I expect the two-deeps for the Columbia season opener at Lafayette to be released anytime between now and late Thursday. So, let's look at the biggest questions the lineup cards will be answering.
QB 1
Will it be Caden Bell or Joe Green?
There are number of ways Interim Head Coach Mark Fabish and Interim Offensive Coordinator Joe D'Orazio can handle the starting QB question. They can name one outright starter, co-starters, or make it clear than whoever the #2 QB is, he will still get a decent number of snaps in each game. Using two QB's in something like a 70-30 split was typical of former Head Coach Al Bagnoli's teams at Penn, but was something he mostly moved away from during his tenure at Columbia. My guess is that the QB decision was mostly made before Bagnoli's sudden retirement.
OL STARTERS
Barring injury, I expect three of the starters to be Andrew Pruske, Zach Mills, and the TE-converted-to-LT Luke Painton. The other two starting slots and the backups are of major importance to say the least. One thing I will note is that we shouldn't be surprised if underclassmen are very well represented in those slots.
MAJOR DECISION AT MLB
The team's biggest loss on defense was the graduation of unanimous 1st Team All Ivy middle linebacker Scott Valentas. All signs indicate that Anthony Roussos will get the nod to replace him. We know C.J. Brown will be one of the other starters at linebacker, but the third starting spot is less clear. The backups here will also be of great interest.
2 DB SLOTS OPEN
DB's Seth Parker and Aaron Brebnor are two of the best players on the team, but who will join them in the starting secondary? Mason Tomlin would appear to have an inside track to one of those slots, but there are still plenty of mysteries here in a unit that needs to step up in a big way this year after a number of seasons of underperformance.
PUNTERS, KICKERS, & RETURNERS
Penn State grad transfer Alex Felkins leaves Columbia having to replace their placekicker/kickoff man. I also expect new starting kick and punt returners.
AND THE REST...
There are other questions, including who will be the #2 RB, the starting TE, and the backup WR's at a position that's particularly crowded with talent this year.
5 comments:
Biggest question for me is whether “Baby Gronk” will successfully make the transition from TE to LT
Painton was an excellent blocking TE and certainly at6’6” and 310 has the size to be an excellent TE.
But his future if he wants to play in the NFL has to be at the tackle position—see Brian O’Neill of the Vikings
The big Q in my mind is whether this team will pick up where last year's left off, playing with confidence and attitude, while taking care of business, bending good teams on the road to their will. I think the fact that Lafayette and Georgetown have come out of the gate looking pretty good will play to the Lions' favor, as last year's team seemed to have a false sense of confidence from rolling over their OCC opponents.
The strength of the team lies in the receiving corp. We have several first rate speedsters, pass catchers and playmakers. Getting the ball into their hands should be the top priority. And, in my opinion, the QB best equipped to do this is Green. He has the strongest and most accurate arm on team*. With a solid ground game behind him ( lacking the first half of last season) and improved offensive play calling ( Harken back to the last three games when Fabish discovered that the rules permitted his QBs to throw over the middle- and I’m not being facetious), Green should have a field day. No longer will he be consigned to flinging the balll down field willynilly or throwing bubble screens and 2 yd out patterns.
Bell is a quality QB too. And if we needed a running QB to make the O go, he’d be the one.But we don’t. I still think He’ll see plenty of action. He may also be a good wildcatter. While he lacks the foot speed of the typical wildcatters, he’s smart, tough and can throw too!
Any way you cut it, the team will be in good hands.
Painton possibilities: 1- Tackle eligible receiver ;2-FB in short yardage situations, where he pushes the QB over the 1st down marker/ goal line.
*Another data point- watch the QBs (without looking at their uniform #) throw the ball in pregame drills. In the past Green’s balls always seem to get there a little faster with less air under them and he can throw it way downfield too.
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