What are the chances that the two teams prognosticators pick to battle it out for the Ivy League championship both have starting quarterbacks named Dante this fall?
Pretty good actually.
Dante Reno is a lock to start again at Yale, of course, and the favorite to run the show at Harvard is 6-foot-3, 205-pound senior Dante Torres, who has patiently waited his turn behind now-graduated Jaden Craig. While Torres completed just 8-of-13 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown as Craig's backup last fall, his bonafides are impressive. Torres was the New York State Gatorade Player of the Year as a senior at St. Anthony's on Long Island when he completed 67.2 percent of his passes with 35 touchdowns to just four interceptions. A true dual threat, he also ran for 504 yards.
Torres, or whichever QB gets the call, will be surrounded by talent. Third-year head coach Andrew Aurich didn't cite his source the way a Princeton alum should, but he said on the Ivy League media day stream that the Crimson is eighth in the nation and first in the Ivy League in "returning production."
Heading up the run game is senior speedster Xaviah Bascon, who earned a spot on the All-Ivy League second team last year when he ran for 626 yards, the most for any returning back in the conference this fall. He may be the most important cog in the running back room, but don't overlook DJ Gordon, a converted quarterback who ran for 405 yards and five touchdown last fall while averaging 5.5 yards per carry to Bascon's 5.1. Add in Jordan Harris, who averaged 7.5 per carry while running for 313 yards, and there's a lot of firepower in the Harvard backfield.
Top receiver Brady Blackburn returns after catching 35 passes for 616 yards (17.6 per) with four touchdowns, and watch out for 6-5 wideout Ryan Tattersall, who came on as last season went on, making 19 catches for 293 yards and three touchdowns.
Seamus Gilmartin, is the latest tight end pro prospect at Harvard. The 6-4, 235-pound senior caught 25 passes for 313 yards and three touchdowns a year ago and heads up another talented tight end room in Cambridge.
The Crimson lost two All-Ivy types on the offensive line, which is a concern, but returning are two first-team All-Ivy selections up front: 6-6, 310 Thomas O'Brien and 6-8, 300 Spencer Doan.
If anything, there's more experience on the defensive side where seven players listed as starters against Dartmouth return. Corner Damien Henderson, who had 41 tackles, two interceptions and five breakups last year, heads up a secondary featuring five returnees who had at least 30 tackles each a year ago. Rejoining Henderson on the corner is Austin-Jake Guillory, who had nine pass breakups to go with 31 tackles last year. To be sure, All-America safety Ty Bartum will be missed. But expect the Crimson to still be tough in the back end.
At linebacker, Harvard welcomes back leading tackler Sean Line, who had 82 stops and nine quarterback hurries a year ago. Dorsey Benefield is another starter returning after making 27 tackles in just six games last fall despite battling injuries.
If there's an area of concern on defense it would be up front, where the top two linemen in terms of tackles for loss have moved on. Josh Fedd heads up the D-line after making 25 tackles with 2.5 for a loss last fall at D-end. Jacinto Lopez is another returning starter on the line.
Kicker Kieran Corr was chosen to the All-Ivy League first team after going 10-of-12 on field goals, including a 53-yarder as time expired to defeat Penn and keep Harvard's championship hopes alive. Dylan Fingersh returns at punter ,but Harvard will be looking for him to improve on his 37.5-yard average.
