kind of remain the same as far as winning each game that we play,” Carty explained. “Addressing it is not as hard as we make it out to be sometimes. It’s easy enough to see something as a change, as something that needs to be talked about a lot. … When you’re in the day to day, we’re making sure that we win each day. We’re making sure that our workouts are great and that we have 100 percent effort. Those things haven’t really changed for us.”
Yarns surely could have transferred elsewhere but chose to remain a Blue Hen during his last year of NCAA eligibility.
“The loyalty and the amount of, I want to say love, but, well it is love, actually,” he explained of why he’s still a Blue Hen. “Just the community and everyone being genuine and the coaches being great coaches on and off the field. That just kept me grounded and kept me wanting to play for Coach Carty and the University of Delaware.”
Likewise, Herring could have transferred for the second time in his career but instead stayed loyal to the Hens.
“We have a good thing going here at Delaware,” Herring said. “As you know, I transferred in, and I was welcomed with open arms, and the opportunities on and off the field have been tremendous. I just saw it as an opportunity to build the culture and continue to build the culture and do the work that’s worthy of Delaware standards. That’s why I decided to stay.”
Preseason camp started earlier this week and Carty made it clear where the focus will be right from the start of the Hens’ final season as an FCS school.
“Not worrying about what’s happened in the past and what’s happening in the future,” Carty emphasized. “We really have to focus on what’s right now. Who’s in our locker room right now. That’s our team. That’s the Delaware Blue Hens of 2024. And how can we go out there and put a great product on the field each week and make sure that that week is the most important week in the history of Delaware football.”
The opening kickoff is Aug. 29 at home against CAA newcomer Bryant University. When it happens, it will mark the final opening day kickoff by a Delaware program in the I-AA/FCS division, where historically they will forever be considered one of the most successful teams.
Will similar success follow at the FBS level? I certainly hope so.
Time will tell. For now, it’s time to just be a Blue Hen fan in the moment. And that moment is one week at a time.
USA Rugby eliminated
Former Newark resident Malacchi Esdale’s squad was out of the Olympics before they officially began when the USA rugby team lost in the quarterfinals the day before the opening ceremony. That being said, Esdale’s first opportunity to play in the Olympics was an experience he will never forget.
“It was a great experience and wouldn’t have wanted to experience it with anyone else, my brothers,” Esdale said in a text message the day after the opening ceremony. “We didn’t get the result we wanted in the end, but don’t count out USA rugby, the future is bright.”
In my opinion only …
I loved the opening ceremony of the Olympics with the delegations being introduced while aboard boats of all different sizes and price tags. To me, there’s nothing more boring than watching a bunch of people I don’t know parade into a stadium through the same exact tunnel. The overall use of the river waterway and surrounding structures throughout the ceremony was awesome. Good luck to Los Angeles topping that in 2028.
Wrapping it up
Brice Wise, 14, of Bear, took second place in the Delaware Natural Resources Police Youth Fishing Tournament after reeling in a 3.31-pound fish at Lums Pond. … Are you ready for some football? Local teams open preseason training camp as early as Monday, Aug. 5. All other fall sports begin Aug. 12.
Until next time … have a great sports week!
Have a sports tidbit to share? Email JonBuzby@hotmail.com and follow on “X” @JonBuzby.
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