#5 Villanova FCS Football 2020 Preview
August 25, 2020 · Joel Welser
Villanova Wildcats
Overall Rank: #5
#1 CAA
After a couple years of rebuilding, Villanova took a big step forward in 2019, going 9-4 and reaching the playoffs, where they lost a 45-44 thriller against Southeastern Louisiana. But all of that was just a precursor to better things to come. Coach Mark Ferrante returns a massive amount of talent on both sides of the ball and this group can push James Madison for a CAA title, which would be their first since winning a share of the conference crown in 2012.
2019 Record: 9-4, 5-3
2019 Postseason: FCS Playoffs
Coach: Mark Ferrante (19-16 at Villanova, 19-16 overall)
Offensive Coordinator: Chris Boden
Defensive Coordinator: Ola Adams
Returning Leaders:
Rushing: Justin Covington, RB, 727 yards
Passing: Daniel Smith, QB, 3,274 yards
Receiving: Changa Hodge, WR, 1,118 yards
Tackles: Forrest Rhyne, LB, 116
Sacks: Malik Fisher, DL, 7.0
Interceptions: Jaquan Amos, DB, 4
Other Key Returnees: RB DeeWil Barlee, RB Jalen Jackson, RB TD Avo-Durojaiye, WR Jaaron Hayek, TE Todd Summers, OL Paul Grattan, OL Colin Gamroth, DB Nowoola Awopetu, DB Darius Pickett, DB Elijah Trent, DB Christian Benford, K/P Nathan Fondacaro
Key Losses: LB Drew Wiley, DB Chucky Smith
Projected Postseason: FCS Playoffs
2019 Team Stats:
Rushing Offense: 194.1 (27th in nation, 3rd in conference)
Passing Offense: 260.8 (28, 3)
Total Offense: 454.8 (14, 2)
Scoring Offense: 37.3 (8, 2)
Rushing Defense: 125.2 (22, 2)
Pass Defense: 263.1 (109, 12)
Total Defense: 388.2 (67, 9)
Scoring Defense: 26.1 (45, 5)
Turnover Margin: 0.31 (38, 6)
Sacks: 2.08 (65, 9)
Sacks Allowed: 1.08 (10, 1)
Madness 2020 Recruit Rankings:
| Rank | Name | Pos. | Ht. | Wt. | High School | Sport |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 58 | Ayden Howard | DL | NA | NA | Dallas, TX | FCS Football |
| 80 | Ricky Ortega | QB | NA | NA | Coatesville, PA | FCS Football |
| 87 | Dapree Bryant | WR | NA | NA | Coatesville, PA | FCS Football |
| 178 | Mitchell Bothwell | TE | NA | NA | Fort Worth, TX | FCS Football |
| 252 | Jake Green | DL | NA | NA | Ashland, PA | FCS Football |
