Tragedy has struck the Columbia Football team.
Rising senior McLeod Buckham-White has passed away.
May his memory ultimately be a blessing.
Looks like my refusal to believe that Columbia would only have four real home games in 2023 was justified.
Our previously scheduled Week 4 matchup at Wagner has now been wiped from Wagner's schedule (and Wagner is not happy about that, btw) leaving that week open for a likely home game that would bring the Lion home date total to five.
I'm not sure who that opponent will be, but it could be Marist since the Red Foxes have also not yet released their 2023 schedule.
I do know it will not be another local school, LIU. The Sharks schedule is already out and does not include CU.
Dartmouth Head Coach Buddy Teevens. one of our classiest rivals in the Ivies, has suffered reportedly "serious" injuries after being hit by a car while cycling in Florida.
I know all of Columbia's fans, players, and coaches are wishing Buddy a total and speedy recovery.
He had a number of D-III offers and a preferred walk-on offer at Boston College.
Hernandez will be the sixth Harvard-Westlake grad to come to Columbia. Current sophomore WR Chase Harleston is a fellow Harvard-Westlake grad.
So our unofficial commit list is now up to 28 names:
1) Qwincy Amos DB 5"11 170 lbs. Warren HS San Antonio, TX
2) Terell Battle WR/DB 6"3 190 lbs. Mountain View HS, Lawrenceville, GA
3) Jalen Campbell DL/OL 6"4 295 lbs. Jackson-Reed HS Washington, DC
4) Jaylen Carter WR/DB 6"0 180 lbs. Taft School Watertown, CT
5) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ
6) Colin Cook 6"3 185 lbs. Pope John Paul II Prep Hendersonville, TN
7) Braden Dougherty TE/DE 6"5 230 lbs. Dublin Coffman HS Dublin, OH
8) Titus Evans WR 6"1 170 lbs. Mansfield Timberview HS Arlington, TX
9) Ethan Fullerton WR/DB 5"11 170 lbs. Notre Dame HS Sherman Oaks, CA
10) Braylon Gardoni 6"0 180 lbs. Fort Bend Christian Academy Sugar Land, TX
11) AJ George LB/RB 6"2 190 lbs. Ottawa Hills HS Toledo, OH
12) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX
13) Quinn Herlihy DL/LB 6"3 238 lbs. Cheshire Academy/Shrewsbury HS Worchester, MA
14) Santiago Hernandez DE/TE 6"4 235 lbs. Harvard-Westlake School Los Angeles, CA
15) Jaden Hinton OL/DL 6"3 300 lbs. Ames HS South Easton, MA
16) Griffin Johnson RB 5"11 190 lbs. Marysville HS Marysville, OH
17) Sean Kimani OL 6"5 290 lbs. Duluth HS Duluth, GA
18) Bailey Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA
19) Keelan Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA
20) Xander Menapace QB 6"4 208 lbs. Hamburg Area HS Hamburg, PA
21) Malachi Mercer LB 6"1 225 lbs. Bergen Catholic Oradell, NJ
22) Hugo Merry P/K 6"3 210 lbs. Frederick HS Frederick, MD
23) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA
24) Charlie Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL
25) Ahmari Owens 6"5 305 lbs. Springfield Central HS Springfield, MA
26) Levi Robins DB 5"11 175 lbs. Saguaro HS Scottsdale, AZ
27) Will Rubalcava DB 6"0 170 lbs. Rick Reedy HS Frisco, TX
28) Nik Winzer OL/DL 6"6 285 lbs. Matawan Regional HS Matawan, NJ
5-11 170-pound WR/DB Ethan Fullerton from Notre Dame HS in Sherman Oaks, CA has committed to the Lions.
Fullerton will be the third Notre Dame alum to come to Columbia Football.
So our unofficial commit list is now up to 27 names:
1) Qwincy Amos DB 5"11 170 lbs. Warren HS San Antonio, TX
2) Terell Battle WR/DB 6"3 190 lbs. Mountain View HS, Lawrenceville, GA
3) Jalen Campbell DL/OL 6"4 295 lbs. Jackson-Reed HS Washington, DC
4) Jaylen Carter WR/DB 6"0 180 lbs. Taft School Watertown, CT
5) Christian Carti WR 6"1 190 lbs. Bergen Catholic HS Oradell, NJ
6) Colin Cook 6"3 185 lbs. Pope John Paul II Prep Hendersonville, TN
7) Braden Dougherty TE/DE 6"5 230 lbs. Dublin Coffman HS Dublin, OH
8) Titus Evans WR 6"1 170 lbs. Mansfield Timberview HS Arlington, TX
9) Ethan Fullerton WR/DB 5"11 170 lbs. Notre Dame HS Sherman Oaks, CA
10) Braylon Gardoni 6"0 180 lbs. Fort Bend Christian Academy Sugar Land, TX
11) AJ George LB/RB 6"2 190 lbs. Ottawa Hills HS Toledo, OH
12) Chase Goodwin QB 6"2 200 lbs. Memorial HS Houston, TX
13) Quinn Herlihy DL/LB 6"3 238 lbs. Cheshire Academy/Shrewsbury HS Worchester, MAha
14) Jaden Hinton OL/DL 6"3 300 lbs. Ames HS South Easton, MA
15) Griffin Johnson RB 5"11 190 lbs. Marysville HS Marysville, OH
16) Sean Kimani OL 6"5 290 lbs. Duluth HS Duluth, GA
17) Baily Kornegay-Douhadji DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Sharpsburg, GA
18) Keelan Kornegay DE 6"3 230 lbs. East Caweta HS Shapsburg, GA
19) Xander Menapeace QB 6"4 208 lbs. Hamburg Area HS Hamburg, PA
20) Malachi Mercer LB 6"1 225 lbs. Bergen Catholic Oradell, NJ
21) Hugo Merry P/K 6"3 210 lbs. Frederick HS Frederick, MD
22) Mikey Nabbout DE/TE 6"3 245 lbs. St. John's Prep Danvers, MA
23) Chase Newton WR/DB 6"3 195 lbs. Walter Payton Prep Chicago, IL
24) Ahmari Owens 6"5 305 lbs. Springfield Central HS Springfield, MA
25) Levi Robins DB 5"11 175 lbs. Saguaro HS Scottsdale, AZ
26) Will Rubalcava DB 6"0 170 lbs. Rick Reedy HS Frisco, TX
27) Nik Winzer OL/DL 6"6 285 lbs. Matawan Regional HS Matawan, NJ
PAINTON SWITCH?
I'm hearing reports the TE Luke Painton has exited the transfer portal and will return to CU this fall as a... LEFT TACKLE. Apparently, he has put on the added weight needed and is ready to go.
This would seem to be what may be a number of special moves the coaching staff is implementing to shore up a Lion offensive line that is taking a very tough series of graduation losses all at once.
As one of my former classmates noted, Penn TE Joe Valerio made the same position switch for the Quakers and ended up playing All Pro level football in the NFL as an O-lineman.
So, we shall see.
