Last week, we took deeper dives into skill positions on both sides of the ball at wide receiver and safety. Now, it’s time to focus on the offensive trenches, the most experienced returning group for Head Coach Ryan Carty’s offense.
The offensive line room returns 135 total appearances, including 65 starts from previous seasons at Delaware. Run Game Coordinator and Offensive Line Coach Chris Rogers understands that while experience may help in new challenges against stronger opponents, the line still has to prove it every day. “Obviously, all the respect to the guys that we’re going to end up playing this season, but football is football. They’re good teams, but we’ve played good teams in the past. We have to raise that level, and we’ve had to raise that level every year I’ve been here,” Rogers explained.
Headlining the group are graduate student Fintan Brose and junior Anwar O’neal. Both members, who are expected to play next to each other on the left side of the line this fall, were both named to the 2025 Conference USA Preseason Watch List.
Brose, who only appeared in 3 games a season ago, did not realize that a redshirt year to save him for 2025 was possible. “It was a great opportunity for me to grow. I was able to work out very hard through that entire season and through this offseason and get a lot more experience in my development as well as my football knowledge.” Fintan, who started his Blue Hen career on defense before shifting to right tackle, now is taking his majority of preseason snaps at left guard. Rogers had lots to say about how Brose challenges himself as a coach, claiming that he stands for each of the program’s core values. “I don’t know if you know anything about Pittsburgh, but they make them tough as nails over there.”
Anwar O’neal earned All-CAA Honorable Mention honors after starting all 11 games in 2024, where the team averaged 184.3 rushing yards per game. Heading into 2025, O’neal believes that a full season under his belt will allow his game to flourish. “It’s more mental for me now. I’m still refining the technique, but mentally I feel like I’m way more prepared.” From a physical progression, Rogers credited Strength and Conditioning staff Chris Stewart, Tom Evans, and Alex Light for their work to assist O’neal and the entire roster into becoming better athletes. For Anwar’s development, he mentioned, “That jersey he got when he was a freshman was too loose on him. Every year he’s been here, it’s gotten a little tighter. This year we might need to order a size bigger.”
Other key returnees include graduate student Patrick Shupp and senior Steven Demboski. Like Brose, Shupp is entering his sixth season of college football due to COVID and injury redshirt seasons. He has the most experience in the room, making 46 appearances with 37 career starts. Shupp will plug in the other guard spot in his final year at Delaware. Demboski, after learning under now assistant Brock Gingrich, is ready to take over at center. “We lost Brock for a couple of games last year. (Steven) got in there and mixed it up the way that you would’ve expected him to,” Rogers commented. “He’s one of the finest young men I’ve been around. He has every intangible trait you could dream about coaching.”
Additional familiar faces in the room include seniors Cole Snyder, Wahkeem Roman, Thomas Chernasky, junior Anthony Caccese, and sophomore Tyler Burnham. Snyder has appeared in 6 games each of the last three seasons as a Blue Hen and is expected to compete at starting right tackle in 2025. Caccese has entered 8 games at guard across his first two collegiate seasons. Chernasky, who originally signed to Delaware as a tight end, made one appearance last season. Roman and Burnham did not see game action in their first seasons in Newark. Senior Jaime Rosario and sophomore Carter Sareyka also return for 2025, who each had one appearance last year.
The program announced four additions to the offensive line this offseason: transfers Patrick Methlie, Noah Rosahac and freshmen Chandler Telfaire, Dylan Stewart. A former three-star recruit, Rosahac transferred to Delaware after a redshirt season at Syracuse. Methlie, a Salesianum graduate, made 23 starts in 3 years at West Chester. Patrick stated that Delaware was his dream school, revealing, “When I hit the portal, Delaware was my number one goal. So when Coach Rogers reached out to me, I answered him right away and said, ‘I have to come here, Coach. I want to be here.'” Methlie, transitioning from tackle to center at Delaware, has two years of eligibility remaining after applying for a medical waiver from last season.
Telfaire and Stewart were both highly recruited in high school and are expected to develop on the interior. “All four of them showed up. They’ve worked really hard. We’re going to need them to push this room from the back so if they get their opportunity, they’ll be ready to roll,” Rogers summarized about the latest signings. The program also added freshman walk-on Bentley Allen II from DeMatha Catholic, who started for the 2024 WCAC Championship side.
When asked about the group’s strengths and weaknesses, Rogers stressed the importance of being interchangeable positionally across the line. “If you want to play football at the highest level, you’re not just a right tackle or just a left guard. You have to be able to play guard and tackle, guard and center, right side and left side. We teach that way, and I think that’s something that has led to success for us in the past.”
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Really enjoy the work done on your site. The Delaware Football pieces are Fantastic.
Thanks
Thanks so much for the kind words, John!
It’s tough to keep up with players coming in and out these days. These position updates are awesome for pre-season reading!