Linebacker Lineup

Alec Davison will fight to make an impact right away

Congratulations to baseball's Dario Pizzano for winning the Ivy League Player of the Year award.

Baseball remains a competitive team year after year, which stands as strong proof that the distance of the Baker Athletic Complex from campus does not mean the teams that play there can't succeed.

Best Backers

I want to revisit the quick but encouraging assessment of the linebacker corps that Head Coach Pete Mangurian gave in his review of the Spring Game defense.

Based on what he wrote, it appears the starters in the 4-3 defense will be junior Zach Olinger and seniors Ryan Murphy and Mike Waller.


When Olinger brole out midway through his freshman season in 2010, and he did improve from 16 tackles in his first year to 51 in his sophomore campaign.

But injuries held him out of three games in 2011. One can only imagine what this juggernaut from Alabama will be able to achieve if he stays healthy this fall.

Murphy is one of the fastest and determined pass rushers in the Ivy league. He had 10 tackles for a loss, including five sacks last season to stand out in what was otherwise a very down year for the team. Murphy can be a great weapon against the run too, but he'll have to step up that part of his game to make the jump to the All-Ivy level.

Waller was a surprise newcomer to the starting lineup last season, and he made the most if it.  He had nine tackles for a loss and showed a good ability to cover the pass too.

As for the backups, I have been impressed with junior Brian East since day one, and I also liked the way Ray Pesanello and Vinny Pugliese looked as freshman last year.

And Coach Mangurian surprised me with his high praise for Devan Luster, a linebacker who seemed very much under the radar under the Norries Wilson regime. It would be great if he can have a breakout season as a senior.

The top incoming freshmen linebacker is worth getting excited about. Alec Davison is a load at 6-1 and 243 pounds, and he may even be the top incoming freshmen in the whole class of 2016.

In a league where top-notch defensive linemen are at such a premium, linebacker player often makes the difference for a defense. It's encouraging that the brutally honest Mangurian is optimistic about this squad.