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Little spends part of summer in Croatia
NEW HAVEN >> With his strength, size and physicality, it seemed natural to move 6-foot-1, 227-pound Sebastian Little from wide receiver to H-back.
“He’s in great shape,” Yale coach Tony Reno said. “He’s a really fit, physical kid. He can stack muscle on muscle.”
So when the Bulldogs junior visited Croatia this past July as part of International Study Award’s study abroad program, staying in his bruising football form was critical.
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posted by Anonymous at
11:43 PM
43 Comments:
Anyone who saw the scrimmage yesterday (weather shortened so though it was) care to comment? Jon Harris? Can you give us some "truth" for the TruthTeller to dispute?
Qb Needs more work,left alot of plays on the field.O-line was blowing holes wide open.
Running backs Varga and Randell sat out the scrum. Rich,Keys and Salters awesome.!!!
Wr made plays when,Qbs got'em the ball.Gaines,Clemons and Little.
D-line looked good,Lb. looked good.1st string db's looked good rest need more work.
So to me, Qb's and Db's need to tighten up.Not hopeless,just need to work on the things that are not consistent.
These are the things, I took away
for the 1st half.It was just to darn hot, to watch a whole game.
2 more weeks alot can happen.hopefully all will be good.
Cheers Jon Harris
Sebastian Little is a fine young man. Good football player too.
Are the negative posts coming from Harvard or Princton supporters? A great recruitment "tool" ( no pun intended)
Thanks, Jon. It's just too bad that Roberts hasn't come along better, or that they haven't found someone else. We seem ready to take the next step in most other aspects (but that's a pretty big aspect to NOT have in place)
Who were the starting offense and defense?
Every year the preseason usually focuses on two QB's this season only Roberts are the any other Qb's who have looked good in practice or the scrimmage.
By my count, Roberts was about 5 of 15 passing. He threw several go routes (seemed like touch passes)and connected on a few. If Yale thinks that their receivers will get separation because of speed - didn't see the speed this weekend. On the passes Roberts connected deep, receiver got behind the db. Couple of good balls over the middle for completion when he stepped up in the pocket. Surprised that Champion and Vaughn were not with first team defense to start the scrimmage. Keys looked good when he finally good into the scrimmage. same for Logan Scott - against second team for Brown
5 out of 15 is not encouraging. Beside Scott did any other QB perform well.
Reno still holds it against Vaughn that he was recruited by Tom Williams. Reno is a complete joke.
1:13 Does not know anything simple fact Vaughn is slow and cannot tackle or pass cover. Not surprised he would not be starting but Champion?
Vaughn,has a hammy.So still nursing that along.Champion, Coach knows how he can perform.
Like Varga or Randell and Carberry.
Why take a chance on getting hurt.
Punts and kickoffs were steller,point after and place kicking.Need to get that together.
Kyle, keep your head down and follow through brother.
1:13 Grow Up.
Jon Harris
Yale JV Games
10/19 Milford Academy @ Yale 4pm
11/19 Brown @ Yale 1pm
11/21 Yale @ Harvard 1pm
Times and dates subject to change
Cheers Jon Harris
Sorry Brown JV Game is 11/9
Only further observation is that both Vaughn and Champion played but did not start. As for Champion, good to hear that he still has value as an upperclassman.
The game is too fast for Morgan Roberts. I'm not going to watch another year of him self destruct.
Andrew Johnson was the third QB to play. He went 1-2 for 25 yards on 5 plays. Footwork looks solid. This kid could be a player once he gets the offense down.
why is champion not playing? who beat him out?
Rob Ries who is faster and better defender.
So far no major injuries which is good.
I don't believe Cole was beat out by an underclassman. can this be confirmed?
I think that we are about 10 days ahead of ourselves here. There are a lot of reasons why certain players would be tried out in certain positions in a scrimmage 2 weeks before the 1st game. Ries is a solid player and should start at safety along with Champion, who is a potential star. I think that Oloukun and Rymiszewski should start at corner, with Harris coming in as nickle back or whatever Yale calls the 5 defensive back alignment on obvious passing downs. These guys held their own as freshmen (sophs - CC) last year and can only be better this year and going forward.
I would like to hear from somebody at the scrimmage who played defensive line and LB and who payed on the offensive line. Thanks.
As 10:42 suggests, a panel of experts would be a welcome relief from the trolls.
L et V
Chris; Can you tell us which freshmen on offense and defense have made the biggest strides.
Roberts is not a lock at Qb if he does not perform well in this weekends scrimmage you may see someone else including Scott starting against Lehigh.
Roberts is a perfect candidate to pull a Jon Whitelaw. Thinks hes a stud but hes not.
I agree with 1:30 but his parents will not let him quit. Whitelaw was a crybaby who did not like to get hit. Regardless Reno made a mistake which hopefully he learns from.
L et V, an expert I am not. However I was in attendance at the scrimmage and this is what I saw.
Defensively they looked solid and made some nice plays. The QB’s were still off limits to tackling. That said it will be interesting to see how things go when all is fair game. The DL looked physically imposing and played like they are going to make some plays. In the scrimmage the 1’s looked to be Egu, Taylor, Moesta and one more guy (whose number escapes me right now). The LB’s did a nice and I did notice that Vaughan did play and start as well as Larkin. Oplinger (freshman ) held his own and physically stands up to things well. Looks like he deserves the playing time he is considered for thus far. Unfortunately it looked like Manora got injured and was carted off. Who knows where he stands at this point.
In the secondary there were still some combinations being figured out. But it looks like the starting 4 were (and should be ) Oluokun and Champion at the safeties and Harris and Rymiszewski at the corners. This definitely looks to be the best combination so far. For the record they all look appropriately placed as well. With Oluokun and Champion clearly being the larger and more physical of the 4 should definitely be at safety for their run support. I know there is a nickel package that some other DB’s will be in contention for but it didn’t look as though anyone had a leg up on anyone for that spot. Kilgore and a few other got time but no one behind the “1’s” seemed to separate themselves in my eyes. However I’m confident there is a plan.
Offensively Roberts looked to manage things fairly well. He was array on his few “down field” passes which were basically composed of short fades that needed touch that wasn’t provided that day. He looks like he’ll improve there and the coverage should change based on game situations. However it looked as though the WR’s didn’t get much separation on those routes which did seem to be a problem in my eyes. Short combination routes over the middle I’m sure will be mixed in based on game plan to open things up a bit. Sebastian Little as the H-back looks like a nice offensive option that could may an impact.
The offensive line looked solid with the aforementioned starters leading the way, Cannon, Carberry, Chism, Friedline and Longinotti. Bezney looks ready to get some time. Specifics will decide whether he does or not and production of the current starters will also factor in.
The running game looked productive as well. Varga didn’t play any (Neither did Randall) but the combination of Keyes and Rich did a good job running the ball. Also, freshman Salter looks like he is ready to give good minutes as well. He ran the ball well with great forward lean and read defenses well and followed his protection. Impressive for the frosh.
The FG woes are concerning. Hope at least there is no issue making extra points, which it looked as though there may be. This will cause a problem if this is the case of course.
To answer 12:18PM and the freshman making impacts so far it seems like Salters, Oplinger, Drwal, Siragusa, and maybe even Williams-Lopez may have a chance to make impacts. Thos were the only that I believe I have seen getting major time with the teams that seem to be "in the mix".
We all know (or anyone with any idea of what goes on in college football knows) that the first 2 games are the toughest games, and the last 2 are the next toughest. Yet there is no reason for anyone to be anything but optimistic about the season on the horizon. The team looks excited to get started and what I have seen so far has been encouraging. Of course there will be the “tough guys” who throw barbs with no proof at the program from behind anonymous posts. Most of us try to ignore those people though. Looking forward to 2 weeks from now.
TNC
To TNC; Who were the backup QB's and how did they look?
Khalid Keys is not the answer.
1:13.. just wanted to say don't be too down on Vaughan - his worst games were Princeton and Harvard (you are correct) but he is an "All-Ivy" player and the leading returning tackler in the entire Ivy League and a defensive leader who called all the signals on D and kept everybody in position (valuable experience). Not only is he the fastest linebacker on the team but the fastest player on the team in terms of "top speed" and the coaches know this - (Don't forget he was the one who shut down Kristan Ivory (Cal-Poly) 4.3 speed and John Spooney(Brown) sideline to sideline when they tried to run those sweeps and bubble screens (Spooney is the reigning 2yr 100 meter champ in Ivy League with world class speed) - so Vaughan can't be that slow ;o)
he is recovering from a Hammy which is limiting his reps - Reno is not down on him - Flanders is doing the right thing by working him back slowly - Oplinger is very good and will be a nice addition, with Manora and Larkin - The Linebackers look great! the kids know the deal.. Manora and Oplinger are learning from Vaughan the way Vaughan learned from McHale /Haynes/Leffler - let's keep it positive gentlemen - the coaches want to win just as much as we do - believe me - and the Defense will be a beast this year!..
2:15 - TNC - that wasn't Manora 38 - it was Sykes 28 that got carted off the field - unfortunately he broke his fibula - keep him in your prayers
The Guy who escapes you is #91 (Nick Farley) he is a monster.. just a freshman - has Linebacker skills/feet - but they had to change him to D Line because he is now over 270!!! - With Moesta/Egu/Copache Tyler all putting on 20+ pounds and a year experience the D-Line is going to be nasty! - this will help the LBs this year - they will be able to roam free a little more and not have to deal with those 290-300pd lineman as much
the DB's are ready (there was a comment earlier which is true -after Champion/Ries/Oluokun/Harris/Rymiszewski .. the quality drops off.. a lot is due to inexperience and lack of reps - also LaTesta moved over to WR - he was a quality corner with experience) Keep your eye on Jamal Locke - he's a baller and legit 4.3 (needs time to learn)- The Bulldogs really have a shot once the Offense gets going - but don't forget - They didn't play Varga or Randall - and limited Keys - to keep them from getting hurt.. which is smart - We are looking good, Gentlemen - We can take Dartmouth and Penn at home and we can beat Brown and Cornell away - (real tests will be Army/Princeton/Harvard - but at least Princeton is at home and we always seem to play Harvard better away - schedule favors us
I disagree Keys is a viable option. What we need is a capable QB
Correction
91 Nicholas Crowley 6'3" 271 lbs
Great stuff, 2:15 and 3:51. Keep it coming. I too was delighted by the way Salter ran.
L et V
Okay 2:15 and 3:51 what about the backup Qb's who played and how did they do?
If Vaughn is top speed on the team whatever that is I assume fastest I will eat my class of 1973 hat. By the way I am not down on Vaughn just stating what I saw and add pass coverage in the Penn game. I am sure Vaughn is giving it his best. He will be a good backup this season.
1973 hat.. excuse me, you are right. I should clarify the term "top speed" It is not 40 time. It is a time measurement of the next 20 yds after the athlete is running at full stride or "top speed" - Strentgh and Conditioning Coach Emil Johnson timed our young men.. WR, Grant Wallace, and Vaughan tied for fastest time. Top speed is a key indicator of a defensive player's ability to close and an offensive player's ability to create separation. That is why Wallace has had many long catches over his Yale career and that is why a 4.3 40 RB can't turn the corner on Vaughan - Wallace has an extra gear to separate - which he did consistently in the Brown Scrimmage.. and he seems to have great chemistry with both Roberts and Logan. He is going to have a stellar year.. Add Deon Randall FCS All-American watch list, Little @ HB, and the 4 frosh WRs with their speed..also, I believe LaTesta is going to surprise everyone... we are looking pretty good. I'm excited! -
On the QB front.. Roberts has a cannon and incredible athletic ability but Logan's accuracy is off the charts - Logan throws people open as opposed to waiting until they are open.. hard to teach. I think they will both be good this year. The running game will help the passing game.. Believe me when I say this.. Salter (frosh RB) is the real deal.. we are stacked @ RB - which is good.. because they take the most pounding and get banged up the most
L et V.. you are on the money.. you know your stuff and you pay attention - great comments
8 1/2 more days I can not wait to see these lads in action and having fun WINNING.!!!!
L et V Go Bulldogs,nice job.
Cheers to you and yours
Jon Harris
Go Bulldogs…it seems like you are “in the know”…
Were the frosh timed for “top speed” ? I’d be curious to know how Dehart, Williams-Lopez, Siragusa and Drwal timed in that, and Salters as well. I agree with the Salters assessment. He is going to be fun to watch over the years. I am not going to try to make him out to have a better career (statistically) that Varga, but he is definitely going to impact things strongly.
You commented early on J. Locke and his “4.3” speed; that is legit speed. Wondering his “top speed” as well. I also agree that he is fast, 4.3 may be stretching it, but he does look all of mid 4.4 and low 4.5. He is noted on the roster as a QB/CB but seems to be playing CB now, with our 9 to 10 QB situation. I commented on an earlier post that he looked (as per the HS highlights of all the incoming frosh QB’s) to be the one that best fit the skills of a runner that Reno supposedly wants his QB to have; very fast and extremely allusive. Obviously they have other plans for him as a CB. I did notice that he was back returning punts quite a bit in the scrimmage though. I’m guessing he is (or one of) Randall’s back-ups for that position. In the two he got to actually run out a little bit he did seem to have some pretty good burst when he got the ball in his hands as well. Any plans of him returning punts in the games? I’d be curious to see that speed and elusiveness at work.
As for Roberts I’m not sure if I agree with the “cannon” comment. However I am confident about his management as per what I have seen and look forward to watching him. I’ll be curious to see him run around (as I mentioned before) when we get into live games and see how that facet helps us through him. Definitely agree that the defense is going to be formidable, and I am also quite excited for things to begin next week.
TNC
TNC - your comments are on point and very perceptive - the frosh probably were not included as this was earlier in the year - that is a good point. Drwal and Locke are burners.. I'm in agreement with you on Locke (they should have a Wild Cat package with him and Salter for late in the 3rdQtr/4thQtr) - He's the best suited to run that read option handoff/pistol - his highlight film was amazing, right? If they don't get a situation for Locke where the ball is in his hands his talents will be wasted.. I think the coaches know that - that is why they are trying him out at returning punts - and Locke mentioned in an interview that the coaches talked to him about the wildcat when he was being recruited - I hope they don't forget
your are also right about my QB comment - I got a little carried away - Roberts doesn't have a cannon - I guess I should rephrase it and say he has the stronger arm of the two but Logan is more accurate. I'd be interested to hear more of your comments/thoughts as you seem knowledgeable and perceptive and are truly watching and paying attention - John Harris - way to keep it positive - we need to always uplift our young men on this blog - they really have a shot this year!! Go Bulldogs!
Of course we have to temper everything we say about the freshman with the caveat that college is another level - speed at which things happen is so much faster than HS --
But I'm optimistic - you have to give it to Coach Reno on the recruiting end - he's doing that very well
Is Cook still starting OLB?
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