Lehigh University Athletics
Lehigh Football Preview: Secondary
8/7/2019 12:20:00 PM | Football
Throughout the month of August Lehighsports.com will be taking a position-by-position look at the 2019 Lehigh football team. The Mountain Hawks, under the direction of first-year head coach Tom Gilmore, opened preseason camp on August 1 and are preparing for the 2019 season-opener August 31 versus Saint Francis at Goodman Stadium.
We begin with a look at the Mountain Hawks' secondary.
One of Lehigh's deepest units, Lehigh lost just one starter to graduation in the secondary, while the returning core will be bolstered with the addition of nine freshmen.
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"The secondary is our most experienced position group on the defensive side of the ball," Gilmore said. "Sam (McCloskey) has been a two-year captain and has played since the day he walked on campus. Riley O'Neil as well. Those guys have done a really good job and have emerged as leaders on the defensive side of the ball."
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The senior member of the secondary is fifth-year player Sam McCloskey, a two-time captain who ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with 77 tackles a season ago and earned second team All-Patriot League honors.
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Senior Riley O'Neil has started every game of his Lehigh career at free safety and comes off a season in which he recorded 62 tackles and picked off a pass at Navy.
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"Riley has always been a tough player," Gilmore said. "He's an athlete. He has been versatile. When we had some depth problems in the spring, I was really impressed with how he moved around. We even slipped him in to play some linebacker. He played on the edge. He can play the deep safety.
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"His willingness and enthusiasm to do those things was really impressive and something we really appreciated as coaches, but also set the table for the rest of the team, to see a guy willing to do whatever was needed. I'm excited to see how he has progressed, especially when we can set him at one position and not have to move him around as much as we did in the spring."
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Junior Divine Buckrham saw extensive playing time as a rover over his first two seasons. He transitioned to safety during the spring and will continue to work there during fall camp.
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"Divine is another guy who played a lot of safety in the spring and progressed a lot from the beginning to the end," Gilmore said. "He also had a great summer. Sam, Riley and Divine are three guys who are going to help us out tremendously."
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Junior Stuart Cundiff and sophomore T.J. Rakowsky are also in the mix at safety with both players seeing game action, primarily on special teams, last season.
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Four members of the freshman class will begin working at safety: TyGee Leach, Mitchell Lawhead, Drew Gavranich and Lance Sell.
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At cornerback, senior Marquis Wilson emerged as a reliable performer with his combination of size and coverage skills. Wilson made 44 tackles, had five pass breakups and returned an interception for a touchdown against Bucknell.
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On the other side, Jaylen Floyd played in nine games and possesses the versatility to cover on the outside or in the slot. Junior Tre Neal also will provide depth at cornerback after missing all of last season due to injury.
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"We have the potential to be very good at corner," Gilmore said. "Marquis can be an outstanding corner. He has the size. Floyd doesn't have the size, as far as the height, but he's a very physical player. He probably brings it more than anyone in the secondary. It was really fun watching those guys in the spring. Tre Neal is another guy who has tremendous potential. We're really looking forward to him having a big year as well."
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They say you can never have too many cornerbacks and Lehigh heads to camp with five freshmen that will work at corner; a group that includes Brandon Spencer, Simeon Sabvute, Jack Bush, Kaleb Mucius and Will Kalmbach.
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We begin with a look at the Mountain Hawks' secondary.
One of Lehigh's deepest units, Lehigh lost just one starter to graduation in the secondary, while the returning core will be bolstered with the addition of nine freshmen.
Â
"The secondary is our most experienced position group on the defensive side of the ball," Gilmore said. "Sam (McCloskey) has been a two-year captain and has played since the day he walked on campus. Riley O'Neil as well. Those guys have done a really good job and have emerged as leaders on the defensive side of the ball."
Â
The senior member of the secondary is fifth-year player Sam McCloskey, a two-time captain who ranked second on the Mountain Hawks with 77 tackles a season ago and earned second team All-Patriot League honors.
Â
Senior Riley O'Neil has started every game of his Lehigh career at free safety and comes off a season in which he recorded 62 tackles and picked off a pass at Navy.
Â
"Riley has always been a tough player," Gilmore said. "He's an athlete. He has been versatile. When we had some depth problems in the spring, I was really impressed with how he moved around. We even slipped him in to play some linebacker. He played on the edge. He can play the deep safety.
Â
"His willingness and enthusiasm to do those things was really impressive and something we really appreciated as coaches, but also set the table for the rest of the team, to see a guy willing to do whatever was needed. I'm excited to see how he has progressed, especially when we can set him at one position and not have to move him around as much as we did in the spring."
Â
Junior Divine Buckrham saw extensive playing time as a rover over his first two seasons. He transitioned to safety during the spring and will continue to work there during fall camp.
Â
"Divine is another guy who played a lot of safety in the spring and progressed a lot from the beginning to the end," Gilmore said. "He also had a great summer. Sam, Riley and Divine are three guys who are going to help us out tremendously."
Â
Junior Stuart Cundiff and sophomore T.J. Rakowsky are also in the mix at safety with both players seeing game action, primarily on special teams, last season.
Â
Four members of the freshman class will begin working at safety: TyGee Leach, Mitchell Lawhead, Drew Gavranich and Lance Sell.
Â
At cornerback, senior Marquis Wilson emerged as a reliable performer with his combination of size and coverage skills. Wilson made 44 tackles, had five pass breakups and returned an interception for a touchdown against Bucknell.
Â
On the other side, Jaylen Floyd played in nine games and possesses the versatility to cover on the outside or in the slot. Junior Tre Neal also will provide depth at cornerback after missing all of last season due to injury.
Â
"We have the potential to be very good at corner," Gilmore said. "Marquis can be an outstanding corner. He has the size. Floyd doesn't have the size, as far as the height, but he's a very physical player. He probably brings it more than anyone in the secondary. It was really fun watching those guys in the spring. Tre Neal is another guy who has tremendous potential. We're really looking forward to him having a big year as well."
Â
They say you can never have too many cornerbacks and Lehigh heads to camp with five freshmen that will work at corner; a group that includes Brandon Spencer, Simeon Sabvute, Jack Bush, Kaleb Mucius and Will Kalmbach.
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