Sophomores Tanner Clarke and Quinn Cook are competing to be the backup. Freshmen Liam Duncan, the grandson of Wittenberg Hall of Famer Ron Duncan, and Jake Kennedy, of Bellefontaine, are also in the mix.
Wide receiver: Seniors Zach Culvahouse and Corey Stump and junior Luke Landis return as starters. Freshmen Miles Laboy, and Jair Knox have impressed coach Joe Fincham in camp, as have junior Luke Bowling and sophomore Jeff Tiffner.
Tiffner is a 2011 Kenton Ridge graduate who went to barber school after high school and enrolled at Wittenberg last winter.
“The kids on the team call him the butcher,” Fincham said. “One of the beauties of small-college football is you just never know. We didn’t know what to expect. All of a sudden he was in the weight room, and he went out in the spring, and I was like, ‘Wow, he’s a pretty tough kid.’ He’s going to make a difference in our football club this year.”
Running back: Seniors Jimmy Dehnke and Sean Gary return and will split carries for the third straight season. Sophomore Jack Kayser and freshmen Antonio McClain, Cole Johnson and DeShawn Sarley add depth.
Offensive line: The returning starters are juniors Keylahn Hodo and Kennedy Cook. Senior Zach Hoffman started one game last season.
Hodo moves from right tackle to left tackle. Hoffman moves from backup left tackle to starting right tackle. Cook moves from right guard to center.
Junior Jason Siler and sophomores Trey Ellis and Scott Turner are competing for one of the starting guard spots. Sophomores Brenden Jurden, Luke Jahnke, Kyle Bruner and Alex Grashel are also competing for time.
Defensive line: Senior Josh Bannick returns for a third season as a starter at tackle and will be joined by senior William Norelia, who has taken snaps at end and tackle. Sophomore Chandler Ferko moved to tight end in the spring and early in camp, but is now back on the line playing end. Junior Austin Towsey will also start at end.
A number of other players will also see action: seniors Devin Porter and Josh Black; juniors Bobby Saul and Scott Sholar; sophomore Brandon Daniels; and freshman Eddie Carey.
Linebacker: Tecumseh grad Dustin Holmes will start at inside linebacker. Springfield grad Terrance Crowe, a junior who started his career at Tiffin University, will start. Senior DeVonta Anderson will play one of the nickel spots and is backed up by sophomore Jessie Kolinac.
Junior Josh Link, sophomore Jake Hatfield and freshman Tommy Dean and Marty Wituszynski are also in the mix for playing time.
Secondary: Seniors Ryan Myers and Armon Murray will start at cornerback. Senior Winston Thomas will start at one safety position. Senior Desmond Daniel is competing for the other safety job with junior Jay Mastin, a transfer from Miami University.
Sophomore Keenan Wilson, the younger brother of former wide receiver Zac Wilson, is in the mix at safety. Junior Zane Grove, a Southeastern grad, and two freshmen, Rashon Edwards and Javin Waire, will serve as backups at cornerback.
Special teams: Junior Will Gingery will start at punter. He may also be the placekicker, or it will be senior Ty Smith. Freshman Adam Acquista is also in the mix.
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