Last year marked the most successful Central Connecticut Blue Devil football season since 2010, winning the Northeast Conference with an overall 8-4 record and a perfect 6-0 conference record. The team earned an automatic bid to the FCS Playoffs, the first in school history.

As Central enters the 2018 season, looking to defend their NEC crown, the team’s roster looks much different than a year prior. Leading rusher Cameron Nash and leading tackler Randall Laguerre have both graduated. Key defensive players such as Jarrod Cann, Najae Brown and Seth Manzanares have all moved on as well.

With their championship season behind them and a roster turnover in front of them, head coach Pete Rossomando has made it clear that his team is refocused as they attempt to win back-to-back NEC titles.

“It’s a new season, new team, but the expectation of winning a championship doesn’t change,” Rossomando said. “We’ve got a lot of new parts and we’ve got work to do and we’re continuing to grind just about every day.”

On offense, the team will be led by senior quarterback Jacob Dolegala. Dolegala is entering his fourth season with the program, completing 490 passes for 5,908 yards and 32 touchdowns over his career. He enters his senior season already holding the record for career passing yards in CCSU’s history.

Rossomando stated that he is impressed with both Dolegala’s leadership and his approach on the football field.

“He’s been a leader for us the past three years,” Rossomando said. “His approach has always been very professional and it’s great to have that consistency for three years. We feel really great about where he is as a leader and a person and obviously as a quarterback, he’s taken that next step.”

Outside of Dolegala, the Blue Devils will have a new starting running back, junior Drew Jean-Guillaume. Despite playing behind Nash last season, Jean-Guillaume was able to rack up 550 yards on the ground while adding 375 yards through the air. He led the team in receptions and scored 10 total touchdowns, tied for sixth best in the NEC.

The Blue Devils will also see the return of wide receiver Joey Fields Jr. Fields was forced to miss most of last season with an injury but has 74 career receptions for 1,102 yards and nine touchdowns. He was second-team All-NEC in 2016.

Rossomando is excited to get a receiver of Fields’ caliber back into the game plan and expects a big season from all of his starting wideouts.

“Fields gives us another great weapon on offense, he’s a real fast guy, understands how to play the position and has played in some big games, three things that are important to our offense,” Rossomando said. “Having him, Courtney Rush and Jose Garcia should certainly give us a big boost in the passing game.”

While Central’s offense undergoes minor changes, the defense will see a complete overhaul. With Cann, Brown and Carlton Nash graduating, CCSU is losing three crucial playmakers in their secondary.

The unit will now be led by junior Tajik Bagley who finished third in the FCS with 16 pass breakups in the 2017 season. Bagley, who has 61 tackles and three interceptions for his career, was voted to the preseason All-NEC team and will take on a much larger role in 2018.

Outside of just Bagley, Rossomando stated many different players could step in the secondary once the season begins.

“We’ve had some excellent play from freshman Dexter Lawson, Jahlil Brown and Tri-Marea Charles during camp. Veterans Grant Ibeh and Kendall Coles have stepped up and played well and Kyle Baum who played extensively on special teams has really stepped it up,” Rossomando said. “We’re counting on the collective group this year and they’ll have to prove it game by game, piece by piece.”

Outside of just Bagley, six other Blue Devils made the preseason All-NEC team including defensive lineman Chris Tinkham and linebacker Kenneth Keen. With multiple question marks on defense, Rossomando is counting on his three defenders to step up.

“They’ve all played well they’ve all prepared well, I think those three guys embrace the process, they get out there and work,” Rossomando said. “I told the guys you need to go out and prove yourself every day and those guys have embodied that for us. They do a great job of leading the young group and bringing them along.”

Despite the changes, coach Rossomando and his team seem ready to defend their conference title. There hasn’t been a back-to-back outright NEC champion since Albany in 2007-2008. The new look Blue Devils will begin their quest to achieve that goal on Aug. 30 against Ball State.