Monmouth football preview of every offensive position, depth charts for new season

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Monmouth football preview of every offensive position, depth charts for new season

Jake Matson, Asbury Park Press · App.com | Asbury Park Press

Mon, Aug 3, 2026 ·

6 min read

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As Monmouth football begins the 2026 season with the start of fall camp, first-year head coach Jeff Gallo has emphasized his commitment to fostering competition across the roster. With that being defining theme of the first month of practice, it's important to try to assess what those positional battles might look like.

Playing time at nearly every position is up for grabs as the Hawks must replace nine starters on offense and five more on defense, depending on how one interprets a starter. With that in mind, this is a rough draft estimate of where the positional groups stand going into the season. It is based primarily on observation of reps, as Monmouth has not released an official depth chart.

Some key considerations to remember is that certain position groups overlap and versatility is key, so a second stringer at one position might be able to play multiple spots and is thus competing for snaps in a variety of potential ways. That's especially true at wide receiver and on the offensive line, where there are multiple starting roles but reserve players could be the go-to backup at multiple spots.

With that caveat in mind, here's a preview of all of Monmouth's offensive position groups going into the 2026 season.

Monmouth football opens fall camp with 'purpose' and lots of potential

Frankie Weaver at Monmouth football practice on July 30.

Quarterback

Monmouth has committed to competition at the quarterback spot with two players splitting first team reps, but ultimately it's hard not to envision Frankie Weaver starting Week 1 against Tennessee Tech. His command of the offense is palpable, but feels relaxed. There's a noticeable difference when he sets the protection at the line of scrimmage, which is important for a mostly new offensive line group. The results were inconsistent in the spring, but his game experience (103-for-156 with 1355 passing yards, 14 passing touchdowns, and 3 interceptions in six games in 2025) proves that he is a player ready to deliver at the level necessary to win.

Brad Seiss clearly has explosive arm talent, and his development is coming along at a steady rate. There's a level of pocket mobility and improvisation that is additive to the offense when he's under center. In the fall, it will be key to see how Seiss and Weaver perform with both Tra Neal and Gavin Nelson available. Maximizing those two playmakers in a point guard capacity will be key to the team's offensive production. And although he's likely to redshirt, the talent of Evan Budinger is considerable while Shore product T.J. Valerio continues to prove he belongs with flashes of good moments in practice.

Depth chart estimate

Frankie Weaver, R-So.
Brad Seiss, R-Fr.
T.J. Valerio, R-Fr.
Evan Budinger, Fr.

Elijah Jennings looks for space on a run. Monmouth football beats Towson on the road 42-31 on Oct. 11 to improve to 5-1.

Running Back

The running back position is one of Monmouth's more intriguing groups to watch going into the fall. Redshirt sophomore Elijah Jennings would figure to be the starter given his solid production in 2025 (320 rushing yards and 6 touchdowns) as the backup to Rodney Nelson. He's also been a proven pass catcher in games, a trait which has separated him from the rest of the group. He's got the explosiveness and toughness between the tackles to be effective. He's proven he can do it all.

But it will be interesting to see how much the Hawks make it a committee effort this fall with the different backs. Nazir Treadwell is the exciting new addition, and his tough running was the most consistently effective of any back in the spring showcase. Kenny Smith flashed plenty of ability to create chunk plays in the spring and figures to rotate in frequently. Greg Randall's wide-receiver background combined with a powerful downhill running style is a unique change of pace as well. And freshman Khyan Billups as very exciting addition, and one would think he'll find his way onto the field in some capacity.

Depth Chart estimate

Elijah Jennings, R-So.
Kenny Smith, R-Fr.
Nazir Treadwell, R-So.
Greg Randall, R-So.

Alexander Sean Williams (right in blue) and Gavin Nelson (left in white) compete in tug of war during practice on July 30.

Wide Receiver

The receiver group was pretty clearly defined going into spring camp, and it's mostly progressed as expected going into the fall. Monmouth is going to feed Gavin Nelson as the focal point of this offense in a manner similar to Josh Derry, and big play threat Tra Neal will not be far off in terms of targets and touches. They're complimentary receivers in that Nelson is a traditional slot type that is great in the short and intermediate game, while Neal is primarily a vertical threat that can be effective in the intermediate routes.

Beyond those two, the Hawks are sure to use plenty of three receiver sets and will likely have a rotation of guys like they had last year. Christian Harrison is the most likely candidate to be the third receiver by volume given his multi-faceted skillset. It's harder to estimate the hierarchy after that since Keshawn Mister, Kendall Dorsey and Caleb Newsome all have slightly different skillsets. The early impression is Dorsey might be the guy to separate himself just because of his penchant for acrobatic catches. The missing piece is a taller receiver like Maxwell James last year, so maybe Monmouth supplements that with more two tight end sets in 12 personnel.

Depth Chart estimate

WR1:

Gavin Nelson, R-Sr.
Keshawn Mister, R-So.

WR2:

Tra Neal, R-Sr.
Kendall Dorsey, R-Fr.

WR3:

Christian Harrison, Jr.
Caleb Newsome, R-So.

Marcus Middleton during practice on July 30.

Tight End

Marcus Middleton might be one of the most important x-factors of this offense. He radiates untapped potential as a 6-foot-3 and 225-pound tight end. He is naturally a receiving threat, but his development to become a reliable blocker last year was revelatory. A lot of the emphasis in the spring seemed to be on blending Middleton and the offensive line in the running game, but there needs to be more schemed up plays for him as a potential matchup problem for defenses. It would be the perfect counter punch to the team's other weapons.

Of course, the ability to move Middleton around in the offense will also be contingent on the development behind him. Shane Garrett is a good compliment as an H-Back type that could allow the Hawks to be more varied in formations. Another name to keep an eye: Greg Genross was a belated transfer addition from West Virginia that could add more athletic juice to the group. He is impossible to miss at 6-foot-7.

Depth Chart estimate

Marcus Middleton, R-Jr.
Shane Garrett, R-Jr.
Greg Genross, Gr.
Burke Mickelson, R-Sr.

Matt Fries gets in a pass set in a game against Eastern Washington in 2024.

Tackle

The tackle and guard spots are by far the highest variance positions on this list, so these must especially be taken with a grain of salt. After last year's super experienced group, the offensive line skews much younger this year with a ton of possibility for change between now and the season opener against Tennessee Tech.

Although they must replace an All-American talent in JT Cornelious, Monmouth has plenty of great options. Matt Fries, the younger brother of Minnesota Vikings guard Will Fries , checks just about every box. He has the pedigree, game experience, athleticism and size to be a very effective left tackle. Penn State transfer Brady O'Hara checks similar boxes, but Fries would certainly seem to have the edge.

On the right side, Josh Duran is similarly a really polished player with experience and athleticism. But the DePaul Catholic product could face tough competition from Reed Collins, a transfer from Lafayette who is arguably the most experience offensive lineman on the roster. He started at right tackle last year, but has seen work at guard as well with the Hawks. Beyond those four, there are a lot of capable players like Blake Birbilus or Sean Sokolowski.

The bad news is Monmouth has to replace both tackles, but the good news is there are plenty of intriguing players on the roster ready to step up.

Depth Chart estimate

LT:

Matt Fries, R-Sr.
Brady O'Hara, R-Fr.

RT:

Josh Duran, R-Jr.
Reed Collins, Gr.

Michael Petito and Avery Barnes compete in tug of war to start Monmouth football practice on July 30.

Guard

The guard position is probably the bigger question on the offensive line, but there's still room for optimism. Petito is one of the most experienced returning lineman and is capable of playing either guard spot if things get reshuffled. That could happen with former tackle Moses Gakodi working inside more and Collins potentially kicking inside to guard.

But in terms of pure guards, the position group is more wide-open. Collin Goetter is the most experienced after Petito as a third-year player. Former Toms River North standout Hathem Hooranyi is one to watch and so is Bleek Turner, but both are still young redshirt freshmen.

Depth Chart estimate

LG:

Collin Goetter, R-So.
Moses Gakodi, R-So.

RG:

Michael Petito, R-Jr.
Bleek Turner, R-So.

Glassboro #3 Kenny Smith celebrates touchdown with #51 Jayce Grays during the NJSIAA Group 1 championship games between Cedar Grove and Glassboro on Friday, Nov. 29, 2024, at MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, NJ.

Center

This might be the most fascinating position on the line because of the dichotomy between the two players who currently appear to be atop the depth chart. Shriner is the lone returning starter and essentially the unquestioned leader of this group. It's an intrinsic bonus that he can fill that role as the center both in terms of his football IQ and his level of play.

By contrast, it's been incredible to watch the rapid development of Glassboro's Jayce Grays. The true freshman was an early enrollee that was outstanding in spring football. It will be interesting to see if that holds in the fall, and if he's physically ready to see the field immediately given that he's listed at 6-foot-2 and 275 pounds. Regardless, he looks like a future cornerstone piece on the line.

Depth Chart estimate:

Kevin Shriner, R-Sr.
Jayce Grays, Fr.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth football preview of every offensive position, depth charts for new season

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