Image courtesy of URI Athletics
The Rhode Island Rams kicked off fall camp on Wednesday with a several new faces but the same desire to win the CAA and get an FBS Playoff bid.
If the Rams are going to achieve a program record fourth straight winning season, they will need a lot of the newcomers to step in and fill some big shoes.
Perhaps the biggest shoes that need to be filled are at quarterback where former three year starter Kasim Hill has graduated. Hill, one of the top signal callers in the CAA and FBS football won’t easily be replaced but head coach Jim Fleming likes what the team has in the quarterback room.
“We have Devin Farrell, Hunter Helms, Conner Kenyon and incoming freshmen Alex McClelland. We’ll try to find the guy. If not, we have two or three. Guys that can play and help us win.”
Farrell and Helms looked like the early favorites in spring ball. Farrell is more of a dual threat quarterback while Helms is more of a pocket passer. Both are transfers who have adapted well to offensive coordinator Pat Murphy’s offense.
Regardless of who the quarterback is, they will be throwing up one of the best receivers in the country in Marquise Buchanan. The Providence native played in all 11 games for the Rams on both offense and special teams. Buchanan finished the season with 638 receiving yards and four touchdowns.
Jamall Mensah, Jig Williams and transfers Omari Walker (Arkansas State), Rian Black (Coastal Carolina), senior Shawn Harris (Stony Brook/UMass), redshirt sophomore Greg Gaines III (Iowa State) and junior Aboraa Kwarteng (Sacred Heart) all should make an immediate impact in the Rams offense.
The running game also got a boast with transfer Malik Grant of Sacred Heart joining a deep running back room that includes Jaden Griffin, Deon Silas, Gabe Sloat, Carson Harwood and Kamalie Pemberton. The Rams to pound the ball. It is their bread and butter.
The revamped offensive line must replace Lorenzo Thompson at left tackle, left guard Nick Correia and center Sebastian Delasoudas but the Rams have good depth. Fleming liked what he saw from this group in the spring.
Defensively, the Rams return one of the best front sevens in the CAA led by one of the best defensive players in the conference in pass rusher and CAA Pre-Season all conference selection A.J Peña. Peña made his goals for this obvious at last week’s CAA media day.
“One hundred percent. I plan on trying to lead this whole team, not just one specific group. Obviously, I want to put up my numbers, but I just want to win. I want to get that CAA title. That is so important on my mind, and since 1985, that was the last time we played a playoff game. So, me, Wes, and everybody have been instant win culture that we’ve been brewing the past two or three years. It’s hard. I’m not going to lie, we always question how we approach certain things, certain situations. So, we’re just trying to be all around great at football. That takes caring about other people, as well, not just individual things.”
Defensive tackle Wesley Neal, a pre-season All-CAA pick as well will be a force in the middle of the Rams defense. He spoke at the CAA media day as well and talked about focusing on the little things.
“I’ve been playing a lot of football since I got here, so it’s mainly recovery. Also, grinding hard, getting back to the basics, getting back to the main things that got me to the point I’m at now. Focusing on the little things, which our coach preaches on every single day. That’s all I’ve been focusing on.”
Doing the little things right will go a long for a defense that will have a lot of new faces on the back end. The return of Emmanuel Gomes from injury will help as will the return of cornerbacks Freddy Mallay and Braden Price who saw significant playing time in 2023, starting six games apiece.
Still, replacing Jordan Colbert, Brent Jackson, Jarrett Martin and Syeed Gibbs (transfer – Georgia Tech) will not be easy.
Despite that, Fleming is not making excuses. He knows that the program is close but it is time to take the next step.
“I think if you put in perspective where we are as a program, we finished with six wins as a program last year, and we’re disappointed. That wasn’t the case 10 years ago. It was thrilling getting a six-win season, but it was something that fell two games short of our expectation and our goals. The focus of the football program has been how do we get two games better as we go into this next season. The answer is always the same thing. Get a group of guys, have a common belief and common focus, work their tails off on a day-to-day basis. Have a short-term focus, and just stack days, just one day at a time, we’ll play our games, and see where we are at the end of November.”
The Rams open the season August 31st at home against Holy Cross.