Players like QB Morgan Roberts, RB Tyler Varga and DE Victor Egu have pretty much cemented their role as starters.
But there are some position battles that are heating up as the season opener draws closer.
Freshman Jon Bezney, perhaps the most talented newcomer of this year’s group, could find himself on the starting offensive line.
“He’s really made push there to be involved in mix,” head coach Tony Reno said. “There are six guys who have pushed themselves to the front.”
Freshman Matt Oplinger, along with Darius Manora, Andrew Larkin and Will Vaughan are competing at ILB. Cole Champion and Robbie Ries are battling it out at safety. Also, freshman RB Deshawn Salter has made a case for some touches.
“He had a phenomenal scrimmage Saturday,” Reno said. “He’s looking to be a viable option.”
Sebastian Little seems to have the H-back spot locked up.
“He can stack muscle on muscle,” Reno said. “He’s a really fit, physical kid. We felt moving him inside to the H-back position was better for him and us. He’s taken off. He’s in great shape. He’s physically strong. He catches well and has great body control.”
Junior Stephen Buric looks to be the other tight end.
FG concerns
Yale has struggled to kick field goals early on in camp.
“The accuracy is not what I wanted,” Reno said.
Kyle Cazzetta, Bryan Holmes and freshman K/DB Jason Alessi are vying for FG kicking duties.
TV schedule
Four Yale football games will be televised this season.
The deals are expected to be made official soon.
Fox College Sports will broadcast Army at Yale at 1 p.m. on Sept. 27 and Yale at Brown at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 8. The NBC Sports Network will broadcast Penn at Yale at 1:30 p.m. on Oct. 25 and The Game, Yale at Harvard, at 12:30 p.m. on Nov. 22.
Brown scrimmage
So Reno and Brown coach Phil Estes have decided to close Saturday’s scrimmage to the media. It is, however, open to the public. The scrimmage is scheduled for 1 p.m. at the Yale Bowl.
Chris; What happened to PK Blake Horn?
ReplyDeleteVaughn was clearly the best defensive player last year so why is he battling for anything. I hope he meant 4 people and 3 LB positions. However, hear we go again with the freshman stuff. All three previous players have produced at some level on the field in games, a freshman should have to be leaps and bounds better in practice to leap frog them.
ReplyDeleteTruthTeller
Vaughn was not the best defensive player on the team. He is slow and missed so many tackles in the Princeton and Harvard games it is not even funny. If a freshmen is better he should play period.
ReplyDeleteThey are better,that's why it's a battle. Get it 1:36
ReplyDeleteTruth Twister with more inane comments
ReplyDeleteChris; Who are the six guys that have pushed their way to the front?
ReplyDeleteHow can a scrimmage be closed to the media and open to the public.
ReplyDeleteSorry, the six OLs are Bezney, Cannon, Carberry, Chism, Friedline and Longinotti. As for Saturday, Reno and Estes asked for the media not to report on the scrimmage.
ReplyDelete1:18 Blake Horn hurt himself,lifting weights.
ReplyDeleteLet Reno just continue to lose relying on freshman. It's like a broken record. He will win 4 games this year, then say they are young, then come into camp next year pumping up freshman. Then win 3 games, say they are young and so on.
ReplyDeletemore to come on the Wilmot story....
ReplyDelete1147 and 10:50 You are, whats wrong with the world.You speak or communicate, like you know something.But you're just a ignorant being. To make yourself
ReplyDeletefeel important.You have to put others down.
We have one of the best running backs in the league (Varga) and we're lining up with a TE that cannot block and an undersized H-back. And, when Varga gets hurt, we'll hear all about how his injury cost us games. Going 5-1/2 on 7 is not a formula for success in the power running game.
ReplyDelete4:21You seem to be misinformed.TE and Hbacks are fine.Also the wr are getting into the act to.
ReplyDeleteThe blocking by this team and this group is great.
This team with the support of the Yale community.Will do well,without so called fans like you.
Sincerely Jon Harris
somebody help me...
ReplyDeletethe Senior Class are not Tony's
however the Junior and Sophomore classes are Tony's should there not be plenty of players that Tony recruited in those classes that we should not be hearing about the incoming Freshman that will be playing. very few of these kids that are freshman are ready for the game at this level, I don't care what anybody says, the game is faster, the players are smarter and bigger and a kid out of high school just isn't ready, they will be, maybe, but not yet. take a look at the kids in the junior and sophomore
classes today as to when they were Freshman they don't even look the same they are bigger, stronger and we hope smarter players. So let the young guys practice watch from the sidelines get mentored by the older guys and their time will come.
Looking forward to seeing the 1st 2nd stringers in the scrimmage tommorrow.Stay for an hour or so.
ReplyDeleteWrong, 6:14. The freshmen and sophomore's are Tony's. Practically all of the junior class was recruited by Tom Williams.
ReplyDeleteL et V
i'm bringing a camera to the scrimmage today, will post it to youtube later. go blue.
ReplyDeleteIf you buy a car(recruit) that can do 200mph but the driver only knows how to drive it in first gear and the owner will not spend the money on premium fuel, what is the point of buying a 200mph car?
ReplyDeleteThat about sums up the Yale coaching staff and the importance the administration puts on student athletes here. This is a complete farce!
Yale is not getting better recruits then other Ivy's. Stop listening to the propaganda by Reno. They won 7 games since he's been here.
ReplyDelete12;19 who knows why you are so negative, you have a bone to pick, you are cluttering up the space. I;m a parent, who are you. The junior class is not Renos, he did not start recruiting until January. Army looks tough, Lehigh is tough, in many positions, not all, we are young. But we are getting better and better. The spirit of the team is great. The guys know it will take time but they are working really hard, looking good, going to go for broke now, which is totally the right way to do it. You are just playing the same broken record because you have a problem. see a shrink.
ReplyDeleteReno absolutely had a big influence on the Junior class. A good example is Champion. Reno's recruits are no better than any other Ivy league school. He recruits strong players, yes. The problem is he hasn't consistently recognized the strong players that he did not recruit. It's sad because if Reno had given some of the other players a chance, Yale would have a better record that 7 wins in last two years.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the last blog 100 percent
ReplyDelete9:48 how about you live in the present and move on. 2 wins, 5 wins, hopefully at least 7 this year and in contention. he is recruiting at a much higher level than TW, that is a fact that the players ALL agree with.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting to speculate why some people persist in untruths that are so easily disproved. Yes, Tony Reno recruited Tyler Varga and a few members of the junior class, but he wasn't hired until 1/12/12 by which time virtually all of this year's juniors had committed.
ReplyDeleteL et V
Chris:
ReplyDeleteIs Yale sports info going to say anything about the Brown scrimmage? I'd love to hear the coaches' takeaway on it.
L et V
Lehigh is going to win the opener by 20 plus. Played a good JMU team to a 3 pt loss yesterday.
ReplyDelete8:26: Even if you prove to be right, why do you have to say this?
ReplyDeleteDidn't anyone on this blog see the Brown scrimmage? If so, what did you think?
ReplyDeleteWe all know Lehigh is going to be very tough. We all know Army is going to be tough. But there are trolls on this blog who just want to see Yale and Reno done in and who will set it up so that if there is a loss - and they are tough but so are we and never never never give in - it will look bad. The guys are great, everyone is up, they know what they are up against, they are getting better every day, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger. Trolls, trolls, go away, Eli football's here to stay
ReplyDeleteAmen,could'nt say it any better.
ReplyDeleteCheers Jon Harris