After over 100 student-athletes battled through a 10-day training camp, Varsity Blues head coach Greg DeLaval has high hopes on the eve of the 2010 regular season.

“Our primary goal is to keep getting better and I think we’re doing that,” said DeLaval. “It’s not just about the number of players on a roster, it’s the calibre of athleticism that we had at camp that we haven’t seen in the past decade here – it makes us, as a coaching staff, very excited and ready to get out there.”

WHO’S GONE:

Offensive lineman Chris Kowalczuk, receiver Drew Meerveld and defensive backs Matthew Morris and Matt D’Souza.

WHO’S BACK:

Quarterback Andrew Gillis, receivers Jonathan Wright and Michael Prempeh, offensive lineman Josh Gibbs, defensive backs Derek Batchelor, Kyle Kennedy and Willie Sharpe, linebacker Wilkerson DeSouza and defensive lineman Mark Evans.

WHO’S NEW:

Receiver Alex Pierzchalski, running backs Aaron Milton and Chris Weiland, defensive backs Trevor Harvey and Hugo Lopez, linebacker Christopher Johnson and defensive linemen James Bodanis and Zack Lukings.

Defence:

Derek Batchelor, Wilkerson DeSouza and Mark Evans will be called upon to lead Toronto’s defensive unit that has shown vast improvement during Greg DeLaval’s tenure as head coach. The trio combined for over 100 tackles and accounted for seven of Toronto’s 18 sacks in 2009.

As a defensive back, Batchelor is a two-time OUA all-star. He led the team and was ranked seventh in the OUA with 50 solo tackles in 2009. He, along with the team’s interception leader Kyle Kennedy, veteran Willie Sharpe and University of Waterloo transfer Hugo Lopez, solidify the Blues defensive backfield.

DeSouza, who had a breakout year in 2009 ranking second on the team with 36 solo tackles, returns and is eager to lead Toronto’s linebackers. He will be joined by veterans Andrii Feshanets and Adam Fehler as well as newcomers Chris Johnson and Nicholas Witczak.

Standing at 6-foot-7, 300 pounds, Evans had a team-high four sacks last season and will be key to stopping the opposition’s ground game. He’ll also look to fellow defensive linemen Joe Cappiello, Abbey Olusoga and rookies James Bodanis and Zack Lukings for support up front.

Offence:

With new leadership emerging and a strong recruiting class, DeLaval will turn to quarterback Andrew Gillis to steer the ship in 2010. The fourth-year veteran is a versatile pivot who led the team with 228 rushing yards, while recording 491 passing yards in 2009.

The Blues lose a solid receiver in Drew Meerveld, who finished seventh in the province with 541 receiving yards last year but look to fill the void with third-year receivers Jonathan Wright and Michael Prempeh. In 2009, Wright led the team with five touchdowns and 30 points and also had a team-high 560 all-purpose yards. Prempeh returns this year after an injury-riddled 2009. He had an impressive showing at the 2010 East West Bowl and has continued to impress at training camp.

U of T coaches hope that second-year receiver Sebastian Magalas and rookie Alex Pierzchalski will also be prime targets for Gillis in 2010.

Fourth-year running back Walter Cariazo and first-year standout Aaron Milton will lead one of the largest groups of running backs that the Blues have had at camp in recent years. Cariazo was ranked second on the team with 227 rushing yards last season. University of Toledo transfer Chris Weiland will also be counted on to showcase his skills on the field.

With the loss of 6-foot-5 offensive lineman Chris Kowalczuk to the CFL, Josh Gibbs and centre Mario Tedesco will be called upon to lead a much improved, but young offensive line. They will look to Ross Asaro, Corey Hafezi and first-year offensive tackles Aaron Wheaton and Connor Hanak to come up big for the Blues offence.

Special Teams:

Toronto has added much-needed depth to its punting and kicking units. Former X-Men, Kyle Chisholm, joins third-year place kicker Andrew Lomasney. While at St. FX, Chisholm led the AUS with a 39-yard punting average and recorded a season-high 74-yard punt at Saint Mary’s on Oct 24, 2008. In his first CIS game, Lomasney booted the game-winning field goal that ended the Varsity Blues record-breaking 49-game losing streak on September 1, 2008 vs. Waterloo. He hit 5-of-9 field goals in 2009 – his longest was 40 yards at McMaster on Oct. 8.

The Varsity Blues open their season tomorrow at Guelph at 3 p.m. and return to Varsity Centre on Monday, Sept. 6 for their home opener, when they host the Windsor Lancers at 7 p .m.

For more information, scores and highlights on your favourite U of T athletes and teams, please visit www.varsityblues.ca. Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Facebook for the latest and greatest in Varsity Blues intercollegiate athletics.