2015 Lehigh Football Spring Prospectus

4/13/2015 4:56:00 PM | Football

2015 Lehigh Football Spring Prospectus

The Lehigh football program enters the 2015 season looking to re-establish the winning culture that was prevalent earlier this decade as the Mountain Hawks went 39-9 from 2010 through 2013 with two Patriot League championships. The Mountain Hawks enter the new season looking to put a 3-8 campaign behind them while restoring the tradition of a program that won Patriot League titles and FCS playoff games in 2010 and 2011.

"In some ways, we had lost the culture we had here," tenth year head coach Andy Coen said. "That's something we talked about in 2010. We had kids who loved to play football and were passionate about it and were good kids on and off the field. Everyone was kind of comfortable and when you're comfortable you get complacent and there was too much of that going on.

"We've worked very hard and well in this offseason to get back to where want to be," Coen added. "We want to get our culture back to being a championship culture. We'll still be able to continue to work on that. As long as the guys are learning and working hard and holding each other accountable we're going to be able to continue to move in the right direction in getting the culture back where it really needs to be."

Last year, Lehigh had six new coaches and a number of younger players in key roles for the first time. Coen's coaching staff now has a year of experience together and 14 starters returning. The loss of more than 20 seniors to graduation combined with a large incoming freshman class that will join the program this summer has left Lehigh's spring numbers low, but the Mountain Hawks have the talent in the program to lead a bounce back effort in 2015.

OFFENSE
Despite the presence of a new offensive coordinator and a first year starter at quarterback, Lehigh's offense did its part in 2014. Drew Folmar's first season as offensive coordinator saw the Mountain Hawks average nearly 26 points per game with a balanced attack that averaged 167 yards on the ground and 222 through the air per game. Nick Shafnisky was the Patriot League's No. 2 rated passer in his first full season as a starting quarterback. Troy Pelletier emerged as a weapon at wide receiver, catching 49 passes for 815 yards and was a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award, given to the top freshman in the FCS. Shafnisky finished second on the Mountain Hawks with 526 rushing yards, but Lehigh will have to make up for the departure of a trio of tailbacks that rushed for 1280 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Quarterbacks
Nick Shafnisky equipped himself well as a dual threat in his first full season as Lehigh's starter, completing nearly 60 percent of his passes for 2373 yards and 14 touchdowns compared to 12 interceptions, while also rushing for 526 yards and six scores. Shafnisky battled through injuries to start all 11 games and while he will be limited in the spring, is in position to be Lehigh's first returning starter at quarterback since Chris Lum in 2010 and 2011.

Rising sophomores Matt Timochenko and Brendan Craven will also compete for time under center. Timochenko possesses a strong throwing arm and served as Lehigh's backup early last season while Matt McHale worked his way back from injury. Craven spent his freshman campaign as the sixth quarterback on Lehigh's depth chart and should benefit from added reps in the spring.

Receivers
Lehigh has enjoyed a recent history of standout wide receivers, including Jake Drwal '12, All-American Ryan Spadola '13, who enters his third season in the NFL, and Lee Kurfis '14, who led the FCS in receiving yards per game in 2013. Last year it was a freshman, Troy Pelletier, who burst onto the scene to lead the Mountain Hawks in receiving and showed flashes of being the next great wide receiver to wear the brown and white. Pelletier caught 49 passes for 815 yards and seven touchdowns and didn't even see the field as a wide receiver until the second half of Lehigh's second game of the season. He enjoyed a ten-catch, 214-yard effort at Holy Cross and was a second team All-Patriot League selection in addition to being a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award.

The Mountain Hawks lose three receivers to graduation in captain and leading receiver Josh Parris, the versatile Derek Gaul and Alex Buford but return several capable performers.

Senior Stefan Sansone finished fourth on the Mountain Hawks with 17 catches and a touchdown and should see time on the outside. Also in the mix are juniors Mike Anderson and Jarrod Howard and sophomore Gatlin Casey, who may have seen more time as a freshman if not for Pelletier's emergence. Casey was recognized as Lehigh's offensive scout team MVP at its year-end banquet.

In the slot, the speedy Derek Knott was expected to be a weapon but saw his season end with just five catches after an injury at New Hampshire. It marked the second straight season Knott's season ended prematurely due to injury. When healthy, Knott has shown the speed and ability to be a playmaker in Lehigh's offense. Sophomore Sasha Kelsey came on late in the year to catch seven passes for 89 yards, while junior Trevor Socarras provides depth at the position.

Running Backs/Fullbacks
The Mountain Hawks had three tailbacks combine to rush for 1280 yards and 12 touchdowns last season but because of graduations and departures none of the three will be back in 2015.

Lehigh's recruiting class features three highly regarded tailbacks, but until they arrive this summer, the four running backs in camp will receive plenty of spring reps.

The senior member of the running back group is DJ Kee, who has been limited by injuries but possesses good speed and has impressed at times on the practice field. Sophomore Nana Amankwah-Ayeh is also in the mix at tailback.

With low numbers, Lehigh's two fullbacks will see extra reps at the tailback spot as well. Junior Kenny Crawford excelled as a power runner in high school, while classmate Evan Kauffman has had time to develop after moving over to fullback from linebacker last summer.

Tight Ends
Lehigh loses two veteran contributors at tight end in the reliable Tyler Coyle (48 career receptions, seven touchdowns) and Dylan Colgate.

Senior Chris Ruhl is the most experienced member of the group as he moved into Lehigh's second tight end role at the tail end of last season. Ruhl's first career catch went for 42 yards in Lehigh's win at Georgetown.

Behind Ruhl is junior Zach Bucklin, a strong blocker with good size and special teams experience who will look to play an expanded role. Sophomores Mike Baur and Drew Paulsen have bulked up and will also look to contribute.

Offensive Line
Injuries will limit numbers in the spring but the Mountain Hawks return ten offensive linemen, many of who saw playing time last season. Lehigh loses three seniors to graduation, including All-Patriot League left tackle Ned Daryoush, who started the final 33 games of his career. Daryoush and rising senior Matt Ford started all 11 games on the left side of Lehigh's line in 2014 but a rash of injuries forced the Mountain Hawks to shuffle the other three spots all season long. The Mountain Hawks have enjoyed several strong recruiting years on the offensive line, and once everyone gets healthy there should be a lot of talent, depth and good competition in the trenches.

Lehigh will look to center Brandon Short to anchor the line, but Short will miss the spring as he recovers from an injury suffered against Yale. Senior Steven Camasta saw significant action at center late last season and will get plenty of reps this spring, while senior Ryan James can contribute at both center and guard as needed.

Ford started all 11 games last season at left guard next to Daryoush and figures to occupy one of the guard spots. Junior Micah Tennant will also compete for time at guard.

Senior Matt Cohen and junior Zach Duffy both saw significant time at both guard and tackle last season and will provide versatility to the line.

At tackle, Lehigh will look to sophomore T.J. O'Hara and junior Evan Sweeney while sophomore Kadeem Smith will push for time after missing his entire freshman season due to injury.

DEFENSE
For Lehigh's defense, the only way to go is up. In 2014 the Mountain Hawks failed to pressure opposing quarterbacks and did not create enough turnovers. Lehigh was also prone to giving up the big play, which hurt several late-game comeback attempts and resulted in the Mountain Hawks ranking at or near the bottom of the Patriot League in most categories. A young defense with a new coordinator in Joe Bottiglieri endured plenty of growing pains but a number of players gained significant experience. Eight starters return for the Mountain Hawks, who will look to get back to playing an attacking style with an emphasis on creating turnovers and pressuring opposing quarterbacks.

Defensive Line
For a team that has perennially ranked near the Patriot League in sacks, the Mountain Hawks mustered just 15 last year, their lowest total since 2006. Lehigh also gave up more than 200 yards per game on the ground. Lehigh must replace two-time All-League performer Tim Newton and his team-leading five sacks from a year ago.

At the defensive tackle spots, Lehigh returns four players who saw significant action a year ago. Seniors Greg Palma and D.J. Bourgeois were regulars in the rotation, with Bourgeois recording 21 tackles after successfully moving from linebacker to the defensive line. Matt Laub saw time both on the defensive line and at linebacker last season and while he will miss spring practice, likely will figure in the defensive line rotation. Junior T.J. Stubbs also contributed on the D-Line and will be in the mix.

Sophomore Tyler Cavenas came on to contribute late in his freshman season and at 295 pounds will bring good size to the nose guard position.

Among those also vying for time is sophomore Harrison Johnson, the defensive scout team MVP from a season ago. Juniors Brad Smith, Jimmy Mitchell and sophomore Justin Gille are working to bounce back from injuries, while senior Grant Jamgochian will push for time as well.

Linebacker
Despite Lehigh's defensive struggles a season ago, the Mountain Hawks' linebackers were a productive group that should turn this unit into an area of strength in 2015. The Mountain Hawks' top two tacklers were inside linebackers Pierce Ripanti and Colton Caslow, with Caslow anchoring the defense with his play in the middle on the way to earning second team All-Patriot League honors. Ripanti led the Mountain Hawks with 75 tackles in his first season playing inside. He added 5.5 tackles for loss and a pair of sacks. Both players are expected to be leaders for Lehigh in their junior seasons.

Senior Cody Kondas and junior Evan Harvey will provide depth on the inside. Kondas has impressed in the offseason and can be a factor if he can stay healthy.

On the outside, Noah Robb should see an expanded role in his senior season. Robb started at inside linebacker in 2013 but moved back outside last season and finished with 16 tackles. Junior Joe Barrett contributed on special teams as a sophomore and has grown into a competitor for time at outside linebacker as well. Also in the mix for time on Lehigh's linebacking corps are sophomores Cal Coffman and Hobbie McCain.

Secondary
Lehigh's secondary endured its share of growing pains last season, with the Mountain Hawks breaking in four new starters and injuries creating opportunities for additional younger players to see the field. The good news is that virtually everyone is back with another year of seasoning under their belts. The secondary did account for seven of Lehigh's eight interceptions last year along with three fumble recoveries and the group is hungry to put last season behind them and prove themselves on the big stage.

At cornerback, senior Olivier Rigaud has emerged as Lehigh's top cover guy, finishing with 46 tackles, an interception and seven pass breakups. On the other side Brandon Leaks had an up and down first season as a starter but did lead the team with three interceptions, including a 23-yard interception return touchdown at Yale. Leaks will miss Lehigh's spring segment as he recovers from an injury. Quentin Jones saw significant time as Lehigh's nickel corner as a freshman and finished with eight pass breakups. He can contribute at cornerback or safety. Sophomore Marc Raye-Redmond has improved physically in the offseason and will battle for time as well.

Seniors LaQuan Lambert and Randall Lawson ended last season as the starters at safety. Lambert finished third on the team with 65 tackles and added two interceptions. He is strong in run support and could see more time playing closer to the line of scrimmage in his senior campaign. Lawson moved to safety out of necessity midseason and will look to finish his career on a high note.

The Mountain Hawks hope to get Stephen Wilmington back for a fifth year of eligibility. Wilmington was emerging as a leader for Lehigh defensively before suffering a season-ending injury in the Mountain Hawks' second game of the season. Junior Brian Githens has been a capable special teams performer and will get more reps at safety this spring while sophomore Joe Siegenthaler can contribute as well if he can get past some injury issues.

SPECIAL TEAMS
Lehigh's special teams units were solid in 2014 but the Mountain Hawks will have to address several key losses with new faces in several spots. Senior Austin Devine was one of Lehigh's top performers in his first season as a punter, earning first team All-Patriot League honors. The Mountain Hawks will likely employ a freshman kicker and a freshman snapper while there are voids to be filled in the return game as well.

Devine emerged as a bright spot in his first season handling the punting duties, ranking 15th in the FCS averaging a 42.2 net on his punts. The first team all-league selection placed 21 of 47 punts inside the opponents' 20 yard line and only seven of his punts were returned.

The departure of Ryan Pandy means that incoming freshman Ed Mish will likely get the first crack at the placekicking duties. The Mountain Hawks will also need a new snapper for punts and placements. Matt Laub is capable when healthy and Lehigh's returning tight ends have been working on snapping as well. Incoming freshman Mark Walker will also get a look here when he arrives on campus.

The coaches will once again look at a number of players in the return game. Brandon Leaks had a strong freshman season returning kickoffs but saw his return time limited last year while he fought through injuries and focused on cornerback play. Rising sophomore Sasha Kelsey emerged late in the year, leading the team with 21 returns for 383 yards. Junior Mike Anderson also returned 13 kickoffs and senior Derek Knott has had opportunities in the return game when healthy. Lehigh also has a void to fill at punt returner with Josh Parris graduating after two years in that role.

A link to the complete 2015 Lehigh Football Spring Prospectus can be found at the top of this page