Special Delivery

Will Allen is a threat to score on every return


Columbia's special teams had a stellar year in 2017 in just about every measurable way.

The Lions had the best punter in the league. The best kickoff returner. A dangerous punt returner. A still very-solid placekicker. And generally the best coverage teams around.

Almost all of those elements return for 2018, with the graduated 1st Team All Ivy Punter Parker Thome as a notable exception, (though Thome will keep punting this fall as a grad transfer at Vanderbilt).

Replacing Thome presumably will be sophomore Drew Schmid, who was probably the best rated punting recruit in the history of Columbia Football when he committed. Schmid certainly has the talent to continue Columbia's recent hot streak of top punters.

A man on the spot is junior Oren Milstein. Milstein was not as sharp in 2017 as he was in his 2016 freshman year, but he still delivered in the clutch when it counted the most. He hit key FG's like the game winner against Wagner, two pressure kicks in tough circumstances at Cornell, and was almost automatic on PATs. Army All-American kicker and 2019 commit Alex Felkins doesn't join the team until next year, so this is still Milstein's job 100%.

Sophomore Will Allen was one of the most effective kickoff returners in many years for CU. His 24.7 yards per return number led the Ivies, and he almost broke several returns for scores.

WR Josh Wainwright was always a threat at punt returner last season, and should get more chances to frighten opponents this fall.

But don't forget the other part of the Columbia special teams story: All the blocked kicks. The Lions got their paws on one punt, and a large number of PATs and FGs last season, including three blocks in the final game against Brown alone, (one of them a punt block recovered for a TD).

The bottom line is if Schmid lives up to expectations and Milstein gets back to freshman season form, this could easily be the best special teams unit in the Ivy League... again.