Yale Football Blog

Yale’s annual Blue-White Spring Game was held on Saturday, but resembled a typical practice in both form and spirit.  This was the result of both a scheduling issue and a number of injuries across the board.  Surely Yale’s athletic department could have arranged a scenario in which the game was played at the end of spring practice and not with three additional practices remaining without encroaching on Reading Period.  It’s disheartening to see that the injury bug has struck yet again after the misfortunes of the past two seasons and it may be an early sign that more key injuries are to come in the fall.

The QB competition remains a two-horse battle with Rafe Chapple and Tre Moore competing for the top spot.  The two QB’s split reps with the first team offense on Saturday and Reno has stated that the competition will last through preseason practices.  We would have preferred to see Reno select a QB this spring in order for the starter to develop chemistry with the receiving corps in summer workouts, but one thing we know about Reno is that he will keep the competition going until the very last second.  It seems logical that Tre Moore will earn the spot given that he is splitting reps with Chapple currently, is a year younger than Chapple, and has the athleticism to be a dual threat weapon.

The physicality at the line of scrimmage seemed to be lacking at this year’s spring game and the offensive line in particular was the biggest disappointment of the day.

 

 

We decided to select an all-star lineup from the past ten classes of Yale football players (those graduating from 2006-2016).   Who did we leave off?  Was the best RB McLeod or Varga?

QB: Jeff Mroz

RB: Tyler Varga

FB: Joe Fuccillo

OL: Ed McCarthy

OL: Jeff Monaco

OL: Wes Gavin

OL: Darius Dale

OL: Luke Longinotti

TE: Langston Johnson

WR: Chandler Henley

WR: Deon Randall

KR: Chris Smith

PR: Gio Christodoulou

K: Kyle Cazzeta

P: Tom Mante

DL: Brandt Hollander

DL: Tommy McCarthy

DL: Kyle Hawari

DL: Jared Hamilton

LB: Bobby Abare

LB: Paul Rice

LB: Jordan Haynes

SS: Larry Abare

FS: Cole Champion

CB: Casey Gerald

CB: Drew Baldwin

Morgan Roberts worked out in front of scouts from three teams (Patriots, Jets and Colts) at his April 5th Pro Day.  We wish Roberts nothing but the best of luck, but it will be very difficult for him to crack a 90 man roster heading into preseason camp at the NFL level.  The Colts seem to be the most likely team to give him a shot considering that Tyler Varga is still on their roster after an impressive rookie season cut short due to injury.

Yale is in the midst of revamping its strength and conditioning program with a focus on improving the diets of the players.  Whether an improved ratio of macronutrients can balance out the ill effects of Toad’s beverage offerings remains to be seen.  The most painful memories of the 2015 campaign were observing linemen get pushed around by Harvard and Dartmouth players, so it’s great to see that there is a renewed effort from the coaching staff down to the players that they must get bigger, stronger and faster to win an Ivy title in 2016.

The Bulldogs will begin their spring practices on April 9th at the historic Clint Frank Field.

Offensively, Yale needs to select and develop its QB of the future.   Rafe Chapple appears to be the front runner currently, however, he is still very inexperienced as he only attempted 11 passes last season, completing 5 of those for 45 yards.  Tre Moore, Lambie Lanman, Stephen Barmore and Henry Baldwin will be competing with Chapple for the starting role.

Yale has depth and skill at the running back and receiver positions.  At RB, the Bulldogs return Deshawn Salter (561 rushing yards), Dale Harris (279 rushing yards) and former starter Candler Rich (122 rushing yards) who was out with an injury last year.  The Yale receiving corps is stacked with the return of Chris Williams-Lopez, Robert Clemons III, Michael Siragusa Jr., Ross Drwal, Bo Hines, Myles Gaines, and Kyle Marcinick among others.  Leo Haenni (HM All-Ivy in 2014) will likely hold down the starting spot at TE.

Finding a replacement for Longinotti at Center will be a huge priority for Yale this offseason.  Khalid Cannon and Mason Friedline return to anchor the offensive line in addition to the experienced Karl Marback, Beau Iverson, Jeho Chang, and Jon Bezney.  As a unit, the offensive line must get stronger and play more cohesively to protect a young QB next year.  The success of the 2016 campaign will depend on this group’s ability to create holes and provide the QB with enough time to find one of our dangerous threats downfield.

The Yale defense is the strength of the team entering the spring.  1st Team All-Ivy selection Copache Tyler headlines the defensive line with experienced Marty Moesta (24 tackles and 3 sacks), Earl Chism (25 tackles) and Nicholas Crowle (25 tackles).  Captain Darius Manora returns to lead the defense with fellow linebackers Victor Egu and Matthew Oplinger (HM All-Ivy).  The secondary returns Hayden Carlson (92 tackles, 1 INT) Spencer Rymiszewski (49 tackles, 4 INT, 1st Team All-Ivy), Dale Harris (RB or DB?), Jason Alessi (39 tackles, 1 INT), Foye Oluokun (missed most of last year with injury), and Marquise Peggs (9 tackles).  If the defensive line can generate more pressure and the secondary can limit big plays, this defense could be a special one for Yale.

In other news, Yale basketball was defeated on Saturday by Duke 71-64.  Former offensive lineman Stephen Morse was spotted on camera this time supporting his alma mater.

 

 

Yale defeated Baylor 79-75 yesterday in the opening round of the NCAA tournament in Providence, RI.  Congrats to James Jones and his squad for the huge upset.  Former Yale football players Tom McCarthy, Max Newton, and Ben Meyer were spotted several times on camera sporting hilarious blue and white striped overalls!

We analyzed highlight tapes of the rumored Class of 2020 recruits and came away with the following notes on each player:

Alex Abelite-LB-displays great instincts, flows to the ball well and is a solid tackler

Tosan Agbeyegbe-DB-a playmaker with good field vision, has a knack for breaking up passes and is very quick out of breaks

Jaelin Alburg-DB/WR-speedy and shifty with solid hands, great at flipping hips

Ryan Burke-LB-a sure tackler with strength and power

Charles Callender-DE/OL-displays speed and power when pass rushing and guards can’t seem to block him when lined up inside

Stephen Cepalia-OL-plays through the whistle and is an overpowering run blocker

Abu Daramy-WR/DB-has breakaway speed, good vision, solid hands and is an overall difference maker

Quinn Dawson-TE/QB-showed arm strength and accuracy playing QB, wasn’t afraid to stay strong in the pocket despite rush

Malcolm Dixon-DB-smooth in and out of breaks, has good backpedal speed, and is a big hitter

Dieter Eiselen-OL/DT-a strong athletic force with huge growth potential, relentless effort

Julian Fraser-DE/DT-disruptive in the backfield, great at defeating blocks, and technically sound

Andrew Grinde-RB-a power runner and great blocker, could be a fullback at next level

Caden Herring-RB-has sticky hands, good vision, and patience waiting for blockers to spring him loose

JJ Howland-TE/WR-catches the ball at the high point, great leaping ability and not afraid to grab a ball in traffic

Josh Keeler-DE/OL-could make an impact on either side of the ball, powerful, and quick for his size

Reed Klubnick-WR-creates separation from defenders, has solid route running abilities and good hands

Alan Lamar-RB/DB-very fast and has great balance as a runner, lockdown cover skills as a DB

Walker Lott-DB-a power running QB that displays speed and vision that should translate to the other side of the ball

Brendan MacPhee-DB/RB-a ballhawk at DB, great in run support and a good tackler

Matt McCabe-DE-has solid pass rush moves and very fast hands, can also stuff the run

Kurt Rawlings-QB-accurate in the pocket and on the move, great decision maker

Jett Sexton-OL-a nasty downhill blocker with great foot speed

JP Shohfi-WR-a crisp route runner who racks up yards after the catch, breaks open tackles and has the vision to take it all the way

Sterling Strother-OL-blocks through the whistle and enjoys pancaking defenders

Sam Tuckerman-K-has a big leg and good accuracy

Lucas Tribble-OL-a dominant run blocker, plays with a mean streak, and gets to the second level defenders

Jack Westafer-LB/QB-shows great speed and hitting ability, defeats blocks well

Garrett White-WR-has solid hands, good leaping ability, and is a willing blocker

Alex Young-RB/WR-breaks arm tackles, displays both power and agility

 

 

Let us know if we missed any players!

In the coming days we will post an in-depth analysis of the recent recruiting class.  If you have any ideas for future stories or would like a general update on any past Yale players, feel free to contact us.