Delaware Blue Hens Stressing Development In Spring Workouts

By Matt Leon

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) --- The University of Delaware football team is about halfway through its annual set of spring workouts as they work towards their annual spring game.

"It's really a developmental spring," Delaware head coach Dave Brock tells KYW Newsradio. "We're working to really try to get each player in the program better, each position group better, and ultimately all three sides of the ball. So a lot of individual work, a lot of fundamental work."

Listen to the entire interview with Delaware's Dave Brock

Some very talented talented offensive skill position players from last year's 6-6 team have moved on like tight end Nick Boyle, wide receiver Michael Johnson and quarterback Trent Hurley. Hurley started 32 games under center over the past three seasons and the three top candidates to replace him in 2015 are Blake Rankin, who will be a junior this coming season, Philadelphia native and Martin Luther King High School product Joe Walker, who redshirted this past season as a freshman and Jamie Jarmon, who spent the last three years playing minor league baseball.

"They're getting comparable reps and doing a good job," Brock says. "Really the second half of the spring will tell more of the tale. I think it will be hard probably to come out of spring with a starter named, but I think we'll have an idea of the direction that we're going by the time we get to the 15th practice. They're doing a good job, working and getting better every day."

On the other side of the football, Brock says the defensive line is really opening some eyes.

"Those guys are really coming on," Brock says. "Its kind of a product of what we had to do last year. We have eight, nine guys that we roll through and play. All of them have played for us, so we've got a really experienced group, but they're young and all are doing a really good job, playing well, playing hard."

Delaware's spring game is set for May 2nd.

The Blue Hens will open the 2015 regular season at home on Friday, September 4th, against Jacksonville University.

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