Wake Forest Football Opponent Preview: Delaware Blue Hens
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Please welcome to the FBS stage, the Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens! Alongside Missouri State, Delaware brings total FBS membership to 136. In November, your Wake Forest Demon Deacons play these FBS newcomers, and fans may need an introduction to the Blue Hens, formerly of the Coastal Athletic Association (CAA).
Delaware doesn't enter the FBS unequipped. It brings to the table two unique systems, including an offense that runs multiple quarterbacks, under head coach and offensive coordinator Ryan Carty and defensive coordinator Manny Rojas. Both sides of the ball finished near the top of the FCS leaderboard over the last three seasons, and Carty rebuilt Delaware into a formidable national contender, a spot the Blue Hens are historically familiar with.
We'll preview Wake Forest vs. Delaware when the game nears. For now, let's take a look at what Delaware looks like in Year 1 in the FBS.
We're nearing kickoff for the 2025 college football season and that means tune in every week with Wake Forest on SI for an extensive preview on every foe the Demon Deacons will play this season.
2025 Delaware Football At A Glance
- Name: Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens
- Stadium: Delaware Stadium, Newark, DE (capacity: 18,500)
- Head coach: Ryan Carty (4th season)
- Offensive coordinator: Terence Archer/Chris Rogers (Carty calls the plays)
- Defensive coordinator: Manny Rojas
- 2024 record: 9-2 (6-2 CAA)
Delaware Football In 2024: Making Their Final Case
The 2024 season was a farewell tour for Delaware in Division I-AA. The Blue Hens forfeited their right to play in the FCS Playoffs but amassed a 9-2 record anyway, losing to two FCS Playoff qualifiers. They were favored in every game on the books, including both of those losses. For a team that claims the 2003 FCS National Championship and a .600 all-time winning record, it's ironic that the final game in the FCS chapter of Delaware football was a loss. In a rivalry known as the "Battle of the Blue," Villanova made it four straight wins over Delaware.
A common moniker in football is, "if you have two quarterbacks, you have none." But what does the moniker say about three quarterbacks? Delaware challenged that line of thinking by not just utilizing three QBs, but successfully so, using each in their own unique way. They all attempted between 124-134 passes, threw for only a combined four interceptions, and accounted for 28 passing touchdowns – not just a success, a raving one.
Defense led the way in DC Manny Rojas' fifth season, as only two opponents breached 30 points all season. Three defensive starters–LBs Dillon Trainer and Gavin Moul, plus SAF KT Seay–earned all-conference honors in a league that was unwilling to hand those awards out to outbound Blue Hens. Delaware finished 19th in points allowed.
Delaware Blue Hens Offense Preview
Historically, Delaware utilized the wing-T, and, while they don't line up in the traditional sense, the wing-T's influence is still evident in this offense. The Blue Hens base their offense on a spread option, like many in college football, but with a few twists. First, they vary tempo based on matchup and point of the game. Second, they utilize multiple quarterbacks. Those QBs, who this year are returners Zach Marker and Nick Minicucci, also vary pace and style. Marker is an efficient passer with moderate rushing ability, while Minicucci is more of a rushing threat.
Delaware looks to replace its top rusher, but the next two both return: juniors Jo'Nathan Silver (462 yards, 4 TDs) and Saeed St. Fleur (191 yards, 2 TDs). Silver, St. Fleur, and the rest of the returning running backs have big shoes to fill with the departure of All-American Marcus Yarns. Silver averaged 6.1 yards per carry last year and projects highly as a preseason all-conference pick.
They run behind an offensive line that returns three starters, two of them All-CAA selections, that should be one of the better units in Conference USA despite the jump in competition. Rising starters Steven Demboski (center) and Cole Snyder (right tackle) bring moderate experience. Keep your eye on left tackle Anwar O'Neal, who earned All-CAA honors as a true freshman.
Two receivers turned heads in spring camp – FCS All-American Jake Thaw and sophomore Sean Wilson. The latter played in just one game, but caught two passes, both for touchdowns, against Sacred Heart in late September. While the spread option roots itself in the run game, Delaware is a balanced team that isn't shy to throw the ball.
Delaware Blue Hens Defense Preview
Unique is the name of the game here. Rojas runs a 3-3-5 variation that landed in the top 20 nationally two of the last three seasons. When he had experience in the lineup (like last year's squad that returned eight starters), Delaware's defense stepped to the plate; when inexperience showed, the defense took a big step back. This season, there's experience back in the form of seven returning starters, but there's a big jump between the CAA and Conference USA.
Leading tackler Gavin Moul stuffed the stat sheet with 71 tackles, six tackles for a loss, and a pair of interceptions. Moul and his running mate, senior and team captain Dillon Trainer, were both All-CAA selections and make up arguably Conference USA's best linebacking duo. All three starting safeties also return, led by KT Seay, an all-conference performer who led Delaware with four interceptions.
The Blue Hens' biggest advantage on defense is that no individual unit must replace more than one starter. It's an experienced group that knows Rojas' system, and that's immensely important against a less-experienced cast of CUSA offenses.
But can Delaware keep up its defensive prowess in the FBS? The other FBS riser, Missouri State, played in the Missouri Valley Conference–that league, on average, rates more highly than Conference USA in terms of team power, and CUSA is actually a step down in competition for the Bears, making it easier to project. The CAA lags far behind, and this is, undoubtedly, a step up.
Best Case Scenario For Delaware
You could certainly do worse in an FCS-to-FBS transition than what Delaware brings to the table. Two quarterbacks are experienced starters, proven performers, and effective in varying situations. While preview magazines are low on the QB room, the curveball Delaware throws as opposing defenses limit the need for either to be a dominant player. It's a system that forces its QBs to play efficiently.
The critical units on the team (offensive line, defensive secondary) are both experienced and project highly even in CUSA. The line is perhaps the weakest unit on defense, and even that appears to be a top-half unit in the conference. There's experience and size along the offensive line, and Silver showed pop last year.
Finally, the coaching staff has continuity, and Carney and Rojas are both proven play callers with confounding systems that their opponents haven't seen before.
Preview magazines usually shrug their shoulders and throw FBS newcomers on to the end of their rankings, save for some real dire programs (like Kennesaw State and Kent State), but that's a mistake. Delaware is not eligible to make a bowl–although they could be called upon if there aren't enough teams to satisfy all the spots, like we saw with Jacksonville State in 2023–but this team could be fighting for 5-6 wins. The ceiling likely isn't better than .500, but this probably isn't a 2-10 team.
Worst Case Scenario For Delaware
Or is it a 2-10 team? Delaware's history against FBS foes isn't long, and most recent results come against big-name Power Conference teams like Penn State (2023, lost 63-7). As mentioned, the jump from CAA to CUSA is much steeper than if Delaware played in a more premier FCS conference like Missouri Valley or Big Sky. The translation is more difficult to make here.
All of the excitement or good projection I put on this team is on paper. After all, there's not much more to work with here. The Blue Hens have a long track record of being good at home (they're 43-18 in Newark over the last 10 seasons) but they're a losing team on the road (22-30 over that same span). They also showed a tendency to lose winnable games, with all six of their last regular season losses against FCS teams coming as favorites.
Another major concern is that, while both quarterbacks have starting experience, they both struggled through injuries over the last two years. A player is injury prone until they aren't (and even the viability of "injury prone" really just boils down to luck), but that's something to keep an eye on.
Worst-case scenario for Delaware looks like if this team just isn't ready for the FBS. If that happens, there's still three or four winnable games on the schedule, but a 3-9 finish wouldn't shock anybody in Year 1.
2025 Delaware Fightin' Blue Hens Schedule
Date | Opponent |
|---|---|
Aug. 28 (THU) | Delaware State (FCS) |
Sept. 6 | at Colorado |
Sept. 13 | UConn |
Sept. 20 | at FIU |
Sept. 27 | BYE |
Oct. 3 (FRI) | Western Kentucky |
Oct. 11 | BYE |
Oct. 15 (WED) | at Jacksonville State |
Oct. 22 (WED) | Middle Tennessee |
Nov. 1 | at Liberty |
Nov. 8 | Louisiana Tech |
Nov. 15 | at Sam Houston State |
Nov. 22 | at Wake Forest |
Nov. 29 | UTEP |
Wake Forest Opponent Previews
- Week One - Kennesaw State
- Week Three - NC State
- Week Five - Georgia Tech
- Week Six - Virginia Tech
- Week Seven - Oregon State
- Week Nine - SMU Mustangs
- Week Ten - Florida State
- Week Eleven - Virginia
- Week Twelve - North Carolina
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Brett is the ultimate college football traveler, currently en route to experience a game day at every FBS stadium. He is a former Division I recruiter at Bowling Green and Texas State, and his writing background includes analyzing NCAA betting markets. Also a high school football coach, Brett lives and dies by the gridiron. Follow along on all socials: @ roadtocfb.