Returning:

Senior Curtis Keyes – 6'0" 206 pounds

Junior Geremy Rodamer – 6'0" 190 pounds

Sophomore CJ Spillman – 6'0" 193 pounds

Freshman John Saunders – 6'0" 192 pounds

Freshman Jon Moravec – 6'0" 195 pounds

Sophomore Philip Gamble – 5'11" 217 pounds

Freshman Daniel Wells – 6'1" 236 pounds

Senior Ivan Clark – 5'9" 201 pounds

Freshman Kyle Ramseur – 6'0" 206 pounds

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Chris Royal is the only safety lost from last seasons team. Royal and senior Curtis Keyes started the majority of the games early, however as the season progressed, true freshman CJ Spillman and then sophomore Geremy Rodamer started numerous games at the end of the season. Last season the entire defensive back group, including both the safety and the cornerback position, only accounted for 7 interceptions, with three of those coming from Royal and two from departing senior cornerback Willie Smith. Someone is going to have to step over in this position and help the team when then turnover battle.

Currently the starting safeties are Keyes and Rodamer. Keyes has had a stellar career at Marshall. Starting his first game as a redshirt freshman in Kalamazoo against Western Michigan. Several big, helmet jarring hits later, Keyes is still starting and was recently listed as the fourth best safety in the country. Keyes flies all over the field, hitting people, sometimes he goes for the big hit and forgets to wrap up. His tackle total for last season left him 3rd on the team, this could have been substantially higher.

Geremy Rodamer is a junior from Morgantown, West Virginia, he spurned the Mountaineers and Syracuse to come to Marshall. He will get a chance to get revenge against the Mountaineers, who claim they pulled his scholarship prior to his committing to Marshall, on September 2nd when the two teams collide in his former home town. Rodamer is a solid safety, who came on very strong toward the end of the season. Rodamer shows excellent leadership and toughness on the field. He is always assisting the plethora of young safeties on the Herd roster. He led the state in touchdowns in high school as a senior, and showed some of those moves last season after an interception.

CJ Spillman is a quickly emerging safety who is vying for a starting spot at that position. Spillman may be too good and too fast to be kept off the field and he could even get a look at the nickel position this season. Spillman is one of the fastest, if not the fastest players on the team, right behind Terick Thomas. Spillman came on very strong at the end of last season. In fact, in the seasons final game against Memphis, he led the Herd in tackles with 11. He was all over the field, and on multiple occasions was shooting the gaps and getting tackles near the line of scrimmage on D'Angelo Williams. Spillman will get significant playing time this season.

John Saunders is a freshman from local Cabell Midland High School. Saunders was a grey shirt last season, but has earned a scholarship for the upcoming season. Saunders started out deep on the depth chart this spring, but blasted through the ranks as spring progressed. He was all over the field, he is good sized and fast.

Philip Gamble was a non qualifier two season ago. Last year, he got on the field in four games and got 2 tackles, primarily on special teams. Gamble came to Marshall as a running back/wide receiver before being moved to safety. Gamble is a big kid, weighing over 200 pounds and he fits the build of your typical strong safety.

Ivan Clark is a senior in his last year of eligibility. Clark has made a name for himself on special teams, and according to the depth chart currently, and the progression of the safeties battling their way up the depth chart, it appears that special teams will remain his forte. Clark is a big hitter and seems to be a solid team player. Clark was recruited to Marshall as a wide receiver, but has played only on the defensive side of the ball since his arrival on campus.

Jon Moravec was an all district player in the Washington DC/Maryland area out of high school. He has not yet been able to break in to the two deep, but did receive substantial practice time with the second team unit this past spring. He is a stong special teams player, he fits in the mold of a Jeremy Frazie at this point in time.

Kyle Ramseur is a walk on who reported to camp this spring. He has good size, however, this position is so deep, that Ramseur should be relegated to helping the team on the scout teams.

The odds are that Keyes and Rodamer will man the safety spots, being spelled a lot by Saunders, Gamble and of course Spillman. As stated before, there were times when Spillman appeared to be getting some reps at the nickel position just to get him on the field. This really helped in the development of James Johnson last season, and should really help both Spillman and the Herd this season.

Although, one three year starter was lost this past season in Royal, the safety position appears to be solid and well manned in Huntington for the next three years. Next year, however, one would think that future replacements should be recruited at this position. The position is going to be critical in stepping in and assisting in tackling, but more important, Marshall is going to be breaking in two new cornerbacks this season, one would think that help in pass coverage will definitely be needed.

Curtis Keyes – 88 tackles (3rd on the team), 4 tackles for loss, and 3 pass breakups

Geremy Rodamer – 29 tackles (12th on the team), 1 interception and 1 fumber recovery

CJ Spillman –38 tackles (9th on the team), 1 tackle for loss, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble

Jon Moravec –2 special teams tackles

Ivan Clark – 1 tackle, big special teams players

Philip Gamble – 2 tackles in four games played