U of T Varsity Blues kick off season Monday (video)

WHO’S GONE

Defensive backs Hugo Lopez and Derek Batchelor; defensive linemen Mark Evans and Joe Cappiello; safety Kyle Kennedy.

WHO’S BACK

Quarterback Andrew Gillis; receivers Michael Prempeh and Alex Pierzchalski; running back Aaron Milton; offensive lineman Josh Gibbs; linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza and Kevin Asare; safety Willie Sharpe; defensive lineman Adam Fehler.

WHO’S NEW

Receiver Kevin Bradfield; quarterback Richard Quittenton; offensive tackle Cory Rutledge; linebacker Darnell Girard; defensive back Jaiden McBride.

Defence

Wilkerson DeSouza, Willie Sharpe and Adam Fehler are three big pieces to Toronto’s defensive unti in 2011. With the addition of defensive coordinator Donnavan Carter, they will need to lead the on-field charge and execute the new scheme.

The OUA’s leading tackler in 2010, DeSouza is coming off a breakout season, where he totalled 62 solo tackles, two sacks and one interception. Fellow fourth-year linebacker Kevin Asare returned to fine form last year after a season-ending injury in 2009, while Elbron Barzegar, Broc Elliott and rookie Darnell Girard round out Toronto’s second line of defence.

Willie Sharpe moves from defensive back to safety this season. He recorded 27 solo tackles and two pass breakups in 2010. With the loss of four-time OUA all-star Derek Batchelor, first-year head coach Greg Gary looks to a young, talented core of defensive backs to handle Toronto’s pass coverage and run support. Trevor Harvey and Marco Rodrigues lead the Blues secondary, with transfer Dorian Munroe and rookie Jaiden McBride expected to contribute significantly to this unit.

Fehler is also coming off a stellar year and is projected to lead the defensive line this season. He was named the OUA’s defensive player of the week after recording seven tackles, two sacks, one interception and one pass breakup versus York in 2010. Fehler will be joined by a long list of big bodies, including James Bodanis and Everton Williams, which comprises the deepest defensive corps that U of T has seen in recent years.

Offence

Fifth-year quarterback Andrew Gillis will once again steer the ship in 2011. A three-year starter as the team’s pivot, Gillis has continued to improve each year under the guidance of offensive coordinator John Engel. He nearly tripled his 2009 numbers last season, throwing for 1304 yards and earned OUA and CIS offensive player of the week honours after recording a career-high 343 passing yards in Toronto’s victory over the Ottawa Gee-Gees on Oct. 2.

Fourth-year veteran Michael Prempeh leads a versatile receiving corps this season. The Toronto native returned from injury in 2010 and picked up where he left off, leading the team with 332 receiving yards and three touchdowns. The East-West all-star will be joined by fifth-year veterans Rolli Adenmosun and Sebastian Magalas as well as sophomores Alex Pierzchalski and Paul de Pass.

Coming off a stellar rookie campaign, Aaron Milton is sure to hit the ground running on Sept. 5. The Whitby, Ont., native led the team in rushing yards last season and tied the Varsity Blues record for longest rush with a 105-yard touchdown versus Ottawa.

At 6-foot-5, 296 pounds, Josh Gibbs is the backbone of a much improved offensive line. He, along with veterans Patrick Yan and Mario Tedesco, will look to Aaron Wheaton and Jesse Raycroft to step in and come up big for a surging Blues offence.

Special Teams

The Blues special teams unit led the CIS with six punt blocks in 2010. In only his first season, Chris Johnson became a solid contributor on the special teams coverage, leading the CIS with two blocked punts. Milton chipped in with an impressive 39.7 yard punting average, while Prempeh ranked fourth in the OUA with an average of nine yards per punt return. Fourth-year place kicker Andrew Lomasney hit 7-of-9 field goals in 2010 – his longest was 30 yards vs. Ottawa on Oct. 2.

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