2024 CAA Football Preview

Zachary McKinnell, Timothy Rosario, Timothy Rosario | Jul 26, 2024

Villanova Athletics

There have been plenty of conversations surrounding the future of the CAA this offseason.

Richmond shockingly announced that the program will join the Patriot League in 2025, while Delaware announced its departure for the FBS level. Many have speculated if the CAA has the talent to remain among the elite conferences in the FCS. Next season will set the tone for what fans and media expect from the CAA as the conference moves into a new era.

Below are FCS Football Central's official CAA predictions and a full preview of the CAA ahead of the 2024 college football season.

Can Villanova Emerge As A National Title Contender?

Villanova CB Isas Waxter / Villanova Athletics

Villanova has won a share of the CAA title in two of the past three seasons and enters next season as the heavy favorite to win the league once again. The biggest question for the Wildcats will be if this program can emerge as a true contender for the FCS national title. We have seen some shocking runs to the semifinals, including last season's run by UAlbany, which ended in a blowout loss to South Dakota State. Villanova has the pieces to be that dark horse contender in 2024, but can the Wildcats take the next step?

Senior Connor Watkins was named the Preseason CAA Offensive Player of the Year and is one of the best-returning quarterbacks in the subdivision. Watkins has played in 36 career games for the Wildcats, recording over 4,900 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns, 826 rushing yards, and 19 rushing touchdowns. He will be protected by an offensive line that returns four players with starting experience while having two dynamic weapons in Jaylan Sanchez and former North Carolina Central wide receiver Devin Smith.

Last season, Villanova led the conference in total defense and ranked No. 13 nationally in scoring defense. The Wildcats could be special once again defensively as seven starters return from last season's unit. All-American cornerback Isas Waxter has the ability to shut down a side of the field after not allowing a touchdown in 2023. Waxter was the highest-graded cornerback in the FCS last season and will be surrounded by one of the deepest safety units in the FCS.

Safety Ty Trinh earned second-team All-CAA honors last season and has seen action in over 40 career games. Trinh will be joined by Jalen Goodman, who has recorded 196 total tackles, two interceptions, and 11 pass breakups in 41 career games. The Wildcats also added former Harvard defensive back Kaleb Moody this offseason. Moody was an All-Ivy honorable mention last season after recording 57 total tackles, two interceptions, and five pass breakups.

Linebackers Shane Hartzell and Brendan Bell both return after All-Conference seasons. The duo combined for 180 total tackles, 17.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks, and two interceptions in 2023. There is a question mark on the defensive line, but adding former Wofford defensive lineman Chuck Smith will bring much-needed experience to the unit.

The FCS National Championship game has been a Montana-Dakota invitational for the past three seasons. Sam Houston State (2020) and James Madison (2019) are the only teams outside of Montana or the Dakotas that have appeared in Frisco in the past five years. Villanova will need to do the impossible of beating one of the four juggernauts of the subdivision, but the Wildcats have all the ingredients to make a stunning run to Frisco. It would be the first national title appearance since 2009 when the Wildcats defeated Montana in Chattanooga.

William & Mary, New Hampshire Aim For Rebound Seasons

William & Mary RB Bronson Yoder / William & Mary Athletics

William & Mary and New Hampshire entered last season with lofty preseason expectations, earning Top 15 votes in the initial FCS Stats Perform poll. Neither program lived up to the hype, finishing 6-5 (4-4 CAA) and losing multiple key games by less than 10 points. Each program also lost All-American contributors to the transfer portal, headlined by linebacker John Pius and quarterback Max Brosmer. Can either of these programs return to the forefront of the conference in 2024?

The Tribe will be led by one of the best running backs in the nation as Bronson Yoder returns after being limited to three games in 2023. Yoder earned FCS All-American honors after rushing for 1,255 yards and 13 rushing touchdowns two seasons ago. Malachi Imoh rushed for 855 yards and three touchdowns after Yoder's injury last season. Imoh and Yoder combine to form one of the most experienced running back rooms in the FCS, seeing action in over 70 career games for the Tribe.

New Hampshire enters next season with multiple question marks on the offensive side of the ball. The Wildcats added former Shepherd quarterback Seth Morgan, who is expected to lead New Hampshire's offense in 2024. Morgan earned Division II All-American honors last season after throwing for 2,970 passing yards and 24 passing touchdowns. He started his career at VMI, where he was named the SoCon Freshman of the Year in 2019.

Despite the question marks, each program has the talent to make a run to the FCS Playoffs. These programs won a share of the CAA championship in 2022, and both seemed primed to be dark horse contenders for the title once again. William & Mary is searching for its first appearance in the semifinals since 2009, while the Wildcats have not won two postseason games since 2017.

Will New Conference Additions Finally Make A Statement?

Monmouth running back Sone Ntoh / Doug Hood / USA TODAY NETWORK

Delaware and Richmond are set to depart the conference next season, which means new contenders must emerge if the CAA is to remain a premier conference in the FCS. Since 2022, Monmouth, Hampton, North Carolina A&T, Campbell, and Bryant have joined the conference, but the Cambell is the only program to finish at .500 or above in conference play. Those five programs and Stony Brook have a combined conference record of 15-49, while none of the newest additions have established themselves as national contenders. The CAA hopes that a couple of these programs will start turning the corner and become consistently relevant in the playoff conversation.

Monmouth could be the most realistic hope for the CAA in this discussion. The Hawks finished 4-7 last season but lost four of those games by a single possession. The Hawks ranked No. 9 nationally in total offense but lost two All-American players this offseason. Despite the losses, Monmouth has the infrastructure and talent to be one of the best offenses in the nation next season. Adding Derek Robertson will help stabilize the quarterback position while running back Sone Ntoh was an All-Conference selection in 2023. Robertson had a prolific season at Maine last season and will bring a veteran presence to the offense, while Ntoh rushed for 14 touchdowns and averaged over 7.3 yards per carry behind Jaden Shirden.

Campbell finished last season 4-4 in conference play but will have to overcome the loss of head coach Mike Minter and quarterback Hajj Malik-Williams. The Camels return two electric wide receivers, including Freshman All-American VJ Wilkins. Head coach Braxton Harris led Houston Christian to the first winning season in program history and could be the catalyst behind a breakout season in Buies Creek.

Hampton and North Carolina A&T return two of the most dynamic running backs in the conference. Elijah Burris led the Pirates with over 800 rushing yards and averaged over 8.3 yards per carry, which earned him second-team All-CAA honors. The Aggies will be led by Kenji Christian, who rushed for 718 yards and six touchdowns in his first season at North Carolina A&T. Hampton enters next season with plenty of question marks after Robert Prunty stepped down as head coach earlier this offseason. Vincent Brown struggled throughout his first season with the Aggies but has won the CAA multiple times as an assistant at Richmond and William & Mary.

Bryant is the newest addition to the conference after a solid Big South-OVC campaign in 2023. The Bulldogs were the only CAA team outside of Villanova that ranked in the Top 50 nationally in offensive and defensive yards per play. The Bulldogs only return seven total starters, but running back Fabrice Mukendi and defensive tackle Michael Otty both return after impressive seasons in 2023. The addition of quarterback Jarrett Guest could make Bryant an exciting team to watch in the conference next season.

Top Returning Offensive Players:

Campbell WR VJ Wilkins / Campbell Athletics

Connor Watkins (Villanova, QB)
2023 Stats: 57% comp, 2,681 passing yards, 20 passing TDs, 10 INTs, 378 rushing yards, 10 rushing TDs

Bronson Yoder (William & Mary, RB)
2022 Stats: 203 carries, 1,255 rushing yards, 13 rushing TDs, 182 receiving yards
* Limited to three games in 2023 due to injury

Nick DeGennaro (Richmond, WR)
2023 Stats: 71 receptions, 904 receiving yards, 11 receiving TDs, 12.7 YPC

Carter Runyon (Towson, TE)
2023 Stats: 43 receptions, 549 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 12.8 YPC

Marcus Yarns (Delaware, RB)
2023 Stats: 136 carries, 939 rushing yards, 15 rushing TDs, 24 receptions, 311 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs

Griffin Woodell (UAlbany, RB)
2023 Stats: 183 carries, 892 rushing yards, 8 rushing TDs, 32 receptions, 255 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs

VJ Wilkins (Campbell, WR)
2023 Stats: 52 receptions, 546 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 588 kick return yards

Chandler Brayboy (Elon, WR)
2023 Stats: 30 receptions, 589 receiving yards, 4 receiving TDs, 430 kick return yards, 117 rushing yards

Anthony Johnson (Stony Brook, WR)
2023 Stats: 59 receptions, 714 receiving yards, 3 receiving TDs, 12.1 YPC

Elijah Burris (Hampton, RB)
2023 Stats: 97 carries, 803 rushing yards, 6 rushing TDs, 8.3 YPC

Top Returning Defensive Players:

New Hampshire DL Josiah Silver / Rick Wilson (New Hampshire Athletics)

Isas Waxter (Villanova, DB)
2023 Stats: 26 total tackles, 4 TFLs, 3 INTs, 11 PBUs

Caleb Curtain (Elon, DB)
2023 Stats: 80 total tackles, 6.5 TFLs, 4.5 sacks, 4 INTs, 10 PBUs, 2 fumble recoveries

A.J. Pena (Rhode Island, LB)
2023 Stats: 59 total tackles, 15.5 TFLs, 9 sacks, 1 INT, 4 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles

Josiah Silver (New Hampshire, DL)
2023 Stats: 45 total tackles, 9.5 TFLs, 5 sacks, 8 QBHs

Karon Prunty (North Carolina A&T, DB)
2023 Stats: 43 total tackles, 3.5 TFLs, 1 sack, 5 PBUs

Shane Hartzell (Villanova, LB)
2023 Stats: 91 total tackles, 6 TFLs, 4 sacks, 1 INT, 4 PBUs

CJ Tillman (Campbell, LB)
2023 Stats: 98 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1.5 sacks, 2 forced fumbles

Michael Otty (Bryant, DL)
2023 Stats: 43 total tackles, 12 TFLs, 7 sacks, 2 fumble recoveries

Dylan Ruiz (New Hampshire, DL)
2023 Stats: 34 total tackles, 8 TFLs, 4 sacks

Brendan Bell (Villanova, LB)
2023 Stats: 89 total tackles, 11.5 TFLs, 3 sacks, 1 INT, 3 PBUs, 2 forced fumbles

FCS Football Central's Predicted Order Of Finish:

1. Villanova
T2. William & Mary
T2. Elon
4. Richmond
T5. UAlbany
T5. New Hampshire
7. Rhode Island
T8. Campbell
T8. Towson
T10. Maine
T10. Monmouth
T12. North Carolina A&T
T12. Stony Brook
14. Bryant
15. Hampton

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