Some Magic from Orlando

21 Days to Training Camp Report Day

51 Days to Season Opener at Marist

Some Freshman Stories

I thought I'd highlight some of the more interesting stories that I haven't already highlighted about our incoming freshmen players over the next few days and weeks.

Today's spotlight frosh is DB Kameryn Metcalf from Orlando, FL and Dr. Phillips HS (where current senior starter at DB, Brian Bell-Anderson, also graduated. 

Metcalf has an interesting family history he should be very proud of. 

I won't list all the details here, because I can't do as good a job of it as Spectrum Sports reporter Luke Hetrick did in this piece about Kameryn, his brother, his mom, and his late father who died in 2019 of cancer after serving seven tours for U.S. Army as a Ranger, Green Beret, and with the Airborne Division. 

Columbia's recruiters are always looking for good talent. But since the Al Bagnoli staff came on board in 2015, there's also been a major push for finding players with the right kind of character to be leaders on the field and in the dorm rooms. It sure seems like they found someone like that with Metcalf.

At Long Last!

 The official story introducing the 2022 newcomers is here. 

Real. Good. Get.

 

                                                    Jaylen Carter

6-0 180 pound WR/DB Jaylen Carter from the Taft School has committed to Columbia. 

Carter is a great mix of hands and speed, who also had an offer from URI. 

Carter will be the fifth Taft grad to come to Columbia Football, and the first since 2004. 

Carter also played for Saint Joseph HS in Trumbull, CT, but I'm not sure for how many years. 

Three Lions from the past came to us from Saint Joseph's, but nothing from there since 1986. 

So our unofficial commit list is up to 11 names:

1) Jaylen Carter 6"0 180 lbs. Taft School Watertown, CT

2) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

3) AJ George LB/RB 6"2 190 lbs. Ottawa Hills HS Toledo, OH 

4) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

5) Quinn Herlihy DL/LB 6"3 238 lbs. Cheshire Academy/Shrewsbury HS Worchester, MA

6) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

7) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

8) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

9) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA 

10) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL

11) Nik Winzer OL/DL 6"6 285 lbs. Matawan Regional HS Matawan, NJ

Two New 2023 Additions

For all of us dying to know more about the new Squash coach, the CU Athletic Department information folks are ALL OVER IT... 

But with 57 days to go until the 2022 FOOTBALL season kickoff, and just 27 days until the players report to training camp, we still have no news release on the 2022 newcomers... and now this delay is getting embarrassing. 

Again, I get it that this is the summer and university staffs like to take summers off. But if there is a staffing issue or a compliance issue forcing the Football office to delay any updates on the official site for this long, it might be time to come forward and let the fans, players, alumni, and players' parents know. 

And yes, I know none of this will really matter after the season gets underway and we're just looking at performances on the field. But a big part of the commitment these players and their families make to Ivy League Football and Columbia in particular is based on the pride that goes with making the adult choice of getting a real education, getting connected to a powerful alumni base, and also committing to play football. So, let's give these newcomers and their families the attention they deserve now. 

Okay, rant over,

As we wait on the 2022 official release, let's look at two new reported commitments we have for 2023:

First is 6-3 238 pound DE/LB Quinn Herlihy from Cheshire Academy in Massachusetts. He also played at Shrewsbury HS, also in Massachusetts. 

He also had offers from Penn, Brown, and Bucknell. 

Herlihy will be the sixth Cheshire Academy grad to come to Columbia Football, and the first since the excellent multi-year starter at CB, Ben McKeighan '20.

He will be just the second player from Shrewsbury HS to come to the Pride. 

Next is 6-6 285 pound T/DE Nik Winzer from Matawan Regional HS in New Jersey. 

Winzer also had an offer from Monmouth. 

Winzer will be just the second Matawan grad to come to Columbia Football, and the first in 63 years! 

So our unofficial commit list is up to ten names:

1) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

2) AJ George LB/RB 6"2 190 lbs. Ottawa Hills HS Toledo, OH 

3) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

4) Quinn Herlihy DL/LB 6"3 238 lbs. Cheshire Academy/Shrewsbury HS Worchester, MA

5) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

6) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

7) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

8) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA 

9) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL

10) Nik Winzer OL/DL 6"6 285 lbs. Matawan Regional HS Matawan, NJ

 

Last Month of Freedom and a New Name

30 days. 

That's all there is before the 2022 football season gets very real for the Columbia Football players and staff, because August 18th is report day for training camp. 

Of course, lots of players have already been putting in some time this summer on campus and at the Baker Athletic Complex doing informal practices and drills with their teammates. 

But what really begins in 30 days is the intensity of learning new schemes, competing for spots on the depth chart, and getting ready for the academic challenges. For the incoming freshmen, those challenges will be even more intense... but also a great new chapter in their lives. 

6-2, 190 pound LB/RB AJ George from Ottawa Hills HS in Toledo has committed to Columbia, George also had an offer from Wayne State. 

According to my very definitive LionFeeders database, AJ will be the first Ottawa Hills grad to come to Columbia Football. He will also only be the fourth Toledo resident to join the Pride and the first since James O'Donnell way back in 1970. 

So our commit list is up to eight names:

1) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

2) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

3) AJ George LB/RB 6"2 190 lbs. Ottawa Hills HS Toledo, OH

4) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

5) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

6) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

7) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA 

8) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL

7th Name

 

Mikey Nabbout

6-3, 245 pound DE/TE Mikey Nabbout from St. John's Prep in Danvers, MA has committed to Columbia. 

Nabbout also had an offer from Brown. He will be the seventh St. John's grad to come to Columbia Football, and the first since Andrew McHugh '13.

So our commit list is up to seven names:

1) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

2) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

3) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

4) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

5) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

6) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA 

7) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL

Another 2023 Name

 Charlie Newton, a 6-3 195 pound WR/DB from Chicago's Walter Payton Prep, has committed to Columbia. 

Newton will be the second graduate from the relatively new Payton prep to come to Columbia Football, following another WR, Myles Davis '21. 

So our commit list is up to six names:

1) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

2) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

3) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

4) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

5) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

6) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL

The 2023 List Begins

We still don't have an official story on the CU Athletics website announcing and describing the incoming 2022 football freshmen, but that still inexplicable, (and now a little disconcerting), delay has stretched so far that we now are getting commitment announcements from players who will enter Columbia in 2023. 

Here are those new commits for 2023:

Christian Carti

Christian Carti a 6-1, 190 pound WR from nearby Bergen Catholic HS in Northern New Jersey. Carti will be the 14th Bergen Catholic grad to come to Columbia Football and he will join current sophomore OL Pat Coliccho. 

Chase Goodwin

Next is 6-2, 200 pound QB Chase Goodwin from Memorial HS in Houston, TX. Goodwin will be the second Memorial HS grad to come to Columbia Football. 

Braeden Marceau-Olayinka

Heading up to New England, we have Braeden Marceau-Olayinka, a 6-3, 262 pound DL/OL from Melrose HS in Melrose, MA. Marcineau-Olyinka would be the second Melrose grade to come to Columbia Football. 

Heading south to Georgia we nabbed two brothers. First we have 6-3, 230 pound DE Keelan Kornegay from East Caweta HS in Sharpsburg, GA. He also had offers from Army and Air Force. Kornegay will be the first East Caweta grad to come to Columbia Football. 

Joining his brother is Bailey Kornegay-Douhadji, who is also a 6-3, 230 pound DE from East Caweta HS. I am not sure if the brothers are any relation to former Fordham All-American DB Tad Kornegay, who is still playing in the Canadian Football League. 

So, it's time to start the unofficial commit list for 2023:

1) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ

2) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX

3) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA

4) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA

5) Braeden Marceau-Olayinka DL/OL 6"3 262 lbs. Melrose HS Melrose, MA 

Running Away?

Based on his Twitter bio and his absence from the updated roster, it appears running QB Gabriel Hollingsworth is looking to transfer out of the CU program. 

I have no information on what is behind the decision, but I would have loved to see more of what Hollingsworth could have done in a Columbia uniform. 

Maybe I am being too optimistic, but perhaps he will return to the team at some point. 

I do know that the transfer portal has changed the equation for all of college football and I just hope it turns out to be more of a winner than a loser for the Lions over time. 

UPDATE: It appears Hollingsworth has transferred to James Madison University.

Another Surprise

 

Ryan Carr

I'm not sure if I missed this name yesterday of if this is a name they just added to the roster today, but another new freshman we did not note as a commit before is 6-4 275 pound OL Ryan Carr from LaSalle College HS just north of Philadelphia. 

Carr also looks like he could be a very high-quality addition as it appears he was heavily recruited by some bigger programs. But as it is with all the bios and references to "offers," it's often hard to tell what is a formal offer, etc. 

I will now update my epic LionFeeders database, which lists the names of all the documented Columbia Football recruits and their high schools going back several decades. 

UPDATE: The LionFeeders site is now updated! 

BREAKING: Roster Updated

Cobe Crews

Thanks to the observant fan who messaged me this afternoon with the news that the Football roster has now been updated! 

Still no story released from the department announcing the new class, but I assume that's coming after the July 4th holiday. 

Here are the highlights according to the roster:

1) The highest quality surprise appears to be 6-3 185 pound Cobe Crews from my birthplace of Oklahoma City, OK, by way of a PG year at Choate Rosemary Hall. 

Crews' bio says he had an offer from Rice and what was probably a preferred walk-on spot at Oklahoma. 

We don't get too many 6-3 DBs in the Ivies, so this could be a significant boost. 

2) Another surprise is 6-2 210 pound Long Snapper Aaron Yoo , who I would guess is a walk-on prospect for us. 

3) As I reported last month, 6-3 230 pound DL Elias Barrett is indeed coming to Columbia after changing his mind about a preferred walk-on spot at West Virginia.  

A number of freshman who played multiple positions in HS have now been classified into the position groups they will play at Columbia:

Lucas Bullock will be a RB

Matt Gallehdari will be a LB

Jordan Kelly will be a WR

Stryker Leschber will be a TE

James Lill will be an OL

Also, transfer RB Malcom Terry is being classified as a freshman. 

More updates to come...