NEWARK, Del. – University of Delaware Football Head Coach Ryan Carty has announced the 2023 captains that will lead the Blue Hens during the upcoming season. The Blue & Gold will be led by a veteran group of defensive linemen Chase McGowan and Ethan Saunders, linebacker Dillon Trainer and offensive lineman Brock Gingrich. The four captains were chosen by a vote of their teammates and coaches.

McGowan is coming off his third-straight All-CAA selection with another strong campaign on the UD front line last season. The Stafford, Virginia native led the squad in both TFL (9.5) and sacks (5.0) while finishing with 30 tackles and was a constant presence in the opponents’ backfield with five quarterback hurries and two pass breakups. In 40 career games, McGowan has 63 tackles with 24.0 TFL and 15 sacks.

Saunders saw significant time in the defensive line’s main rotation last year, appearing in 12 of UD’s 13 games in 2022. He finished with nine tackles, including a season-high three tackles against Monmouth, as well as 2.0 TFL, and 1.5 sacks.

Trainer will look to step into a bigger role in 2023. He appeared in three games last year and has seen time in 22 games over his first three seasons in the Blue & Gold, totaling 21 tackles.

Gingrich has appeared in 23 games in his career with 17 starts at center over the past two seasons including all 13 games in 2022. He led an offensive line last year that helped the Delaware offense average 137.9 rushing and 274.5 passing yards per game. Heavily involved in the community, Gingrich was named a nominee for the 2023 Allstate AFCA Good Works Team earlier this summer.

The Blue Hens open the 2023 season on Thursday, August 31 with a CAA road matchup at Stony Brook. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. Seats remain available on the bus to Stony Brook with the BHTC. $75 for members, $80 nonmembers. Register on our secure payments page!