Northwest Wayne News

DETROIT -- Over the next six weeks, each position on the 2024 Wayne State University football team will be previewed with input from respective position coaches. This segment provides an overview of the season with head coach Tyrone Wheatley.

The Wayne State University football team will present a significantly different lineup this fall, featuring only seven returning starters.

Second-year head coach Tyrone Wheatley's entire full-time coaching staff returns from 2023, along with 31 letterwinners and 36 others who have been part of the program for at least a year. Adding to this are 34 freshmen recruits and approximately 28 transfers, suggesting that the travel roster for the season opener at Tiffin will feature many new names.

WSU's offense sees four returning starters: offensive linemen Aidan Tweedy and Charles Wesley, tight end John Rayba, and wide receiver Manny Harris. Additionally, eleven other letterwinners return, including four on the offensive line.

Defensively, three starters return: defensive tackle Gus Taylor, defensive end Colby Horn, and linebacker Carl Ware. Eleven other letterwinners also return, including veteran defensive backs Elijah Fowlkes and Brayden Vredeveld.

Special teams retain both snapper Nico Davis and punter Jeremy Taras for another season with the Green and Gold.

While Wayne State does not have any three-year letterwinners returning, it has 11 two-year letterwinners on the roster.

The 2023 Warriors finished with a 3-8 record against what was deemed by the NCAA as Division II's toughest schedule; their opponents had a .636 winning percentage. Four of their eight losses were to teams that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. Two other losses occurred either in overtime or in the final 30 seconds of regulation play.

The GLIAC conference will see changes this fall with Roosevelt University joining as its eighth football-playing school. Consequently, all league institutions will play seven GLIAC games during weeks five through eleven, leaving the first four weeks (plus week zero) available for up to four non-conference contests.