2023 Football Season Preview

Jun 26, 2023

8/22/2023 1:00:00 PM

LEXINGTON, Va. – The Washington and Lee University Football Team was predicted to finish third in the annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) preseason poll which is voted upon by the leagues’ eight head coaches, the conference announced Monday afternoon.

Following a 5-5 record during the 2023 season and a fifth place finish in the ODAC, the Generals received 37 points in the preseason poll, just two points behind Bridgewater College. Washington and Lee won the eighth ODAC title in program history in 2021, boasting an 8-3 overall record under sixth year head coach Garrett LeRose '07. 15th-ranked Randolph-Macon College received seven of the eight first place votes while tallying 49 points in the annual Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) Football Preseason Poll. The 13-time champions are the preseason favorites for the fifth-straight year.

Bridgewater is predicted to finish second in the preseason poll, the Eagles received one first place vote. Shenandoah University sits six points behind the Generals in fourth while Hampden-Sydney rounds out the top-five with 29 points.

Three ODAC schools were named in the D3football.com preseason poll as Randolph-Macon was ranked 15th by the organization after a second round finish in last year's NCAA Playoffs while Bridgewater (2) and Shenandoah (1) each received votes.

North Central (Ill.) received 22 of the 25 first place votes after winning their second National Championship in three seasons. National Runner-up, Mount Union, received the final three first place votes and is ranked second heading into the first weekend of action. The University of Mary Hardin-Baylor was ranked third while Trinity University (Texas) followed in fourth and Wartburg College rounded out the top-five after finishing the season as national semifinalists.

The Generals week one opponent, Salisbury University, was ranked 25th after winning their fourth New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) title and an NCAA Playoff Appearance.

The entire Preseason Top 25 can be found HERE.

The Generals kick off their 2023 campaign on September 3 with a top-25 matchup at Wilson Field. The Blue and White will host 25th-ranked Salisbury University at 1 p.m for the first time in program history. The Seagulls won their fourth straight New Jersey Athletic Conference (NJAC) Title before falling to National Runner-up Mount Union in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.

Following a week-two bye, W&L will host Methodist University on September 16. The Generals look to move to 4-0 against the Monarchs all-time with a 1 p.m. matchup at Wilson Field. In their last meeting, the Generals tamed the Monarchs 37-14 in Fayetteville, NC.

The Blue and White are on the road for week four and five. On September 23, the Generals travel to Newport News, Va. for a 2 p.m. matchup with Newport News Apprentice School before kicking off Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) play at Averett University on September 30. W&L has won the last two meetings between the two schools and holds a 4-3 all-time series record against Averett.

Following their two game road stint, the Generals return to Wilson field for Parents and Family weekend on October 7 with a 4 p.m. matchup with ODAC foe Guilford. The following weekend, the 2023 Hall of Fame Class will be inducted and honored prior to a 2 p.m. matchup against Ferrum College.

The Generals travel to Hampden-Sydney College in a crucial ODAC contest. Last season, the Tigers snapped a two game losing streak as they defeated the Blue and White 44-43 in overtime at Wilson Field. The Generals make their third trip to Lewis C. Everett Stadium in the last four seasons on October 21, kickoff is set for 1 p.m.

The most anticipated matchup of the season arrives on week nine of the season as Washington and Lee travels to 15th-ranked Randolph-Macon College on October 28 at 1 p.m. The Yellowjackets produced a 14 point second quarter en route to a 35-21 victory at Wilson Field last season to take a 34-33 series lead over the Generals.

The final game at Wilson Field for the 2023 season is week ten as the Blue and White take on Bridgewater College on November 4 at 2 p.m. The Generals will honor their seniors prior to the contest as well as hosting Young Alumni Weekend.

The Blue and White are on the road for the final game of the season as they take a trip up Interstate 81 to Winchester, Va. to take on Shenandoah University. The Generals and Hornets square off at 1 p.m. inside Shentel Stadium. Last season, the Hornets scored 14 unanswered points to force overtime before defeating the Generals 16-14 in triple overtime.

The Generals return offensive lineman Tyler Halliday, a 2022 second team All-ODAC selection. Halliday and the offensive line helped the W&L offense lead the ODAC in the rushing offense with 273.2 yard per game and rushing attempts (574). Halliday will lead the offense upfront and help the Generals offense produce another successful year on the ground and in the air.

Junior Jacob Romero looks to help keep the Generals run game intact as he replaces two-time All-ODAC running back, Alex Wertz. Romero ranked second in rushing yards and fourth in rushing attempts last season as he rushed 75 times for 412 yards for an average 5.49 yards per carry. Romero rushed for a season-high 81 yards in the Generals' 37-14 win over Methodist University. Despite being a threat on the ground, Romero caught nine passes last season for 68 yards.

Dryden Duggins highlights the receiving core after leading the Generals with 20 catches and 199 yards in his rookie season. Duggins, a Baton Rouge, La. native, posted a season and career-high six catches for 65 yards against No. 16 Randolph-Macon. The Sophomore looks to make a big impact within the offense this season.

On the defensive side of the ball, Jalen Todd looks to step up help lead the defense with Hunter Hawk and Uno Christopher. The Junior from Louisville, Ky. is the returning leading tackler for the Generals as he recorded the second most tackles on the team last year with 57. In his career, Todd has recorded 112 tackles in 19 games for the Blue and White. He posted a career-high 14 tackles in the first round of the NCAA Championships against Mount Union.

Isaiah Mefford looks to add depth to the Generals defense as he played an integral role in the secondary during the 2022 season. Last season, Mefford played in eight games as a defensive back while recording 20 total tackles. He posted a career-high five tackles against Hampden-Sydney last season. The senior cornerback broke up two passes and hauled in an interception against Ferrum last season.

Arturo Ramirez enters his final season as a place kicker for the Generals. In nine games last season, Ramirez made seven field goals while putting 23 of his 27 (85%) extra point attempts through the uprights. He ranked second in points scored with 44 last season. In 2021, Ramirez was a perfect 36 of 36 on extra points and boasts a career 94% conversion rate.

On the Field: Senior Stephen Murrin returns to the helm of the Generals offense this season after an impressive junior season. Murrin, a Fort Worth, Texas native, played in seven games last season while completing 37 of his 60 passes (62%) for 487 yards. He posted a career-high 20 completed passes and 177 yards against No. 16 Randolph-Macon last season. While being a threat in the air, Murrin found success on the ground as he rushed 68 times for 405 yards and seven touchdowns. He rushed for a season-high 137 yards and two touchdowns against Hampden-Sydney last season.

Off the field: Murrin is a member of Phi Eta Sigma Honor Society as well as a member of the President's List. He is also involved on campus as he participates in the Ski Club and Outing Club. Prior to his senior year, he spent his summer as a Summer Financial Analyst at Houlihan Lokey in New York City.

On the Field: Uno Christopher is the youngest captain for the Generals this season as he is entering his Junior season for the Blue and White. During his sophomore season, Christopher played in all ten games as a linebacker and recorded 27 tackles and 8.5 tackles for loss. He posted a career high five tackles against Brigdewater while producing a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss in the Generals win over Ferrum. Following an impressive season, Christopher was one of three Generals to earn second team All-ODAC honors. In his career, he has played in 20 games for the Blue and White while recording 58 tackles and 12.5 tackles for loss.

Off the Field: Christopher is heavily involved outside of the football field as he is the Secretary of the Beta Beta Nu Chapter of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity while being the Community Service Chair of BMI at W&L. Outside of his duties within both organizations, Christopher volunteers as a head coach for a youth football league as well as at Jordan Hall Football Camp as a linebackers coach.

On the Field: Senior Hunter Hawk is one of the three leaders on defensive side of the ball this season and looks to lead the linebacking core along side Uno Christopher. Last season, Hawk played in all ten of games for the Blue and White while recording 46 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss. He posted a career-high 11 tackles against Shenandoah last season. In his career, he has played in 21 games while recording 73 tackles and 3.5 tackles for loss.

Off the Field: Hawk volunteers at the Rockbridge area recreational organization as well as being apart of several clubs at W&L. He is a member of the Outdoors Club as well as the Ski and Snowboard Club while being the Vice President of the Casing Club. Prior to the start of his final year, he worked as an intern for a Senator during the summer.

On the Field: Senior Cameron Reed is one of the leaders in the running backs room as he is one of the two seniors in the group. The Woodlands, Texas native played in all ten games last season for the Generals while rushing 14 times for 45 yards and one touchdown. He rushed for a season-high 20 yards against Sewanee. Reed has played in 18 games during his career, rushing for 45 yards and catching one pass for 23 yards, this year he looks to use his experience to help the Generals offense break out.

Off the Field: An accounting major entering his final year at W&L, Reed interned at Truist Securities in Houston during the summer.

On the Field: Senior Nathan Unger will anchor the defensive line group as he is the only remaining starter from last season. Last season, Unger played in all ten games while recording 24 total tackles while ranking second on the Generals defense for tackles for loss with eight. He lead the team with three sacks during his junior season. In his career, Unger has played in 21 games for the Blue and White while recording 55 tackles, 12.5 tackles for loss and seven sacks. Unger had a career-high 2.5 sacks against Christopher Newport on Sept. 3, 2022.

Off the Field: Unger is involved with the Career & Professional Development Office at W&L and prior to his senior year he spent the summer as a Commercial Real Estate Brokerage Intern at cushion & Wakefield. Unger is a Business Administration major.

Coach LeRose welcomed Malcolm Gibson to the Generals’ staff this off-season following a departure. Gibson comes to W&L from Salisbury University where he served as an assistant coach for two seasons. At Salisbury, Gibson coached one first-team, two second-team and two honorable mention All-NJAC players as well as coaching a running back that ranked 9th in yards per attempt, 14th in the nation in rushing yard and 16th in touchdowns.

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