Wide receiver remains a position of strength for the Bulldogs despite losing an NFL-caliber talent in Mason Tipton. Pantelis, Nenad and Shipp have all started contests throughout their careers and return to form a formidable senior trio. Pantelis was game-ready on Day 1 of his career at Yale and in the early days with Grooms at the helm, the offense revolved around short screens to Pantelis. While the offensive strategies have evolved since 2021, the focus must be to get the ball in Pantelis’ hands as he is the best receiver on the roster for racking up yards after the catch. Nenad has prototypical size for the position and can really stretch defenses vertically with his speed. Shipp might be the most well rounded of the corps yet really needs to have a breakout season in 2024 to keep the Bulldogs offense humming. The primary question is not how will our top receivers perform in 2024, but can our top receivers stay healthy? All three have battled numerous injuries over their careers and with less experience on the depth chart than previous years, it will be vital to keep these players healthy for a full season. The return of Felton does alleviate some of these concerns as he’s an explosive athlete that has started as a kick returner since his freshman season. Beyond the four previously mentioned wideouts, there is very little experience with only Nico Brown, Kelvin Smith, Cameron Price and Aidan Stephens seeing limited action in contests. We’re hopeful that sophomores and juniors such as Donovan McKoy and Nico Brown will make tremendous strides as Yale needs the next generation of receivers to develop in a hurry.
The exceptional talents of Jackson Hawes were arguably underutilized in 2023, but the loss of Hawes at tight end will likely be most felt in the area of run blocking. Yates has proven to be an adept pass catcher and has a great feel for finding holes in pass coverages. The offense will need an effective run game to open up passing opportunities, so it will be vital for Yates to take opposing defensive ends and linebackers out of the equation to spring Pitsenberger and Peterson loose. There are ten tight ends on the roster, although only Yates, Spencer Mermans, Luke Foster, and Ryan Belk have seen action. Belk was a key contributor on special teams last year and without his blocked punt against Princeton, the Ivy League title may have slipped away in 2023. Reno brought in two talented tight ends from Texas in the recruiting class with Colton Sanders and Brady Wagner. Both freshmen have identical sizes (6’3”, 215 lbs.) and similar pass catching attributes that could earn them action in the passing game, although they will likely need to develop more strength to see run blocking action. Sophomore Robby Tattersall impressed during the spring game and should play a larger role in 2024.
33 replies on “WR/TE Preview”
Thanks. Should the FY tight ends be bulking up from their current weights? Were they receiving or blocking TEs in HS? Hawes seemed to be an excellent fit for the Grooms led offense. What about going forward?
Nico brown will be the guy
Etched in my brain is Mason Shipp, Robby Tattersal, Donovan McKoy, Nico Brown, Garon Duncan. I wanna see that kid Jaxton Santiago anything like his hudl tapes. It will be magic. Here’s to finding a QB to get the job done.
I know you guys have jobs and family, but it might excite the fan base to hear your comments on the other offensive and the defensive positions before the beginning of practice! Thanks for whatever you can do!
Gentlemen; Interesting interview with coach Reno at media day where the disclosures about any individual player at any position was zero.
To say Tony keeps things ” close to the vest” is an understatement.
That is somewhat disappointing. But, given Tony’s record overall and vs. Harvard, plus titles, I’m not going to complain!
I do wish we wouldn’t schedule Holy Cross — it’s probably good for the guys to play them, and winning’s not out of the question, but it does reduce the chances of our first perfect season since 1960.
The series with Holy Cross doesn’t end until 2027 or 2028 I believe. The only problem with the HC games are they have been mostly, if not all, season openers and HC has already played two games (this year three) before Yale. I would have liked to see a few of these in October. Having said that Yale has only themselves to blame for very winnable games lost in 2018 and 2021.
Long gone are the days when the word on new impact players for the coming season came through the grapevine. Looking back to those times I remember hearing about the talents of players like Singleton, Hill, Jauron et al before they arrived on campus as freshmen.
Not just the grapevine, RIW. The NH Register and Journal-Courier had real reporters who wrote about and cared about Yale football and kept us informed.
Well given Jauron and Hill were Parade All Americans not too surprising. Yale ain’t fishing in that pond anymore.
New Commit:
Jev Hutton, DE/OLB, Fisher IN, 6’2”, 225lbs. Offers from Navy, Dartmouth, Princeton, Columbia, Cornell, S. Illinois.
Jr. stats: 63 total tackles, 34 solo, 21 assisted, 8 TFLs,2 sacks, 4 qbpr, 3 qb hits, 2 FF
Thanks SOE, would like to see The Ivy League add another game . Start sooner, the antiquated system was good 30years ago. But the league needs to evolve and grow up.!! Yale has opponents who START AT THE OF AUGUST.!! It’s a NO BRAINER.!!
I agree. I would like to see an eleven game schedule that starts the first Saturday after Labor Day with a Bye after either week 5 or 6. Time for the Ivy League to join the rest of Division I football on this. Ten games schedules are for Division III.
Gentlemen; It has been a mere 44 years since our blue has been playing a ten game schedule while most teams have played 11 games for a long time and now for several years are playing 12 games. The vast majority of players and coaches would like to play an 11 contest. I ponder given these circumstances why the Athletic Directors including our own have not scheduled an 11th game.
For some real excitement, the 11th game could be a re-enactment of the 1894 Springfield Massacre, with today’s players clad in 1894 equipment.
Is anyone else interested in buying gear from the Yale team store but does not want the Team 151 logo on it? I wish they would give us access to normal merch
I saw the Ivy League Media Day on ESPN plus. Jack Ford , was asking some good questions . Reno , was side stepping like a GOP Politician running for office.!! 🤣 would like to see more information on this board.
It should come as no surprise that the lack of information over these past years would be correlated with reduced attendance at the Bowl. Maybe Coach Reno doesn’t mind playing in an empty stadium, but you would think that some of the players might. Especially those who come from parts of the country where HS football is popular. This blog is the best source of information that we have, so I hope that the Moderators can keep it going!
All is subjective, but I believe the reduced attendance comes down to people preferring to stay home and watch “big time” college football on TV.
True, the no re-entry policy stinks, as does the apparent insistence that the PA announcer indulge in annoying, constant histrionics (I hear the same guy is much different at Yale hockey). But public preference is #1. If we could schedule a game vs. a service academy every year it’d help but apparently the academies aren’t interested.
Looking forward to seeing how these former Yalies will be doing.
Jon Mendoza Louisville
Clay Patterson – Stanford
Joesph Vaughn- UCLA
Wande Owens – New Hampshire
Aaron Sessions- McNeese State
Jackson Hawes- Georgia Tech
Ezekiel Larry- San Diego State
They’re all listed on the prospected rosters, I believe the top 6 will be starting. For their new teams.
Aiden Warner – Florida
4th string on the depth chart
Gentlemen; there is a freshman outstanding recruit second string on Florida’s depth chart. Regrettably, Mr. Warner may never see the field. I wonder where Mr. Warner would be on our blue squad this year
From a football perspective Warner leaving makes no sense. You would think he would have had at least a chance to start at Yale since there is no incumbent at the position. Then, if he wasn’t happy, he could transfer with either with playing time under his belt or a realization that he was not going to play at Yale. A big time program doesn’t seem to make any sense at this point.
Maybe there are non football reasons.
Aidan Warner sustained an injury to his knee during one of the final practices prior to Yale/Harvard game. It was diagnosed as a deep bruise. After leaving Yale, he had offers from Miami, Minnesota, and Florida, as well as several others. He chose Florida. After arriving on campus, it was discovered that the deep bone bruise was actually a torn ACL. It was successfully operated on in January. After learning it was a torn ACL, Florida recruited a QB out of Colorado State to fill the 3rd string role behind 6th year senior starter and 2nd string high school national player of the year out of Texas. Seven months into his recovery, Warner is currently working out with the other QB’s and performing well.
I wish him well.
Sounds like he was homesick, he’s a Florida kid. The Northeast is Cold and desolate. I get it.
Heart wants what the heart wants.
Larry, on the other hand , that bothers me. He’s good, but he needs to acknowledge his teammates. Like Clay Patterson, who was double and triple teamed all season. Good riddance.!!
November 16th will be interesting, Jon Mendoza , Louisville, Clay Patterson, Stanford.hopefully will be able to see that.
Gentlemen; Mr. Larry, as of now is not even listed as a third stringer on the depth chart. Hope things work out for him, and he does not regret the choice he made.
Jonathan Mendoza at this time is the starting Right Tackle for The Cardinals.
Clay Patterson, is the starting DT for Stanford as well.
UCLA Joe Vaughn is 2nd string as of today
Georgia Tech Jackson Hawes, is the starting TE as of today.
UNH Wande Owens is the starting Safety as well.
Time for the annual, “why are the games not broadcast on radio.” ESPN+ is fine, but why is radio now frowned upon as another way to reach the public. It wasn’t WELI that decided to stop the radio broadcasts, it was Yale. Have all the other schools in the league and beyond dumped their radio affiliations?
There are some people who can’t afford ESPN PLUS. Again we used to have the radio on at work and listen to the broadcast. Or in the car listening to the game.
Listen to Coach, This Saturday Yales playing somebody. Let’s go the advertising concept. Marketing still is valid . It’s too bad to be discounted because of Convenience. If it ain’t broke don’t fix it .!! Makes absolutely no sense.