NORFOLK — Norfolk State continued its progression into fall camp on Tuesday. Now that the Spartans are a week into practice, head coach Dawson Odums said his team is entering the “hardest” week of camp.
“We’ve had some good days,” Odums said. “Guys are retaining information. This is the hardest week. That second week — pushing through, challenging themselves physically and mentally. But we’ve got a good spirit about ourselves. A lot of guys have been through this and have an understanding of how to prepare (and are) getting those younger guys up to speed with it. The tough camp is always your first camp. We’re here to schedule, we’re doing things the right way.”
After giving Norfolk State’s first practice a “B” grade last week, Odums said the Spartans are still hovering around that grade this week. He added the Spartans’ energy levels weren’t where they needed to be Tuesday, but execution-wise his team was trending in the right direction.
“There are some ebbs and flows to our energy levels,” Odums said. “That’s what we gotta get out of. We got to be excited. It’s tough during camp, but we got to be excited to be out here with a chance to get better.”
Slight position change for All-MEAC defender
Media members have been permitted to watch the last hour of two practices so far during fall camp. In both practices, redshirt junior linebacker Daylan Long could be seen working with the safeties.
Odums and defensive coordinator Steve Adams confirmed Tuesday that Long will be playing nickel for the Spartans this year.
“This is where he should have probably been at least last year,” Adams said. “But because of necessity, because when his brother (former NSU linebacker Tyler Long) transferred, we had to keep him there. We didn’t have any experienced linebackers because behind there were a bunch of freshmen.”
Long was named to the All-MEAC second team last year as a linebacker, starting 10 games and recording 41 tackles and three sacks. Of the 422 snaps he played on defense last year, 359 came playing in the box, while just 34 came in the slot corner position, according to Pro Football Focus. Long, who transferred to Norfolk State from Miami (Ohio) in 2022, has embraced the position change so far.
“My freshman year (at Miami), I was supposed to play that position anyway,” Long said. “But they needed me at the Will linebacker position. Then when I came here, they needed me at the Will linebacker position, too. So I just did what the team needed me to do. Now I’m doing what I wanted to do.”
Long said his skillset, specifically his speed, has made the transition to playing nickel natural thus far.
“He plays so aggressive,” Adams said. “When he sees that ball, his job is to trigger, and he’s going to trigger, and he’s going to fit fast. He’s just an instinctive player in that way. But then certainly, he can help us in space. … He just plays it at a different speed and he’s feeling really, really comfortable.”
Spartans sport deep linebacker room
Norfolk State’s linebacker room is one of the several position groups benefiting from increased experience in 2024.
According to Pro Football Focus, the Spartans had five linebackers log a total of 1,381 snaps in 2023. This year, Norfolk State returns all but one of those players and adds a few transfers, giving Adams plenty of cause for excitement about his defense.
“We didn’t lose one starter to the transfer portal,” Adams said. “We lost three seniors to graduation and then as a whole team, we lost five. … They’re buying into the process and we’re finally getting the roster and the locker room where it needs to be. In this game, it ain’t so much X’s and O’s, it’s the Jimmy’s and the Joe’s.”
Sophomore AJ Richardson played the most of any linebacker on the roster last year. As a true freshman, he led the team with 69 tackles and 11 tackles for loss, landing him in the top three of the MEAC in both categories. Richardson said he’s feeling confident about his development heading into year two as well as the depth the linebacker room will have this season.
“Experience is the best teacher,” Richardson said. “So with us being experienced, we’re gonna have a lot of guys that’s on the field that have played before and have been in those tough moments and know what to do.”
Richardson was an All-MEAC player last year and also earned FCS Freshman All-American honors. Long said Richardson “exceeded” his role last year and is so talented, he “has no ceiling.”
“He’s developed his body, he’s developed his mind and he’s developed his leadership,” Odums said. “So he’s gotten better in all areas. As long as he keeps doing that, we’re gonna be a good football team.”
Michael Sauls, (757) 803-5774, michael.sauls@virginiamedia.com
