Monmouth Picked To Finish Second In CAA As Training Camp Gets Underway

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University was picked to finish second behind the University of Rhode Island in the 13-team Coastal Athletic Association (CAA), receiving four first-place votes and 142 points in the preseason rankings.

Rhode Island received eight first-place votes and 163 points, while Villanova got the remaining two first-place votes and was third with 139 points. The Hawks host the Wildcats on Saturday, September 20, but the Rams aren’t on Monmouth’s rotating schedule this season.

Last season, the Hawks went 6-6 overall and 4-4 in the CAA. They defeated eighth-ranked Villanova 40-33 but lost a 37-28 heartbreaker to fourteenth-ranked Rhode Island. The Rams scored two touchdowns in the final minute, including a fumble recovery for a score with no time on the clock as the Hawks were trying for a miracle razzle-dazzle touchdown for the win.

Monmouth has also appeared in several FCS preseason national rankings, including Hero Sports, which has the Hawks ranked 21st in the country, while FCS expert insider Craig Haley has them penciled in at No.16.

At last Wednesday’s CAA Football Media Day, it was also revealed that eight Hawks were selected to the 2025 Preseason All-CAA Football Team, led by graduate quarterback Derek Robertson, who was named the 2025 CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year – the first of many preseason accolades coming his way.

Robertson was the 2024 CAA Offensive Player of the Year, breaking single-season program records with 3,937 passing yards and 31 touchdown passes. He led the FCS in both passing yards per game (328.1) and total offense per game (325.3) while completing 65 percent of his passes (283-for-435). He threw at least one touchdown pass in every game, including seven outings with 350-plus yards and a school record 536-yard, three touchdown performance at Stony Brook. His record-breaking season earned him multiple 2024 All-American honors.

Entering this season, Robertson has already claimed FCS Preseason All-American honors from STATS Perform, Phil Steele, and FCS Football Central, with more sure to come his way. He was just named to the STATS Perform Walter Payton Award Watch List after a sixth-place finish in last year's voting. The award, in its 39th season, is given to the most outstanding offensive player in the FCS and is affectionately known as the Heisman of the FCS, named after legendary running back Walter Payton.

Tuesday, Robertson was named to the East-West Shrine Bowl 1000 Watch List. The list is compiled from all four levels of football in consultation with the NFL and college personnel to put together the best 1000 players for the NFL level who will be eligible for the 2026 NFL draft and the 2026 Shrine Bowl.

One of the players who will be responsible for keeping Robertson upright this season is offensive tackle J.T. Cornelius. The 6-foot-6, 290-pound Corelius is a 2025 Preseason All-CAA selection, STATS Perform second team FCS Preseason All-American, Phil Steele FCS first team Preseason All-American and FCS Football Central third team Preseason All-American. Cornelius will anchor an experienced offensive line that will be key to the team's anticipated success.

Monmouth’s dynamic wide receiver duo, junior Josh Derry and senior T.J. Speight, were both 2025 All-CAA Preseason selections after breakout seasons that helped propel the Hawks' offense to new heights. Derry’s and Speight’s statistics were almost identical, with Derry catching 60 passes while Speight hauled in 61. Derry had 917 receiving yards while Speight added 896 yards. Derry snagged five passes for touchdowns while Speight got into the end zone six times on receptions. Speight was also selected to the All-CAA Preseason team as a kick returner. He averaged 21.63 yards on 16 returns, racking up 346 yards on kick returns, including a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown.

A 2024 Honorable Mention All-CAA selection after grabbing 32 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns, graduate student tight end Jack Neri is a 2025 All-CAA Preseason pick. At 6-foot-3, 245 pounds, Neri is blessed with soft hands and possesses an innate ability to find the open seam downfield. When he’s not a potential target of Robertson’s, he’s a devastating blocker not afraid to mix it up in the trenches.

The Hawks’ lone representative on the 2025 All-CAA Preseason Defensive Team is junior safety Deuce Lee. A starter since his freshman season, the 5-foot-11, 195-pound Lee came into his own last season. He was third on the team with 70 tackles, including 46 solo stops, and added five passes defended with one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. His physicality is his calling card, but it’s his ability to cover the whole field with excellent vision that stands out. He’ll be asked to be a leader in the secondary – which might turn out to be the Hawks’ strongest position group on defense.

As a redshirt freshman last season, sophomore running back Rodney Nelson was a FCS Football Central Freshman All-American, Phil Steele Third team Freshman All-American, and Fourth Team All-CAA. He led the team in rushing with 823 yards on the ground while averaging 6.1 yards per carry on 133 attempts with six touchdowns. His breakout season led to his 2025 Preseason Honorable Mention All-CAA selection. At 5-foot-8, 195 pounds, his compact frame allows for punishing runs, and his impressive yards after catch (YAC) numbers are enhanced by his deceptive speed. He’ll be counted on this season to take some of the pressure off Robertson with Monmouth looking to run a balanced attack.

Today, Thursday, July 31, is the first day of practice for the 2025 fall training camp. Monmouth opens its regular season on the road at Colgate on Friday, August 29, at 7:00 p.m.