Fresh Legs

Tanner Thomas

Another big question mark for the 2018 Lions is the running back position.

First, some background about the running backs in the Al Bagnoli era.

In each of Bagnoli's three seasons as CU's head coach, the same pattern has emerged. That is, a strong running back emerges, but mostly only towards the end of the season.

In 2015, Cameron Molina '16 had flashes of brilliance, but really only stood out during the last two games of the season.

In 2016, Alan Watson '17, had some strong earlier season games, especially against Wagner in week 4. But for the most part, his numbers were best in those same last two games of the year.

Last season, Chris Schroer '18, had stand out performances in the last three games of the season. But the rest of the year he didn't have quite the same impact.

Now in these above cases, injuries played a role in some of the relatively slow starts.

But the question remains: Are CU running backs just slow to develop along with the offensive line, or are they just emerging late thanks to the fact that Columbia plays two of its weakest opponents in weeks 9 and 10?

Okay, that's not the real question. The real question is: Will Columbia have an All-Ivy caliber runner this season and who is it most likely to be?

Tops on the experience meter coming into camp is junior Tanner Thomas. Thomas had his moments last season, rushing for 312 yards on 92 carries. His finest moment was a great sideways run and late turn into the end zone for a TD in the thrilling week 3 win at Princeton.

Another junior is Lynnard Rose, who missed much of last year with injuries. I still expect him to get a good look from the coaches as he was a top recruit in Bagnoli's first incoming class. He also was able to participate in spring practice this year because he left the baseball team.

Two talented sophomores should also be in the mix. Marquavious Moore got into a couple of games last year. Broderick Taylor may have a chance to play after tearing his ACL in camp last season and sustaining a similar injury in the spring. Taylor was a star last summer in that training camp before his injury, so the coaches definitely want to give him as much of a chance to eventually play.

Dante Miller

One of the most highly regarded incoming freshmen this year happens to be an RB. Dante Miller de-committed from FCS powerhouse James Madison to come to the Lions. Expect him to get a very hard look in camp. Ryan Young also seems like he may get himself into the mix sometime soon.

With Columbia needing to go with a new starting QB this season, it's obvious how important a steady running attack will be this fall. The Lions have probably their most experienced offensive line in decades coming into this season. So if the talent is there among the RB's, this is surely an attainable goal.