Dartmouth Season Preview – Names To Watch
HANOVER – It’s not really a thing anymore, but it used to be that college sports information departments would put out a detailed spring “prospectus” that, among other things, listed the number of starters returning and lost on offense and defense, as well as lettermen returning and lost on both sides of the ball.
If Dartmouth produced an old-fashioned prospectus coming into this season it would list just three starters returning from last year’s depth chart for the finale against Brown, and five starters back on the offensive side.
That sounds a little dire, but a little digging reveals all 11 players on the second line of the final defensive two-deep are back for another go-round, and all but one player on the second line of the final offensive two-deep return.
Throughout the spring and again in preseason camp, Dartmouth coach Sammy McCorkle talked about having not 11 players ready on each side of the ball, but rather 22 on offense, and 22 on defense. The seasoned second line of the 2024 depth chart will be on display this fall for McCorkle, who has steadfastly avoided the cliché about “reloading instead of rebuilding.” Because so many of the Big Green backups contributed last fall he's confident Dartmouth isn’t rebuilding or reloading, but rather retooling.
Here’s a look at the retooled Big Green, “room by room” as they say these days.
DEFENSE
Line
Ejike Adele, the 2024 Ivy League defensive player of the year is now a grad transfer at Rice. Josiah Green, who may actually have been more impactful, is at Duke, and Derrell Porter is at UC Davis. Duane Brooks, who has successfully replaced standouts like Niko Lalos and Shane Cokes in the past, doesn’t sound concerned.
“People always graduate, right?” he said. “Every year we come up with somebody else to step up, right? We just have a standard we set, and you have to reach that standard. And we do 98 percent of the time.”
No surprise, the starters pencilled in for the opener against New Hampshire are senior nose guard Dakota Quiñonez (6-1, 285), the strongest player on the team per McCorkle, senior defensive end Joe Onuwabhagbe (6-2, 256) and junior Joshua Johnson (6-2, 265). Senior Jabari Johnson (6-3, 260), junior Keoni Perkins (6-3, 255) and sophomore Jackson Ashford (6-2, 260) have all flashed in the preseason as has surprising space-eater sophomore Taylor Faalele (6-2, 325). And don’t sleep on junior Bruce Williams (6-2, 250).
Linebacker
As is the case up front, defensive coordinator Don Dobes is replacing all three of his starters in Braden Mullen, Danny Cronin and Micah Green. Dobes has made a point this fall of saying the time is right for middle linebacker Nico Schwikal, the exciteable 6-3, 235 German, to put his athleticism on display. Slowed by injury before this year, junior Zyion Freer-Brown (6-1, 240) has emerged as a force this fall and has battled with emerging junior Steve Simpkins (6-2, 230) at the weakside linebacker slot.
At Sam linebacker, senior “Teddy G” Gianaris (6-2, 240) has shown he can be a breakout star this fall according to both Dobes and McCorkle. And perhaps no one on the defensive side has stood out more in camp than sinewy 6-5, 235 junior Cameron Lee, who in pass rush has shown the ability to get his hands up to bat balls as they leave the QB’s hands.
Corner/Nickel
With the most experience, Patrick Campbell (6-0, 195) has been referred to as the “bell cow” of a corner group that saw graduated standout Jordan Washington move on to play at Stanford. Junior Jorden Barnes (6-0, 205) moved full-time to corner in the spring and was selected as the most-improved player at the position. Junior Jamal Cooper (5-11, 190) also figures to see time as does sophomore Thai Brown (5-11, 175), who impressed as a freshman.
Hard-hitting and physical senior Tyson Grimm (6-1, 215) is the archetype of a nickel back who plays with great confidence. Junior Samuel Washington (6-3, 205) figures here as well. Junior Cameron Best-Alston (6-3, 215) can rotate in here and at strong safety after appearing on the depth chart at nickel a year ago.
Safety
Senior co-captain Sean Williams (5-9, 190) has been in the lineup since his freshman year and has made seven interceptions and 129 tackles in his career. He leads the way at strong safety with quick-thinking junior Harrison Keith (6-0, 205) emerging at free safety. Junior No’Koi Maddox (6-1, 205) and Best-Alston can rotate in as needed.
OFFENSE
Line
Veteran coach Keith Clark has come into seasons without much in the way of returning starters or stars and developed solid line. He has two veteran leaders back this fall and there's game experience for all but one of his front line players.
The acknowledged “bell cow” of the offensive line is senior tackle Delby Lemieux (6-4, 295), a preseason All-America whose quick feet have caught the attention of NFL scouts. Guard Kontantin Spörk (6-5, 305) could have grad transferred, but instead is a solid returning starter on the other side of the line as a fifth-year senior.
Stepping in at center is 6-4, 295 Max Wentz, who has seen action in 15 games over the past two seasons and was the primary backup a year ago. Senior Vasean Washington (6-5, 285) was Lemieux last fall and should start at the other tackle spot this time around after playing in 18 games over the previous two seasons.
Probably the least-seasoned position up front is left guard where huge junior Cam Davenport (6-4, 345) and junior Francisco Caballero (6-3, 300) have been battling for the starting role. Junior Godson Ajoku (6-5, 330) could see time here as well.
Tight End
In his first season as tight ends coach Kevin Daft inherited a room filled with talent. All-America senior Chris Corbo (6-5, 250) is regarded as an NFL prospect and classmate Sean Ward (6-5, 255) would be the starter for a lot of schools in the Ivy League and across the nation. The pair make a solid one-two punch with junior Taysire Williams (6-5, 250) more than able to step in as needed. Sophomore Kyle Meier (6-3, 235) follows in the footsteps of former standouts Cole Marcoux and Jace Henry as he slides down from quarterback to tight end.
Wide Receiver
The graduation of über-dependable Paxton Scott, who finished his career in the top-10 for career catches at Dartmouth – and would have been in the top five if he hadn’t been hurt last fall – will be felt. But senior co-captain Daniel Haughton’s arrival last year with a team-high 428 yards and a 15.9-yard average showed he’s ready for the spotlight.
Senior Grayson O’Bara had 18 catches last year and matched Haughton’s long of 72. He has looked like the quarterbacks’ security blanket in the preseason. And watch out for 6-1, 175 sophomore Luke Rives, who McCorkle calls the fastest player on the squad.
Junior Ian Scott has flashed after the start of his career was hampered by injury, and Ky’Dric Fisher was a star of the final scrimmage. Nick Lemon is another who has an opportunity. An X-factor could be Remington Gall, a 6-5 fifth-year senior with serious jumping ability who can be a weapon on the goal line.
Running Back
Seniors DJ Crowther (5-11, 215) and Desmin Jackson (5-10, 185) have been patiently waiting their turn and with Q Jones moved on, their time has come. Crowther averaged 5.2 yards per carry last fall while running for 249 yards. Jackson ran for 179 yards.
The eye-opener in the backfield through camp might have been 5-10, 195 sophomore Dylan Elder, who will get his carries. Juniors Colin O’Garro (6-0, 205) and Chris Roper (5-9, 205), like Crowther and Jackson a year ago, are waiting their turn.
Quarterback
Junior Grayson Saunier (6-2, 215) got his shot early in the Yale game last fall and showed he’s a more than capable successor to the graduated Jackson Proctor as a dual-threat QB. After coming off the bench to lead Dartmouth to an epic comeback win at Yale he led the Big Green to victories over Central Connecticut and Columbia before reverting to the “running” QB role when Proctor returned from injury. He had the poise and presence of a three-year starter in preseason practice and scrimmages.
Backing up Saunier and showing he's ready to go after missing spring ball with an injury is junior Woods Ray (6-2, 210). Although he threw only two passes last year, he showed enough to get the starting nod at Yale when it was clear Proctor wouldn’t be able to go.
Sophomore Noah Trigueros (6-2, 195) spent the spring as backup QB with Ray sidelined, and he pushed hard for the second line of the depth chart all through preseason.
SPECIALISTS
Kicker
After having to pull a kicker out of “retirement” three years ago, Dartmouth has an embarrassment of riches booting placements this year. Junior Owen Zalc has range beyond 50 yards and has shown time and time again that he has ice in his veins. Classmate Matisse Weaver handles kickoffs and barely lost out to Zalc in PAT/field goal two years ago. And fellow junior Julian Coviello is lauded for his big leg.
Sophomore punter Luke Armistead waited behind steady Davis Golick and the lefty kicker – who can also boot it with his other leg – has been impressive in practice.
Junior longsnapper Andy Belles gets raves from his fellow specialists, and Ray returns as holder.
Sean Williams is a dynamic punt returner who always seems one step away from going the distance. Ian Scott might also be back, both on punt and kickoff returns. Watch for Rives to put his speed to work on kickoffs given that McCorkle – in one of his rare diversions from the Buddy Teevens playbook – will often let his kickoff returners give it a shot.
