September 16, 2021

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THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN | THEDP.COM THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

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Most of the team has never played a down of college football BRANDON PRIDE | Senior Sports Editor

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never played a college snap. Will these players be ready?

To shake up the situation even more, the Quakers — for the first time ever — will be trotting out graduate students as the Ivy League extended their eligibility due to COVID-19. While this gives Penn some returning star power with names such as Prince Emili and Brian O’Neill, it raises some questions too. Will these players be the same guys after all this time off, and how will these grad students compare to those on the field at Harvard and Dartmouth?

Despite all of this uncertainty, I think there is room for optimism, too. In addition to these graduate students, who should be boons to Penn both on and off the field, the Quakers return breakout wide receivers Ryan Cragun and Rory Starkey Jr. The Red and Blue should have an exciting mix in the backfield as well. Couple that with the returning defenders and you could have a team that contends.

But to contend, you have to be perfect.

Or close to it. Every year since 1983, the Ivy League champion has lost no more than one league game. Since 2017, the Quakers have lost at least three every year they’ve played.

On Oct. 1 at Franklin Field, Penn gets its first chance to prove itself against reigning champions Dartmouth, who stomped the Quakers in 2019. To say the stakes will be high would be an understatement.

Between now and then, Penn will be on the road at Bucknell and Lafayette for some non-conference competition. And while these games don’t count in the standings, they’ll be as important as ever.

As an outsider, I have a lot of questions about how Penn’s football season will go. If I had to guess, I’d say the team and coaching staff themselves aren’t quite sure how the squad will shape up either. And that’s fine. But the next two weeks will be critical for Penn as it looks to find the answers to its questions to get back to the top of the Ivy League.

BRANDON PRIDE

BRANDON PRIDE is a Wharton junior from Morgan Hill, Calif. studying finance. He can be reached at pride@ thedp.com.

WHO WILL START UNDER CENTER FOR PENN FOOTBALL? Penn has quarterbacks from all four classes on its roster CHARLIE MA | Sports Associate

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

wo weeks.

Fourteen days. A fortnight.

Call it whatever you want, but that’s how long Penn football has to figure out who the team is and how it will compete for Ivy League glory this season.

As someone who has closely followed countless teams over the years, I’ve never had more questions about one going into a season than I do about these Quakers.

The last time we saw this team, it was mired in a quarterback controversy between Nick Robinson and Ryan Glover amid another middling Ivy League season.

Both of those players are long gone now, but we still don’t have an answer at the quarterback position. How many of the five quarterbacks on Penn’s roster will we see in game action this season, and who will they be?

In recent years, head coach Ray Priore giving freshman any playing time has been exceptionally rare. Consequently, almost three-quarters of the football team has

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PRIDE | FOOTBALL IS THE BIGGEST WILD CARD IN PENN ATHLETICS

HERE ARE THE PLAYERS COMPETING FOR THE STARTING QUARTERBACK JOB: HUGH BRADY Sophomore, 6’3’’, 200 lbs

RYAN ZANELLI Sophomore, 6’2’’, 195 lbs

BEN GERBER Junior, 6’2’’, 200 lbs

JOHN QUINNELLY Senior, 6’4’’, 200 lbs

As the newest addition to the quarterback room, Sayin will most likely not have a serious chance at competing for the starting job, at least at the start of the season. Arriving to campus only a few weeks ago, the freshman is now facing a steep learning curve, transitioning from the high school level to a faster and much more physical collegiate game.

However, Sayin will still have much to bring to the table. The Carlsbad, Calif. native was a twotime letter winner in high school, serving as the team captain his senior year. Sayin earned first team All-California Interscholastic Federation honors in 2021 as well as first team All-League in 2019 and 2021.

In his shortened senior season, Sayin threw for 962 yards and 13 touchdowns in just five games.

There is a lot of mystery surrounding quarterback Hugh Brady.

A three-year letter winner and team captain at the Punahou School in Honolulu, the sophomore last played in early August of 2019 before tearing his ACL during Week 1 of his senior season. And after 2020 Ivy League fall sports were canceled on July 8 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Brady did not have the opportunity to see any action or have any meaningful practices his freshman year.

However, the talent is there.

Brady had a decorated high school career, as the quarterback was named a 2018 first team All-Conference selection in the Interscholastic League of Hawaii, All-State Honorable Mention, and 2019 JPS Senior Bowl Classic invitee.

Like Brady, sophomore quarterback Ryan Zanelli missed out on invaluable experiences with the Red and Blue after losing his freshman season to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Even so, Zanelli will have the opportunity to challenge the upperclassmen for the starting position. The Santa Ana, Calif. native boasts an impressive resume. At La Habra High School, Zanelli was a three-year letter winner and served as a team captain for two seasons, leading the team to back-to-back Freeway League championships in 2018 and 2019 and to the California Interscholastic Federation Southern Section Division 3 semifinals his senior year. Zanelli earned Freeway League Offensive Player of the Year honors twice and was first-team All-CIF as a senior.

One of two upperclassmen on the quarterback depth chart, junior Ben Gerber began his Penn career in 2019, meaning that the junior was able to experience a full season before the COVID-19 pandemic — albeit not seeing any game action.

Undoubtedly in the mix for the starting job, the quarterback from Wayne, Pa. was a multi-sport athlete at the Haverford School. A fourtime letter winner in football, Gerber not only captained the team but also lettered in wrestling and indoor track. It’s clear that Gerber is a well-rounded athlete, which could prove useful for him in the Quakers’ quarterback battle.

As the only senior on the quarterback depth chart, Quinnelly may seem to be the Red and Blue’s frontrunner for the starting job at quarterback.

The quarterback from Daphne, Ala. had two full seasons under his belt before losing his junior year, but like Gerber, Quinnelly did not see any game action in his first two seasons with the Quakers. Quinnelly's senior leadership may be the X factor for the Red and Blue come Week 1.

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

AIDAN SAYIN Freshman, 6’2’’, 200 lbs

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ISAIAH MALCOLME

Running Back, 5-foot-5, 170 pounds Malcolme's fifth year spent at Penn comes after a canceled 2020 season and a shortened 2019 season in which he only played one game due to an injury. After an impressive freshman season as a primary return man, Malcolme's role has broadened to be both a running back and a returner.

In his one game in 2019, Malcolme was stellar — he finished with nine rushes for a total of 73 yards against Delaware and scored two touchdowns, one from a one-yard catch, and the other from a punt return of 69 yards. Despite limited games played, Malcolme is poised to have an impressive season at full health.

JAKE HEIMLICHER

Linebacker, 6-foot-4, 240 pounds

PREVIEWING THE IVY LEAGUE FOOTBALL LANDSCAPE FOR

2021

Another veteran piece of the defense, Heimlicher is looking to continue his upwards trajectory after a solid sophomore year. In 2019, Heimlicher appeared in all 10 games as a linebacker and recorded 14 tackles. His strongest performance came against Dartmouth when he had four solo tackles.

This year's class of captains comprises of three graduate students and two seniors KATHRYN XU | Sports Associate

PRINCE EMILI

Defensive Lineman, 6-foot-2, 275 pounds

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

ALEC DRUGGAN

Captain and linebacker Brian O'Neill will anchor the Quakers' defensive unit along with defensive lineman Prince Emili.

BRIAN O'NEILL

TREVOR RADOSEVICH

Offensive Lineman, 6-foot-4, 295 pounds Radosevich debuted for the Quakers as a sophomore and appeared in all 10 games on the offensive line as the starting center. At the end of the 2019 season, the Penn offensive line ranked second in the Ivy League in sacks allowed per team.

DARTMOUTH Finishing higher than the team's ranking in the preseason poll has become a habit for the Big Green, who have outperformed expectations in 10 of the last 11 seasons.

Fifth-year quarterback Derek Kyler, who is 14th in all-time passing yards at Dartmouth, returns for another year to lead the offense. He will be accompanied by three fifth-year players and one senior to captain the team, which makes this season only the fourth time that the Big Green will be led by four captains.

Head coach Buddy Teevens will also face the challenge of replenishing many of the starters from 2019, particularly on defense as fifth-year captain safety Niko Mermigas is the only returning player in the starting lineup from the team's championship season.

The Quakers are scheduled to host Dartmouth on Oct. 1 at Franklin Field in a chance to redeem the team's loss that contributed to the Big Green’s 19th Ancient Eight title.

YALE

The Bulldogs follow Princeton at second in the Ivy League preseason media poll ahead of a season in which they will try to defend the team's share of the recent championship title. The Elis’ roster is led by junior quarterback Griffin O’Connor, who is stepping into a role left vacant by reigning Ivy League Offensive Player of the Year Kurt Rawling, who graduated in 2020.

In pursuit of a sequel to their 9-1 record in 2019, the roster has been reshuffled, with 24 new faces featuring a handful of 3-star recruits, as well as a group of secondyears who have never hit the field in competition before. The Quakers will head to New Haven to play the Bulldogs on Oct. 23.

COLUMBIA Before what would have been a chance for redemption in the 2020 season, expectations were high for former Penn football coach Al Bagnoli to mirror the success of his two winning seasons at Columbia in 2017 and 2018.

With 11 players named to the preseason All-Ivy team, the Lions can find sources of optimism in their roster. Senior Ty Lenhart, the most experienced quarterback on the Lions’ roster, will be accompanied by six returning starters from the 2019 season.

Penn football is headed to Manhattan on Oct. 16 to face the Lions at their home.

The Quakers have held on to an overall winning record every year since 2014 and seem to be far from letting this streak be broken. But with the graduation of starting quarterback Ryan Glover, the path of succession has remained unclear. And with two years of players who have yet to compete on the field, coach Ray Priore will be managing 57 new players on his roster. Penn ranks fifth in the preseason polls, a one-place drop from its fourth-place finish in 2019.

HARVARD The Crimsons’ defeat to arch-rivals Yale was a tough way to punctuate the end of the team's 2019 campaign, but Harvard enters this season with optimism. Recently, 12 of its players were named to the Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy team, and with depth in positions on both sides of the ball, the Crimson are set to be a tough opponent.

Coach Tim Murphy is on the sidelines with his sights set on a 18th Ivy League title, and he will place his faith in senior linebacker Jordan Hill who will captain the Crimson. Senior Jake Smith is in the mix for the role of starting quarterback after previous seasons of fluctuating performance. The Quakers will head to Cambridge on Nov. 13 to fight for a repeat of their 2019 win.

BROWN The retirement of long-term coach Phil Estes presented an unanticipated shuffle for Brown's team dynamic. Current head coach James Perry inherited the role in 2019 and led the Bears to a 2-8 overall record but immediately faced the challenge of an absent season the following year.

Brown concluded its most recent season with a lot of close contests, but the team's 2-8 record in 2019 has left plenty of room for redemption. This season, Perry will have to manage a team of players with a wide range of experience. Brown features 13 players who took an additional year of eligibility, one of whom being starting quarterback and captain EJ Perry. The Quakers will host Brown on Oct. 30.

CORNELL Cornell concluded its 2019 campaign with a momentous return to form after defeating Dartmouth in the penultimate game of the season. The Big Red closed the season with a 4-6 record and finished fifth in the league after a seventh-place spot in the preseason polls.

Coach David Archer’s next year at the helm will be presented with the challenge of crafting a starting lineup from a roster with few experienced names. The team features 21 "super seniors" and 30 fourth-year players, along with many first and second years, who have yet to formally compete as college athletes. Despite the dramatic finish to their 2019 season, the Big Red ranks eighth in the 2021 preseason polls. The Quakers will face Cornell at Franklin Field on Nov. 6.

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O'Neill is one of five graduate students on the team who are taking advantage of the recent Ivy League rule change allowing for graduate students to participate in university athletics. Though he lost his senior year to the COVID-19 pandemic, O'Neill helped anchor the Quaker defense as a junior, starting all 10 games and ranking second in the Ivy League in interceptions, and ultimately received second team All-Ivy recognition.

Beyond his performance on the field, O'Neill has also established himself as a leader in the locker room, even while the team was not playing during the pandemic.

“I’m pretty outgoing and loud. It’s easy for people either to a) look up to me or b) come to me if you have any problems or anything,” O’Neill previously told the DP. “I think I’m pretty open and cordial with that stuff, and a lot of kids rally behind that.”

The 2018 Ivy League champions are the favorites to finish on top of the conference once again. With coach Bob Surace on the staff since 2010, the Tigers have had only two poor seasons since he took over.

Despite being considered favorites, Princeton has not been immune to losses from graduating players, especially as the team manages the depth of its offensive and defensive lines. The roster is also without a quarterback who has ever started a game for the Tigers, but with six experienced seniors, who will serve as captains into the 2021 season, the rookies can learn from the winning ways of the returning players.

Princeton will be the Quakers' last matchup of the season, as they host the Tigers at Franklin Field on Nov. 20.

PENN

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

Linebacker, 6-foot-2, 240 pounds

PRINCETON

This fall, Penn football will be charging into an unfamiliar competitive environment, as the Ivy League learns to operate the circus that follows when a season is canceled: freshmen and sophomore athletes who are essentially rookies, "super seniors" in their fifth year of competition and most significantly, the effects of a long break on performances on the fields. Here's a preview of how the Ancient Eight schools hope to recover from the canceled season.

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

One of the faces of Penn football, star defender Emili is set to have the big season that he should have had in 2020. Emili missed his entire freshman season due to an injury and didn't receive regular playing time until his third year. Once he began starting consistently, Emili quickly raced up the Quakers' defensive depth chart. He was named first team All-Ivy in 2019, finishing with 65 tackles, and he ranked second in the Ivy League in tackles for loss.

If it were not for the COVID-19 pandemic, Emili likely would have added another first team All-Ivy accolade to his trophy case — as it stands, he's looking to take full advantage of his sixth year at Penn.

“With the way the Ivy League is set up with no playoffs or anything, I know exactly when my college career is going to end,” Emili previously said to the DP. “Most people around the country can’t say something like that, but since it’s so definitive, you can kind of feel the end coming with each passing practice. I’ve tried to take it slow and enjoy the process and enjoy camp and enjoy each practice.”

Princeton and Yale are the favorites to capture the title ESTHER LIM | Sports Associate

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PRINCE EMILI POISED FOR HIS BIGGEST SEASON YET

Emili, a graduate student, will spearhead Penn's defense this season JOEY PIATT | Sports Associate

BORN DEAF, RUNNING BACK AARON JONES LOOKS TO MAKE MARK ON PENN FOOTBALL

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2021

ALEC DRUGGAN

succeed on the field.

“It was very challenging to not be able to have everything in one spot or work with the same people,” Emili said. “You kind of [had] to dig deep and remember why you love it and why you do what you do…[to] kind of pull through it.”

After a long hiatus from competing, Emili and the rest of the Quakers have now found themselves nearing the first game of the season. Penn is nearing the end of its fall preseason and training camp, and it will soon take the field for its first competitive action in nearly two years.

In a normal year, training camp and preseason is a time that can be grueling for players. It requires long hours on the practice field and in team meetings, as the team prepares for the rigorous college football schedule. Although this year’s camp has meant something different to the players. Many of them, especially those like Emili, who find themselves in their final season, are just grateful to be back.

“With the way the Ivy League is set up with no playoffs or anything, I know exactly when my college career is going to end,” Emili, who is now a graduate student, said. “Most people around the country can’t say something like that, but since it’s so definitive, you can kind of feel the end coming with each passing practice. I’ve tried to take it slow and enjoy the process and enjoy camp and enjoy each practice.”

The Quakers’ season, as well as Emili’s final season suiting up in the Red and Blue, will begin Saturday, when the team travels to play Bucknell. While every season-opener brings with it a heightened level of excitement and competitive spirit, this season’s first game will bring with it an entirely new level of meaning.

“I think the year off from football has created some hunger in guys,” Emili said. “While we know that it will end one day, it was taken away from us a year ago, so I feel like [this season] a lot of people are holding it much more dearly than they have before.”

THEDP.COM | THE DAILY PENNSYLVANIAN

SIXTH TIME'S THE CHARM:

Prince Emili has become the face of Penn football.

Emili, a veteran on Penn’s defensive line, has taken a step forward each year on his way to becoming the Quakers’ most prominent defender. As a freshman in 2016, Emili saw no game action after suffering an early-season injury. In his sophomore year, he served as a rotating role player on the defensive line, appearing in seven games.

It was not until Emili’s third year that he burst onto the scene. He made seven starts while appearing in all 10 of the Quakers’ 2018 contests. His 41 tackles were the most among any Red and Blue lineman. Then, in 2019, Emili cemented himself as the core of the Penn defense with a season worthy of a first team All-Ivy selection. He tallied 65 tackles on the season and led the team with 14 tackles for a loss and 4.5 sacks.

Entering the 2020 season, it looked like Emili would have a chance to both secure another first team All-Ivy season and to win Ivy League Player of the Year. However, the pandemic erased that chance when it forced the Ivy League to cancel all fall sports merely months before kickoff. Instead of gearing up for a final season alongside his teammates, Emili found himself working to find ways to stay in shape and stay connected to the team in a world where everyone was forced to be distant.

“With that year off, I had to find different ways to stay sharp and not lose sight of my goals despite all the crazy events happening in the world,” Emili said. “[We] had to step away from the team for a while, [I had] to train by myself, and it was just a different grind to stay sharp.”

For a sport as mentally and physically demanding as football, a schedule full of lifting, practices, film sessions, and team meetings are required for teams to stay competitive. The pandemic curbed nearly all these activities.

Early morning team lifts were replaced with sessions in home gyms and locker room meetings were now hosted via Zoom.

Emili knew that despite the challenge of having his normal football routine shaken up, he had to push through the tough times using the same tenacity and grit he uses to

Jones is the son of former Penn cornerback Abraham Jones COBY RICH | Sports Reporter

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a specialized helmet that allowed him to play football with the cochlear implant that he has had since he was two years old. Prior to his use of this helmet, Jones would simply play without the implant, with a complete lack of his sense of hearing. The addition of the cochlear implant to his game, however, made Jones immediately feel more comfortable on the field.

“It sends sounds to my brain, allowing me to hear better,” Jones said to the Pitch.

Jones’s breakout season coincided with his transfer to Walter Johnson High School in Bethesda, after spending his first two years of high school at Woodrow Wilson High School in Washington, D.C. He was named a captain in his first season at Walter Johnson and retained the leadership role in his abbreviated senior season.

Despite the challenges he faced, Jones excelled in all aspects of his high school athletics experience. In addition to his success on the football field, he played basketball and ran

track in high school, becoming a four and three-time letterwinner, respectively. His track team won a Maryland state championship in 2019, and he was named Scholar Athlete of the Year.

Reflecting on his success in an interview with WDVM, Jones acknowledged how rewarding it was to have achieved the potential he knew he always had inside of him.

“It feels good,” Jones said to WDVM. “I feel like everything that I’ve been working up to has been accomplished.”

As he moves into the college game, Jones knows that his greatest challenge on the football field is yet to come. The freshman running back understands, however, that all he needs to do is work hard and do what he can to contribute to the team. As he looks ahead to his future at Penn and beyond, Jones is ready to work as hard as he needs to in order to make an impact and find success.

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opportunities, coaches weren’t giving me opportunities,” Aaron Jones said to WDVM. Not seeing game action despite success on the practice field can frustrate some players and cause them to lose focus on their longterm goals. For Jones, though, his goals never changed, and his commitment to being the best football player he could be remained as solid as ever.

This persistence and patience paid off when Jones finally got his chance to shine on the field. His biggest season was his junior year in 2019. Jones ripped off over 1,200 yards and 16 touchdowns in what was his last full-length high school season.

While some may have been surprised by Jones’ breakout, the running back knew that he was simply doing his job.

“I started balling and playing,” Jones said to WDVM. “Doing what I [have to] do to help the team win.”

A big part of Jones’ growth as a player was

FOOTBALL PREVIEW

ootball is, above all, a game of awareness. Players need to read the field ahead of them, make quick decisions, and communicate with their coaches and teammates to form a well-oiled machine and move the ball down the gridiron.

Imagine for a moment, though, that your primary method of communication was eliminated. For Penn running back Aaron Jones, a freshman from Bethesda, Md., this is a reality.

Jones, who is the son of former Penn cornerback Abraham Jones, was born completely deaf.

“Playing deaf, there were some challenges, but not so much for Aaron,” the elder Jones said to WDVM. “I’ve found that the bigger challenges were with the adults, the coaches.

Most coaches had never coached a deaf kid.”

The difficulties borne out of this communication gap manifested as Jones struggled to get on the field early in his career.

“My first two years I was struggling getting

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