Spring Updates

Men’s Basketball fell to Texas A&M in the first round of March Madness in an 80-71 contest. Congrats to Coach Jones for another phenomenal season in which the Bulldogs captured both the regular season and post-season championships.

Jackson Hawes continued to elevate his draft stock with an impressive showing at the NFL Combine. Hawes measured 6’4.5″, 253 lbs., and ran a 4.82 40-yard dash with a stellar 34.5″ vertical jump. Hawes could potentially be a late round draft selection for a team looking for a solid blocker with additional upside as a receiving threat. If Hawes somehow falls out of the draft process, he will definitely be scooped up as an undrafted free agent with an opportunity to prove his worth in a preseason camp.

If you missed the April 5th Blue-White Scrimmage as most likely did, there are still two additional dates open to the public on April 12th (11:30 AM) and April 19th (1 PM).

Some positions of concern in the offseason:

QB – Grant Jordan surprised most fans by earning the starting nod in 2024 and performed remarkably well in his lone season. With Jordan gone, it’s back to the drawing board with McCaughey, Howe and Fleharty. McCaughey was the star in the victory over Holy Cross before a letdown in the Cornell game. The Cornell loss can’t be attributed to McCaughey alone as the offensive line was manhandled, the special teams units put Yale in an early hole and the defense was torn to shreds by Jameson Wang. Howe saw some playing time in that ugly Cornell game but failed to ignite much of a spark for the offense. Reno is very optimistic for the future development of Fleharty as a true dual-threat quarterback, so it will be very interesting to see his improvement throughout the off-season.

WR – The wide receivers’ room hasn’t been this concerning in years. Pantelis, Nenad, Shipp and Felton cannot be easily replaced, although some have speculated that Shipp might be able to return as a fifth-year. Jaxton Santiago could become the centerpiece of Yale’s aerial assault as a big-bodied (6’3″, 215 lbs.) possession receiver. Beyond Santiago, there is little returning production with Nico Brown and Garon Kemp seeing some action in 2024. The cabinet is not bare, but Yale will really need to focus on wide receiver development in the offseason to stay relevant in the Ivy hunt for 2025.

TE – The loss of Yates and Foster dampers the mood on the returning pass catching production, while Mann and Belk were standouts on special teams who have also graduated. Mermans was used extensively in run blocking and will need to improve his route running and catching abilities to become a true featured tight end. A number of freshmen and sophomores will need to step up as receiving threats to reestablish this as a position of strength.

LB – The linebacker position experienced the most significant decline in performance from 2023 to 2024. Had Vaughn or Moore been in the mix at linebacker in 2024, there’s no question that Yale would have secured a share of the title. If Yale cannot develop one star in Phoenix Grant, Steven Partin, Joseph Barry, Melik Williams, Eddie Palumbo or Joe McCord with another two as serviceable starters, it will be a long season in New Haven. The Elis might be forced to gut their secondary depth by bringing down larger defensive backs such as Kamara or Eastep to piece together a respectable front seven on defense.