Linebacker is an area of concern for the Bulldogs for the first time in years. Vaughn and Moore are both playing at new universities after graduation leaving giant holes at the inside linebacker spots. Shaffer clearly won the respect of his teammates with a shocking nomination as captain. He’s looked solid in limited playing time since his freshman season but hasn’t put enough on film to fully alleviate the worries. Biggs, a former walk-on at Utah, has seen similar action to Shaffer with quality play over a small sample size. Shaffer and Biggs have prototypical size for the position at 230 lbs. and 233 lbs. respectively although whether they can keep up with the fastest backs in the league remains to be seen. Ayo-Durojaiye returns at outside linebacker and hopefully will bounce back after losing his starting position in the middle of last season. There were high expectations for Ayo-Durojaiye entering the 2023 campaign, but he never seemed to regain his confidence after brutal games versus Holy Cross and Cornell. It will be hard to keep Kamara off the field at some capacity at linebacker if he doesn’t crack a top safety spot. Raymond, Warncke, Lee and Campbell all return with experience and should see additional defensive playing time as well as extensive special teams duties. Three freshmen enter the mix with the additions of Steven Partin, Eddie Palumbo and Joe McCord. Partin was a one-man army in high school playing linebacker, running back, quarterback, wide receiver and punter with fantastic speed and instincts. Palumbo is very quick to diagnose plays and should be one of the better linebackers in pass coverage on the roster. McCord played outside linebacker and defensive end at the high school level and possesses very active hands to shed blockers and the speed to track down plays on the backside.
The defensive line remains a bright spot for the Bulldogs heading into the 2024 season. The defensive tackle position is stacked with Egodogbare, Gulley and Yang returning serious size and power to the interior front. Egodogbare was unblockable at times as a freshman but had his sophomore season derailed by an injury. Gulley is a classic nose guard type who is difficult for defenders to move at the point of attack. Yang seems to constantly surprise opponents with his combination of quickness and strength as the best pass rusher of the group. Jourdain, Oxendine and Austin all return to add even more depth at the position after solid play a year ago. Patterson is a huge loss at end, although Shaber is back after earning the starting slot in 2023. Tyler and McDonough both return with significant experience on the outside. Sophomore James Cave inherited the #33 jersey in the wake of Larry’s transfer and should be a force in 2024. There are still several talented sophomores waiting in the wings such as Jackson-Bass, Tate, and Fadeyibi. Reno and company hit the recruiting trail hard in search of defensive linemen bringing in Jackson Boone (6’4”, 210 lbs.), Xavier Rivers (6’1”, 230 lbs.), Trent Page (6’2”, 250 lbs.), Sam McGivern (6’2”, 245 lbs.), Mack Johnson (6’3”, 255 lbs.), and Lota Ugokwe (6’2”, 230 lbs.). Boone has ideal length for the position and has a very quick first step off of the ball at defensive end. Rivers has tremendous speed and power off the edge with the ability to blow through double teams or outmaneuver offensive tackles. Page was one of the top recruits in the class and seems to have the physicality to develop into a special tackle or end. McGivern plays with great technique and has a motor that doesn’t stop as he chases down ball carriers. Johnson uses his size and speed to effortlessly shed blockers with versatility to play multiple positions along the front. Ugokwe has one of the top highlight reels of the class as he explodes off the line of scrimmage to punish quarterbacks.
8 days to go!
Losing two NFL caliber offensive linemen in back-to-back years is never easy to recover from but the talent is in place for the Bulldogs to piece together a serviceable line. Michael Bennett should hold down the Right Tackle spot after an Honorable Mention All-Ivy season a year ago. Bennett is just a junior and appears that he could develop into a special talent. Three guards return with starting experience in Charron, Sullivan and Karhu, so it will be interesting to see who wins the starting spots and whether there is an opportunity for one of them to potentially flex out to the Left Tackle spot. Karhu was out with an injury for all of 2023 after solid play in 2022, while Charron and Sullivan started at Right Guard and Left Guard in 2023 respectively. Left Tackle and Center are the largest areas of concern along the front heading into the season. The graduation of Mendoza (now at Louisville) is the toughest loss as the team had to find a way to cope without Amegadjie early on in the season last year. Amegadjie is currently the backup left tackle for the Chicago Bears after a long recovery from his injury kept him out of action for much of the preseason. Bluhm filled in at Center due to injuries a year ago but without a magician at QB this year, his snapping issues could be amplified if they are not corrected. Seniors Connor Smith and Bennie Anderson saw substantial action last year and should vie for more playing time with strong camps. There is a slew of sophomores that could make an impact such as St. Aubyn, Lewis, Garrity or Avera. Reno brought in three freshmen offensive linemen in Bennett Anderson, Kevin Cassidy and Charlie Humphreys. Anderson was one the top recruits in the entire class and looked like a pancaking machine at the high school level. Cassidy is very athletic for a 300-pounder playing defensive end and tackle in high school. Humphreys hails from a football family in Texas and gives Coach Wheeler another athletic lineman to mold.
We are now just 15 days out from the start of the season! See below for our preseason rankings excluding the Bulldogs:
Harvard
Penn
Dartmouth
Princeton
Cornell
Brown
Columbia
The starting quarterback position remains a mystery with Reno noting that all four signal callers on the roster are still vying for the role during his tight-lipped media day session. Those four in contention are Marshall Howe, Brogan McCaughey, Grant Jordan, and Bradyn Fleharty. Howe stunned the fan base last season when he took snaps as the backup over Tutas who had looked very promising throughout the 2022 season. Howe is a quick decision maker with good accuracy and has decent mobility in the pocket. McCaughey might be the best pure passer of the bunch with the natural ability to elude defenders in the pocket long enough to locate an open target downfield. Howe and McCaughey appear to be the top contenders and the starting nod could be decided based upon what the passing game strategy is to be in 2024. If Reno favors screens to Pantelis and quick hitters to Shipp, Howe could be the best fit. If Reno wants to stretch defenses vertically, McCaughey could be the chosen one. The pass protection and snapping capabilities of the offensive line will also be huge factors as the choice might boil down to who can simply field a stray snap, dodge defenders, and secure a first down under pressure. Grant Jordan is the lone senior QB in the mix and saw limited action versus Brown and Morgan State. Freshman Bradyn Fleharty seems to have the most in common with Nolan Grooms as a true dual threat with speed, power and big play ability. The player who emerges camp as the starter might not remain the starter very long with a tough matchup in Worcester in Week 1 that could derail plans quickly.
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.
Pitsenberger and Peterson return to form a stellar duo that should relieve some pressure on our inexperienced signal caller. Both backs have the speed, power, and vision to start for any Ancient Eight member. Pitsenberger shows a bit more patience before hitting the hole and possesses more size and power than Peterson, but Peterson flies through narrow gaps and has a bit more top end speed than Pitsenberger. We’ve harped on the topic for years that having two quality backs with varying styles puts defenders at a disadvantage and once again Reno will have the 1-2 punch of dynamic backs in his toolset for 2024.
Denney came on strong at the end of 2023 scoring a touchdown versus Harvard and if it weren’t for a bobbled reception in The Game, he would have been hailed as a hero for his performance in the contest. Daal is the largest of the backs at 223 lbs. and has been impressive in practice over the last two seasons, so we expect additional contribution from him this upcoming season. Freshman Cutler Adams is a playmaker with the speed to simply outrace defenders and the natural instincts to weave through traffic on inside carries. Freshman Adam Pandolfi is a well-rounded athlete who played running back, safety and punter at the high school level and has the vision to develop into a special back in the coming years.
Projected Three Deep:
Pitsenberger/Peterson
Denney
Daal
Bradyn Fleharty (6’3”, 200 lbs.), QB, Hilliard Bradley (Galloway, OH)
Adam Pandolfi (6’0”, 195 lbs.), RB, North Haven (North Haven, CT)
Cuttler Adams (6’0”, 195 lbs.), RB, Robbinsville (Robbinsville, NC)
Kyle Maltarich (6’2”, 185 lbs.), WR, West Holmes (Millersburg, OH)
Camden Hickox (6’3”, 180 lbs.), WR, Appling County (Baxley, GA)
Jaxton Santiago (6’3”, 220 lbs.), WR, Bakersfield Centennial (Bakersfield, CA)
Davis Wong (6’0”, 175 lbs.), WR, Brentwood (Los Angeles, CA)
Chase Collyer (5’8”, 175 lbs.), WR, Loomis Chaffee (Windsor, CT)
Thomas Bacon Jr. (6’4”, 205 lbs.), WR, Long Island Lutheran (Westbury, NY)
Brady Wagner (6’3”, 225 lbs.), TE, Grapevine (Grapevine, TX)
Colton Sanders (6’3”, 225 lbs.), TE, Katy (Katy, TX)
Bennett Anderson (6’5”, 270 lbs.), OL, Bellarmine College Prep (Morgan Hill, CA)
Kevin Cassidy (6’6″, 285 lbs.), OL, Mountainside (Beaverton, OR)
Charlie Humphreys (6’5”, 280 lbs.), OL, Cistercian Prep (Dallas, TX)
Trent Page (6’2”, 250 lbs.), DL, The Blake School (Maple Grove, MN)
Lota Ugokwe (6’2”, 225 lbs.), DL, George Walton (Marietta, GA)
Sam McGivern (6’2”, 245 lbs.), DL, Kimberly (Kimberly, WI)
Xavier Rivers (6’1”, 240 lbs.), DL, Northwest (Darnestown, MD)
Jackson Boone (6’3”, 210 lbs.), DL, The Peddie School (Lawrence Township, NJ)
Mack Johnson (6’3”, 240 lbs.), DL, High Point Christian (High Point, NC)
Steven Partin (6’1”, 210 lbs.), LB, Knox Central (Flat Lick, KY)
Joe McCord (6’1”, 215 lbs.), LB, Alcoa (Knoxville, TN)
Eddie Palumbo (6’3”, 210 lbs.), LB, Archbishop Stepinac (Yorktown Heights, NY)
Brandon Banks (5’11”, 175 lbs.), DB, Aliquippa (Aliquippa, PA)
Charles Barkley-Smith (5’11”, 180 lbs.), DB, Loganville (Loganville, GA)
Billy Eastep (6’1”, 190 lbs.), DB, Brophy College Prep (Phoenix, AZ)
Breylan Thompson (6’1”, 175 lbs.), DB, Episcopal (Bellaire, TX)
JP Schmidt (5’11”, 190 lbs.), DB, Immaculate Conception (Elmhurst, IL)
Chris White (6’0”, 190 lbs.), DB, Cheshire Academy (San Diego, CA)
Dillon Rickenbacker (6’1”, 210 lbs.), DB, St. John Bosco (Los Angeles, CA)
Updated Roster: 2024 Football Roster – Yale University (yalebulldogs.com)
The Chicago Bears selected Kiran Amegadjie in the 3rd round of the NFL Draft at 75th overall. The Hinsdale native grew up as a Bears fan and was a coveted prospect for Chicago given his elite arm length and athleticism. Amegadjie is still recovering from the quad injury that he suffered early in the 2023 Ivy season but should be healthy by July in time for preseason camp. Clearly the Bears have faith in offensive linemen from Yale given the prior success of Dieter Eiselen in Chicago.
The New Orleans Saints signed Mason Tipton as an undrafted free agent. Titpon’s blazing speed (4.33 40-yard dash at his pro day) and exceptional catching abilities will hopefully impress the Saints enough to keep him on the active roster or practice squad in 2024.
The Denver Broncos selected Nick Gargiulo in the 7th round of the Draft and Gargiulo has already signed his 4-year rookie contract. Gargiulo’s versatility at multiple positions along the offensive line combined with his intellect and toughness gave Denver the confidence that he could develop into a starting guard or center in the NFL.
Ezekiel Larry has committed to play at San Diego State University. Larry cited financial hardship as a motivating factor in his decision to transfer but clearly did not calculate the potential future income ramifications for trading a Yale degree for an SDSU degree.
Clay Patterson was evidently unhappy during his brief stint at UNLV and committed to Stanford earlier today.
Spring Game Notes from Viewers:
RAY YALE FOOTBALL FAN:
“WR NICO BROWN LOOKED VERY GOOD TODAY . HE HAS EXCELLENT HANDS AND SPEED. QBS WERE SOSO. ONE QB (?) MADE A NICE FLEE FLIXER( SIC ?) PASS FOR A TD. CENTERING TO THE QB WAS MOSTLY POOR. EITHER THE BALL WAS TOO HIGH AND THE QB HAD TO REACH FOR IT OR THE BALL WENT OVER HIS HEAD. AS USUAL, THERE WERE NO ROSTER SHEETS.”
“ALSO, NICK CONFORTI SHOWED VERY GOOD RANGE PLACE KICKING YESTERDAY @ THE SPRING GAME.”
Anonymous:
“There are only 3 QBs Howe, Jordan and McGaughey”
Hopeful:
“Wr’s who impressed me were 84 McKoy, 6’5” 215lbs Plexico Burris type of receiver. 83 June 6’3” 190lbs . 82 Tattersall 6’5”211lbs all possession type receivers. The new #1 Shipp with a 1 handed grab was a catch to marvel at.
Defensive line looks formidable but it should in a spring game. 98 Dylan Yang, 99 Austin Cooper, 43 Micah Shaber 37 Cabrea few others looked like they will cause havoc.
They’re were more than a few pass coverage slip ups by the defensive backfield . But again that will be rectified by the start of the season.
Offensive line , they had problems with the center to QB exchange. But when they put 61 Conner Smith in there. That seemed a bit smoother. Each QB did a decent job. But none really solidified themselves. But each has talent and potential to play for this team
Kicking Conforti , looks to be the man for the duty.
But in my minds eye , I see tremendous upside and growth in this team. Look forward to see how they grow and develop as they start 151 season.”
“Also 14 Duncan looked great as well. #37 Cave not Cabrea.”
JACK Hoss:
“#15 was 7/8-10, 3 TDs & drove the team down 3 of 4 drives.”
Son of Eli:
“That would be Brogan McCaughey. On paper he seems to be the best option to be the starting QB but he’ll need to win the job at practice. Looks like he’s off to a good start.”
JH:
“Saw highlights of the scrimmage from last Saturday. I was very pleased to see Donavan McKoy, on the field. I think Yale is going to surprise a few teams this year. “
Sophomore DE Ezekiel Larry announced that he entered the transfer portal on April 12th and has received offers from Virginia Tech, Ohio, Nevada, Arkansas State, and San Diego State. This transfer is far more painful than the previous transfer of Warner to Florida as Larry came on strong at the end of the season and looked poised to become a star in 2024.
Unfortunately we will not have eyes on the Spring Game today at noon for the first time in years, so please post your thoughts and impressions in the comments section and we will repost to the main page.
Men’s Basketball will square off against the Auburn Tigers tomorrow at 4:15 PM ET in the first round of the NCAA March Madness. The Bulldogs defeated the Brown Bears in the Ivy League Tournament Championship with an improbable last-minute comeback to secure their bid to the Big Dance.
Men’s Lacrosse is currently ranked #8-9 in the country depending on the publication and heads to Ithaca this week to square off against the pre-season favorite Cornell Big Red.
Coach Paul Rice, former captain of the Bulldogs, is back in the proper shade of blue following his stint at Columbia. Rice will be coaching the tight ends in 2024 and is joined by newcomer Chris Bergeski, who will be coaching running backs. Bergeski most recently coached the wide receivers at URI and was previously the Offensive Coordinator at Southern Connecticut.
Kiran Amegadjie and Nick Gargiulo both attended the NFL Combine although only Gargiulo participated in testing and field drills. Scouts project that Amegadjie could be drafted as early as the 3rd or 4th round due to his coveted combination of size, arm length, athleticism, and power. Gargiulo will likely have a shot at making an NFL roster as an undrafted free agent but could wind up as a late round selection. Nolan Grooms and Mason Tipton will also likely have opportunities to test their skills against NFL competition in offseason camps. Tipton recorded an unofficial 40 yard dash time of 4.32 seconds according to JL Sports.
The Reno Road Show is back with stops in Los Angeles (04/23), San Francisco (04/24), Chicago (04/25), Dallas (04/29) and Washington DC (06/13).
The Greg Hall ’77 Senior Reception will be held at the Yale Club of New York on April 17th.