Ivy League Sports

2006 Columbia Football Outlook

Coach Norries Wilson on the offense line — “The team is going to go as the offensive line goes. They’re getting better. They’re starting to play as a unit and have group pride as the offensive line of the football team. They are doing a great job finishing plays and being more aggressive than they have been in the past.”

Senior captain Matt Barsamian, who features 24 games under his belt, leads this group at left tackle. Senior captain Uche Osadebe should boost the strength of the line following a move from defensive tackle; he was honorable mention All-Ivy League at that spot last fall. The line should boast substantially more experience than 2006. Daniel Palmer is the team’s strongest lineman at guard and played nine games last fall. Fellow guard Calder Orr has a relentless work ethic and broke into the starting lineup at midseason in 2005. At center, Mike Partain is a very sharp player who played all 10 games as a sophomore. Ralph DeBernardo is the lone non-junior or senior as a pre-season projected starter on the line.

Coach Wilson on the tight ends — “The tight ends are probably the strength of the offensive unit. We have size, speed and the ability to catch the ball and stretch the defense.”

Troy Evangelist and Jamal Russell are skilled enough that opponents may see some two-tight end formations this fall. Evangelist possesses the size of Lion great Wade Fletcher while Russell features a receiver’s catching ability.

Coach Wilson on the wide receivers — “We have more possession-type receivers right now. They are doing a good job running the myriad routes that have been thrown at them. They need to come on so we can attack field both depth-wise and width-wide.”

Wide receiver may be the deepest and most experienced spot on the squad. The Lions have size and speed mixed among seniors James Besselman, Nick DeGasperis and Adrian Demko, and juniors Jordan P. Davis and Tim Paulin. DeGasperis was second on the team with 24 catches for 271 yards in 2005.

Coach Wilson on the quarterbacks — “Competing against one another for the starting job and they are competing to see who can pick up a new system the fastest and most efficiently. They are doing a good job with what has been thrown at them and they’re getting better at the system.”

Junior quarterback Craig Hormann already has experience in 13 games. He has size (6-4, 234) and a powerful arm. He will be pushed by sophomore Chris Allison, who had a strong spring game.

Coach Wilson on the running backs — “We’re not deep enough. We’re solid at tailback and I think we can be solid at fullback. We don’t have any game breakers, but we have some guys that could move the football.”

At tailback, the Lions have three contenders for the top spot. Sophomore Jordan E. Davis may be the offense’s most gifted player, according to Coach Wilson. Ben Bernstein has terrific strength and determination and James Cobb can bounce off defenders for extra yardage. At fullback, Thomas Weldon returns to the position after a year at tight end. He is a strong blocker and runs well. Both Bryce Marshall and Austin Stevenson will also contend for the top spot.

Coach Wilson on the defensive line — “We’re small but effective. We’ve got to keep them on the move. They have strength and heart. They could be a good pass-rushing unit.”

Senior Todd Abrams moves from linebacker to nose tackle to lead the three-man front for the Lions’ defense. Abrams is joined on the line by classmate Darren Schmidt and a host of sophomores. Eli Waltz will back Abrams at nose tackle and Rick Ingold backs Schmidt at left end. On the right side, sophs Conor Joyce and Corey Cameron will battle senior Jeff Oke for the starting job. Joyce and Cameron have already gained experience with six and nine games played, respectively. Oke had 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery as a reserve last fall.

Coach Wilson on the inside linebackers — “They are tackling well. They’re not especially big, but they will run to the football and they can play physically.“

Sophomores will also dominate left inside linebacker. Drew Quinn and Phillip Mitchell will battle for that spot; Quinn played all 10 games with 22 tackles as a first-year last season. The right side features more experience with juniors Drew Behrens and Dan Daylamani. Daylamani had 46 tackles in 2005 and the two combined for 18 games played last fall. At middle linebacker, the Lions feature senior captain Adam Brekke, who has played in 26 games and made 44 tackles as a junior.

Coach Wilson on the outside linebackers (spurs) — “We have got a lack of depth on the outside. The guys are doing a good job putting pressure on the quarterback. They are doing a better job re-routing slot receivers, getting into pass coverage and disrupting passing lanes.”

The team’s spurs, who function like strong safeties as much as outside linebackers, are led by seniors Justin Nunez and Ben Schori, and sophomores Tyler Duffy and Clark Koury. Nunez is a steady, physical player who made 49 tackles as a junior. Koury has shown tremendous improvement that could land him a starting job.

Coach Wilson on the defensive backs — “We have a real lack of depth at defensive back. The kids that we do have are fairly athletic and they are becoming more physical. They are making their presence known and not just covering guys.”

Free safety Tad Crawford was the Ivy League leader with 111 tackles last fall. At left corner, Chad Musgrove could develop into one of the most dangerous defensive backs in the League; he features size and terrific athletic ability. Eugene Edwards had a strong spring and could complete a strong starting tandem at corner for the Lions.

Coach Wilson on the special teams — “We have a very good long snapper, a very good punter and two very good placekickers. Rocholl can help us change field position in games. Once we get across the 50, we become a scoring threat because of his leg. Huston isn’t far behind him as a field goal kicker.”

Jon Rocholl was team MVP and honorable mention All-Ivy League after a first year that featured a school record for consecutive field goals made in a season. Rocholl was also the Lions’ punter and booted two punts of 70-or-more yards.