NOTE: I've made some additions to the original post, thanks to some reminders from readers about a few names I omitted
Mike Roussos
Throughout the Bagnoli era, Columbia's wide receiving and tight end corps have usually been an area of strength for the Lions. This year promises to feature a number of players who can definitely put a charge in a game, but the question of depth is potentially troubling.
The pass-catchers are led by the dynamic Mike Roussos, who went from a return game phenom in his 2018 freshman season to the team's #1 WR in 2019 (in addition to remaining a very dangerous returner). Roussos has become starting QB Ty Lenhart's favorite receiver for all the right reasons. With his brother Anthony Roussos joining the team this year at LB, perhaps Mike will have an even bigger incentive to pick up his game.
But after Roussos, the question marks abound. The great combo of Josh Wainwright and Ronald Smith are gone. along with some of the great supporting actors from 2019 like Mozes Mooney.
I'd peg the best prospects to start and contribute after Roussos on the following four names:
5th year senior Emerson Kabus is back, and he provides good experience to go along with major speed. It's hard to believe he'd be sticking around if he didn't feel confident he'd be getting significant touches this fall.
Senior Ernest Robertson from the Bronx seemed to be breaking into the WR rotation a bit in 2019. He could be a factor this season if that trajectory continues.
Freshman Marcus Libman is so reminiscent of Wainwright it's uncanny. He was a major "get" in this latest recruiting class and he should see the field early. *UPDATE: Many others believe Bryson Canty, who hails from the same HS as promising newcomer QB Gabriel Hollingsworth, is the best incoming freshman WR. I hope the competition is intense.
Officially a sophomore, Chase Harleston also looks like a very strong contender to get on the field regularly.
Obviously there are some good potential prospects elsewhere on the roster at WR, including Mason Tomlin, son of Pittsburgh Steelers Head Coach Mike Tomlin. But at 5-8, I'm not sure if Tomlin will be lining up wide very often.
At Tight End, things look a bit more dire after the graduation of Rory Schlageter.
Returning senior Casey Mariucci is back, and he's made some big catches in his career so far.
After him, it's all question marks.
Senior Brandon Radice is the only other returning TE other than Mariucci with significant playing time. But he still only has one career catch.
Senior Jackson Heath was very promising when he joined the program in 2018, but injuries kept him off the field most of the time before COVID-19 hit. If he's healthy now, he could make a nice impact.
Junior Like Painton is a naturally interesting prospect because of his 6-6 height, but he didn't get to play in 2019 and that raises questions.
Freshman Patrick Wade is also an interesting possibility, also because of his 6-6 stature, and sophomore Dominic Busby has to be an intriguing prospect considering how heavily he was recruited with offers from Rutgers and Maryland.
While there are some great potential game-changers in this crew, the WR/TE corps really cannot be called an area of strength for Columbia right now... but I really wouldn't be surprised if it becomes more than a strength very soon.
4 comments:
Jake, take a look at Bryson Canty at WR.
Terrell Long and Chase Harleston were two of the leading high academic wide receiver recruits in California last season and are possible impact players at that position for Columbia. Bryson Canty is extremely impressive on film and being that he was Gabriel Hollingsworth's top receiver in high school, he obviously will see action when Hollingsworth gets his chance, if not sooner. He seems to be a Wainwrght-Smith quality receiver. Will Meyer is a promising wide receiver from Texas. At tight end, Dominic Busby who played at Seton Hall Prep in New Jersey, is considered by at least one recruiting service to be Columbia's top recruit. Patrick Wade, in his first year of football was the MVP of IMG Academy in Florida. That says something about his athletic ability. Wade is a two-sport standout--football and baseball. At 6'6" 235, he sizes up as a standout player for the Lions in both sports.
Stan Waldbaum '62C
I neglected to mention the speedy wide receiver/running back/athlete/ Nico Valencia in my comment on the Columbia wide receivers. Valencia was a standout player for Los Fresnos High School in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas (aka the "Valley). Talented football players in the Valley sometimes get overlooked outside Texas because smaller cities and towns like Brownsville and Harlingen are difficult to reach due to their distance from Houston and Dallas. However, there is plenty of athletic talent in the Valley, and Valencia could make an impact in the Ivy League at either wide receiver or running back. If you look closely at his senior year film highlights, you will see a bit of resemblance to Mike Roussos which, of course, is intended as a high compliment.
Stan Waldbaum '62C
Schagleter became a clutch receiver by his senior year in 2019. He was a big reliable tough short pass receiver. But he only caught 24 passes in 10 games. Quality TEs often catch 6-8 passes per game. I submit he was underutilized by the OC to the detriment of the entire offense. As for Mariucci, he showed as a soph that he was a clutch short pass receiver. Yet In he 5 games he played in 2019, he only caught 7 passes. Once again, in my view, he was underutilized by the OC. Our OC seemed hell bent on throwing deep or horizontally. Why, I don’t know. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it now, the OC needs to step up. His approach to pass routes and distribution of the ball were subpar. He must improve or we’ll suffer the consequences once again.
We need to throw short quick passes ( down and outs, button hooks, crossing rotutes) to make our offense click and take pressure off the OL and QB. I don’t know how good our receivers are, but let’s hope we use them wisely.
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