More on Media Day: The Coherent Version
I am still tired...
I do a grueling workout every morning, but nothing seems to tire me out more than a couple of hours of driving. So, I felt like I left a lot out of my media day report yesterday.
Here are some of the things I just couldn't spit out at first...
1) How I voted in the media preseason poll
I was one of the 16 people asked to participate, and it was an honor. I'm still too wasted to have detailed predictions ready today, but here's how I see the Ivies finishing this season:
1. Yale
2. Penn
3. Princeton
4. Columbia
5. Harvard
6. Cornell
7. Dartmouth
8. Brown
I bet most of the other 15 guys were like me in that I felt confident about my picks for 1-2 and 7-8, but the middle four could really go in any order.
My 4th place prediction for Columbia may seem overly optimistic to some... but anyone who's hung around this Lions program for more than 10 years can see the positive changes and unusual things about this team that create optimism. I expect Columbia to challenge each opponent in every game just like last season, and this time I expect the Lions to grab a bigger share of wins.
Again, the complete predictions and breakdowns for each team is upcoming.
The Columbia Media Guide included a projected two-deep for the season. It's below, but remember, these projected two-deeps are really a stretch in a lot of cases. I guarantee the actual two-deep for game one against Fordham will have many changes.
Projected Columbia Two-Deep
OFFENSE
QB-Craig Hormann
QB-M.A. Olawale or Shane Kelly
RB-Jordan Davis
RB-Ray Rangel
FB-Pete Stoll
FB-Thomas Weldon or Austin Stevenson
WR-Austin Knowlin
WR-Josh A. Williams
WR-Taylor Joseph or Tim Paulin
WR-Jason Pyles
TE-Jamal Russell or Troy Evangelist
TE-Cody Steele
RT-Ralph DeBernardo
RT-Stefan Savic
RG-Nathan Walcker
RG-Rick Ingold
C-Mike Partain
C-Evan Sanford
LG-John Seiler
LG-Gene Kaskiw
LT-Mike Brune
LT-Will Lipovsky
DEFENSE
LE-Phil Mitchell
LE-Troy McHenry
NT-Mack Loughrey
NT-Eli Waltz
RE-Matt Bashaw
RE-Conor Joyce
ILB-Drew Quinn
ILB-Vuaghn Hodges
MLB-Corey Cameron
MLB-Bayo Aregbe
ILB-Justin Masorti or Lou Miller
ILB-Josh D. Williams
SS-Andy Shalbrack
SS-Kirk Weller
SS-Clark Koury
SS-Tyler Duffy
FS-Brandon Buckley
FS-Drew Abeyta
CB-Eugene Edwards
CB-Grant Jefferson
CB-JoJo Smith
CB-Ed Thomas
SPECIALISTS
P-John Rocholl
P-Mike Siebold
K-Jon Rocholl
K-Mike Siebold
LS-Josh Webster
LS-Thomas Weldon
Coach Wilson really wanted to make it clear that once again, no one's job is safe. And with the improved overall roster numbers, that's sounding like less of a coach's motivational tool and more like the truth. The Lions can't afford for last year's young stars like Knowlin, Masorti and Shalbrack to think they have their jobs all sewn up.
That said, I think they do have more than just an inside track. The real competition on offense will be at the wide receiver, running back and guard positions. Joseph, Jancisin, Paulin or a freshman like Nico Gutierez or Mike Stephens could each emerge as the real #2 aerial target in the attack.
Leon Ivery is apparently the highest-rated freshman back by the coaches, and we'll see if he makes some noise in training camp.
I'm not sure any freshmen will realistically get into the mix in the race for the guard positions, but I wouldn't be surprised to see some new names in the two-deep on opening night at guard.
Of course, if Hormann really isn't ready, the race to be the starting QB in his absence could get interesting. We know Olawale's strengths, but his passing was really shaky in the spring game. Kelly is also apparently a good runner, but will he be well-versed enough in the CU offense to make a good run at the job?
The hot spots on defense will be at nose tackle and safety. I wouldn't be shocked to see a freshman like Calvin Otis make an impact in the defensive backfield. I expect Waltz and Loughrey to really share that starting spot at nose tackle, at least until one of the freshmen matures.
Some Other Things I Missed
Veteran players reported for weigh-ins, etc. last weekend. Apparently, there were more than a few smiles after the new numbers came out, but they are not for public consumption yet. I expect to see those numbers sometime during training camp in a couple of weeks.
Coach Wilson talked a lot about team strength... not necessarily size, but strength. It's clear he was really dissatisfied by that last season, and that's probably putting a lot of pressure on Director of Strength & Conditioning Tom Sheehan to get as many players in better shape as soon as possible. We may see some surprising changes to the two-deep based on who worked the hardest in the weight room this summer.
Of course, the best thing about the new media guide was the picture of Jerry Recco and me on page four. It made my association with the team seem more official than ever before. (Of course I did make a pictorial appearance in a media guide once before. It was at the back of the 1991 guide, where a picture of me and my fraternity brothers rooting at a game is featured. I look a little drunk and stupid... which was entirely possible at the time).
Here's another article about how smart Steve Cargile '04 is. Cargile is still battling for a real spot and playing time with the Denver Broncos. It's nice to be smart, but collecting game checks is nice too.
posted by Jake @ 9:11:00 PM
26 comments
26 Comments:
Excellent analysis. Look for a few first years to make it into the rotation on the DL.
Rick Ingold will not be back in the fall. He is transferring to Ohio Northern.
Was Ingold expected to make the two deep?
Ohio Northern is a Top 25 D-III football team. It's also a small town Methodist school. Hope it's not true but if so he'll help their front line.
Why are Masorti and Miller shown as battling for one position? Both of those guys have the talent to be starters. Also, I expect to see Ivery get some carries this Fall. He was apparently being recruited heavily by Stanford unless he was injured senior year.
Like I said... Coach Wilson will accept no "resting on laurels." Everyone will have to prove themselves again and be ready to take it to the next level.
What is the story on Troy McHenry? He has great size and was heavily recruited but hasn't been able to avoid injuries.
Columbia finishing ahead of Harvard? I like that you have cojones, Jake.
There seems to be a sense of disillusionment surrounding the Harvard program right now. Underachieving puts it mildly. In addition, there was the nasty little incident of a linebacker slugging his girlfriend before last season and getting himself kicked off the team, followed by several dismissals by Murphy during the season.
Jake
whats the skinny on the quarterback position? Will Craig be the starter for week 1? How about the O-line? I thought they might move Partain out to tackle this year. Is Wilson converting some component of the offense to an I back attack?
Jake,
Are any of the first year OLs candidates for a starting slot at guard? You saw Constant play; he looks like a road grader. Can you see him getting any PT at guard? And what about Moose?
If you look at the Columbia roster, Bryan Kipp is the only freshman lineman listed as an offensive guard. Given the limited number of returning linemen, Kipp certainly has a chance to break into the two deep, but so do all the other freshmen + junior Ed Salter and soph Moose Veldmann. It's difficult to tell from the Columbia website which of the incoming freshmen linemen may have played guard in high school. However, the Columbia website does say that Carl Constant was an All-City tackle so he would have to learn a new position if he moved to guard. In my opinion, any offensve lineman from the Great States of Georgia and Ohio is at an advantage because high school offensive linemen in those states are extremely well-coached in the fundamentals. I wonder if anyone agrees with me on that.
I think "Moose" Veldman prefers to go by his real first name of Brandon == at least that's the way he's now listed on the roster. Also, it may be that the Moose name has led some to think he's a very strong talent, but he will need to improve to make the 2-deep (read his bio on roster). It's my guess that a replacement for Ingold at backup guard will likely come from the freshmen. But I wish Brandon the best -- if he can make it, that's great.
Has Ingold's departure been confirmed? He is still on the roster. I hope Gene Kaskiw gets a crack at playing time. We sat next to his parents and grandmother at a game last year. They seemd like really terrific people.
Ingold gone from roster now. That should leave 101, but there's only 100, so somebody else is gone, too. Anybody know who?
I noticed that #63 is no longer on the roster . I don't remember who this is (I suspect it may be a frosh as there was no number 63 last year).
Pat DeFazio is the #63 no longer on the roster. I have no further information.
My impression of Constant is that he's going to be a good talent, but I think he needs to lost weight and then gain it back as muscle.
DeFazio was being moved to nose guard. Not sure if he was a candidate for the two deep.
For the line, I'd give the edge to the guys with the most experience in the system. They have one year of Marino's madness under their belt and should understand the footwork as well as the angles. While good high school prep helps, the key for the linemen is bigger, stronger, faster and in our system smarter.
Coach Wilson has been saying that we need to get bigger and stronger on the OL to establish a running game. He has also been talking about using a two TE set. What do we know about the results of our weight training and conditioning program? And if NW wants to go with experience, then I would imagine that Seiler and Nathan W are good candidates for the wide open OG position (I am assuming we are set at tackle and center). Jake, can you help here?
The O-line looked better than expected in the spring game. Partain in the middle will add leadership and experience if he can remain injury free. Ralph DeBernardo did a nice job at tackle his first full year and should be improved this year. Ralph could be all-ivy this year. Mike Brune should be a strong at the other tackle this year. Seiler played well in spots last year as a freshman and should be ready to take on a new spot for him. Both Seiler and Brune had a good spring game. Walkcker should be fine at right guard. Overall this group has a chance to be signficantly improved as a unit.
I think that's true. Look, Coach Wilson has a lot of good reasons to feel concern about the guard positions, but he's in a really much better position than he was last year with the O-Line. Now combine that with better competition for the running back spots, and you have the ingredients for a much improved offense all the way around.
A lot of fans don't know how hard it is to develop good offensive linemen. They are usually the smartest guys on the team (check how many OLs are pre-med, for example). The footwork is very hard to master, as is the technique. It is hard to recruit big guys who are athletic enough to play on the interior line. ONe example: last year Princeton's best OL, in my opinion was a skinny 240 pound freshman who is an outstanding athlete. I think that Ralph has those skills, for example. But too many fans think that you canjust put 5 300 pounders up front and have an OL.
My guess is that DeFazio didn't recover from his back injury.
I agree. In general, line players are later to develop than the skill guys. The OL has a very tough task, given the complexity of the system and the assignments. I think this group has a good chance to really help the team this year. Hopefully, Coach Wilson will be able to develop a couple of guys like he did with last years freshman group.
Is OL Dusty Byington still in school? As I recall he was a starter who left during the last weeks of the Shoop tenure. Also, who is the big OL from Georgia who was injured last year and couldn't play? Is he back?
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