Similar to last season, for fans thinking the quarterback competition would come down to McCaughey and Howe duking it out for the top spot, Coach Reno pulled a cat out of the bag to change course. Tony’s son, Dante Reno, a former 3-star recruit and backup quarterback for South Carolina, has transferred to Yale to play for his father. Behind one of the SEC’s top returning quarterbacks on the depth chart, it was clear that Dante would not see significant playing time barring injuries at South Carolina, so it was a smart move for him to upgrade his educational opportunities and boost his playing time at Yale. The unfortunate casualty in this process was the talented dual-threat quarterback, Bradyn Fleharty, who transferred to Ball State. Coach Reno now has the difficult task of trying to separate his coaching life from his family life as this blurred line could be detrimental to locker room morale if not managed properly.
Cornerback Breylan Thompson, who could have been a cornerstone of the defense for the next three seasons, has transferred to Stanford. While Stanford clearly respects the talents of Ivy League athletes, the coaching staff has not shown the willingness to give Ivy transfers significant playing time. Former Yale defender, Clay Patterson, had just two tackles last season for the Cardinal, while former Princeton running back, Ryan Butler, saw just seven carries in 2024 before entering the transfer portal. If Thompson is unable to crack the starting lineup this season, it will be a huge blow to his development and possible journey to the NFL.
On the other end of the spectrum is Ezekiel Larry. Larry sought NIL money and greener pastures last year at San Diego State but has returned to Yale in a huge win for the defense. Larry’s ability to fly past opposing offensive tackles with his quickness off the line was sorely missed last season. A potential lineup of Larry, Egodogbare, Yang, and Jackson-Bass could be a nightmare for opponents in 2025.
It sounds as though Mason Shipp will be returning for a 5th year to bolster what appeared to be a nearly depleted wide receiver unit. Clayton Sobecki, a 6’1”, 170 lb. athlete, has transferred to Yale after a season at the Air Force Academy. Sobecki received offers from Army, Navy and Air Force as a high school recruit and adds much needed speed to Yale as a 10.5 second 100-meter runner. Expectations are very high for Jaxton Santiago after a breakout freshman campaign in 2024.