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No matter how great some of the incoming freshmen are, spring practice will be crucial for a lot of Lions who need to show improvement to the new coaching staff… or at least something the old coaching staff overlooked.
Every week until spring practice begins, I’d like to focus on three Lions at each position.
Let’s start with the offensive line:
OL Jimmy Yukevich
The rising junior has gone from 275 to 297 pounds to better fill out his 6-7 frame. That’s a good start. Speaking of starts, Yukevich got a few last year at right tackle, but the Lions are going to need Yukevich to step it up to help provide new leadership on the line.
OL Alec Kosminskas
Incoming freshman center Austin Stock seems like the real deal at this position so the senior Kosminskas, who has been a key backup as a center and some other positions, will need to bring his “A” game to spring practice. As a rare senior returnee at this position, Columbia really needs Kosminskas to provide the skill and the experience to the front five in 2012.
OL Eric Walker
Another senior like Kosminskas who was pressed into emergency duty as a starter last season. This is his chance to prove he deserves a starting spot in normal circumstances.
I would add Carey Parker and Tom Callahan, but since they are still just rising sophomores I don’t think they face the pressure the upperclassmen do to show their stuff this spring.
Of course, spring practice is a weird atmosphere for O-linemen since QB’s aren’t live and you can’t really practice pass protection as effectively that way.
But Columbia needs to generate some strength as this position after the problems the unit faced last season.
This is also a big test for O-line coach Ed Argast. Argast is now the only remaining coach from the previous staff and he needs to prove to the new regime that he truly deserved to be retained.
4 comments:
Looking at the incoming fresham, there appears to be possibly 4 freshamn who may compete for starting positions .... Padilla (DT), Napier (DT), Davison (LB), and Stock (C). Others who may see playing time include McCarthy (S)and Trumbull (ATH)
It is easier to work a guy like Davison into the mix. LBs And DLs with the physical tools can get on the field more quickly. I am also looking for break out years from Chad Washington and Wade Childress.
You are probably too modest in your exectations of the incoming class. Padill, Napier, Davison and Stock certainly will be competing for starting positions, but so will at least ten to twenty other incoming freshmen. I would expect McCarthy, Reim, Keefe, Patmon, Foster and Vigil, in no particular order, to be in the mix in the defensive backfield. On offense, several of the incoming skill players could grab starting positions early in the season. Also, Nick Durham will be competing for playing time behind our All-Ivy tight end, Hamilton Garner. Finally, all four of the incoming freshman quarterbacks will be competing for playing time behind Sean Brackett.
I respectfully disagree with the anonymous poster that up to 24 of the incoming freshman will be competing for starting positions. I don't beleive that there is such an absence of talent in the other three classes that over 50% of the team will be freshman on the field. Competing yes, playing a significant role, in my opinion, a few. From experience, the playbook is more complex, the size, speed and strength of the opponent much greater than what was played against before (as are men on Columbia). 18 year olds are now competing against twenty somethings with years of likely better training and understanding of the game. There are always great freshman in the league, but rarely more than a few start for any team.
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