NEWARK — It’s been 14 months since the Delaware football team played an actual game.

So while the Blue Hens have done plenty of work — both mentally and physically — since Nov. 23, 2019, nobody’s quite sure what to expect when they get back on the field for real.

All Delaware coach Danny Rocco knows is that his players are looking forward to it.

“We’re excited to get back together and play,” Rocco said on Wednesday in a CAA teleconference previewing the spring season.

“I think we’ve done a really good job keeping them focused, keeping them motivated. This group is very committed to playing this spring. I have a lot of really good leaders on this team. I’ve had opportunities to have a lot of meaningful conversations about the significance of this spring season.”

A genuine spring football season is unprecedented, of course. Almost every college football program in the country outside the FBS level decided not to play in the fall because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Even now, some schools have opted not to play again until next fall.

Delaware has begun workouts in preparation of a seven-game season that the Hens open on March 6 by hosting Maine at noon. There will be a Colonial Athletic Association champion and NCAA Division I FCS playoffs, just like a standard fall season.

But it remains to be seen how teams will approach the spring.

Some say they’re going to use the season to look at young players and get ready for the fall. Some schools weren’t able to do much with their practice sessions this past fall.

The Hens, though, were able to get in all 28 sessions — 14 skills and drills and 14 regular practices.

“We got a lot done in the fall,” said Rocco.

At the same time, Rocco also said he’d be managing how much contact the Hens have in practice with an eye toward next fall. Delaware is slated to end the spring regular season on April 17.

“You want to be managing all those things now,” said Rocco. “If you start thinking about and managing the volume of physicality when you get into June and July, it’ll be too late.

“We’ve spoken to a lot of different people. We’ve compared notes. I feel like we’re moving forward with the right perspective. I just know that the most consistent thing we’ve had is the enthusiasm we’ve had when we’re out there together.”

There’s also been some changes during this particularly long off-season.

Just about every FCS program has lost some players to the NCAA transfer portal. Delaware lost running back Will Knight, although the former Smyrna High standout hasn’t announced his next destination yet.

Another Smyrna grad, freshman linebacker Debo Williams, transferred to South Carolina.

On the other hand, the Hens have brought in some transfers, including offensive linemen James Prince (Howard) and Ben Trent (Virginia).

The big difference in transfers is that FBS programs tend to lose backup players while FCS schools, like Delaware, often lose their top ones.

According to Rocco, there were 1,827 names in the Division I football transfer portal on Wednesday morning. He says he has mixed feelings about the way the NCAA’s transfer regulation is developing.

It’s easier now for an FBS player to transfer to another FBS program instead of stepping down a level.

The intention, of course, is to help the players.

“But a lot of them are finding, they’re putting their name in the portal, and they’re not (getting) scholarship offers,” said Rocco. “I personally have had dozens of student-athletes reach out to me via e-mail about transferring to Delaware. I don’t have any room — like I have zero room to take a transfer.

“There’s a lot of schools that are in the same position. I don’t know, I’m a little uncomfortable with it for that reason. The perception is that it’s really good for the student-athlete. But I don’t really believe, at the end of the day, that this is going to be student-athlete friendly. I think it’s going to create conflict.”

Extra points

Rocco said he expects linebacker Colby Reeder to start working out with the team again in February with the hope of playing sometime in the spring. Reeder missed the 2019 season after undergoing back surgery. … Rocco said that Salesianum grad Zach Gwynn might be the Hens’ No. 2 quarterback behind Nolan Henderson right now. Gwynn began his college career at East Carolina before transferring to UD. … Rocco also said that Cade Pribula is a “viable option” at QB and that veteran Anthony Paoletti is “the best he’s looked since he’s been here.” … Rocco said he’s never had more depth than he has right now at tight end.