The Calvin University football team will open its first ever season of competition in the fall of 2024 under the leadership of head coach Trent Figg.
The Knights will play their inaugural game on September 7, against Oberlin, and have significant work to do prior to that first contest as 112 players (including 62 freshman and transfers) vie for playing time on a depth chart that is as open and competitive as can be heading into fall training camp.
Many eyes will be on a group of four talented quarterbacks looking to win the starting job. Luca Prior (Northville, Mich./Northville) has one fall season with the program and will be battling newcomers Chase Bradman (Kentwood, Mich./South Christian/Indiana Wesleyan), Drake Irwin (Rockford, Mich./Rockford) and Hayden Slegers (Ontario, Calif./Ontario Christian). Bradman comes to Calvin as a graduate transfer from Indiana Wesleyan University, while Irwin and Slegers are true freshmen.
Figg believes all four players provide the dual threat ability the offensive coaching staff is looking for at the position, and is looking for specific skills from whomever leads the offense into the season opener.
“We know that we’re going to be a young roster in this season, so we’re looking for someone who can truly manage the game,” Figg said. “Someone who can be the calm in the storm, execute at a high level and, most importantly, protect the football.”
The winner of the battle at quarterback will lead an offense with a young, but talented, group of skill position players. Offensive coordinator Ben Dixon’s offense will most often feature one running back, one tight end and three wide receivers, and the Knights have built a strong collection of talent at those three position groups.
At running back, nine players enter camp with an opportunity to see the field in the opening game. The nine players are a mix of returners and newcomers at the position, and Figg believes is one of the two deepest position groups on the offense. The mix is talented and versatile enough that we will see multiple backs on the field from time to time.
Tight end is the other position group Figg believes is in the conversation for the deepest on the roster. The roster features eight total tight ends, including three incoming freshman and two transfers, as well as three returning players.
At wide receiver, Figg believes his 12 incoming freshman receivers have added length and size both inside and outside. Like other positions, the newcomers will battle players already on the roster from last season for reps in the opening game, but the coaching staff likes the mix of players on the roster as they develop the young offense.
Up front, 12 incoming players will push the returning group and give the coaching staff more than 20 players up front to work with. The staff emphasized size and athleticism in recruiting up front, knowing that young players will be forced into playing early in their careers, and hopes that the group will grow into the leaders of the team as the season progresses.
On defense, coordinator Josh Lawson’s group will play multiple fronts and styles, featuring both three and four-man lines, as well as anywhere from three to five defensive backs on the field depending on the situation.
“This season is going to be difficult because we don’t have those returning players with experience in our system that are proven, so each and every player on our defense is going to have an opportunity to compete,” Figg said. “It’s going to be very competitive across each of the position groups to see who will be playing for us on Saturdays.”
Up front, the Knights return nine players from last season and add six incoming freshman. Figg believes the Knights have quality depth up front on defense that will allow them to play multiple types of fronts throughout the season.
Behind them, Figg believes his linebacker group has an opportunity to anchor his defense in the opening season. With the plan to play three or four players at the position at all times, the Knights did not bring in any transfers at the position this season and the coaching staff will look to a group of young players to step forward to lead the charge.
In the secondary, a mix of incoming freshmen and transfers will join a group that was one of the thinner groups from a numbers standpoint in the fall of 2023, with players from each class vying for roles in Lawson’s multiple defensive scheme.
On special teams, the Knights have three players vying for roles as the kicker and punter, with two of the three returning from last season’s practices.
With the inaugural season approaching, Figg has been asked many times about his expectations in year one. While he doesn’t know what the record will look like, he has his expectations for what fans will see on Saturdays this fall.
“People ask all the time what our season is going to look like in our first season,” Figg said. “My honest answer is that we are going to be prepared every week. Our team is going to be very physical, and we’re going to expect to win each and every week. When will we win? I honestly don’t know. We’ll win when we’re ready to do so.”
“What I want to see this season,” he continued, “is consistent improvement every single week throughout the season. That means we’re developing our players. We want to be competitive, but we have to develop our team and that is going to take time.”
