Maybe new Penn coach Ricky Santos didn't get the memo. Or maybe he's just a little less paranoid than a lot of college football coaches.
Either way, the former New Hampshire quarterback standout and coach came right out and revealed on the Ivy League media day who was going to be the Quakers' No. 1 QB heading into camp.
Ah, but he did leave that door a little open for a new entry in the sweepstakes.
Earning the nod from Santos is Karson Siqueiros-Lasky, a 6-foot-1, 190-pound junior who was 2-for-2 passing for 14 yards last year. He has the unenviable task or replacing Liam O'Brien, who threw for 2,376 yards and 19 touchdowns last year while also leading the team with 548 yards and seven touchdowns rushing.
While Santos said he was pleased with how Siqueiros-Lasky has developed, he also mentioned incoming freshman Miles Teodecki, a 6-2 product of Austin, Texas who was committed to Kansas State until a coaching change, and had offers from BYU, Colorado State, Cincinnati and more. Teodecki's father, Steve, was a Penn quarterback from 1993-96.
Unfortunately for Siqueiros-Lasky or Teodecki or whichever QB gets the nod at Franklin Field, arguably the finest receiving corps in the Ivy League in years has left the building. Jared Richardson has taken his diploma and last year's 80 catches for 1,033 yards and 12 touchdowns to Duke. Bisi Owens, meanwhile, has graduated and moved on to Purdue along with his 66 catches for 695 yards and five touchdowns last fall.
With the two all-timers moved on, Penn's most experienced pass catcher is running back Donte West, who caught eight calls a year ago. While the wide receiving corps sorts itself out, Santos is high on a tight end room with three veterans led by Michael Hegarty, who caught seven passes for 49 yards last year.
The aforementioned West led the Penn running backs last year with 417 yards and five touchdowns, both second only to the numbers put up by QB O'Brien. Sean Williams added 215 yards and a 4.8-yard average.
Luke Sacchetti and Aaron Kruse, a couple of 300-pound returning starters, head up an offensive line that will miss first-team All-Ivy pick Netinho Olivieri, now at Pitt, and honorable-mention pick Will Begin.
The clear strength of the Penn defense this fall will be the secondary, which returns intact. Leading the way are Jayden Drayton, who had an eye-popping 11 pass breakups and 44 tackles last year, Ty Cortesy, who was second on the team with 72 tackles and six pass breakups, and Josh Narcisse, coming off a 37-tackle season. That experience will be valuable for the Quakers, who Santos said will be playing a 4-2-5 defense this fall.
The linebacking room lost leading tackler John Lista, an All-Ivy first-teamer now at UConn, and second-team All-Ivy Kadari Machen. Santos will look to Cole Olsztyn, who had 48 tackles a year ago, to take the next step.
The Quakers were always tough up front under former coach Ray Priore and while they will miss first-team All-Ivy Carter Janki, now at Illinois, Liam Forster returns at defensive tackle and Raashed Hall at D-end.
Special teams are a mixed blessing for Santos in Year One. Back is kicker Mason Walters, who was 9-of-12 with a long of 47 yards last year. But the Quakers lost not just first-team All-Ivy punter Santiago Sturla, but even more importantly, game-breaking return specialist Julien Stokes, the Ivy League special teamer of the year.
