In a dual set of good news posted on X today, we have learned that DL Justin Townsend, who was lost for the season during the Princeton game this past fall, will indeed be returning for a 5th year this coming season. He's also obviously been elected as a co-captain along with senior LB Jack Smiechowski, junior QB Chase Goodwin, and senior OL Mark Chapman.
This positively answers one of the key questions about the 2025 Lions and what would have been a D-line much challenged by graduation. My expectations for improvement after this past year's co-championship are heightened!
48 comments:
JT is back. Going to be a great year. 36 is a stud
Very very good news! Just hope that he is at 100% or near it! Poppe is da man!
I just keep watching the highlights Townsend posted on Twitter in November. That pick-six against Princeton was awesome!!!
How do we assess our chances of repeating as champs?
Columbia has to be the favorite or co-favorite to repeat as Ivy League Champion
Who will be the #1 RB?
With a healthy Townsend & Goodwin the Lions will repeat as IVY League Champs !!!
We still have some major holes to fill..Some great players are graduating or have just graduated in December. Canty, MacDonald and Giorgi will be missed, as will others.
Agree there will be some big holes to fill, with so much senior leadership graduating, but the silver lining to an injury-filled season was how many non-starters at last season's start eventually played serious minutes in pressure-packed games (which is to say all of them). The team obviously has depth and coaches committed to coaching every player to be ready to step up and play.
Let’s not forget they won Ivy without them. There’s depth
Gotta like the Stovall and Smith combo. Top it off with Poppe at the helm! Much better play book. How about that bomb to Canty against Yale!. Don't miss the mediocre days of the 2010s at all! Not even the Bubble Screen! Did anyone notice that Ohio State, Qtr. 4, playing too conservatively with a lead, threw a bomb on 3rd and eleven? This is happening at CU too!
I saw that and the correct use of the Bubble Screen by Ohio State too. 3 out on a side. Two run out and then block and the recipient of the screen , steps back, catches and takes off!
Fabish who?
For hopefully the last time, please lay off Mark Fabish, a good guy who was a few plays away from flipping his record. If you want to go after anybody, fire away at Mangurian.
My understanding is that Malcolm Terry is returning at running back, and he is clearly #1. However, the Lions also have returning Griffin Johnson who made a significant positive impact on the Lions success in the last few games of the season. Johnson has the size and athleticism to bea terrifi running back.There are also two outstanding incoming freshmen.
Fabish, like Engles, has been just “a few bad breaks” away from the pinnacle of success. While we’re at it, I have a bridge to sell you…
Can’t wait for season two of the Poppe era!
I took a look at Fabish’s record as HC at Peddie this year: 2-7. That’s even worse than his record as HC at CU. Interestingly, his squad averaged around 15 points per game and was held to less than 10 in 6 of their 9 games. Seems like more than just bad breaks.
Yes, there is depth; but wrong - we won Ivy with the whole team, injured or not. This was a team accomplishment from start to finish which helped make it such a special result.
In depth analysis
Who are the incoming freshmen running backs? I can't find a full recruit listing anywhere.
In depth response.
1. Jevaughan Barnett-Jackson, WR 6'2" 175, Oxon Hall HS, Oxon, MD
2. Thomas Browne, LS 6'0" 200, Westbrook HS, Beaumont, TX
3. Andrew “Drew” Burmeister, LB 6'2" 225, Woodstock HS, Woodstock, GA
4. Dylan Clifton, OL 6'3" 285, Choate, Wallingford, CT
5. Elliot Cooper, WR 5'11" 180, Notre Dame HS, Sherman Oaks, CA
6. Austin Coronado, DE OLB 6'3" 240, St. John Bosco HS, Inland Empire, CA
7. Xander Eschelman, QB 6'3" 195, Menlo-Atherton HS, Atherton, CA
8. Henry Estes, DT OL 6'4" 265, St. Marks, Dallas, TX
9. Brendan Fournier, RB LB? 6'1" 210, Vandegrift HS, Austin, TX
10. Galvin Goss, DB QB 6'0" 170, Valley HS, Valley, AL
11. Winston Harstvedt, DE TE 6'4" 240, South Walton HS, Santa Rosa Beach, FL
12. Jayden Jackson, DB 6'2" 175, West Palm Beach, FL
13. Ezra Malamura, WR 6'0" 182, Bryon Nelson HS, Trophy Club, TX
14. Nicolas 'Cole' Matejka, DE RT 6'4" 235, University HS, Normal, IL
15. Adande Nartey, CB 5'10" 175, Suffield Academy, Bronx, NY
16. Julius Patton, DE RT 6'4" 240, La Jolla Country Day, San Diego, CA
17. Jahmir Pitcher, RB FS 5'11" 185, Suffield Academy, Suffield CT
18. Nick Purdy, OL 6'6" 280, Mariner HS, Cape Coral, FL
19. Beckett Robinson, WR FS 6'2" 180, Tahlequah HS, Tahlequah, OK
20. Dylan Sandles, LB 6'1" 210, Lancaster HS, Lancaster, TX
21. Stone Theis, DE TE 6'5" 230, Lake Travis HS, Austin, TX
22. Dawson Thompson, DL 6'5" 260, Christ School, Ashville, NC
23. Simon VanderWel, OL 6'5" 250, Kings HS, Seattle, WA
24. Jonah Walker, LB TE 6'6" 240, Marked Tree HS, Marked Tree, AR
25. Michael Walters, RB 6'1' 210, Brookfield HS, Brookfield, CT
Make it nice!
Can’t wait to see Townsend and Goodwin on the field this season. If healthy they are difference makers. Sky is the limit.
Thanks to our man. Ungvar, for posting our 2025 incoming recruit list. As we can all see, the incoming freshman class includes, not two, but three outstanding running backs, including an All--District 1st Team player from Texas, a big running back from Connecticut and a highly recruited player from Upstate New York. Good luck to them all.
Thanks again to Ungvar! How did he do it?
Powell is a beast at the other end spot. Love that young man.
Caleb Sanchez was excellent in the last two games. But Chase Goodwin is also excellent. Will we see both on the field this coming season?
Yes
Hayden McDaniel to Nevada
Best Safety in Columbia history. Nevada is lucky to have him.
Guess you mean Hayden McDonald.
Apparently he also had offers from Kent State and UC Davis. Interestingly, his first D1 scholarship offer was from UNLV, back in 2020.
It will be Goodwin.
UNLV lost out on a gem. Their loss.
Sanchez was good last year. However, Goodwin was absolutely fantastic when he played. Its his job to lose next fall.
Sanchez was fantastic as well. For a freshman to come in and win two of the most important games to able to share the championship is ridiculous for you to say he was good. Look at the bigger picture. Probably had the least amount of reps with the ones, weather, being only a freshman. He literally took command of the offense and score. Something that Feeman wasn’t able to do in about 5-6 games that he played. I would say Sanchez did an amazing job.
Thank God we moved away from Fabish and got a young, talented coach. Why can't we do that in hoops? Lots of D II and III talent who need a chance. What do we have to lose at this stage? NADA
The back story on why Engles is still at Columbia has never actually been made public. There was a rumor that Gerry Sherwin made a testamentary gift which was dependent upon the retention of Engles—seems far fetched but who knows.in any event the only way that Engles goes —and even this is not a sure thing—is if less that 3 IL games.
Sherwin rumor is total nonsense. Some guy made it up because he was jealous of Gerry and hated him.
Should we just take your word for it that the Sherwin provision isn’t true?
Yes
You should also have some common sense
The assertion that an unnamed person was jealous of the deceased Sherwin and therefore made up a weird story about the latter’s will involving the current MBB coach requires the suspension of common sense.
Whatever the reason, it defies common sense that Engles is our HC. His record speaks for itself and his continuing employment causes alumni to wonder how this could happen.
Engles crapping the bed yet again tonight.
How can we be behind by 22 at home against Dartmouth at halftime? Seriously? That's even more embarrassing than how we were dismantled in Levien by Cornell, my last game in person until we bring in a new coach and re-establish respectability.
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