The Columbia defense will welcome back playmakers at every level this season, and their steady influence on the team may help an offense that must replace starters at nearly every skill position, including first team all-Ivy League wide receiver Austin Knowlin.
The defensive unit also lost three standouts with the graduation of defensive end Lou Miller, linebacker Corey Cameron, and defensive back Andy Shalbrack. Miller was a unanimous first team all-Ivy honoree in 2009, while Cameron and Shalbrack were both honorable mention selections. Replacing Miller’s constant presence in the backfield will be one of the major issues for the Lions to address in the upcoming season.
Nonetheless, there will be no shortage of familiar faces on the field, even though Denauld Brown will be donning the headset as defensive coordinator for the first time this fall.
Senior co-captains Alex Gross—who was a captain as a junior as well—and Matt Moretto return to lead the defense. Senior Marc Holloway joins Gross and Moretto in a deep linebacking corps that also features senior Augie Williams and juniors Nick Mistretta and Evan Miller.
Gross, a 2008 first team all-Ivy selection, was limited to only three games last season after an injury ended his 2009 campaign on the kickoff against Lafayette. In 2008, the middle linebacker led the Ivy League with 101 tackles, earning him the Lions’ defensive MVP award. His ability to replicate that success in his final season will go a long way toward determining how dominant this year’s unit will be on defense.
Fortunately for the Light Blue, Gross is confident that he has made the most of his recovery period and will be back and better than ever for the season opener against Fordham.
“In the off-season, I put in a tremendous amount of work like I never have before,” Gross said. “I’m confident and I’m just excited to start playing again. I had an opportunity to sit and watch the game and more of a coach’s or student’s perspective. I feel like I was able to pick up on a lot of things that will tip me off in terms of being able to play a little bit faster instead of having to react as much.”
Behind the linebackers, senior Adam Mehrer returns to anchor the secondary after leading the Lions with 89 tackles and the entire Ivy League with five interceptions last year. Mehrer, a second team all-Ivy selection, will be joined by returning starter Ross Morand, whose four picks last year were the third most among Ancient Eight defenders. Junior Kalasi Huggins, senior Calvin Otis, and junior Neil Schuster all enter the season with extensive experience in the defensive backfield.
Josh Smith, who recorded 3.5 sacks last year to go with 3.5 tackles for loss, will be charged with leading a defensive line that, in addition to Miller, lost Matt Bashaw, Shea Selsor, and Bruce Fleming. Selsor and Fleming, who were significant contributors to the 2009 campaign, are no longer with the team, according to the Columbia Athletic Department, and Bashaw graduated. Seyi Adebayo and Will Patterson also figure to start alongside Smith in what is by far the most unproven unit of the defense.
As the defense as a whole prepares for the opener, the Lions’ adjustment to a new coordinator will be slight.
Denauld Brown “was our line coach last year,” Moretto said, “and I prefer to have someone who was already in the system instead of bringing someone else who’s going to totally change the game.”
The Lions’ defense will not have to wait much longer to see how these changes will pan out. If Brown can get his players on the same page come Saturday’s opener against Fordham, the team has the experience and the talent to wreak havoc on the Rams’ offense.
COMMENTS
Comments will be moderated in accordance with our comment policy