Rippon's Resume

The key part of Columbia's presumptive new defensive coordinator Chris Rippon's resume are his five years as DC at Syracuse from 1999 to 2003.

Those years tell you a lot about what you need to know about what Rippon should be able to do for the Lions.

Generally, the Orange D was very solid under Rippon, except when Syracuse played top ranked teams.

That's not really anything to be ashamed of.  But the Ivies don't really have teams that are so much stronger than the rest of the league, like say how a 1999 Miami team was compared to the rest of the Big East.

Anyone who tries to refute this point by pointing to last year's 69-0 loss to Harvard, should just take a breath and remember that that same Harvard team lost to Penn a week later... the same Penn team that Columbia mostly outplayed and almost beat in Philly in week 5.

The point is, how will Rippon's defenses perform in a league where parity is the norm?

Rippon will also soon find out that big 280-pound+ defensive linemen are perhaps the dearest commodity in this league. I realize they don't grow on trees in FBS football either, but even the best programs like Harvard and Penn have very little depth in that area. I know the Columbia coaching staff was working feverishly to add at least one more big D-lineman to the current recruiting class and we'll have to wait at least until April 2nd to find out if they got one.

Rippon still inherits a defense that improved overall, especially when it comes to fundamental football. There were fewer missed tackles, more crucial run stops, and just better overall heads up play. Rippon needs to make sure that momentum continues without graduating stalwarts Mike Waller, Josh Martin and Ryan Murphy.

And hopefully, Rippon will find the kind of real student-athletes he'll deal with at Columbia a refreshing change from the type of players he's dealt with the rest of his career.

UPDATED: DC Position Filled

Chris Rippon

More than one source is now reporting that former Marshall and Syracuse defensive coordinator Chris Rippon will be named as Columbia's new DC in the coming days.

Rippon left Marshall at then end of last season after the Thundering Herd defense allowed the most points in program history. But he had many great seasons while guiding the Orange defense at Syracuse especially in the late 1990's and early 2000's.

The initial reaction I'm getting from long-term Lion fans to this hire is... not so great.

But to be fair, they may be responding too much to the stats and not enough to what Rippon was able to do with the tools available.

That said, he faces a very tough challenge this season as Columbia's defense needs to improve without graduating stars like Josh Martin, Mike Waller, and Ryan Murphy.

I do like the idea of getting someone from FBS football with real coordinator experience in the mix. I think Head Coach Pete Mangurian is trying to instill big-time football program expectations for the Lions.

I also hope Rippon comes into this situation hoping to prove anyone who doubts him wrong.


Recruiting Announcement

I'm not sure why this year's incoming freshmen class will be officially announced on April 2, (at least according to this release from the athletic department), but why look a gift horse in the mouth!

The promised early list, along with insights from Coach Mangurian about the new players, are great news.

Front Five Needs to be Fab

With Columbia's murderous 2013 schedule staring it in the face, it's clear the Lions will have to upgrade as team to improve on, (and probably even match), last season's total of three wins.

All the buzz about transfer QB Brett Nottingham and some of the incoming freshmen is great, but the Lions won't be able to move forward, literally or figuratively, without a major improvement on the offensive line.

First the good news: the starters from last year are all returning. Now the bad news: unless they get A LOT better over the off season, the starters from last year just won't do, 

The stats tell the story: a stunning 40 sacks allowed, on top of 16 QB hurries allowed, and a generally harassed Sean Bracket on almost every play. The Lions also scored just six TD's rushing all season, a sure sign of a weak OL if there ever was one. 

The guys on the hot seat for 2013 are the six players who, between them, started most of Columbia's games on the OL in 2012. They are:

Rising sophomores Keith Ramljak, Bill Lawrence and Eric Kuklinski, rising juniors Eric Stock, Ryan Thomas, and rising senior Jimmy Yukevich. 

The average height for this group as of the end of last season was about 6-5, but the average weight was just 250 lbs. 

I realize that lower weight was all part of Head Coach Pete Mangurian's "grand experiment," (my term, not his), pushing leaner muscle over bulky fat.

Magurian deserves more time to prove this theory right, but to put it mildly it failed miserably last year. The Lions OL was badly pushed around and often embarrassed when it really counted.

OL coach Ed Argast is still one of my favorite guys on the staff, but he's is a hot seat right now just as much as any player or even Mangurian himself.

Offensive line problems have been the key factor in most of the Columbia football program's failures over the last 40 years. If the Lions can fix this problem this year, there's a chance the team can really take off. 

If not, prepare for a very tough slog.

Running Low?

I wanted to highlight Connor Nelligan's big 2012 season because of the VERY crowded pack of WR's we have going into the 2013 campaign.

When you factor in the incoming players, there's decent depth and a lot of talent at some other positions on offense too, especially tight end and QB.

But that brings us to the troubling lack of real depth numbers at the crucial RB position.

Marcorus Garrett is the best returning running back the Lions have had in over a decade. Cameron Molina showed some good, if brief promise, last season. 

Griffin Lowry, Alec Fisher, and Trevor Bell, have maybe 15 total carries between them. There's only one incoming freshman RB that we know about in Alan Watson.

Even if Head Coach Pete Mangurian decides to go with a one-back "run and shoot" offense, you have to wonder what happens if, Heaven forbid, something happens to Garrett. 

Of course, having two or three solid RB's can sometimes wind up being a curse in disguise. 

Columbia found that out the hard way in 2004 when Ayo Oluwole and Rashad Biggers were both healthy and raring to go but the coaches couldn't figure out how to juggle them. The result was a great opportunity was wasted and the Lions finished 1-9.

Focusing the running attack on one primary runner is a good method much of the time, so this is not a call for a "run it by committee" offense. It is, however, a call for making sure Garrett has a more than adequate understudy.

The final spring practice, (it seems more and more like there will be no actual spring "game" this year), should help answer some questions about who will step up at the RB position. Of course, the incoming frosh Watson won't be involved so it will still be an incomplete set of data. 

But I am already very comfortable predicting that Columbia's overall rushing stats will improve in 2013, because of one important factor: sacks.

Yards lost from sacks are counted against a team's rushing yardage in the NCAA. And the Lions suffered a stunning 40 sacks allowed in 2012. Those sacks really knocked Columbia's overall rushing stats all over the place and skew the data. 

Unless the Lions show NO pass protection improvement, I think it's safe to say the sacks allowed stat this coming season will be reduced and by contrast, Columbia's rushing attack will at least look better.

But the big question is whether the Lions can BE good and not just look "better." 

Connor's Year

Connor makes the grab

All the awardees at the football dinner this past weekend were very deserving. 

One of the best developments was sophomore WR Connor Nelligan winning the Lou Little Most Improved Award.

Nelligan went from 0 receptions as a freshman, (he did get some playing time with the varsity), to leading the team with 62 catches for 636 yards. 

But it wasn't just about the stats. He made a number of amazing grabs and tough runs after catches to earn his role as the go-to guy for QB Sean Brackett. And that was despite the fact that one of Brackett's top receivers from 2011 was still with the varsity for the entire season.

It's a bit of a travesty that Nelligan didn't score a TD last season, but that shouldn't detract from the amazing season he had and how much he meant to the team. 

Nelligan's value became extremely apparent in the 2nd half of the first game of the season against Marist.

Columbia went into the locker room at the half trailing the Red Foxes 3-0 and sputtering on offense. Nelligan hadn't even been thrown to at that point, but everything changed after the Lions took the opening kickoff of the second half.

The very first play from scrimmage was a 22 yard Brackett-to-Nelligan pass that got Columbia out of a field position hole at their 13. Three plays later is was a 15-yard pass to Nelligan that got the Lions into Marist territory.  Four plays later, a 12-yard toss put Columbia in the Red Zone. And three plays later, Marcorus Garrett punched into the end zone for the Lions' first TD of 2012, thanks in large part to Nelligan's break out series.

Nelligan didn't get another pass thrown his way that entire game, but the statement had been made: #84 was going to be a big part of this CU offense.

The following week against Fordham, it was obvious that Nelligan was becoming Brackett's primary target even though he finished the 20-13 loss to Fordham with just three receptions.

Nelligan had his first career 100-yard game in week three, but the 11-catch 102-yard output was overshadowed by Columbia's stunning 33-6 loss to Princeton.

But his best game of the year was the week 7 win over Yale, when he had 138 yards on 11 grabs. The key sequence was on the Lions' final winning drive when Nelligan had back-to-back receptions and runs after catches for 25 and 17 yards, respectively. Then one play later, he had another catch and run for 10 yards that set Columbia up on the Yale 3.

My feeling is it will take moving Heaven and Earth to keep Nelligan out of the end zone in 2013. Even with a very crowded roster full of WR's, this rising junior has a great shot at an All Ivy year. 

Our Honored Lions

Josh Martin, your 2012 Columbia Football Player of the Year



I now have more names of the awardees from the football dinner:


*Sid Luckman MVP: Josh Martin*

Head Coach Career Achievment Award: Sean Brackett & Ryan Murphy

MVP Offense: Marcorus Garrett

MVP Defense: Zach Olinger

Phil Fusco Award: Mike Waller

Maniatty-Remmer Unsung Hero Ward: Will Patterson

Ken German Freshman Award: Travis Reim

Special teams Award: Paul Delaney


I should not have omitted Martin's name from my list of favorites to win the Luckman Award, but I fell into what can be called the "stats trap."

Sure, 50 total tackles for a D-lineman along with 6.5 sacks and 11.5 tackles for a loss are impressive. But Martin's presence on the field meant so much more for the rest of the defense. A lot of the other players' impressive stats were made possible by the double-teams Martin drew and all the attention he demanded.

His most dominant game this past season was against Cornell where he not only sacked Big Red QB Jeff Mathews multiple times, he really hurt him and knocked him out of the game.

I don't know yet if Martin will be taking a shot at making the NFL, but I'd love to see him try.

Speaking of the career achievement co-winner Sean Brackett, he's put together a nice highlight reel of his amazing Lion career. It's in three parts and you can find it by first watching the video below:

Winners

I don't have the full list of who won all the awards at last night's football dinner.

In fact, I only know one winner: Travis Reim, who took home the Ken Germann Freshmanm Award/Rookie of the the Year.

Reim is an interesting, if not clear cut choice. He played extremely well for a freshman corner, starting six games and grabbing two INT's on the year, (both were key picks, incidentally).

I thought WR Chris Connors could make an excellent case for the same award. He started five games, was the teams second most productive receiver, and had three spectacular TD catches.

My GUESS is that the Sid Luckman MVP award went to either Marcorus Garrett, Tim Waller or Zach Olinger. If I had a vote, I'd give it to Garrett with Waller as a very close second.

Garrett Featured

Speaking of Garrett, he's featured in this mini-interview on his thoughts about Black History Month.

Garrett really did have a bang up 2012 and one can only hope he'll do even better in 2013 if we get the promised improvement on the offensive line. It's such a shame that he was injured for so much of 2011 that we really didn't get to see enough of his talents that year.

Marcorus had the longest run from scrimmage in the Ivies this past season with that 86 yard TD run that fully turned the tide in the 34-17 win over Cornell.

He finished the season with an incredible 4.6 yards per carry and was a dominant factor in the wins over Marist and Cornell and the near wins over Penn and Fordham.

As excited as we all are about the emerging Columbia passing attack and the arrival of super-talented QB Brett Nottingham from Stanford, it still seems fair to say much of the Lions' fortunes this fall rest on the shoulders of Marcorus Garrett.

Campbell Center Ready

The Columbia football program is finally getting the administrative space its wanted for decades. And it's happening this holiday weekend.

Coach Mangurian tweeted yesterday that the move to the Campbell Center at the Baker Complex is happening tomorrow.

For years, the football coaches and staff were crammed into the first floor of John Jay Hall. Then, they moved to the still small space of Dodge Hall just above the basketball court.

Now, they're in the right place and have the right amount of space.

Let's hope this translates into more wins very soon.

We're Not Done...

Any defensive tackles in there?



Just because the news of committed incoming freshmen is starting to dry up, it doesn't mean our current unofficial list of 28 players is complete.

I have more than two sources telling me that work is still ongoing on getting a few more players to join the class of 2017. That work is being focused on the positions that seem underrepresented in the class so far.

Here's the list again with a position-by-position breakdown below that:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX
2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ

4. LJ Bradford, DB 5-9, 180 lbs. Red Mountain HS, Mesa, AZ
5. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
6. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
7. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

8. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

9. Colinn Early, DB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

10. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

11. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

12. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

13. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

14. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

15. Jared Katz, DB 6-1 195 lbs. St, Anthony's HS, South Huntington, NY

16. Brock Kenyon, DB 6-1 190 lbs. Lake Travis HS Austin, TX 

17. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

18. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

19. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

20. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*21. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

22. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

23. Will Peoples, DB 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

24. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

25. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

26. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

27. G. Alan Watson, RB 5-9 170 lbs. New Albany HS Columbus, OH 

28. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status 

Defensive Backs

Incoming: 6

Returning veterans: 10* (11 possible if Steven Grassa takes a 5th year)

TOTAL: 16/17 

Defensive Linemen

Incoming: 2 (possibly 3 if OL/DL Eric Mourkakos plays defense) 

Returning veterans:  7

TOTAL: 9/10

Fullbacks

Incoming: 1* (If FB/LB Giamarco Rea plays offense)

Returning veterans: 2* (possibly 3 if Andrew McHugh is reinstated)

TOTAL: 2/4

Kicking Specialists

Incoming: 1

Returning veterans: 3

TOTAL: 4

Linebackers

Incoming: 3* (possibly 4 if FB/LB Giamarco Rea plays defense)

Returning veterans: 7

TOTAL: 10/11

Offensive Linemen

Incoming: 5* (possibly 6 if OL/DL Eric Mourkakos plays offense)

Returning veterans: 12

TOTAL: 17/18

Quarterbacks

Incoming: 2

Returning veterans: 2

TOTAL: 4

Running Backs

Incoming: 1

Returning veterans: 5

TOTAL: 6

Tight Ends

Incoming: 1

Returning veterans: 5

TOTAL: 6

Wide Receivers

Incoming: 5

Returning veterans: 13

TOTAL: 18 (!)

I listed these returning positional numbers to make the point that not only do I believe that a few more players are coming, but I think we can guess which positions they will play.

For example, I can't believe Head Coach Pete Mangurian will go into a football season with just six running backs, 10 defensive linemen and 18 players at wide receiver. 

In the coming weeks, look for more incoming RB'S, DT's and more info on position changes for a few of the WR's.

Austin Corner

Brock Kenyon


Being recruited by the Ivy League gives players the luxury of taking a bit longer to make their college decisions.

Lake Travis HS CB Brock Kenyon has just committed to Columbia.

The 6-1, 190 lbs. Kenyon had standout junior and senior seasons for Lake Travis and had a solid offer from Yale as well.

You can see his highlight video by clicking here.

Kenyon will be the first documented Lake Travis player to join the Lion football program, which is too bad since Travis is a perennial state power. In 2011, it won its fifth straight state football championship.

This past season Lake Travis moved up to the tougher 5A classification and still did quite well, finishing the year at 9-2 overall.

You can see how seriously the local community takes Lake Travis football in this video report from the FOX affiliate in the area previewing the season. A short video clip of Kenyon in practice is included in that link.

Here's our unofficial list of commits so far:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX
2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ

4. LJ Bradford, DB 5-9, 180 lbs. Red Mountain HS, Mesa, AZ
5. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
6. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
7. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

8. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

9. Colinn Early, CB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

10. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

11. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

12. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

13. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

14. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

15. Jared Katz, DB 6-1 195 lbs. St, Anthony's HS, South Huntington, NY

16. Brock Kenyon, DB 6-1 190 lbs. Lake Travis HS Austin, TX 

17. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

18. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

19. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

20. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*21. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

22. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

23. Will Peoples, S 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

24. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

25. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

26. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

27. G. Alan Watson, RB 5-9 170 lbs. New Albany HS Columbus, OH 

28. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status 

More TV Coverage... this time with a SOT!

In my TV news business, (I've been a TV news producer for 19 years), will call a soundbite an "SOT" for "sound on tape."

We call video without any sound a "VO."

Well after showing you the VO of Alan Watson signing his letter of intent for Columbia I thought I'd highlight a nice soundbite from incoming TE Connor Spears which you can see and hear by going about one minute into this video from KITV in Sioux City.

Enjoy!

Buckeye Back!

Alan Watson breaks away

The long hoped-for running back for this 2013 recruiting class is here! 

5-9 170 lbs. RB Alan Watson has committed to Columbia.

Watson comes to us from Columbus, Ohio's New Albany HS, where last season he scored 26 TDs, had 1,388 yards rushing, finished Honorable Mention All-State, 1st Team All-District, 1st Team All-Conference, and was a two-time Player of the Week.

Watson would be the second documented New Albany grad to come to Columbia football, the first being Thomas Weldon '08.

You can see Watson's eye-popping highlight reel by clicking here. 

And you can see Watson signing his ersatz letter of intent about 22:51 into this video from the Columbus local news. Why was his signing on the local news? Because his teammate who signed with Ohio State happens to be the son of that station's weekend anchorwoman! 

Well, there's something to be said for being in the right place at the right time. 

Let's hope that right place is the end zone for Watson in a CU uniform.

Here's our unofficial list of commits so far:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX
2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ

4. LJ Bradford, DB 5-9, 180 lbs. Red Mountain HS, Mesa, AZ
5. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
6. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
7. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

8. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

9. Colinn Early, CB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

10. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

11. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

12. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

13. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

14. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

15. Jared Katz, DB 6-1 195 lbs. St, Anthony's HS, South Huntington, NY

16. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

17. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

18. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

19. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*20. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

21. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

22. Will Peoples, S 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

23. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

24. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

25. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

26. G. Alan Watson, RB 5-9 170 lbs. New Albany HS Columbus, OH 

27. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status 

Cam Nizialek Signing Day Pic!

Yet ANOTHER Corner!

LJ Bradford


Got news of another signee for the Columbia recruiting class just this evening.

And it's yet another speedster for the secondary.

5-9, 180 lbs. DB LJ Bradford of Red Mountain HS in Mesa, Arizona has committed to Columbia.

Bradford made the All City First Team, and the Red Mountain football program is a real power.

Bradford will be the first documented Red Mountain HS grad to come play for Columbia.


Here's our unofficial list of commits so far:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX
2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ

4. LJ Bradford, DB 5-9, 180 lbs. Red Mountain HS, Mesa, AZ
5. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
6. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
7. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

8. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

9. Colinn Early, CB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

10. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

11. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

12. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

13. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

14. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

15. Jared Katz, DB 6-1 195 lbs. St, Anthony's HS, South Huntington, NY

16. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

17. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

18. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

19. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*20. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

21. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

22. Will Peoples, S 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

23. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

24. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

25. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

26. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status 

Long Island Corner

Aaannnddd we have another confirmed commit and it's another cornerback.

This time it's 6-1 195 lbs. Jared Katz from St. Anthony's HS, the best Catholic football team in New York and a frequent feeder school to the Ivies.

You can see Jared's highlught reel, (from his junior year), below:

Katz would be the eighth documented St. A's player to come to the Lions, and he would be joining rising sophomore JD Hurt who is now on our offensive line.


Here's our unofficial list of commits so far:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX

2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ
4. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
5. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
6. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

7. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

8. Colinn Early, CB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

9. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

10. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

11. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

12. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

13. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

14. Jared Katz, DB 6-1 195 lbs. St, Anthony's HS, South Huntington, NY

15. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

16. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

17. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

18. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*19. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

20. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

21. Will Peoples, S 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

22. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

23. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

24. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

25. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status 

Little Guy from the Big Easy

Colinn Early blankets his man


Getting back to the recruiting haul now...

5-9, 170 lbs. CB Colinn Early has committed to Columbia. Early comes from Karr HS in New Orleans.

You can see his highlight video by clicking here.

Early will be the second documented Karr grad to play for the Lions but the first since 1996.

Karr is a powerhouse program and finished the year ranked second overall in the football-rich state of Louisiana.


Here's our unofficial list of commits so far:

1. Nicholas Annabi, DB 6-1 200 lbs. Coronado HS, Lubbock, TX

2. Michael Bigach, OL 6-6 245 lbs. St. Ignatius HS, Cleveland, OH
3. Tony Bonadies, OL 6-5 315 lbs. Leonia HS, Leonia, NJ
4. Keith Brady, LB 6-2 205 lbs. Lakota East HS, Liberty Township, OH
5. Billy Carson, DL 6-3 280 lbs. Lexington HS, Lexington, SC
6. Toure Douglas, WR 6-4 188 lbs. Vineland HS, Vineland, NJ

7. Cameron Dunn, WR 6-3 210 lbs. St. Xavier HS, Cincinnati, OH

8. Colinn Early, CB 5-9 170 lbs. Karr HS, New Orleans, LA

9. Nathan Gibbs, OL 6-4, 285 lbs. Hickory HS, Hickory, NC

10. Kelly Hilinski, QB 6-6 220 lbs. Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA

11. Denzel Hill, WR 6-3 185 lbs. North Point HS, Waldorf, MD

12. John Hunton, TE 6-5 235, lbs. Southside HS, Fort Smith AR

13. Ben Kaplan, WR 6-4 180 lbs. St. Charles North HS, St. Charles, IL

14. Tyler Kwiatkowski, LB 6-3 220 lbs. Mount Carmel HS, Mount Carmel, PA

15. Charles Melka, DL 6-4 238 lbs. Benet Academy, Lisle, IL

16. Eric Mourkakos, OL/DL 6-3, 235 lbs. Dwight-Englewood HS, Englewood, NJ

17. Cameron Nizialek, K/P 6-3 195 lbs. Freedom HS, South Riding, VA

*18. Brett Nottingham, QB 6-4 212 lbs. Monte Vista HS, Danville, CA

19. Kendall Pace, OL 6-5 250 lbs. Bishop McNamara HS, Forestville, MD 

20. Will Peoples, S 6-1 190 lbs. Buckingham, Browne & Nichols, Cambridge, MA

21. Gianmarco Rea, FB/LB 6-2 215 lbs. Detroit Country Day, Beverly Hills, MI

22. Connor Spears, WR 6-6 205 lbs. Bishop Heelan HS, Sioux City, IA

23. Parker Tobia, LB 6-1 200 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ

24. Richard Wolff, OL 6-3 254 lbs. Crespi HS Encino, CA

*=Transfer from Stanford University, junior status