Photo Gallery From Wednesday's Practice
Preseason Camp Schedule

VILLANOVA, Pa.---Villanova officially began preparations for the 2015 football season on Wednesday morning with a spirited workout on the Villanova Stadium turf. The team's preseason camp runs for three weeks leading up to the start of classes on Monday, August 24.

The Wildcats return 14 starters and 32 letterwinners from last year's team that went 11-3 overall and 7-1 in CAA play and advanced to the quarterfinal round of the NCAA playoffs. Villanova finished last season ranked No. 7 in the final national poll.

Villanova is picked to win the CAA in the conference's preseason predicted order of finish. In the poll, the Wildcats garnered 14 of a possible 24 first place votes.

Senior quarterback John Robertson (Paramus, N.J.) has been named the CAA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, while senior linebacker Don Cherry (Trumbull, Conn.) is the CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.

Robertson is the reigning FCS national offensive player of the year. In 13 games last season, he completed 197-of-301 (65.4%) with 35 touchdowns and three interceptions. He also had 227 carries for 1,078 yards and 11 scores. Robertson joins Brian Westbrook (1997-2001) as the only two Villanova players to have three 1,000 yard rushing seasons. In seven of his 13 games in 2014, he threw at least three touchdown passes. Villanova is the only school to produce three national player of the year honorees. Robertson joins former Wildcat wide receiver Brian Finneran (1997) and Westbrook (2001) in earning the honor.

Cherry started all 14 games last season and registered 134 total tackles (82 solo), 21.5 tackles for loss, 10 sacks, five forced fumbles, one interception and a fumble recovery. He tallied double figures in tackles in seven of the 14 games, including a career-high tying 16 tackles in the NCAA quarterfinal playoff game against Sam Houston State. Cherry was runner-up last year in the voting for the national defensive player of the year.

Villanova opens the 2015 campaign on Thursday, September 3, with a game at Connecticut. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. at the Rentschler Field in East Hartford, Conn. The game can be seen on ESPN3 and SNY.

NOTES: Senior defensive end Reggie Paris, Robertson and Cherry will serve as tri-captains for this season... Villanova had 88 players report to preseason camp ... The Wildcats will open the home portion of their schedule on Sept. 19 against Delaware....Head coach Andy Talley enters his 31st season as the Wildcat leader in 2015.