There is no imminent opponent, no game on Saturday to prepare for. Instead, it's a chance for introspective growth and development. But the lack of midseason urgency also means an increase in reps across the roster.

Christian Harrison would've gotten considerable reps regardless. The 6-foot, 195-pound receiver joined Monmouth from the renowned junior college program at Lackawanna, and looked comfortable working inside or outside as the third receiver beyond established playmakers Gavin Nelson and Tra Neal. But at some practices, the newcomer found himself as the top receiving target.

"There's been great improvement. I'd probably say the competitive part is way more advanced than JUCO; you get guys just as technical as you," Harrison said. "You get one-percent better every day."

Thursday marks the final spring practice for Monmouth football, although the Spring Showcase scrimmage on Sunday will be the momentous end to another session of practices. Spring football is both a challenging and enlightening observation opportunity. The important caveat is that this is a long way from the regular season pace of practices, and so these reps can't be evaluated the same way as fall camp or midseason practices. For Harrison, one of the bigger challenges is just getting acclimated to a new system.

"(Nelson and Neal) helped me get more comfortable as soon as I came in. I was a little shaky with the playbook but I sat down with them, we learned the playbook," Harrison said. "And the one thing I'll probably say I learned from it was just confidence. Once you know your route, you just got to figure out how to win at that point. Everything else will fall into place."

The concepts and formations are more malleable in the spring. There is a great opportunity to play with different plays and varying situations, many of which end up on the cutting room floor. But it's a prime chance to see more of a team's depth and versatility than can be observed during the regular season when the team is preparing for a game.

With that in mind, check out these eight players who shined during Monmouth's 2026 spring practice session. No returning starters were considered, as this is a look at some exciting up-and-comers that will try to build on their spring success in the fall.

It's pretty rare to see early enrollees in spring football at the FCS level, and even rarer to see them hit the ground running like McNeil has. He's worked at multiple positions in the defensive backfield, but is looking very comfortable operating as a high-safety. The entire secondary looked like a strong point, although they were working against a thin group of receivers after some injuries. Regardless, McNeil has the ability to read the quarterback and jump throws with cat-like quickness. After Chris Palmer Jr. was too good to keep off the field as a true freshman in 2025, McNeil might be a similar case in 2026.

Monmouth is going to lean heavily on their two dynamic proven receivers, Gavin Nelson and Tra Neal. But after that, there is a wide-open competition for opportunities. A junior college transfer from the strong program at Lackawanna, Harrison stood out physically in the spring as an imposing presence that can line up inside or outside. There could be more fine-tuning in utilizing his frame and speed to more consistently separate from defenders, but the flashes were tantalizing as he was able to win contested catches even though his forte is explosiveness both to separate and add yards after the catch.

One of Monmouth's big questions is how they will replace two outstanding edge rushers in Lamont Lester and Josiah Graham. There is promise in the defensive line, but the answer may be in two linebackers who emerged this spring. Rondeau is the longer of the two at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, but the traits that really pop are his get off and bend around the edge against tackles.

Even going back to midseason practices last year while he was redshirting, Reid does things at practice that turns heads. One example this year was him running stride-for-stride with a receiver on a wheel route and then punching out the would-be catch for a pass breakup. Reid is poised to fill in at the "viper" position that is a hybrid-safety linebacker, but he just wreaks havoc against the run or the pass wherever he lines up.

Monmouth is already loaded with polished and experienced players on the interior defensive line, but it's astonishing how the depth goes beyond four proven rotational defensive tackles as Pettiford might be the best rusher of the group. He has an explosive first step and plays with great leverage as he needs to at 6-foot-1 and 265 pounds. It's a unique play style, but his approach is reminiscent of recent first round draft pick Calijah Kancey.

Keshen has a more traditional linebacker build at 6-foot-1 and 225 pounds, but he gave offensive linemen fits as a blitzer. He plays with outstanding leverage, using his frame to his advantage with really astonishing change-of-direction and the ability to disengage blocks at will. But maybe the most impressive part was his ability on simulated pressures to bail out of a mug front and still be effective in coverage. Although he's a different type of player, Keshen could be the ideal replacement for Lamont Lester in passing situation sub packages.

Some of this is about the novelty of Treadwell's running style in contrast to the team's smaller, speedier backs. But mostly, it's about the local product from Keyport looking like a beast on a several runs. His running style is more nuanced than being purely downhill, but once he makes his cut he is a violent handful for defenders. And although it hasn't been unveiled yet, one would think there has to be a wide-ranging wildcat package in the works for Treadwell.

There really were so many impressive newcomers in this secondary group. Amir Haskett and Hass Manning Jr. were also intriguing, but the former standout at Union that previously played for Temple and Hampton. He's a long and physical corner that can bump and run or stay sticky with receivers when meeting them off the ball. It will be interesting to see how the position group gets further refined in the fall, but Ibrahim feels like an ideal corner opposite Chris Palmer.

This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Monmouth football spring practices top 8 breakout players