A Touch of Class

I

While recruiting is still 99.9% of the focus right now for Ivy League football programs, this is also the time when fans start taking a closer look at which players are coming back for next season.

There was once a time when the team with the biggest number of returning seniors was assured of at least being a serious contender for the title. That's changed for a number of reasons. First, in the years before they got rid of freshman football in 1993 the incoming freshmen classes were huge. They needed to be to make sure a full team could be fielded for the six-game freshmen schedule. A lot of players on those freshmen team weren't even close to being good enough to play for the varsity, let alone last all four years. So... if you were a program that recruited enough durable and decent freshmen who stuck around through senior year, you were probably a very good program.

Much of that is still true, but since recruiting has become a bigger, costlier, and much more national affair, there's a lot less attrition than there used to be in Ivy football. Players are screened a lot more carefully these days and every slot in a given recruiting year isn't given until reasonable assurances are made that the player will stick with the program for his entire college career.

But there's still something to be said for a large and healthy senior class in Ivy football. One reason is that you often get late-bloomer players who finally get to show what they can do after years of nursing injuries or getting buried behind better players on the depth chart. I thought Hunter Little and Hank Trumbull fit that mold this past fall. But there are many other advantages to fielding lots of seniors. 

For the record, Columbia had 20 seniors on the roster in 2015. It was more like 19 because Willie Peoples was injured for the entire season. That's not a bad number by Columbia standards, but usually the sweet spot for returning seniors making a definite impact is about 25 players. 

In 2016, Columbia is going to have a senior football class of probably 25 or 26 players. There are 24 returning juniors and I believe we will get one or two 5th year seniors at least. I know of one who, paperwork pending, I can't mention here but I can say he is an important impact player on offense.

Is this a good omen? Yes. And not for the old reasons Columbia fans used to cling to when we had senior classes of more than 20 players. In the old days, we were just happy to avoid severe attrition, but now we can be reasonably optimistic that these 25+ seniors will make up a decent core of good players.  

Indiana End

What are the chances that while I was driving through Indiana early yesterday, I should learn of a new Columbia football commitment from Indiana?

Well it happened in the person of DE/TE Drew Schoeberl, a 6-5 250 pound player from Columbus North HS in Columbus, IN. http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1648820/drew-schoeberl

Schoeberl had some interest from some Big 10 schools and he earned a mention or two from the websites that cover the Notre Dame summer camps. 

Schoeberl would be the first Columbus North grad to come to Columbia football. 

More Recruiting Targets

Here are three more players Columbia is looking to grab in the recruitment battle:



1) Michael Weinstein is a 6-1 290 pound Center from Saguaro HS in Scottsdale, AZ. He also has an offer to U. San Diego and is reportedly visiting there in January. I'm not sure if he's taking an official visit to CU. His academic commitment was highlighted in this article from October.


2) Jordan Jackson is a 6-5 240 pound DE from Bolles HS in Jacksonville, FL. He is probably a bit of a stretch for any Ivy school trying to nab him. He also has offers from Navy and Tulane. But if he could be persuaded that the Ivy path is the best path for his overall future, Jackson would be a big "get" and the first Bolles grad to come to Columbia.


3) Josh Fink is a 6-0 180 pound WR from Coppell HS in Coppell, Texas. He also has offers from Colgate and Eastern Michigan, among others.

Rams in the Rear View

Andrew Breiner


Fordham decided to promote its 31-year-old offensive coordinator Andrew Breiner as its new head football coach.

Breiner has done an excellent job with the Rams offense over the past few years, in marked contrast to the Fordham defense which has relatively under-performed.

But this is all a bit academic for Columbia which will indeed drop Fordham from its schedule beginning this coming fall. Stay tuned for the name of the school replacing the Rams, which will be announced soon.

For the record, the recommendation to "drop" Fordham was not to eliminate the Rams from the schedule entirely but to move the game to later in the season. At least for now, it appears that move wasn't possible but it may be in the future. I would be surprised if we don't see Columbia and Fordham playing again 5-10 years from now.

Petlansky is Perfect

Incoming QB Hunter Petlansky passed for two TDs and ran for another in Central Catholic's 56-21win over San Marino in the California Open Division Small School State Bowl last night. http://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article50731535.html

Petlansky and Central Catholic finish the season 16-0. 

3 More Coveted Guys

Hunter Hayes and friend



(I realize I posted WR prospect Reed Klubnik twice over the past week, and I apologize for that).

But here are three new names of recruits in high demand right now: (Remember, these are just guys we're TRYING to get)


Hunter Hayes is 6-1 195 pounds, and can play multiple positions including LB and RB. He also has offers from Army, New Hampshire, Penn, Cornell, Colgate and many others.

Merrick Sims


Merrick Sims is a 5-11 185 pound hard-hitting, ball-hawking strong safety from Hapeville Charter School in Atlanta. It sounds like he'd like to be pre-med or at least major in the hard sciences.

Eric Cal


Eric Cal is a 6-3 291 pound OT from North Carolina. He also has offers from Army, Navy, Air Force and Joe Moglia's Coastal Carolina.

BREAKING: Levi McQuinn Commits

6-0 205 pond DB/LB William Levi McQuinn has just officially committed to Columbia.

His highlights are here: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1635099/william-levi-mcquinn

McQuinn has an interesting history, after starting basic training at Air Force last year: http://m.gazette.com/air-force-football-recruit-says-knee-issue-knocked-him-out-of-basic-training/article/1556371

McQuinn will be the first Fort Myers High School grad to come to Columbia football. 

He's in, but will he play?

Christian Boujaoude


Sometimes we get so caught up in the "blue chip" recruiting wars that we forget that so many of the young men involved in this process.

One of them is Christian Boujaoude, a WR from Monmouth Regional HS in Eatontown, NJ. I have to say up front that I have no idea if Boujaoude is going to play football at Columbia; it appears he had the grades and the amazing resume, (more on that in a second), to get in without any help or attention from athletics.

On the same day he was chosen as Shore Sport Zone Scholar-Athlete of the Year, Boujaoude was accepted to Columbia. In addition to great grades, Boujaoude is a special kid for his work on behalf of stopping human trafficking across the globe. He launched RUAWARE.net and it's a site worth visiting.

His highlight video is here.

I am going to go ahead and put Boujaoude on our reported list of incoming players, both because he's such an outstanding young man and it appears at least one of our coaches is following him on Twitter... so there's a chance he's very much on their radar.

Boujaoude would be the first Monmouth Regional grad to come to Columbia football

1) Kyle Baskin WR/DB 6-4 210 lbs. Quakertown HS Quakertown, PA

2) Christian Boujaoude WR 5-11 165 lbs. Monmouth Regional HS Eatontown, NJ

3) Parker Coogan OL/DT 6-2 270 lbs. Kingwood HS Houston, TX

4) Matt Dame QB 6-2 185 lbs. Suncoast HS Riviera Beach, FL

5) Chris Everett WR 6-2 200 lbs. Whitney Young HS Chicago, IL

6) Danny De Lorenzi LB 6-3 230 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ 

7) John Fischer OL 6-3 290 lbs. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS Springfield, IL

8) Alex Gibson RB 5-10 195 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

9) LinDon Harris DE 6-2 215 lbs. Sidwell Friends Washington, DC

10) Ben Hill TE/DE 6-3 230 lbs. Christian Brothers HS Memphis, TN

11) Tyler Houston DE/TE 6-3 245 lbs. Olentangy HS Lewis Center, OH

12) Hogan Irwin RB 5-10 180 lbs. Central Cathedral HS San Diego, CA

13) Ben McKeighan WR/DB 6-0 187 lbs. Scottsdale Prep/Cheshire Academy (PG year) Scottsdale, AZ

14) Max Mullaney LB 6-2 225 lbs. Colts Neck HS Colts Neck, NJ

15) Michael Murphy LB 5-11 194 lbs. Plant HS Tampa, FL

16) Van Neils RB 6-0 210 lbs. Mankato East HS Mankato, MN

17) Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal DE/OL  6-4 250 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

18) Will Ontiveros WR/DB 6-2 175 lbs. Assumption HS Davenport, IA

19) Hunter Petlansky QB 6-2 225 lbs. Modesto Central Catholic HS Modesto, CA 

20) Alex Robin DT 6-0 260 lbs. Vestavia Hills HS Vestavia Hills, AL 

21) Arman Samouk DT 6-2 270 lbs. Copley HS Copley, OH

22) Joseph Scowden OL 6-4 290 lbs. Montgomery Bell HS Nashville, TN

23) Tanner Thomas RB 5-10 183 lbs. Farragut HS Knoxville, TN 

24) Matt Tofano LB 6-2 217 lbs. Archibishop Mitty HS San Jose, CA

25) Jonathon Webster DB  6-0 180 lbs. Eastside Catholic HS Sammamish, WA

26) Taylor Weldon DE/TE 6-2 240 lbs. Soutland Academy Americus, GA

27) Jalen Williams LB 6-0 215 lbs. Hewitt-Trussville HS, Trussville, AL

Fordham Move

A big story you might have missed this weekend was the news that Fordham Head Coach Joe Moorhead has left to become the new Offensive Coordinator at Penn State.

Moorhead is very much the #1 person responsible for the Rams' ascent in football, and it's certainly fair to ask if Fordham will be able to maintain its strengths in his absence. 

As of now, Columbia is still scheduled to open the next two seasons against Fordham so the Lions will find out soon enough.

I Told You This was Crazy Time!

About 12 years ago, I was working at CNN with the parent of a kid being recruited by a number of Ivy football teams.

He told me the official visit his son took to Penn was unique because the coaches really showed the most effort to get the kids to commit right then and there. 

I'm not sure how much of that strategy and style has migrated with Head Coach Al Bagnoli to Columbia but if it has, get ready for a flurry of commitments in the coming days. 

I'm going to get back to featuring some of the most sought-after recruits below, but first, let's check our reported list of committed recruits for now:

1) Kyle Baskin WR/DB 6-4 210 lbs. Quakertown HS Quakertown, PA

2) Parker Coogan OL/DT 6-2 270 lbs. Kingwood HS Houston, TX

3) Matt Dame QB 6-2 185 lbs. Suncoast HS Riviera Beach, FL

4) Chris Everett WR 6-2 200 lbs. Whitney Young HS Chicago, IL

5) Danny De Lorenzi LB 6-3 230 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ 

6) John Fischer OL 6-3 290 lbs. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS Springfield, IL

7) Alex Gibson RB 5-10 195 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

8) LinDon Harris DE 6-2 215 lbs. Sidwell Friends Washington, DC

9) Ben Hill TE/DE 6-3 230 lbs. Christian Brothers HS Memphis, TN

10) Tyler Houston DE/TE 6-3 245 lbs. Olentangy HS Lewis Center, OH

11) Hogan Irwin RB 5-10 180 lbs. Central Cathedral HS San Diego, CA

12) Ben McKeighan WR/DB 6-0 187 lbs. Scottsdale Prep/Cheshire Academy (PG year) Scottsdale, AZ

13) Max Mullaney LB 6-2 225 lbs. Colts Neck HS Colts Neck, NJ

14) Michael Murphy LB 5-11 194 lbs. Plant HS Tampa, FL

15) Van Neils RB 6-0 210 lbs. Mankato East HS Mankato, MN

16) Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal DE/OL  6-4 250 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

17) Will Ontiveros WR/DB 6-2 175 lbs. Assumption HS Davenport, IA

18) Hunter Petlansky QB 6-2 225 lbs. Modesto Central Catholic HS Modesto, CA 

19) Alex Robin DT 6-0 260 lbs. Vestavia Hills HS Vestavia Hills, AL 

20) Arman Samouk DT 6-2 270 lbs. Copley HS Copley, OH

21) Joseph Scowden OL 6-4 290 lbs. Montgomery Bell HS Nashville, TN

22) Tanner Thomas RB 5-10 183 lbs. Farragut HS Knoxville, TN 

23) Matt Tofano LB 6-2 217 lbs. Archibishop Mitty HS San Jose, CA

24) Jonathon Webster DB  6-0 180 lbs. Eastside Catholic HS Sammamish, WA

25) Taylor Weldon DE/TE 6-2 240 lbs. Soutland Academy Americus, GA

26) Jalen Williams LB 6-0 215 lbs. Hewitt-Trussville HS, Trussville, AL

Coveted Names, part 2:

Reed Klubnik is a 6-3 180 pound WR from Austin, TX with offers from most of the Ivies and Kansas among others. 

Klubnik didn't visit Columbia this past weekend because his high school team is still in the Texas state playoffs.

His highlight video is here.

Rayshawn McCall is a 5-8 161 pound DB from Athens, GA. Looks like he has offers from Army and Davidson. He did take an official visit to Columbia this past weekend.

Ryan Boehm is a tall LB from Temecula, CA. He took an official visit to Brown last week, but could still be in play. He also has offers from Navy, Air Force, and Cal Poly.

Down on the Farm

QB Hunter Petlansky passed for a TD and ran for another in Central Catholic's 49-14 state playoff win over Marin Catholic. http://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article49546165.html

Breaking: Neils Commits

RB Van Neils from Mankato West HS in Minnesota has committed to Columbia. 

His highlight reel is one of the best I've seen in a while: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1680741/highlights/285931486/v2

He is the first documented Mankato West player to come the Columbia. 

New Commit: Matt Tofano

A few readers have pointed out a new commitment to me this morning: 

Early admission letters and emails went out yestrday and one went to Matt Tofano, a 6-2, 217 pound inside linebacker/fullback from Archbishop Mitty HS in San Jose. 

Tofano also had an offer from Navy. 

His highlight video is here: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/2648836/matthew-tofano

Tofano will be the second Archbishop Mitty grad to come to Columbia football, and the first since Glen Smith '75. 

The Chips are Down

In the Ivy recruiting game, this is crunch time.

The key campus visits are happening now, and the final/best offers to the most sought-after recruits are being made. The clock does not officially run out this month or even next month, but this is when the hardest recruiting battles are being fought, won, and lost.

Over the next few days, I want to post about a few of the higher-ranked recruits Columbia is reportedly going after with a lot of competition for each. Here are three for today:


Justin Berry

This dual threat QB has offers from Arizona State, Temple and a few others in addition to Columbia. He goes to West Ashley HS in Charleston, SC.

Running QB's in the mode of Billy Ragone, Dalyn Williams, and, (when he was healthy), M.A Olawale are all the rage in the Ivies now. It feels like every recruiting class should include one potential player who could become the next star running QB.


Reed Klubnik

A talented WR with an offer from Air Force and a lot of the Ivies. He goes to Westlake HS in Austin, TX where current player Zach Dansby came from and recent grad Roy Schwartz also played.

We all know that Columbia needs help right away at wide receiver, so I don't I need to write much more.


Matthew Gutwald

A 6-4, 275 pound guard also with offers from Oregon, Washington State, Air Force and a lot of other Ivies.

This is someone who seems like he would be a real "get" for any Ivy.  

More on Trey: UPDATED

K

Trey Page


Reported commit Trey Page from Bishop Moore is now definitely not confirmed. It's possible his coach jumped the gun saying he had. So he's off the list for now. 

But Bishop Moore is a very strong HS program in Florida, and Columbia has never scored a commit from that school before.

Page is coming off an injury that kept him out of some games, but he's back in the mix now.

I'm not sure he will play fullback in college, but it does appear he's going that way. He'll need to put on some weight and muscle first.

According to one recruiting site, Page also had offers from Cornell and Mississippi Valley State. I like Columbia's recruiting odds vs. those schools any day of the week.

Down on the Farm

QB Hunter Petlansky and his clutch passing were the difference in the game as Central Catholic beat Oakdale 21-7 for the Division III section title. http://www.modbee.com/sports/high-school/prep-football/article48160570.html

New Commit: Trey Page?

Trey Page, a FB from Florida HS power Bishop Moore, is now saying he HASN'T committed to Columbia... at least not yet. 

Folks, this is why all these lists are unofficial. 

But Hus highlights are still here: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/1387708/trey-page

His team just clinched a spot in Florida's 5A state championship game next week. 

MORE LATER

On the Road

As some readers have already mentioned, there is indeed a good article about the recruiting process in today's Columbia Spectator.

No new names emerged in the piece, of course, but it was interesting to learn just how much Head Coach Al Bagnoli himself is travelling and how many schools are essentially are going after the same recruits.

I also liked the fact that the year-round nature of running an Ivy League football program is getting more attention.

And my favorite part of the entire equation is that it's now Bagnoli making these pitches and visits for Columbia. Don't tell me that's not a huge upgrade for Columbia.

Happy hunting.

New List and Norries Now UPDATED

A little more on newly-reported commit Tyler Houston:

He would be the first Olentangy HS grad to come to Columbia football.

His HS team made it to the Ohio state quarterfinals before losing on Nov. 21st. 

Here's our new list of an incredible 24 reported incoming freshmen so far:

1) Kyle Baskin WR/DB 6-4 210 lbs. Quakertown HS Quakertown, PA

2) Parker Coogan OL/DT 6-2 270 lbs. Kingwood HS Houston, TX

3) Matt Dame QB 6-2 185 lbs. Suncoast HS Riviera Beach, FL

4) Chris Everett WR 6-2 200 lbs. Whitney Young HS Chicago, IL

5) Danny De Lorenzi LB 6-3 230 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ 

6) John Fischer OL 6-3 290 lbs. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS Springfield, IL

7) Alex Gibson RB 5-10 195 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

8) LinDon Harris DE 6-2 215 lbs. Sidwell Friends Washington, DC

9) Ben Hill TE/DE 6-3 230 lbs. Christian Brothers HS Memphis, TN

10) Tyler Houston DE/TE 6-3 245 lbs. Olentangy HS Lewis Center, OH

11) Hogan Irwin RB 5-10 180 lbs. Central Cathedral HS San Diego, CA

12) Ben McKeighan WR/DB 6-0 187 lbs. Scottsdale Prep/Cheshire Academy (PG year) Scottsdale, AZ

13) Max Mullaney LB 6-2 225 lbs. Colts Neck HS Colts Neck, NJ

14) Michael Murphy LB 5-11 194 lbs. Plant HS Tampa, FL

15) Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal DE/OL  6-4 250 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

16) Will Ontiveros WR/DB 6-2 175 lbs. Assumption HS Davenport, IA

17) Hunter Petlansky QB 6-2 225 lbs. Modesto Central Catholic HS Modesto, CA 

18) Alex Robin DT 6-0 260 lbs. Vestavia Hills HS Vestavia Hills, AL 

19) Arman Samouk DT 6-2 270 lbs. Copley HS Copley, OH

20) Joseph Scowden OL 6-4 290 lbs. Montgomery Bell HS Nashville, TN

21) Tanner Thomas RB 5-10 183 lbs. Farragut HS Knoxville, TN 

22) Jonathon Webster DB  6-0 180 lbs. Eastside Catholic HS Sammamish, WA

23) Taylor Weldon DE/TE 6-2 240 lbs. Soutland Academy Americus, GA

24) Jalen Williams LB 6-0 215 lbs. Hewitt-Trussville HS, Trussville, AL

Help Wanted: From Norries Wilson?

Now that the Rutgers football coaching staff has gotten the ax, I guess former Columbia Head Coach Norries Wilson is looking for a new job.

I don't know if there's any long-term agreements between Wilson and Columbia, but if there aren't I'd still like to see Norries paid to sit down with Head Coach Al Bagnoli and Recruiting Coordinator John Poppe and go through the finer points of how he recruited better talent to Columbia than just about any coach that came before him over a 30 year period. His recruits, including graduating seniors Chad Washington, Toba Akinleye, and Cameron Molina, were still making incredible impact this season. Norries' successor Pete Mangurian made the mistake of throwing everything Norries and his staff in the garbage when some of what they did was very good, especially recruiting. 

What did Norries and his guys do to snag us people like Austin Knowlin, Alex Gross, Sean Brackett, Josh Martin, etc.? 

If there was any method or formula to it, our current recruiters need to know.

UPDATE: Norries Wilson is still at Rutgers as "interim head coach" until a new staff can be hired. I don't think that will take too long and it's possible a discussion between Bagnoli and Norries can happen soon if that's what's in the cards.

Breaking: Houston commits

6-3 245 pound DE/TE Tyler Houston has committed to Columbia. We had heard Houston's name a few times this fall, but never got confirmation of a committment. 

Here's his highlight reel: http://www.hudl.com/athlete/3003022/tyler-houston

MORE LATER

Mac Gets the Title

Former Columbia Head Coach Larry McElreavy led his Newport High School football team to a perfect 11-0 season and won the state championship with a 48-14.

The entire season was nicely documented by the local papers in a five part video series you can see here.

I'm really happy for Coach Mac and all his players.


Hunter in the Hunt

Speaking of high school, the one incoming Columbia freshmen that we know is still playing football right now is QB Hunter Petlansky. And Petlansky is about to play in a championship game of his own after his Central Catholic team gutted Placer 48-14 in the Division III semifinal. 

Holiday Wish List

One of the most unique things about Ivy football is that the season ends at the same time for all eight teams no matter what. First place, last place, it doesn't matter. The 42 week off season is in effect for us all and we have 41 weeks to go.

But the high season for recruiting is going on right now as lots of schools schedules on campus visits in December in hopes of getting commitments before Christmas time.

Even though Columbia already has 23 reported commits already at this early date, there's a lot of work to do considering the Lions can bring in a much larger than average class this year. I wouldn't be surprised if the official list of incoming freshmen gets very close to 40 or above when the athletic department makes the official announcement in April. And I also would not be surprised if another transfer or two joins the squad. 

No one should expect any incoming freshman to fill the team's needs on the field right away. So I want to make it clear that the following list of Columbia's biggest holes to fill shouldn't be construed as some kind of marching orders for our recruiters spreading out across the country at this moment. But here's a look at the four main areas of the team where the concern is highest right now:

1) Defensive Line

 The strength of the Lions in 2015 could quickly become a weakness with the graduations of so many key seniors. Niko Padilla, Toba Akinleye, Chad Washington, Hunter Little, and JD Hurt are all leaving and it's going to take more than one year to replace their talent and numbers.

The best two returning D-linemen are rising juniors Lord Hyeamang and Dominc Perkovic. With an off season filled with hard work and just a bit more size, I think Hyeamang can become the Ivy League's biggest rarity: a dominating defensive tackle. Perkovic showed a lot of signs of being an extremely savvy outside pass rusher and is in a great position after amassing 30 tackles and three sacks this season.

The rest of the returnees are a little light on solid data. Rising senior Charles Melka could get into the serious mix after a slow start to his return to the team this season. I'm anxious to see what rising junior Alexander Holme can contribute after getting another off season to adjust to his move from linebacker. And David Donovan is another rising junior who got on the field this season and could be a bigger contributor. 

Rising sophomores Mike Hinton and Cole McDonough peak my interest. Hinton has a lot of talent and probably was just too small this year to contribute on the D-line. Maybe if he can get up to closer to 245 lbs. from his current 227 lb. frame he'll get a chance. McDonough is huge already at 307 lbs., and it would be something if he could become an impact player.

Six of the reported 23 incoming freshmen so far have played D-line positions. Some look like promising early prospects. But, again, I find it hard to put any kind of expectations on freshmen especially at D-line and O-line positions.

But transfers are a different story and I get the feeling that if Columbia does get a transfer this off season, he very well might be a d-lineman.


2) Wide Receiver

Columbia's utter lack of an effective vertical passing game this year was obvious to all. But the need grows more dire for improvement in this area with the graduation of leading WR Scotter Hollis. 

But this group is not without hope. Rising junior Cameron Dunne certainly had his moments last year and often got open. Rising senior Ben Kaplan made some key catches this fall. Rising junior Dylan Weldon came out of nowhere to make an impact in the second half of the season. And rising sophomore Brandon Krcilek got a lot of playing time and experience for a freshman.

There's also rising junior Marcus Briscoe who missed all of 2015 with an injury and could certainly help this unit out if he comes back healthy in 2016.

Four incoming freshmen have WR experience, and I'm sure they will all get a good look in training camp.

Bottom line, Columbia desperately needs to improve its passing numbers this coming season.


3) Running Back

We knew graduating senior Cameron Molina was a good player coming into his final season, but we really didn't learn how good he truly was until the end of this season. It's a pity he leaves us now, but at least he got to finish his career truly at a high point.

Next to impact defensive tackles, the next biggest rarity in the Ivies these days is a 800-1,000 yard rusher. In other words, no one can expect the Lions to replace Molina with a player who can put up the same stats in 2016.

Columbia is not coming into the new season with the cupboard completely bare. Rising senior Allen Watson has shown enough flashes to give fans some hope and rising junior Chris Schroer is a great tough runner who could get much more into the mix next year. And with rising junior FB Leander Cutler returning after missing all of this season with an injury, it's likely the lions will have an effective combination of blocking and running at that position to go along with rising senior Jackson Conway's excellent blocking-only role.

But this is a position where indeed the big hopes seem centered around an incoming freshman or two. A lot of hope centers around Tanner Thomas who put up eye-popping stats seemingly every week in his final high school season this fall. Another reported incoming frosh, Alex Gibson, comes from a hard-nosed conference in Pennsylvania football country and he might help quickly too.


4) Secondary

I'm actually not overly concerned about this unit, despite the graduations of quality safeties like Matt Cahal and Travis Reim. That's because the Lions have a pair of outstanding returning starting corners in rising junior Cameron Roane and rising senior Jared Katz. Katz was a revelation as he really picked up his game and got a lot more physical and tough as the year went on.

At safety, rising senior Brock Kenyon gives me some good confidence, and I think there's a chance the talented Brandon Blackshear could return after missing two seasons between his freshman and senior seasons. But this group definitely needs some more depth.

I liked a lot of what I saw of rising junior Tyler Holmes on special teams and I wonder if that will translate into more effective playing time on defense. The rest of the underclassmen are really an unknown quantity for us.

Four of the reported incoming freshmen so far have at least some playing time at DB. It's possible one will get into the mix, especially if they can hit hard at the safety position.

Catching Up

Josh Martin makes a tackle

First, a quick NFL update as Josh Martin '13 is back in New York after the Jets signed him to their active roster yesterday. Look for Josh to make an impact on special teams and maybe more.

Second, the All Ivy list is out and it's nice that eight Lions have been honored compared to the much smaller numbers we saw in 2013 and 2014. 

RB Cameron Molina's inclusion on the 1st Team is especially gratifying considering all he had to endure the last four years. And considering his non-eye popping stats, it was also nice to see Toba Akinleye make the 1st Team too.

Two of Columbia's All Ivy honorees will return for 2016, DB Jared Katz and P/K Cameron Nizialek. They'll both be seniors next season. 

But expect big changes in positional assignments in the coming months as Al Bagnoli and his staff now have a full off season to do their work.

With Praise Comes Information!

Taylor Weldon


A new piece lauding Columbia's recruiting efforts has just been published Hero Sports and it includes a brand new name to add to our unofficial list of incoming football commits.

That name is Taylor Weldon, a DE/TE who makes more sense for Columbia at the DE position.

Weldon comes from Southland Academy in Americus, Georgia maybe about 130 miles south of Atlanta. It looks like Weldon missed his senior season due to an ACL tear, but we'll see if he's healed in time for next year.

Based on my Lionfeeders recruiting database, Weldon would be the first Southland grad to come to Columbia football.

But the article in Hero Sports is really worth reading for more than the one added name. Our suspicions that getting 23 commits this early in the process was a good sign seem to have been confirmed. And the outspoken praise for Head Coach Al Bagnoli and the experience of playing Ivy Football are like cashing in dividends on a rising stock.

Here's our new list:

1) Kyle Baskin WR/DB 6-4 210 lbs. Quakertown HS Quakertown, PA

2) Parker Coogan OL/DT 6-2 270 lbs. Kingwood HS Houston, TX

3) Matt Dame QB 6-2 185 lbs. Suncoast HS Riviera Beach, FL

4) Chris Everett WR 6-2 200 lbs. Whitney Young HS Chicago, IL

5) Danny De Lorenzi LB 6-3 230 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS, Oradell, NJ 

6) John Fischer OL 6-3 290 lbs. Sacred Heart-Griffin HS Springfield, IL

7) Alex Gibson RB 5-10 195 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

8) LinDon Harris DE 6-2 215 lbs. Sidwell Friends Washington, DC

9) Ben Hill TE/DE 6-3 230 lbs. Christian Brothers HS Memphis, TN

10) Hogan Irwin RB 5-10 180 lbs. Central Cathedral HS San Diego, CA

11) Ben McKeighan WR/DB 6-0 187 lbs. Scottsdale Prep/Cheshire Academy (PG year) Scottsdale, AZ

12) Max Mullaney LB 6-2 225 lbs. Colts Neck HS Colts Neck, NJ

13) Michael Murphy LB 5-11 194 lbs. Plant HS Tampa, FL

14) Lamine Nouck-A-Nwal DE/OL  6-4 250 lbs. Central Bucks High School East Doylestown, PA

15) Will Ontiveros WR/DB 6-2 175 lbs. Assumption HS Davenport, IA

16) Hunter Petlansky QB 6-2 225 lbs. Modesto Central Catholic HS Modesto, CA 

17) Alex Robin DT 6-0 260 lbs. Vestavia Hills HS Vestavia Hills, AL 

18) Arman Samouk DT 6-2 270 lbs. Copley HS Copley, OH

19) Joseph Scowden OL 6-4 290 lbs. Montgomery Bell HS Nashville, TN

20) Tanner Thomas RB 5-10 183 lbs. Farragut HS Knoxville, TN 

21) Jonathon Webster DB  6-0 180 lbs. Eastside Catholic HS Sammamish, WA

22) Taylor Weldon DE/TE 6-2 240 lbs. Soutland Academy Americus, GA

23) Jalen Williams LB 6-0 215 lbs. Hewitt-Trussville HS, Trussville, AL

Rough Ending

Brown 28 Columbia 23


Why Brown Won

The Bears showed up. That's about it. I'd like to be more diplomatic about this and give more praise than is due to the decent blitzing package Brown used and some decent Bear defense in the red zone, but those were only minor factors compared to the three gift TD's Columbia handed their opponents on Friday night. Considering how accommodating the Lions were at crucial moments in this game, Brown should be embarrassed it didn't win by a lot more.


Why Columbia Lost

The Lions gift wrapped three TD's to the Bears, two of them before the first minute in the game had elapsed. The Columbia offense also struggled in the red zone when it counted most. Failure to pick up Brown's outside blitzers on play after play also hurt.


Key Turning Points


-After falling into a stunning 14-0 deficit less than a minute into the game, the Lions fought their way back into it and trailed just 14-7 with just over 10 minutes left in the half. But Columbia's promising drive to possibly tie the game ended when QB Skyler Mornhinweg bobbled a snap and Brown recovered at its 33 yard line.

-Early in the 3rd quarter and trailing 21-14, the Lions got burned by a brilliant Brown decision to line up WR Troy Doles as a running back. The play forced DE Hunter Little into deep sideline coverage of a speedy receiver and resulted in a TD with about nine minutes left in the quarter.

Columbia Positives

-RB Cameron Molina had an absolutely brilliant night, carrying the ball an unheard of in this day and age 40 times for 174 yards and a TD. He also caught five passes for 40 yards and another TD. Some of his runs were brilliant. His stellar performances that last two weeks of the season and his career gave him 805 total rushing yards for 2015, making his year one of the best ever for a RB in Columbia history.

-Despite all the mistakes, the Lions did fight back and never gave up on the game. The defense was mostly dominant, allowing just eight 1st downs the entire game. It also allowed just 97 yards passing in what was probably the first time any team kept the Bears under 100 yards passing in years.

Columbia Negatives

-It just seemed like the Lions thought the game started at 8pm and not 730pm. The opening minute lapses in run tackling, kickoff fielding, and snapping the ball left them down 14-0 before a lot of people even got to their seats.

-The tightness the offense goes into when it gets into the red zone is excruciating. Columbia needs to work on developing a killer instinct during the off season just as much as it needs to recruit new young talent to replace the seniors.

Columbia MVP

Cameron Molina was a true credit to Columbia and all of Ivy League football for playing the way he did on national TV. We will miss him.