FB: New England Small College Athletic Conference

[lumbercat]

Im sure the Coach Raymond I have observed at St Lawrence and Williams was totally honest and upfront with each recruit in terms of  potential opportunities and where each kid might fit in the Eph program.

[Charlie]

This may explain their lack of talent at skill positions. Bringing in 5 qbs at a school that already has so few kids they can bring in just seems like an inefficient way of recruiting. That's almost 1/3 of the class.

Hard pressed to remember 3 more impressive FY QBs coming into the same NESCAC program in the same year.
Williams is bringing in a very strong recruiting class especially at the QB position-

Owen Johansen 6'2" 215 Northport NY
Drew Renzella 6'2" 200 Williston Northhampton, Ma.
Owen McHugh 6'0" 185 Milton, Ma.

7 QBs in camp should be very competitive-QB reps will be a precious commodity in preseason.

2 other solid FY QB recruits already moved to TE and DB.

Coach Raymond adhering to the old recruiting approach of recruiting a surplus of QBs as fine athletes and move them to other positions.

McHugh can play Safety but his real sport is baseball anyway he was suppose to be going to play D1 Baseball at Umass.

Renzella is a QB no other position and does not have the arm strength don't think he will pan out do not know about the third. But they also brought in several others last year and none played so there is a waist of recruiting there as well.

I will say next year the kid that committed from BBN looks solid as does the QB commit next year to Trinity Jaxon Carroll from Choate  6"4 200 lbs and can run. I think next year better recruiting class at QB. Not impressed with this years QB class.

[nescac1]

I'd also note that many NESCAC schools bring in multiple QB recruits per year (or at least guys who start out at QB).  Amherst for example brought in three frosh QBs last year and brings in another two this year.  I would imagine Amherst very much hopes that one of those five wins the starting job.  Considering how much Amherst and Williams struggled at QB last year, they, I'm sure, would rather have too many rather than too few developmental QBs on the roster.  If you put all your eggs in just a few baskets, all it takes is 1-2 injuries, busts, or transfers and suddenly you are in deep, deep trouble.  When you have 75-80 guys on the roster (more at some schools!) you are going to have plenty of guys who never really play anyway, so why not use the spot each year on an extra QB who (a) gives you a better chance in the QB lottery down the line and (b) if a good enough athlete, can ultimately help at another position? 

[Charlie]

I'd also note that many NESCAC schools bring in multiple QB recruits per year (or at least guys who start out at QB).  Amherst for example brought in three frosh QBs last year and brings in another two this year.  I would imagine Amherst very much hopes that one of those five wins the starting job.  Considering how much Amherst and Williams struggled at QB last year, they, I'm sure, would rather have too many rather than too few developmental QBs on the roster.  If you put all your eggs in just a few baskets, all it takes is 1-2 injuries, busts, or transfers and suddenly you are in deep, deep trouble.  When you have 75-80 guys on the roster (more at some schools!) you are going to have plenty of guys who never really play anyway, so why not use the spot each year on an extra QB who (a) gives you a better chance in the QB lottery down the line and (b) if a good enough athlete, can ultimately help at another position?

While I agree in your theory Williams brought in a bunch of QB last year and not one of them panned out in fact they had to convert a WR to QB last year. So While I agree two of the kids last year played no other positions so you are using roster spots on players that will never play. Seems to me have to be more selective and sure at this position quantity does not mean quality.

[nescac1]

Ah yes Williams is in the truly unique position of (maybe, I mean they were frosh) not having QBs pan out.  The solution is clearly just to recruit the exact number of QBs who you are confident will be stars in Nescac and also have 1450 SATs but also every Ivy passes on.  Why didn't Raymond ever think of that???  Projecting QB success from one level to the next is enormously hard - just ask the pro scouts at the NFL!  No one bats remotely close to 1000.  Most QB recruits never develop into plus starters.  That's why you have to roll the dice on multiple prospects.   

[SpringSt7]

Raymond's hit rate on QB recruits has actually been quite good, better than one might think. Maimaron goes without saying, but Jackson Bischoping was a totally overqualified backup for 3 years who would've been more than capable as an upperclassman starter - Trinity fans might unfortunately remember when he came off the bench as a one play injury replacement for Maimaron and threw a 49 yard seed of a TD pass on his only play. Then Dan Vaughn was recruited as a QB, moved to RB where he was all-league caliber for two ish years, and then moved back to emergency QB last year as a senior and the offense had its only bright spots with him under center. Dickinson (and unfortunately Colin Schofield, who was supposed to be the heir apparent to Maimaron) might not end up working out, but QB is pretty far down the list of positions groups I have a year over year concern about at Williams.

[lumbercat]

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

[Charlie]

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

Anyone surprised at the fact that Amherst Hired Coach Mitjans who was on Harvard's football staff the year before. he lasted a year at Amherst and then returns to Harvards football staff. It happened all of the sudden so seems surprising the assistant coaching Carousel continues at Amherst.

[Scoops]

Can't coach your way out of not having talent. The reality is that Williams doesn't JUST have a problem at quarterback. Much like Amherst, they don't have talent at receiver. They have/had a very talented running back room that kept them afloat last season. But their offense has lacked a true receiving threat for years outside of the oft-injures Stola. They'll likely use their size on the line to mash the ball well, but it's hard to see them as a threat offensively.

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

[SpringSt7]

Stola missed 3 games in 4 years.

[lumbercat]

Stola missed 3 games in 4 years.

Well stated Spring- Stola one of the best in the league in recent years.
As for Williams QB problems, based on the addition of a great QB mentor in Rorke and a very strong recruiting class any QB struggles will be short term.

[SpringSt7]

Also I would push back on categorizing it as a QB problem. At the risk of coming across as defensive, it was borderline impossible to recruit another QB under Maimaron for more or less 3 years, ignoring how COVID affected recruiting cycles. They had a very highly touted QB out of MIAA D1 champions St. John's Shrewsbury in Colin Schofield who left the team after the pandemic (if you want to argue they misevaluated his personality during the recruiting process, I would ask all of you if you came out of the pandemic totally unscathed mentally too), and then did a year with Jack Dickinson in what was effectively his sophomore year, a guy that was never really earmarked to be the starter.

It is boring unfortunately but we are probably going to need a few more years before we can characterize Raymond and co.'s ability to evaluate the position. With that being said, post Blumenauer the margin for error is not what it was before, he was a great coach and a great schemer, and hopefully Rorke can change that. But it will be at least two years before we can give Raymond a complete grade, which is hard to believe for a guy who was hired in 2016. But that's the reality.

[Jonny Utah]

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

Anyone surprised at the fact that Amherst Hired Coach Mitjans who was on Harvard's football staff the year before. he lasted a year at Amherst and then returns to Harvards football staff. It happened all of the sudden so seems surprising the assistant coaching Carousel continues at Amherst.

Charlie, Mitjans was not a position coach when he was first at Harvard.  When Harvard's RB coach Thakkar left to go to Bentley last year, Mitjans took his spot.  (Basically getting paid more now at Harvard than when he was there the first time)

[Charlie]

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

Anyone surprised at the fact that Amherst Hired Coach Mitjans who was on Harvard's football staff the year before. he lasted a year at Amherst and then returns to Harvards football staff. It happened all of the sudden so seems surprising the assistant coaching Carousel continues at Amherst.

Charlie, Mitjans was not a position coach when he was first at Harvard.  When Harvard's RB coach Thakkar left to go to Bentley last year, Mitjans took his spot.  (Basically getting paid more now at Harvard than when he was there the first time)

He was on the staff as quality control Coach in 2021 but I get it this position pays more money. Perhaps a stepping stone to something else. I just thought having assumed WR position at Amherst and Recruiting Coordinator would have paid more than an assistant RB Coach. Anyone have an idea depending on their tenure on staff what kind of pay these assistants make ? seems like constant turnover at Amherst

[NESCACFball24/7]

The fact that he gets to be in Boston over amherst also seems like a big sell. Along with being at a D1 if that is ultimately his career path he wants to go down.

With Chris Rorke as new QB coach the QB room at Williams is in very good hands. Don't know how they snagged him after Scarpa left on what seemed to be short notice.
Scarpa a fine coach but some might say the Ephs got an upgrade in Rorke.

Anyone surprised at the fact that Amherst Hired Coach Mitjans who was on Harvard's football staff the year before. he lasted a year at Amherst and then returns to Harvards football staff. It happened all of the sudden so seems surprising the assistant coaching Carousel continues at Amherst.

Charlie, Mitjans was not a position coach when he was first at Harvard.  When Harvard's RB coach Thakkar left to go to Bentley last year, Mitjans took his spot.  (Basically getting paid more now at Harvard than when he was there the first time)

He was on the staff as quality control Coach in 2021 but I get it this position pays more money. Perhaps a stepping stone to something else. I just thought having assumed WR position at Amherst and Recruiting Coordinator would have paid more than an assistant RB Coach. Anyone have an idea depending on their tenure on staff what kind of pay these assistants make ? seems like constant turnover at Amherst