St. Laurent, Beauvais looking to play bigger roles for URI

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Both sides of Cranston are well represented on the University of Rhode Island football field.

Cranston West graduate and redshirt junior defensive lineman Anthony St. Laurent was recently honored with the Iron Ram Award, while Cranston East’s Marven Beauvais will most likely be URI’s No. 2 option at wide receiver.

The Iron Ram Award recognizes a player for his work in the weight room and dedication to the offseason program, and St. Laurent set himself apart from the rest.

Expectations for St. Laurent are high, according to URI football head coach Jim Fleming, and the veteran can make an immediate impact despite a slight injury that kept him from playing in the annual Blue-White Spring Game. St. Laurent will help to improve a defensive front seven that was ninth in rushing defense (195.7 ypg) and last in the Colonial Athletic Association with just nine sacks last year.

“He’ll factor in big time,” Fleming said. “He’s a guy that came on, sat around and watched practice a full year and came on and has been playing ever since. He’s a very active inside defensive lineman for us.”

Redshirt sophomore wideout Beauvais was a welcomed surprise for URI in 2015, reeling in 19 catches for 286 yards during his freshman campaign. He led the team with 15.1 yards per reception, but he will search for his first collegiate touchdown this season.

Beauvais will probably line up opposite No. 1 wide receiver Khayri Denny, who led URI with 403 receiving yards and three touchdowns. Fleming said Beauvais is still raw, with some fundamental skills that need shoring up, but the talent is certainly there.

“He’s made huge, huge strides in terms of effort, and specific skills associated with playing receiver,” Fleming said of the 6-foot-4, 213-pound wide receiver. “He’s got so much more that he can do. He’s got one very good superlative: He can catch the rock. And he’s got as good a catch radius as anyone in our league. But we’ve got a long way to go before he reaches his full potential.”

St. Laurent and Beauvais will have nearly four months to keep working before URI takes the field for the first time against Kansas on Sept. 3.

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