When heading into a new football season, head coach Mark Ferrante describes his attitude as always “cautiously optimistic.” In his ninth year leading Villanova’s program, Ferrante has reasons for both confidence and uncertainty about what the 2025 Wildcats have in store.
The Wildcats ended last season in the second round of the Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) playoffs. Going into its last season in the CAA before moving to the Patriot League, Villanova stands at No. 3 in Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) preseason rankings and No. 13 nationally.
But one crucial question remains unanswered: who will take the place of Connor Watkins as Villanova’s starting quarterback? A battle for the position continues as the coaching staff will soon determine who will take the field next Saturday, Sept. 6, against Colgate.
According to Ferrante, the job will belong to either junior Tanner Maddocks or graduate Pat McQuaide, a new transfer from Nicholls State. Ferrante strongly prefers a permanent starter over the possibility of a quarterback rotation. An unusually late start to the season has extended the evaluation.
“We’re looking at the whole body of work that [Maddocks and McQuaide] have put in,” Ferrante said. “The evaluation started in the spring and has carried throughout the summer. We’ll probably have that decided by early next week.”
Maddocks enters his fourth year at Villanova after redshirting his freshman season. He served as Watkins’ backup and a punt returner. In 2024, Maddocks appeared in 11 games, completing 8-of-14 for 112 yards, along with five carries for 17 yards on the ground.
While McQuaide has yet to compete in a Villanova uniform, he transferred to Villanova in January to join spring practice. At Nicholls State last season, the left-hander passed for 2,218 yards and 14 touchdowns, completing 58.4% passes while conceding 10 interceptions.
“I was impressed with how quickly Pat [McQuaide] was able to pick up our system,” Ferrante said. “He knew he had to come in here and compete. We don’t need either one of them to win the game for us. We need them to manage the game, and I think they both understand what it is we’re looking for.”
Villanova’s signal caller against Colgate, whether it is Maddocks or McQuaide, will have the advantage of a deep running back room, a major source of confidence this season.
After a dominant college debut, David Avit returns for his sophomore campaign. Last year, Avit broke Villanova’s freshman record for rushing yards in a season, with 923. He finished the season with nine touchdowns and averaged 65.9 rushing yards per game.
Avit entered the transfer portal at the end of last season and received offers from FBS programs, but ultimately decided to stay at Villanova. Avit has generated high anticipation in the preseason, earning a spot on the 2025 Walter Payton Award Watch List for FCS Offensive Player of the Year.
Though he was hampered by injury last season, redshirt sophomore running back Isaiah Ragland also shows strong promise for 2025. Ragland recorded 105 carries for 511 rushing yards and four touchdowns. He was also an option in the air, tallying nine catches for 69 yards.
“Avit, Ragland and Ja’briel Mace were kind of our three-headed monster a year ago, and that trend will continue,” Ferrante said. “We’re expecting to have some consistency in the run game. Hopefully they’re all a year older, a year wiser and a year stronger.”
The Wildcats will see some other new faces in its offensive lineup after losing several starting wide receivers to the transfer portal and graduation. Graduate receiver Lucas Kopecky is one returning starter, recording 26 catches for 302 yards after joining the squad last season from Villanova’s lacrosse team.
Villanova faces more uncertainty around its defense, which lost five key starters due to graduation. As mostly young players will fill spots, the defense will rely on leadership from experienced linebackers like senior linebacker Shane Hartzell and graduate linebacker Richie Kimmel. Graduate defensive lineman Obinna Nwobodo and other veterans will also have a crucial role this season.
“We have some good athletes [filling starting positions], but they don’t have near the level of game experience, so we’re going to have some growing pains early on,” Ferrante said. “From my perspective, the secondary is probably the biggest area of concern just because of the youth and the experience we had back there from the guys that graduated.”
Familiar CAA opponents like Delaware and Richmond, which both left the conference in 2025, will be absent from this year’s schedule. But top-tier competition lies ahead, as the Wildcats also have a trip lined up to Happy Valley in Week 2. Villanova will face No. 2 Penn State in its annual FBS matchup on Sept. 13.
