By Andy Walter

DOVER — Rod Milstead knows typical small-college football players think they could be at a bigger program.

For one reason or another, they believe they just got overlooked.

Well, a group of former Wesley College players are getting the opportunity to prove themselves this fall at Division I FCS Delaware State.

The Hornets opened preseason practice on Friday afternoon with 11 ex-Wolverines, who made the move a couple miles north after Wesley shut down its Division III athletic department this spring.

“It doesn’t mean they didn’t have the talent (to play at a higher level),” said Milstead, DSU’s coach. “So this is an opportunity for those guys to come over here and say, ‘Hey, you know what? A lot of people got it wrong. I get a second chance. I’m playing Division I ... where I felt I should have been out of high school.’

“That was my song to them. I said, ‘Listen, if you felt you were a Division I prospect coming out of high school, then I want you to show me why you are a Division I guy.’ They’ll have an opportunity to play. Right now we have no starters and I meant that.”

Some of the veteran Wesley players who came over are senior linebacker Dante Daniel, who was named the NJAC South Division Defensive Player of the Year in the spring, along with senior cornerback Isaiah Mitchell (Middletown) and junior offensive lineman Brandon Bradford (St. Georges).

Considering Milstead also has former Wolverine assistant coaches Steve Azzanesi, Jeff Braxton and Arthur Smith on his staff, there’s no shortage of one-time Wesley people at DSU this season.

“It’s going to be very interesting to see how this thing pans out in the next three to four weeks,” said Milstead. “Everybody from Wesley that’s here will get an opportunity to showcase their talent.”

Hens’ Lee on watch list

Delaware senior running back Dejoun Lee was one of 35 players named to the watch list for the Walter Payton Award this week.

The award is presented by Stats to the top offensive player in NCAA Division I FCS.

A grad student, Lee was a finalist for the honor in the spring season. He was the CAA Offensive Player of the Year as well as a Stats and AP second-team All-American.

In eight games, Lee ran for 564 yards and six touchdowns on 120 carries. He also added 16 receptions for 119 receiving yards.

Notes

Delaware State has five former Henlopen Conference players on its football roster, including Milford’s David Bowman and Marquis Gillis, Caesar Rodney’s Austin Gretencord, Delmar’s Brooks Parker, and Sussex Tech’s Dominique Smith. ... Ryan Waite has added the title of interim women’s track & field coach to his list of duties at Delaware. He is also the Blue Hens’ head cross country coach and was the track program’s associate head coach. He’s been on staff at UD since 2016. ... Delmar High will have two players on the roster — junior Ashlyn Carr and freshman Morgan Bradford — for Delaware’s field hockey program. The Hens open the season on Aug. 27 against Old Dominion. ... Delaware has seven international players on this year’s field hockey squad.