Two of them are offensive linemen, helping to ease at least my fears about the Lions becoming too thin at the position.
One is Marshall Markham, a 6-5, 285 pound offensive lineman from the Kinkaid School in Houston, TX where he was once a teammate of rising junior Wells Childress. Markham become the second Kinkaid product to come to the CU football program.
The other OL is 6-9 250 pound Bill Lawrence from St. Ignatius HS in the Chicago Catholic League. There's not a lot of info on Lawrence, but it won't come as a surprise that he is also on the basketball team.
Here is Lawrence's highlight video below:
Could Lawrence, at 6-9, be a candidate for tight end? If he has decent hands, he would be uncoverable and I'd love to see the Lion coaching staff give that a try!
The most dramatic story among the new names belongs to 6-3 170 pound WR Isaiah Gross from Poway HS in Poway, CA.
Gross was a key member of Poway's, (that's in the San Diego area), undefeated championship team this past fall. He even caught two TD passes in the 56-0 win over Vista in the title game.
Gross is the first Poway student to join the CU football team.
Gross first committed to Columbia, then switched to Yale, and now is back with Columbia in what looks like a final shift.
This will only add fuel to the fire in what has become a bitter recruiting rivalry between Columbia and Yale that began just a few months ago over recruits like Gross, Mike Gerst and Logan Scott.
It looks like Columbia has won two out of the three battles so far, but let's see if that translates to a win this fall.
Now here's the updated list of our 33 known incoming freshmen:
1. Oluwatoba "Toba" Akinleye DE 6-1, 215 lbs. Fort Hamilton HS Brooklyn. NY
2. Jacob Ardron LB 6-1 230 lbs. Diamond Ranch HS, Pomona, CA
3. Trevor Bell WR/KR 5-7 190 lbs. Hamshire-Fannett HS Hamshire, TX
4. Brandon Blackshear CB/WR/KR 5-10 170 lbs. Sherwood HS Sherwood, OR
5. Matt Cahal DB 6-0, 190 lbs. Brophy College Prep Phoenix, AZ
6.Chris Cicilioni G/DE 6-2 225 lbs. Valley View HS Scranton, PA
7. Mark Cieslak LB 5-11 235 lbs. St. Joseph's HS Montvale, NJ
8. Chris Connors WR 6-1 205 lbs. St. Edward HS Lakewood, OH
9. Alec Davison LB 6-1 243 lbs. Clement HS Sugarland, TX
10. Andrew Dobitsch WR 5-11 180 lbs. Northern Valley HS Tappan, NJ
11. Nick Durham DE/TE 6-4 228 lbs. Bishop Fenwick HS Franklin, Ohio
12. Josh Foster DB 5-11 170 lbs. Delran HS Delran, NJ
13. Michael Gerst RB 5-10 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic Bergen County, NJ
2. Jacob Ardron LB 6-1 230 lbs. Diamond Ranch HS, Pomona, CA
3. Trevor Bell WR/KR 5-7 190 lbs. Hamshire-Fannett HS Hamshire, TX
4. Brandon Blackshear CB/WR/KR 5-10 170 lbs. Sherwood HS Sherwood, OR
5. Matt Cahal DB 6-0, 190 lbs. Brophy College Prep Phoenix, AZ
6.Chris Cicilioni G/DE 6-2 225 lbs. Valley View HS Scranton, PA
7. Mark Cieslak LB 5-11 235 lbs. St. Joseph's HS Montvale, NJ
8. Chris Connors WR 6-1 205 lbs. St. Edward HS Lakewood, OH
9. Alec Davison LB 6-1 243 lbs. Clement HS Sugarland, TX
10. Andrew Dobitsch WR 5-11 180 lbs. Northern Valley HS Tappan, NJ
11. Nick Durham DE/TE 6-4 228 lbs. Bishop Fenwick HS Franklin, Ohio
12. Josh Foster DB 5-11 170 lbs. Delran HS Delran, NJ
13. Michael Gerst RB 5-10 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic Bergen County, NJ
14. Isaiah Gross WR 6-3 170 lbs. Poway HS Poway, CA
15. Scooter Hollis QB 6-1 175 lbs. Bowling Green HS Bowling Green, KY
16. J.D. Hurt DE 6-2 270 lbs. St. Anthony's HS Melville, NY
17. Max Keefe S 6-2 200 lbs. Choctawatchee HS Fort Walton, FL
18. Erik Kuklinski OL 6-7 270 lbs. Arlington HS LaGrangeville, NY
19. Bill Lawrence OL 6-9 250 lbs. St. Ignatius HS Chicago, IL
15. Scooter Hollis QB 6-1 175 lbs. Bowling Green HS Bowling Green, KY
16. J.D. Hurt DE 6-2 270 lbs. St. Anthony's HS Melville, NY
17. Max Keefe S 6-2 200 lbs. Choctawatchee HS Fort Walton, FL
18. Erik Kuklinski OL 6-7 270 lbs. Arlington HS LaGrangeville, NY
19. Bill Lawrence OL 6-9 250 lbs. St. Ignatius HS Chicago, IL
20. Brett Leatherwood OL 6-0 220 lbs. Anderson HS Austin, TX
21. Marshall Markham OL 6-5 285 lbs. Kinkaid School Houston, TX
21. Marshall Markham OL 6-5 285 lbs. Kinkaid School Houston, TX
22. Kevin McCarthy, S 6-1 200 lbs. Hingham, HS Hingham. MA
23. Trevor McDonagh, QB 6-3 200 lbs. St. Louis University HS St. Louis, MO
24. Cameron Molina, RB/LB 5-10, 185 lbs. Tuscarora HS Leesburg, VA
25. Daren Napier DT 6-4 275 lbs. St. John's HS Houston, TX
26. Niko Padilla, DT 6-2, 280 lbs. Parish Episcopal School Dallas, TX
27. Darin Patmon S 6-1 180 lbs. Land O'Lakes HS Land O'Lakes, FL
28. Keith Ramljak OL 6-4 275 lbs. Westlake HS Westlake Village, CA
29. Travis Reim DB 6-1 185 lbs. Cedar Park HS Cedar Park, TX
30. Austin Stock, C 6-3 270 lbs. Solon HS Solon, OH
31. Hank Trumbull QB 6-4 210 lbs. Chadwick School Palos Verdes, CA
32. Julian Vigil DB 5-10 170 lbs. Mullen HS Denver, CO
33. Mike Zunica, FB 6-1 215 lbs. St. Rita HS Chicago, IL
23. Trevor McDonagh, QB 6-3 200 lbs. St. Louis University HS St. Louis, MO
24. Cameron Molina, RB/LB 5-10, 185 lbs. Tuscarora HS Leesburg, VA
25. Daren Napier DT 6-4 275 lbs. St. John's HS Houston, TX
26. Niko Padilla, DT 6-2, 280 lbs. Parish Episcopal School Dallas, TX
27. Darin Patmon S 6-1 180 lbs. Land O'Lakes HS Land O'Lakes, FL
28. Keith Ramljak OL 6-4 275 lbs. Westlake HS Westlake Village, CA
29. Travis Reim DB 6-1 185 lbs. Cedar Park HS Cedar Park, TX
30. Austin Stock, C 6-3 270 lbs. Solon HS Solon, OH
31. Hank Trumbull QB 6-4 210 lbs. Chadwick School Palos Verdes, CA
32. Julian Vigil DB 5-10 170 lbs. Mullen HS Denver, CO
33. Mike Zunica, FB 6-1 215 lbs. St. Rita HS Chicago, IL
4 comments:
Keep in mind that whatever happened between Columbia and Yale is nothing compared to what happened between Harvard and Yale. After being hired by Yale, Reno stole all of Murphy's coaching staff as well as his top wide receiver recruit, Sebastian Little. Reno also gave Yale athletics a black eye in the way he handled some of the recruits. Any player who selects Yale over Columbia or Harvard has to deal with the strong possibility that Reno will be "one and out" come November.
The addition of Isaiah Gross gives the Lions a very promising group of wide receivers. Gross and Bell are both great athletes with the ability to score from anywhere on the field. Connors was the top wide receiver for a St. Edward's team that was one of the best in the country last year. He is supposed to have 4.5 speed. Andrew Dobitsch racked up great numbers last year for Northern Valley and was first team All Bergen County , New Jersey. On film, he looks like the second coming of Mike Stephens. Our quarterbacks must be thrilled to know that we have players of this caliber joining the team.
I was skeptical of Jake's comment that Lawrence based on his size might make a promising TE ... however, after looking at his highlight video, Jake's got a point .... Lawrence has "good feet" ... he looks pretty agile pulling and blocking downfield .... good call Jakester !!!!
Reno may be worse than Bags.
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