Patriot League 2019 Off Season Thread

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Originally Posted by Go Lehigh TU owl

- Colgate was hit really hard by graduation. They're a fringe Top 25 team at best heading in 2019. The reasons to like them are a proven QB and coach, some nice pieces along the OL and a dominant DL. WR, LB and secondary need major overhauls. RB has some good talent but losing a 5th year guy is a blow.
- HC needs to find a QB and consistency. They never really took off last year in Chesney's first year. Had they not mounted the crazy comeback against Georgetown it would have been a far different off season imo. There's no question there's talent on the roster. The freshman and sophomore classes were excellent. The schedule will likely beat them up. A winning season seems at best a 50/50 proposition.
- Georgetown has the potential to win 8 games with a modest schedule imo. I really like Gunther Johnson at QB and the WR's are pretty skilled. The OL was a disaster last year. If it improves I definitely think the Hoyas will post a winning record and challenge for the league title. The defense should once again be above average.
- Bucknell might improve by a game or two but overall seem destined for the battle for the basement. Their sophomore QB showed some potential last year with a limited cast around him. Dave should definitely help his development. Susan and his OC were completely lost when it came to offense. The OL might be the best in the league. The defense returns some good pieces from a unit that really was rather subpar in 2018.
-Fordham is imo the huge sleeper. Conlin has quietly stock piled talent through recruiting and transfers. Cunningham might be the best defensive player in the league. The defense must get better and a QB needs to emerge if the Rams want to have a big time turn around. Fordham is loaded at RB.
-Lafayette appears to be a complete dumpster fire at this point. Garrett seems committed to O'Malley at QB heading into fall camp which has to a be a concern. The OL still has several marks after camp. The defense has some good pieces but not enough to overcome an inept offense.
- Lehigh seems well positioned to make a run a winning record and maybe the league title if the new staff is up to the task. The schedule isn't easy nor is it murderers row. The last two years were really tough given Coen's health situation. Gilmore has an offense loaded at the skill positions. The OL must be more cohesive and a QB needs to emerge. The defense will be better by default. The DL is still undersized but the secondary might be the best in league. LB's are solid but still a little on the small size.

Right now I'd go
1. Colgate
2. Georgetown
3. Holy Cross
4. Lehigh/Fordham

6. Bucknell
7. Lafayette

I think any of the top 5 teams can win it this year. Heading into the season I don't see any team that seems destined for a Top 15 ranking and a playoff run but that could change. On the positive side of things I'll be shocked if the league has less than 3 teams with a winning record this year. This is after having a pathetic 1 each (Colgate) the last two years.

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Nationally I agree PL not yet ready to be more than a 1st round out. Hope I'm wrong. 3 to 5 teams with winning records seems very possible.

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Originally Posted by Go Lehigh TU owl

-Fordham is imo the huge sleeper. Conlin has quietly stock piled talent through recruiting and transfers. Cunningham might be the best defensive player in the league. The defense must get better and a QB needs to emerge if the Rams want to have a big time turn around. Fordham is loaded at RB.

Right now I'd go
1. Colgate
2. Georgetown
3. Holy Cross
4. Lehigh/Fordham

6. Bucknell
7. Lafayette

I think any of the top 5 teams can win it this year. Heading into the season I don't see any team that seems destined for a Top 15 ranking and a playoff run but that could change. On the positive side of things I'll be shocked if the league has less than 3 teams with a winning record this year. This is after having a pathetic 1 each (Colgate) the last two years.

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I don't disagree with your "way too early" projection but I'm wondering where the Fordham optimism is coming from? I'm not aware of any transfers and I'm not at all sure how we're loaded at RB. Lots of RB's and lots of good (or even ONE good) RB's are different things. I do think Cunningham might be the PL's best defensive player not on Lafayette and that our overall D will improve but the O line and lack of any WR's (and, like I've already said, a good RB) is worrisome. Conversely, I do feel good about having Demorat at QB. Kid has an arm, can scramble and seemed like a good leader. Aside from Mike Nebrich, I can't think of a single Fordham QB who could have done better while still a true freshman. I do expect him to get better as a sophomore but not at all sure about the rest of the offense.

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Originally Posted by The Boogie Down

I don't disagree with your "way too early" projection but I'm wondering where the Fordham optimism is coming from? I'm not aware of any transfers and I'm not at all sure how we're loaded at RB. Lots of RB's and lots of good (or even ONE good) RB's are different things. I do think Cunningham might be the PL's best defensive player not on Lafayette and that our overall D will improve but the O line and lack of any WR's (and, like I've already said, a good RB) is worrisome. Conversely, I do feel good about having Demorat at QB. Kid has an arm, can scramble and seemed like a good leader. Aside from Mike Nebrich, I can't think of a single Fordham QB who could have done better while still a true freshman. I do expect him to get better as a sophomore but not at all sure about the rest of the offense.

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Rave reviews for Rutgers transfer RB Trey Sneed following spring ball. He's a bruiser and a perfect fit for Conlin's offense. Zach Davis also back from injury so they should be a great 1 - 2 punch imo to go with Demorat. Agreed that the OL is what it all comes down to. Conlin needs a good one in order to run his O so the whole thing will come down to that imo.

On D we have a JuCo transfer NT Jonathan Coste. At 6'3 300lb he gives us size in the middle that we haven't had before. Cunningham and Greenhagen were both freshmen All Americans and give us a vicious LB crew. For the first time that I can remember at Fordham I do think our D will dictate games and certainly be the better of the 2.

Anyway, no slam dunk but two transfers that it sounds like you may not have been aware of and certainly reason for optimism imo. So much of it just comes down to how well our OL can come together.

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Originally Posted by RichH2

Apparently not this group. Happens. Chesney recruited some touted kids but for whatever reason they havent leveled up yet.

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What do you mean? This is his second season as head coach and really the first in which he was able to bring in a class that are exclusively his guys. How could we possibly know that these kids haven't "leveled up"?

Sorry. Brain spasm. Meant has some.

This is Dan Hunt's recap of the 'Gate team, post Spring ball.

I'm not comfortable playing the role of a "homer" predicting the 2019 team dominates the PL when there are so many unanswered questions. But, I do feel comfortable echoing Hunt's optimism about QB, the offensive line, the two experienced tight ends and a couple of credentialed stars on the D, notably Swaray and Wheeler. My humble opinions on the other position areas as well as whether/how eveything can congeal are in the "wait and see" mode. This team doesn't have the proven resources that the 2018 team had at this time last year.

I don't know if 'gate should be the PL favorite out of the gate ( no pun intended ). Perhaps by default ?

I'm most interested in whether this year's iteration of Gate football can maintain the culture and cachet of success that has been building throughout the Hunt era. Can the distinction the Program currently has be sustained by a 2019 team that's likely to be "just OK." This is a team that most likely won't replicate last years performance and is destined to perform, as the season wears on, without the confidence and swagger that the 2018 team earned ??

Spring Football Recap: Defensive Line

Spring Football Recap: Linebackers

Spring Football Recap: Secondary

Spring Football Recap: Offensive Line

Spring Football Recap: Receivers & Tight Ends

Spring Football Recap: Running Backs

Spring Football Recap: Quarterbacks

https://gocolgateraiders.com/news/20...ial-teams.aspx

Thanks Redux. Envious of the communication that Hunt gives the fans. At Lehigh we get little disjointed snippets of information, if anything at all. Mostly coachspeak.

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Originally Posted by RichH2

Thanks Redux. Envious of the communication that Hunt gives the fans. At Lehigh we get little disjointed snippets of information, if anything at all. Mostly coachspeak.

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Well, from Coach Biddle, we were lucky to get a grunt. But we didn't complain much about his record.

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Originally Posted by the last indian

Well, from Coach Biddle, we were lucky to get a grunt. But we didn't complain much about his record.

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How was Breneman looking during spring practice? Does he have his fast ball back? No question his arm strength was compromised at the end of last season.

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Originally Posted by Fordham

Rave reviews for Rutgers transfer RB Trey Sneed following spring ball. He's a bruiser and a perfect fit for Conlin's offense. Zach Davis also back from injury so they should be a great 1 - 2 punch imo to go with Demorat. Agreed that the OL is what it all comes down to. Conlin needs a good one in order to run his O so the whole thing will come down to that imo.

On D we have a JuCo transfer NT Jonathan Coste. At 6'3 300lb he gives us size in the middle that we haven't had before. Cunningham and Greenhagen were both freshmen All Americans and give us a vicious LB crew. For the first time that I can remember at Fordham I do think our D will dictate games and certainly be the better of the 2.

Anyway, no slam dunk but two transfers that it sounds like you may not have been aware of and certainly reason for optimism imo. So much of it just comes down to how well our OL can come together.

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Thanks for update. Let me add Fotis Kokosioulis to the mix. The former Northern Illinois WR had 9 catches for 151 yards as a true freshman last season and comes to us with 3 years of eligibility left.

Oh and yeah I do agree that unless the OL is vastly improved, the D side should be the stronger one this season. This is hardly ever the case at Fordham but if you're old enough then you should remember Mark Blazejewski and the incredible D's Fordham had in the early '90s. Unfortunately, the O was always just a tad bit worse than the D was great so those teams never won. Alotta close game though and the other team's O always felt it whenever Blaze was making hits!