All Systems Go: Monmouth Football Set For Season Opener Saturday

WEST LONG BRANCH – After having the rug pulled from under their feet when the Big South cancelled the 2020 football season due to the ongoing pandemic, Monmouth University was dealt another gut-wrenching blow.

The Hawks highly anticipated season opener against Robert Morris on March 13 was postponed just three days before they were set to kick off their long awaited spring season.

As if that gut punch wasn’t enough, two days later on March 12 its game the following week, March 20, against Gardner-Webb University was also temporarily shelved due to Covid-19 related concerns.

So now with the Hawks players and coaches heads already in total game-week mode and moving full steam ahead in their readiness for a game just three days away, the Hawks had to slam on the breaks once again.

And their agonizing 16 month wait to play a game became another wait and see scenario.

Nonetheless, after their initial disappointment passed, to their credit, the Hawks didn’t miss a beat getting right back to work to prepare for whoever their opponent would eventually be.

Then on March 16, the Big South announced its revised spring football schedule and the Hawks were back in business. Monmouth now, hopefully, opens at home this Saturday, March 27, against Charleston Southern.

In the last meeting between the two schools, Monmouth defeated Charleston Southern 35-13 in the eighth game of the 2019 season.

However, with the Covid-19 pandemic still wreaking havoc on FCS football scheduling, nothing is really assured until game time, but as of now it’s all systems go for the Hawks Saturday opener.

Just this past Monday, Kennesaw State’s Saturday game at Gardner-Webb was postponed due to ongoing Covid-19 issues within the Runnin’ Bulldogs program, so the situation is still tenuous to say the least.

Keep your fingers crossed.

Monmouth University returns 17 starters on both sides of the ball off a record-setting team that completed a 11-3 season, captured its first-ever Big South championship and FCS playoff win while finishing ranked No. 14 in the final STATS FCS Top 25.

In a poll of Big South coaches, the Hawks were the preseason favorites to win the Big South Conference this spring and were initially ranked No.21 in the STATS FCS Preseason Top 25 but recently fell out of the rankings due inactivity.

Of those 17 returners, two are FCS Preseason All-American selections and nine are first team All-Big South Preseason picks.

Fifth-year senior center A.J. Farris was a 2019 first team All-Big South selection and third team AP All-American selection. He’s a second team STATS FCS Preseason All-American selection this season as well as a first team All-Big South Preseason pick and will again anchor the offensive line for Monmouth.

Second-year starter, senior Justin Szuba, is back at right tackle after picking up second team All-Big South honors a year ago and is a first team All-Big South Preseason selection this season. At 6-foot-8, 300 pounds, Szuba is a mauler.

Graduate student, Mahmoud Shabana, is a three-year starter and will again man the crucial left tackle spot for the Hawks. A 2019 second team All-Big South selection, the 6-foot-4, 280 pounder is a second team Phil Steele All-Big South Preseason pick this season. Adapt at pass protection, Shabana will be asked to protect first-year starting quarterback Max Smyth’s blind side.

Rounding out the starters on the offensive line: fifth-year senior Charles James (6-foot-5, 315 pounds), who had two starts a year ago, won the battle at left guard beating out last year’s starter Manny Christian (6-foot-5, 305 pounds). This could end up being a rotational situation as both players are capable of carrying the load. After backing up All-Big South pick John Gallina in 2019, fifth-year senior Brian Syracuse moves into a starting role this season with two starting assignments under his belt in 2019.

Sophomore Jordan Hall will backup Shabana at left tackle, junior Tyler Williams is at center, junior Greg Anderson is behind Syracuse at right guard and junior Oliver Jervis is Szuba’s backup.

Recognized for his blocking prowess, 6-foot-4, 245 pound tight end Gene Scott is a first team All-Big South Preseason selection after starting all 14 games as a junior a year ago. A big target, expect Scott to be more involved in the passing game this season. Junior Justin Marcus get the nod as Scotts backup.

Speaking of Smyth, the 6-foot-5, 225 pound senior signal caller beat out true freshman Tony Muskett in a spirited preseason camp battle that went down to the wire.

As a senior at Palmyra High School, Smyth led the state in passing with 3,090 yards and 33 touchdowns finishing with 65 career touchdown passes in two years as a starter. He spent a post-graduate year at Jireh Prep in North Carolina prior to committing to Monmouth.

Smyth has some big shoes to fill replacing All-American Kenji Bahar, who rewrote most the program’s passing records but all indications suggest he’s up to the task. Smyth, who has a rocket arm and can make all the throws, will have the luxury of throwing to two of the most talented receivers in all of FCS football this spring.

Three-year starting wideout, Lonnie Moore IV, is a third team STATS FCS Preseason All-American selection as a kick returner after averaging 27.8 yards a year ago on 19 returns, including a 93-yard return for a touchdown in the second round of the FCS playoffs. This season he’s a first team All-Big South Preseason pick at wide receiver after garnering first team All-Big South honors a year ago. Moore IV led the Hawks in receptions (74) and receiving yards (1,022) along with nine touchdowns and added another 114 yards rushing and a touchdown on just seven attempts.

Junior wide receiver Terrance Greene Jr. returns after a breakout sophomore season that saw him pick up second team All-Big South honors and was a sophomore All-American Honorable Mention by Hero Sports after recording 65 receptions for 916 yards with a team-leading 10 touchdown receptions. He enters this season as a first team All-Big South Preseason selection.

The Greene Jr. and Moore IV tandem has the potential to be one, if not the, top receiving threats in all of FCS football and will be a nightmare for opposing defenses to contain.

Overall, Monmouth’s depth at the wide receiver spot is outstanding. Junior Assanti Kearny (9-66) gets the start in the Hawks three wide receiver set with senior Zack Treadway, who was third on the team in receptions (39) and yardage (492) with one touchdown catch a year ago. Senior Joey Aldarelli, who was off to a blazing start last season with 21 receptions for 160 yards and a touchdown before an injury shut him down for the season after four games, and junior Ezrah Archie, a transfer from James Madison where he battled injuries the last two seasons won backup roles.

After leading the Big South in rushing yardage (1,024) as a freshman in 2018 averaging 7.4 yards per attempt, redshirt sophomore Juwan Farri sat out the 2019 season. In 2018 he was named ECAC Rookie of the Year and first team All-Big South as he set the league on fire. He’s a first team All-Big South Preseason selections this season and if his execution in preseason camp is any indication of what he has left, Monmouth fans are in for a treat.

Junior Romeo Holden will back up Farri after a strong showing in preseason camp.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Hawks return eight starters, including three first team All-Big South Preseason selections.

A second team All-Big South pick last season and first team All-Big South Preseason selection this spring, senior middle (Mike) linebacker Da’Quan Grimes was third in the Big South in tackles with 115 and second in solo tackles (60) in 2019 averaging 8.2 tackles per game. He added 13.5 tackles for loss – fifth in the Big South – three sacks and six pass break ups – second on the team.

Grimes is the heart and soul of Monmouth’s defense and hits like a sledgehammer. He’s a sure fire candidate for the Big South Defensive Player of the Year award this spring.

An impressive preseason camp catapulted sophomore Tyler Delgado into a starting role at the weakside (Will) linebacker spot this season after seeing action in 11 games in 2019 as a true freshman.

University of Connecticut transfer, Eddie Hahn, claimed the starting strongside (SAM) linebacker job beating out last year’s starter senior DeJaun Cooper. In 2018, Hahn started 10 games for the Huskies recording 59 tackles, four tackles for loss and one pass break up. In his junior year at Red Bank Catholic, Hahn led the Caseys to the NJSIAA Non-Public Group III championship as the starting quarterback.

Cooper was sixth on the team in tackles last season with 46 along with six tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and an interception. In his career, Cooper has 22 starts under his belt and 127 tackles. Cooper will be a valuable piece on defense again this season and could be considered a fourth starter in the linebacker rotation. Juniors Ben Joseph and Matthew Griffin will serve as backups.

The defensive line returns all four starters and a valuable reserve from 2019 and big things are expected out of this talented and experienced group.

At the defensive end spots, senior Khari Scarlett had a career high 43 tackles in 2019 along with six tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks while junior Nick Shoemaker recorded 39 tackles, six tackles for loss, one sack and a forced fumble. Sophomore DeAndre Clifton, who appeared in 13 games as a true freshman in 2019 had 27 tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack. ASA College transfer, junior Lorenzo Hernandez will serve as backups on the line. Hernandez was a first team All-Conference selection at ASA last season after starting out at Villanova.

Junior Kurt Aumer is back as the starting tackle where he posted 29 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He’ll be backed up by true sophomore Chance Smith.

In his third year as a starter senior Erik Massey returns at the RUSH position for the Hawks where he’s made 24 starts. He was a second team All-Big South selection in 2019 when he was second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss along with 42 total tackles and three sacks – tied for the team lead. Junior Zamon Robinson is a transfer from Howard University where he made Phil Steele’s Freshman All-American team in 2018 and was a Preseason All-MEAC second team selection in 2019 but ended up playing in just four games and will backup Massey after a strong preseason camp.

Monmouth secondary looks to be one of the strongest units in the Big South with two first team All-Big South Preseason selections, free safety Anthony Budd and cornerback Justin Terry, returning for the Hawks.

Budd – a senior free safety – made eight starts as a sophomore before starting all 14 games in 2019 as a junior when he earned first team All-ECAC honors as well being selected first team All-Big South. Budd was second on the team with 66 tackles and led the team with five interceptions which also led the Big South. His playmaking ability is uncanny and will be on full display again this season.

Senior Terry was a second team All-Big South pick in 2019 at cornerback while leading the team with nine pass breakups – third in the Big South - and also tied for fourth in the Big South with 10 passes defended. He was third on the team with 62 tackles, including 50 solo, along with 5.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and an interception.

After appearing in 13 games, including three starts as a true freshman in 2019, Tyrese Wright steps into a starting role at the strong safety this season. He finished the season with 31 tackles and four pass breakups and you can expect him to build on those numbers considerably this season with his solid freshman campaign under his belt.

Junior Eddie Morales III - a record-breaking quarterback at Howell High School – appeared in all 14 games in 2019 as a sophomore while making three starts at cornerback. He gets the starting nod at cornerback opposite Terry this season utilizing his athleticism to win the job. Morales also returned punts and was a first team All-Big South selection as a punt returner where he returned 17 punts for a 7.6 yard average. On defense he had 34 tackles and two pass breakups.

Junior Jason Antwi and sophomore Jyair Thomas will be reserves at the safety spots while true freshman Mike Reid and sophomore Dante Keitt will do the same at the cornerback spots.

True freshman Kaeon Torres won the placekicker job in camp with a clutch showing. He converted 87 of 95 extra points and six of seven field goals in his career at Donovan Catholic.

Junior Ryan Kost stepped in for the injured Colin McCreary in the fourth game of the season and never looked back averaging 40.2 yards per punt on 31 punts and gets the starting assignment this season.

On paper, Monmouth has all the earmarks of a champion caliber team. If they can stay healthy and play up to its potential then a Big South title and trip to the FCS playoffs is definitely in play.

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