Blue Hens’ secondary ready to redeem itself

By Andy Walter

NEWARK — Kedrick Whitehead was considered a pretty good safety for Delaware in 2019.

But even the former Middletown High standout will tell you he had a lot to learn.

After all, Whitehead had been a linebacker for the Blue Hens the year before.

“It being my first year, I was focused on making sure I was doing the right things that I needed to do,” the 5-foot-11, 195-pound junior said on Monday. “Now I’m playing much faster, I’m playing more fluent and I don’t have any second guesses or second thoughts of ‘Am I doing this right or am I doing this wrong?’

“I can play faster, I can communicate better and I can just lead that defense the way it needs to be led.”

The Blue Hens are hoping that Whitehead’s development as a defensive back is just one reason their secondary should be better this spring.

Delaware will get some idea where it stands on Saturday when the Hens host Maine at noon in their Colonial Athletic Association spring football opener.

While the Black Bears were No. 1 in the CAA in passing offense in 2019 at 296.5 yards per game, Delaware was just 10th out of 12 teams in pass defense at 243.3.

Coach Danny Rocco knows his team’s pass defense wasn’t very good in 2019.

“We gave up way too many easy throws,” he said.

The Hens still have basically the same front-line players in the secondary — Whitehead and Noah Plack at safety with Nijuel Hill and Justus Henley at cornerback.

Delaware does have a new defensive coordinator in Manny Rojas, though. And Rocco believes that the extra practice time the Hens have had since they last played in November, 2019 will make a difference.

“I think the secondary is going to be that position where it’s going to dictate — to some extent — how different we are,” said Rocco. “I’m not sitting here saying that it’s going to be a slam dunk. But I think it’s going to be pretty telling.”

In 2019, Whitehead was a third-team All-CAA pick after leading Delaware with 102 tackles. He’s been named a second-team Preseason All-American by HERO Sports heading into the spring.

Whitehead said he’s pretty excited about the secondary’s potential right now.

“Me personally, I think our secondary that we have this year is second to none to anybody in the conference,” he said. “We should be great.”

Running backs carry on

Unfortunately for Delaware’s running backs, the most noteworthy thing to happen to them in the off-season was that their leading rusher in 2019, Will Knight, decided to leave the program.

But while he still considers Knight a friend, senior running back Dajoun Lee is excited about the Hens’ backfield talent.

“Will will always be my brother,” said Lee. “But we are absolutely ready to prove to everybody that nothing’s changed. This running back room is still the running back room that people need to fear. I can’t wait to prove a point on Saturday. I’m getting chills thinking about it.”

Lee has run for 1,069 in his two seasons with the Hens. He also thinks veteran Khory Spruill is ready to have a breakout season.

“That’s the guy to look out for,” said Lee. “He’s coming in hot.”

Lineup up in the air

Rocco made it clear again on Monday that even he won’t be quite sure which players will be available to play Saturday until late in the week.

Delaware’s 110 players, as well as its, staff are undergoing COVID-19 testing on both Monday and Wednesday. Even if they’re cleared, however, the players could be sidelined if they’ve been in contact with someone outside the program who tested positive.

Rocco said he knows he’ll be missing at least some starters on Saturday.

“In the moment, I still feel our roster’s got pretty good depth and pretty good balance,” he said. “It’s kind of the cards that we’re all dealt. ... There’s a lot of moment-to-moment, hour-to-hour, day-to-day conversations that are occurring.”