Monmouth football opens fall camp with 'purpose' and lots of potential

WEST LONG BRANCH — Monmouth football had a new coach and almost an entirely new starting offense when they hit the practice field to embark on the 2026 season on Thursday, but the expectations haven't changed for the Hawks.

Despite losing the weapons that accounted for 73% of the production for the top offense in the country at the FCS level, Monmouth was chosen as the second team in the Coastal Athletic Association preseason rankings behind only the defending conference champion Rhode Island.

Most teams undergoing this level of change are not burdened with expectations, but it's a testament to the growth of the Monmouth program and the respect for the transition from formerly the longest-tenured coach in Division I to a longtime assistant that was a mastermind behind the Hawks' gaudy offensive production. Good or bad, the Hawks remain indifferent to outside assessments.

"You always want to focus on execution over expectations," first-year head coach Jeff Gallo said. "It'll come down to how well we execute what we do. That is what's important. Expectations are—it's all about how you execute. And we always say, we're performance over perception."

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Gallo is adamant about instilling a spirit of competition across the roster as he takes the reigns from the only other coach in school history, Kevin Callahan. It was a transition years in the making, but undercut by tragedy just a month before fall camp was scheduled to begin. First-year defensive coordinator Lou DiRienzo Jr. died suddenly on June 27, a massive loss on a human level and from a football standpoint.

"We're going to find a purpose in this by how we work," Gallo said. "We're gonna honor him and we're gonna rally and that's what were gonna do. I think our team's in that headspace of, how we play will be how we honor him."

Despite the toll of that loss, the defense appeared to have carried forward the momentum from spring practices into the first day of fall by generally dictating the tempo in team periods. But there's still a long way to go before the team opens the season on the road against Tennessee Tech on Aug. 29. The matter of expectations will be settled on the field, and that field will have a new name at Kessler Stadium. More on that announcement and other key takeaways from the first practice of Monmouth football's fall camp.

Competition everywhere, including at quarterback

After stretches and warmups were finished, Monmouth set the tone for practice appropriately with a tug of war. First up was offensive lineman Michael Petito winning a hard-fought duel against defensive lineman Avery Barnes. The message of competition didn't need repeating.

Although there is a hierarchy of experience in terms of allocating reps because scheme familiarity is at a premium in early practices, there was a concerted effort to work in a variety of different players in the team period. More defined positional battles will emerge as camp progresses, but it does extend to the most prominent position on the field.

Returning redshirt-sophomore quarterback Frankie Weaver is not guaranteed the starting role even after performing well in six games last year (five starts) with 1,355 passing yards and 14 touchdowns to three interceptions. He is also one of the team's three captains, which reflects his pole position in the battle against redshirt freshman Brad Seiss. But both players were splitting first team reps in the spring and it was a similar case on Thursday.

Although physically similar passers, they are stylistically pretty different. Weaver's command of the offense is clear and he's always excelled at throwing intermediate routes, something that really shined in game action last fall. Seiss has more pocket mobility and is a bit more of a gunslinger, which can be especially evident when he dials up the deep ball or rips a tight-window throw.

It's always a fun storyline to have a competition at the quarterback position, but Weaver has shown meaningful improvement in key areas in addition to being a proven player in game action. His deep ball has looked a lot sharper as he seems to be in better sync with the receiving group now that he's had a full offseason. And with virtually an entirely new offensive line this fall, Weaver's understanding of protection and pocket presence seems like the key differentiator.

Locked in and reloaded

Even though last year's roster was loaded with talent and sent seven players to the FBS level, the athletic depth in this year's group felt palpable in the first fall practice. Monmouth technically only returns two starters, but the flashes of brilliance from last year's second-team players was enough that they enter the new campaign expected to make a big leap.

Marcus Middleton is the clearest example, as the 6-foot-3 and 230-pound tight end is a preseason first team All-CAA selection after relatively modest production (12 catches for 142 yards). But he became a reliable blocker even as he's an explosive athlete with huge upside in the receiving game.

"You see in the NFL now, they're throwing the ball to the tight ends more," Middleton said. "I know with my athletic ability, I can do a lot. So we're just trying to use that to invest in my ability."

The Hawks have a stable of tight ends to potentially utilize in different packages. In addition to Middleton is Ocean Township product Shane Garrett, a terrific H-Back in a similar mold to last year's starting tight end Jack Neri. They also added Greg Genross, a 6-foot-7 pass catcher who spent last year at West Virginia. And there's plenty more young depth that could produce a breakout player.

"We've got a lot of new guys, a lot of young guys, but we're all hungry. We're all ready to work," Middleton said. "Last year we ran a lot of 12 personnel, so I feel like we can do the same this year as well."

The increase in tight end usage could coincide with more emphasis on a versatile run game, one of the other noticeable depth upgrades. Although All-American running back Rodney Nelson is now at Miami (Ohio), the Hawks of committee of capable playmakers. Elijah Jennings and Kenny Smith lead the way as two spark plugs in a similar mold, but former Keyport star Nazir Treadwell is a thunderous change of pace. Greg Randall is a very capable third down back and freshman Khyan Billups has truly rare twitch and speed.

A defense that perseveres and progresses

Despite the difficult personal and professional circumstances after the loss of DiRienzo, there was no sign of regression in the Monmouth defense after the unit made big strides in the spring. Like the offense, there is palpable talent and athleticism in the depth. It was particularly evident in the defensive backfield on Thursday, as Donovan Fey made multiple plays along with freshman Alexander Sean Williams.

Those contributions are an added bonus to a very impressive secondary group that is highlighted by CAA preseason defensive player of the year Jaeden Jones. He and corner Chris Palmer are two premium returning starters, but there are many players to watch. Amir Haskett, Hassan Manning, and Omar Ibrahim are three incoming transfers to watch. Kyle Jackson has plenty of game experience in the defensive scheme.

But the defensive line is still the key, and there's plenty to be excited about there. Redshirt sophomore defensive end Hunter Watson should see a bigger role after being a consistent performer last year while Lamont Lester (transferred to Colorado) and Josiah Graham (transferred to Texas State) provided the pass rushing juice. Watson can do that and then some.

"We have a new position, the 'Buck' position," Watson said. "So I'm gonna be playing (defensive) end, off the edge, and I'm gonna be playing that. I'm gonna be dropping into coverage as well, so that's been new for me. It's been an adjustment, but I think I've adapted to it pretty well."

Monmouth has plenty of quality defensive tackles in seniors Bryce Rooks, Brendan Bigos, and JJ Lewis plus many more underclassmen capable of joining the rotation. But the defensive end/edge group will be key and Watson is the x-factor between both.

With experienced and capable linebackers in captain Charlie Sasso, Spencer Kishbaugh, and Ryan Russo, the defense was shaping about to be a newfound source of strength. In the wake of a tragic setback, the entire defensive group is only more determined to fully realize their potential.

"It's a bad way to bring us together, but it has brought us stronger together as a unit," Watson said. "And I really think that's kind of propelled us through the summer workouts and now to camp. Now we all have more of a why and a motivation to come out here every day and do this. It's really gonna push us the whole season."

Have a Field Day

On Thursday morning before the team's first practice, Monmouth announced that the turf at Kessler Stadium would be renamed Kevin Callahan Field in honor of the coach that led the program during its 33 years of existence prior to the forthcoming 2026 season. It was only appropriate that Callahan was there for the first day of practice overlooking the what will soon be his namesake field. His coaching instincts were still buzzing.

"Being out here at practice is always a little bittersweet," Callahan said. "You're anxious, you have the first day of practice. You have that first day excitement going through your body. After 50 years, you just don't lose that in a year or so. I'm slightly jealous that I'm not out here participating with them but for the most part it looks like it's going really well."

There may be a degree of separation now, but Callahan's fingerprints are all over the blueprint for a Monmouth football program that is poised to rise into a new stratosphere. It's only appropriate that much of the next phase will occur on a field bearing his name.

"As far as the field naming and all that, that's an honor I didn't expect," Callahan said. "It's quite an honor that after all these years, there's enough people that think enough of you and what you've accomplished here to do something like that."

The field will be dedicated on the day of Monmouth's home opener against Sacred Heart on Sept. 5. As for what to expect from the Hawks this year, Callahan is confident that this group will be motivated after last season came up narrowly short of a playoff appearance.

"Last year we had a really good run and kind of ended on a disappointing note. This year, the team is hungry," Callahan said. "They've been infused with a lot of new talent with the talent that we've already had, and I think that's something that's recognized by other coaches in the league."

Practice notes

The star of the first day of practice was a receiver, but it wasn't either of the team's preseason all-conference selections Gavin Nelson or Marcus Middleton (or returning deep ball savant Tra Neal).

It was Christian Harrison, a junior college transfer from Lackawanna College, who was unstoppable catching deep balls down the right sideline throughout practice. It's nothing new for Harrison, who maximized his opportunity for reps in the spring and is now looking like the team's most exciting new weapon going into the fall. Also strong was Kendall Dorsey, who nabbed his fair share of impressive catches on errant throws.

Two former Shore high school standouts combined for the most energized play of the morning. Former Toms River North quarterback T.J. Valerio ripped a deep slant to former Wall standout Heath Reinhardt, who ripped the ball out of the defender's hands and ran away for the touchdown.

Reinhardt was one of 35 freshman on the roster, and there are some intriguing gems. The arm talent on quarterback Evan Budinger was evident even as he's still adjusting to the speed of the college game. Khyan Billups has rare quickness even when compared to the team's top running backs. And as previously mentioned, Alexander Williams was noticeable energetic playmaker in the secondary.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth football opens fall camp with 'purpose' and lots of potential