Getting Defensive

Mike Hinton gets his star turn after his game-icing sack vs. Dartmouth last year


The first pleasant surprise of the Al Bagnoli era at Columbia on the field was the immediate upgrade in the play of the defensive line.

But since that 2015 campaign, Columbia's defensive strengths have come from the linebacking corps and the secondary. The D-line hasn't been a weakness the last two seasons, but that furious pass rush that defined the Lions three years ago seems to be a distant memory.

Now, there's a concern that the defensive line will indeed be a weakness in 2018 with the graduations of top 2017 players Lord Hyeamang and Connor Heeb.

But there is reason to believe this will be a positive year for the Lion DL.

The first reason is senior co-captain Mike Hinton is not only returning, but he started to show real improvement throughout his junior season and this past off season.

Another reason for optimism is the rise of junior DT Arman Samouk, who also improved last season and emerged as a fierce threat during the off season and spring game.

Fellow junior Daniel DeLorenzi is healthy again after missing parts of last season to injury. DeLorenzi has been nothing short of excellent when he's healthy.

Another junior who has been developing nicely but quietly is LinDon Harris. Harris could be about to have a breakthrough season.

But the most excitement may end up coming from the sophomore class. Cooper Wilson was a surprise contributor at DE last year as a freshman and he made a growing impact in the spring. His fellow sophomores Andrew Nichols and Oganna Oraedu looked very impressive to me in practice last year and I would be very surprised if at least one of them didn't crack the regular rotation and make an impact this season.

Like most seasons, the incoming freshmen crop of D-linemen are hard to figure as the position is usually very hard to play as a 1st year at the college level.

And like all Ivy teams, there's a dearth of 270-pound plus defensive tackles who look poised to play at an All Ivy level. But rising junior Alex Robin did start to contribute last season and could make some noise.

If the Lion linebackers and secondary play up to expectations, 2018 could be another year where the D-line simply develops and grows. But if the DL plays better than expectations, this could make Columbia's defense the best in the Ivies.