Stetson University head football coach Roger Hughes welcomed 107 players to campus on Thursday as the Hatters prepare to open the start of training camp on Friday evening.
 
Coming off an 8-2 season last fall, Stetson has 20 players returning with significant starting experience, including every position on the defensive side of the ball.
 
The Stetson squad to open training camp includes three graduate students – QB Gaven DeFilippo, WR Jeremiah Nails and TE Max Draper, a transfer from Eastern Illinois. There are 10 other seniors on the squad including three that have redshirted. The team also includes 20 juniors, 27 sophomores, seven redshirt freshmen and 41 true freshmen in camp for the first time.
 
In addition to the returning experience, the Hatters have 59 native Floridians on the squad along with 16 players from the state of Georgia. Other states represented on the roster are California and Mississippi (four players each); New Jersey and Maryland (three players each); Alabama, Ohio, Arizona, Pennsylvania and North Carolina (two players each) and Michigan, Illinois, Connecticut, Tennessee, Texas, and New York with one each. The squad also has a player from Puerto Rico and another from Panama.
 
The team is scheduled to take the Watson Family Practice Fields at the ATC on Friday evening for the first of four consecutive 7:30 p.m. sessions. Practice will move to 2 p.m. on Tuesday, August 6 and continue through the the scrimmage on Saturday to close out the first week of drills. The team is scheduled to have off days from practice on Thursday and Sunday.
 
The Hatters will play eight home games this fall. For information on tickets, visit www.GoHatters.com/tix, email HatterTickets@Stetson.edu or call 386-738-HATS (4287) during regular business hours. The Stetson Athletics Ticket Office is open at the Edmunds Center from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.
 
Stetson Football fans who are interested in supporting the program can also do so by participating in the 7^th Annual Stetson Football Kickoff Fundraiser. That event is scheduled for Friday, August 30, at Alaqua Country Club in Longwood. Registration for the golf tournament will begin at 9 a.m. with a shotgun start set for 10 a.m.
 
Stetson and Presbyterian are scheduled to get the season started on Saturday, August 31, at 7 p.m. at Spec Martin Stadium.
 
About Stetson University Athletics: Stetson University's Athletics Program has a vision of developing a culture of champions athletically, academically and within the community. This vision is accomplished through a mission of recruiting and developing student-athletes, coaches and staff, creating a culture of champions, within and outside of competition. The department operates with five core values: Championship Culture, Integrity, Excellence, Pride/Tradition and Leadership. To learn more about the Vision, Mission and Core Values for Stetson Athletics, visit GoHatters.com and click on Mission Statement under the Inside Athletics tab.