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I was obviously wrong with my 9-2 stated prediction. I really thought 8-3 but decided to up the optimism one more notch. Either way, I thought we would make the playoffs and I was very off. I also realize in reading those older posts that I need to proofread my entries better before I submit them. My son is on the team, so I will definitely read the posts and add to them when I can but I will never write anything negative about any players or coaches. I think that would be inappropriate on my part. I know they tried hard and I respect our student athletes and all of the sacrifices they made this past season. Some people my find this weird, but a lot of parents don't talk a whole lot of football with their players during the season. The kids spend so much time with the program that we try to be a buffer and give them a mental break from football when we talk or grab dinner after a home game. Our job is to be positive and supportive. With that said, I respect everyone's opinions on the board and I always look forward to reading everything. The 2022 season starts this Sunday. Hard off-season training will be one of the keys to getting back to the playoffs.

I want to thank the passionate Towson football fans who joined us this season on these boards. The old guys that have been here through thick and thin, the newbies who just joined us and some people who were on CAAZone and decided to pop up. I appreciate it and am only doing this to create a bond among TU fans. This is a place where we can whine, gripe, bitch, applaud, laud, etc. I wish the season didn't end like it did but if not for a 7-4 regular season, I might be talking to just a few loyal people instead of 15-20 or so. We all can disagree about certain things but one thing that we can agree about is that we care about this program. We might be a tiny portion of Towson alums who give a crap, but we are a strong vocal minority. People read this stuff, some coaches, some people in athletics and some do listen to ideas thrown around. On this Thanksgiving weekend, I'm thankful for this small community we've created, even though it's taken nearly 20 years and two different message boards to do so.

I was creeping on the Hofstra blogs to see what they had to say about the game. "Offensively, you cannot win games when you don't move the ball and don't move people, and when you're not shooting lights out and when you don't have guys who can score enough on their own. Towson plays together. They're a pleasure to watch. HU looks like its struggles for everything it gets. Way too much 1-on-1." Can't say I've seen that written about a TU team in a long time.

Spring Practice Football Update #1 Out there today in the cold weather in the morning at the new lower practice fields. Only issue I had was that my tape recorder on my phone froze up, so I didn't get RA's comments down. However, from what I remember, I asked about pleasant surprises and he pointed out freshman receiver Isaiah Perkins (6-2, 205), who is wearing one of Kobe Young's number (19). The other was S Evan Rutkowski (6-2, 200), Ryan's kid brother who has moved to safety. It's difficult to get a gage on a team with so many players coming in the summer. You look at the list below and many of the transfers are not here. Ralph Pagie Jr., a center from Merrimack, was the only player from that list below who was here. So O-line was a mess with no Jean Germain (injury), Cole Cheripko (off-season surgery) and then LG Alex Desire was hurt in the scrimmage and carted off, though apparently not serious (probably an ankle). So they had Paige at center, Mathias Adjinbrauk (6-3, 325) at left tackle, Roma Warheit at right tackle and big sophomore Ricky Santiago Espinal (6-6, 345) at right guard. I would expect that Josh Roberts, the Lafayette transfer, moves right into left tackle. Will have at least two more offensive line transfers. If Paige does well, they could move Cheripko to guard and at least you have experience with Warheit, Desire, and Germain at the other spots, though I assume they get a right tackle. While that's a very important part as is running back, nothing matters until they find a quarterback. Tyler Johnston (UAB transfer) showed some promise and made one really bad throw over the middle, but his ability to run in the spread makes him very valuable. As I've said many times. with his injury history, I assume they would add another veteran QB. But while last season, Chris Ferguson may or may not have been the best quarterback to do the job, I think if Johnston gets the job, freshmen Scott Smith and Nathan Kent will be much better options. Smith was very impressive in the scrimmage with his touch and at 6-4, 210, he showed surprising ability to run. But I was impressed last summer in very few reps as fourth or fifth quarterback. Today he was in the mix in the top three with Amendola and Kent. I threw some really tight throws including one that was dropped about 40 yards downfield (I believe by a walk-on). But if our O-line was fine and Johnston was injured, I'd be fine with him leading the offense even though I do prefer a dual-threat guy. But Smith was excellent today. Johnston was solid and his throws aren't as tight as Smith, but he usually gets it there and he runs like Enders with a bit of speed and a lot of power. Was hoping to see dual-threat freshman QB Richon Holmes (6-1, 205), but he was not out there. I assume he redshirts unless he has an incredible summer. At running back, Folley impressed but then was nicked up late. It's hard not to like D'Ago Hunter, but he can't last at running back at 5-6, 160 and is so good as a return man. Didn't see a lot of Curtis Murray, the Maine transfers, who was hurt last season. Hoping they can add two more backs. Definitely need a prime back like a Jerry Howard and a speedster. If the season started today, I would say Folley (if healthy) and Devin Matthews are the top two backs. At receiver, Jabari Allen made an incredible catch in the end zone and he looks healthy. It's just a shame he was injured in Flacco's last season and then the QB issues didn''t help last year. Darian Street, Perkins, Daniel Thompson, Matthew Akuchie (FAU transfer) are solid. We could probably use another burner or two. What we really need is a tight end. Malik Jackson (Maryland) and Devin Gill (Ventura College) will arrive in the summer. On defense, I think the line will be ok. RA mentioned that Jesus Gibbs was in great shape after his Achilles' tendon surgery and should be ready for summer camp. He was a huge loss in the middle of the season last year. Mason Cholewa was also playing with all sorts of injuries and it probably didn't help that he played in the spring with JMU. With those guys gone, Vinnie Shaffer was back at nose guard and had an impressive pick-six from about 50 yards. Tramar Reece (6-4, 270) was playing OLB with Oly Okombi, Shaffer and Bryce Lauer, who is a stout 280 now at 6-3. There should be a lot of depth there, but who is going to rush the passer? Another late addition will be Makye Smith (6-1, 240) from Stony Brook. He has five sacks last season and I would expect him to play more on the edge. We are supposed to get a transfer in VMI sophomore-to-be Kandler Martin (6-2, 250), who had 35 tackles, 5 TFLs and one sack as a freshman. Linebacker is a position I expect at least one transfer to replace Christian Dixon, though RA seems to really like Mason Woods (6-0, 235), a freshman who saw very little time last season, but was a 3* coming out of Gar-Field in Virginia. Ryan Kearney and Sam Alsheimer are also in the mix in the middle. I didn't see Daniel Benjamin, the speedy freshman from the fall. Jamal Gay (6-0, 210) moved from safety to the SAM spot to replace Keyvone Bruton, Time will tell if that move works out. But it makes some sense since that position has basically become a bandit where you need guys that can cover in 3 and 4 WR sets. At CB, Makai Self, the Penn State transfer and Charles Peoples along with Jirhe Love were the main guys along with DJ Partt. Again, I see at least one transfer thee. Not sure I want Peoples as my No. 1 corner. Robert Topps impressed at safety. That's another spot where I see a transfer who can play right away will come in. https://towsontigers.com/news/2022/2/2/towson-football-adds-12-on-national-signing-day.aspx Devin Gill – Tight End – 6-4, 240 – Sophomore – Annandale, Va./Ventura College From the Northern Virginia area comes Gill after a year at Ventura College in California as a tight end. Previous to Ventura and Fork Union, Gill was a football and basketball standout at Annandale High, earning 2018 All-Gunston District Second Team at each quarterback and utility. Dumkele Idehen – Linebacker – 6-0, 215 – Freshman – Fort Mill, S.C./Indian Land H.S. The 2021 Lancaster County (S.C.) Player of the Year will suit up for Towson after earning 166 tackles for Indian Land High this past season, averaging 18.4 tackles a contest. He played in the North-South All-Star game at linebacker in Myrtle Beach, earning All-South Carolina recognition. He also was a track standout as one of the best in the 200-meter and 400-meter dash in the area. Malik Jackson – Tight End – 6-3, 230 – Redshirt Sophomore – Laurel, Md./University of Maryland Jackson becomes the second University of Maryland tight end to transfer to Towson in the last two years, following Robert Schwob. Jackson played in seven games from 2019-21 for the Terrapins after a high school career at Meade where he was a three-star recruit and No. 1 tight end in the state of Maryland by 247Sports. Tyler Johnston III – Quarterback – 6-2, 215 – Graduate Student – Spanish Fort, Ala./University of Alabama-Birmingham After leading UAB to a pair of Conference USA championships, Johnson III will play his final collegiate year with the Tigers. A two-year starting quarterback for the Blazers, Johnston III played in 37 collegiate games, earning 4,837 career passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns and 666 rushing yards. A three-star recruit by 247Sports.com out of Spanish Fort High, he led the Toros to a pair of state titles and a perfect 35-0 record, being a top-50-ranked dual-threat QB in the country. Ethan MacNair – Outside Linebacker – 6-0, 200 – Freshman – Somerville, N.J./Somerville H.S. From the Garden State comes MacNair, the Somerville High standout who led the Pioneers to a Group 3 state playoff semifinal and eight victories in 2021. Named one of the top linebackers in the state by NJ.com, MacNair earned 2021 First Team All-Area honors at running back, including having a 300-yard rushing game against St. Joseph. Tommy Nelson – Running Back – 5-7, 175 – Freshman – Eldersburg, Md./Liberty H.S. Central Maryland's own Nelson heads east to Baltimore County to suit up for the Black & Gold. After being a two-time all-county honoree in football and track, Nelson led Liberty High to the Maryland 2A-1A playoffs, including a 71-yard rushing touchdown against Boonsboro. He was selected to compete in the 2021 Baltimore Touchdown Club All-Star Game, being the Metro Team MVP, and joins fellow Liberty grad Nathan Kent. RJ Chapman – Cornerback – Freshman – 6-0, 180 – Clinton, Md. – Rock Creek Christian Academy Roderick "RJ" Chapman comes to Towson as one of the top defensive backs from Prince George's County. Formerly competing with the Pick Six Academy, Chapman helped Rock Creek to a 7-1 record and a No. 6-ranking in the DMV by the Washington Post this past season, including a key pick-six in a victory over McDowell. He is also the cousin of Brandon Coleman, former New Orleans Saints. Rishon Holmes – Quarterback – Freshman – 6-1, 195 – Baltimore, Md. – Milford Mill Academy Charm City's own Rishon Holmes will stay in Baltimore for the Tigers. Holmes is a three-star recruit and the No. 32-ranked prospect from the state of Maryland by 247Sports, serving as a quarterback, cornerback and returner for Milford Mill Academy. He earned All-Baltimore County First Team in the spring of 2021 by Prep RedZone after leading the Millers to a 5-0 record, also being named to the Baltimore Touchdown Club Super 22 in 2020. Joden Nelson – Offensive Line – Freshman – 6-4, 280 – York, Pa. – William Penn-York H.S. Joden Nelson takes the short trek down I-83 from York to suit up for the Tigers. Ranked a three-star recruit and top-50 prospect in the state of Pennsylvania by 247Sports, Nelson earned 2021 GameTime PA YAIAA All-Star and first team all-county status, leading York to a District 3 Class 6A title game as a starting lineman. He is also part of Accountability For Life, the mentorship and community service program at the school. Makye Smith – Defensive Line – Graduate Student – 6-1, 240 – Upper Marlboro, Md. – Stony Brook University Smith will return to his home state as a graduate transfer from Stony Brook University. A defensive lineman with the Seawolves from 2018-21, Smith amassed 90 total tackles, including 7.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss, ranking in the top-10 in the CAA in sacks in 2021 with five. Previous to Stony Brook, Smith was a Washington Post All-Metro player at Frederick Douglass High as a team captain. Elijah Tarlton – Defensive End – Freshman – 6-3, 235 – Chantilly, Va. – Myrtle Beach Collegiate A three-sport standout in high school in football, track and lacrosse Ralph Paige Jr. – Offensive Line – 6-3, 305 – Redshirt Sophomore – Washington, D.C./Merrimack College Paige Jr. returns to the DMV after playing in 10 games at offensive line the past two seasons for Merrimack College. Previous to Merrimack, Paige Jr. earned 2019 Second Team All-WCAC as a standout player at Bishop McNamara. He joins former teammate JaVaughn Faunteroy on the Tigers. Evan Roberts – Offensive Line – 6-2, 285 – Freshman – North East, Md./Myrtle Beach Collegiate Following a year at the Myrtle Beach Collegiate Post-Graduate Academy, Cecil County native Roberts comes west to Towson to continue his career in the home state. A football, wrestling and track standout at North East High, he was a Hawaii Tiki Bowl invitee in 2020 plus was a regional champion shot putter in track. Josh Roberts – Offensive Line – 6-7, 325 – Graduate Student – Virginia Beach, Va./Lafayette College After serving as Lafayette's starting left tackle in 2021, Roberts will finish his collegiate career at Towson. He played at Lafayette from 2018-21, playing in 19 games between left and right tackle. The Virginia Beach-native played high school ball at Tallwood, being named 2017 All-Beach District Second Team at offensive line. Jordan Sampson – Defensive Line – 6-4, 230 – Freshman – Severn, Md./St. Vincent Pallotti Sampson joins the Towson ranks along with fellow St. Vincent Pallotti alumni Connor Maloney, Isaiah Perkins and Brockman Wallace. Sampson served on the defensive line for Pallotti, helping the Panthers win five games during the 2021 campaign. Blake White – Outside Linebacker – 6-2, 205 – Freshman – Cumberland, Md./Fort Hill H.S. Following in path of fellow Fort Hill alum Luke Hamilton, White comes to Towson after leading the Sentinels to the Maryland 1A state title. The 2021 Cumberland Times-News Player of the Year finished last year with 103 tackles, 17 tackles for loss, 1,353 rushing yards and 21 rushing touchdowns, also being named an all-state and all-area honoree. Riley Williams – Punter – 6-3, 210 – Sophomore – Victoria, Australia/Australian Catholic University Williams is the first-ever Towson football student-athlete from Australia. He has competed with ProKick Australia, which trains punters in the country for American colleges, and spent three years at Australian Catholic University. Dan Volpe – Offensive Line – Freshman – 6-6, 305 – Colts Neck, N.J. – Colts Neck H.S. Named a top-10 offensive lineman in the state of New Jersey by NJ.com, Dan Volpe anchored the line for Colts Neck High, leading the Cougars to the 2021 New Jersey South Group IV quarterfinal and the 2020 Shore Conference regular season title. He is a two-time All-Shore, all-division and all-district selection, including First Team All-Division this past season.

https://caasports.com/news/2022/3/4/mens-basketball-hofstras-aaron-estrada-voted-caa-player-of-the-year-five-programs-recognized-with-major-awards.aspx Timberlake and Holden make first team. CT makes second team. CT and Holden make All-Defensive team.

I have been a Major stockholder for 30+ years. Time to reap some dividends

I dont think that message is for idiots like us who follow every move. It's for the more casual person they're trying to convernt into idiots like us.

back to the AD topic. any idea when they are going to start doing the first set of screening or even just laying out the criteria for the ideal candidate? to 88's point above the new AD needs to focus on that sentiment. It's a pretty tired take IMO. I never viewed Towson as a commuter school growing up in the DC area; I very much doubt all the kids from PA, Jersey and New York do. College park and Mason are suburbs of DC, yet both have athletic success at various levels. the point being there are plenty of schools in major metro areas that still create a connection to campus through athletics. Towson needs to stop trying to be 'Baltimore's this... Baltimore's that..' Realize that Baltimore as a whole isn't going to care and focus on the people who have a connection to the school. Just as a mind shift I'd love for people to start thinking of Towson as Maryland's....(pay a branding agency here - honestly anything but teachers college or affordable... no one likes to be called cheap)

Thank you Bk&Gold, my son is Mark and yes I was hyped and optimistic that this team could make a run in the playoffs, in which I am not apologizing for. Parents should always support their sons and the team, and anybody with any sense should know that. Of course it is disappointing to not make the playoffs but I loved, going to the game, Ed’s gracious tail gaits, met some really neat people supporting and rooting for team. I wish coaches and team the best of luck! Mark is now not only a USD Alumni but also a Towson Alumni 4 life! Hope you all have a safe, healthy and happy Thanksgiving.

Nobody should be humiliated on this board, especially parents, for being overly optimistic before a season. It’s almost like you can’t show joy or optimism, or you will get ostracized/bullied to not to post again because you were wrong.

Second scrimmage today. Weather held up. Not as hot as last week. The defensive line really stood out. They got a lot of pressure up front against a pretty good offensive line, especially early in the scrimmage. That's without Elorm Lumor, the Rutgers rush end who may have been nicked up, but they were just holding him out (riding the bike). And that's understandable. You had parents and season ticket holders out today (about 250?) so RA is not going to show everything. But we're fine on D. Really deep. Cholewa is going to be a problem against most Olines. He'll take up two blockers at DE or NG. We haven't had a lot of 6-7, 310-pounders and add him along with Jesus Gibbs (6-4, 290) and Tramar Reece (6-4, 280) and you have size and length that we've never really had. Oly Okombi (6-1, 270) was not there, but I expect him to be a disruptor and Sam Gyeni (6-0, 280) is a solid nose guard. Darrien Reynolds was flying around at inside linebacker. Had one pick off of Ferguson and nearly had another. I think he and Christian Dixon should be a very strong duo. At safety or Bandit Keyvone Bruton is going to a terrific pick up. He can cover inside receivers, can blitz, and hit with authority. He's apparently a lot bigger than his listed 5-11, 195. Guessing at least 215. Corners should be fine with Shuman, Peoples, Collins and Makai Self from Penn State. Have a lot of talent there. I would say Shuman gets the start and maybe Peoples at the other corner. Ferguson is the clear leader at QB. He had some overthrows today and threw that pick on that blitz from Bruton and that was picked off by Reynolds. Also made some nice throws to Street in the corner of the end zone. He can throw on the move so he's not just a statue. I do like Amendola's ability to run, but he's not ready to start. Then there's Jerry Howard. All I can say is watch the first game. I interviewed him briefly. Big and explosive. Doesn't usually go down after the first hit. Love Devin Matthews as well. The freshman who probably would have sat out last season. Runs low and is a compact runner that could see time as a third-down specialist. Also, Curtis Murray (5-10, 190) is finally on the roster. The transfer from Maine, who has four years left. Did not see him out there. At receiver, somebody new to look out for is No. 7 Matthew Akuchie, the FAU transfer. He's long, like Jabari Allen was at 6-3, 205. Ran with the 2s and looked like a starter. Had a really nice catch in the corner of the end zone on a pass from freshmen Scott Smith. He's going to be in the mix somewhere. If he's healthy, you have Allen, Street, Thompson, Caleb Smith, Rutkowski and Akuchie in some rotation. It looks as though they are moving WR/KR D'Ago Hunter to RB, though it may just be an experiment. He's just so small at 5-6ish 160. He's pretty electric in the open field, but don't see him as running back. Maybe I'm wrong. Rob Ambrose comments: On second scrimmage "Needed a long hot one. This was the longest amount of live work we've been able to do. Tons of stuff to evaluate. We're going to be pretty good defensively. We're deep, fast, and big. We're giving our offense a lot of challenges. I don't if there's anybody that we will face that will be that good. We're so deep up front. It's crazy. Injuries "Grim (Grzymkowski) was held out after tweaking his back. We're limiting some guys. There are fights in the trenches and we're getting better." On Cholewa "We have short, quick and athletic. And we have big, long, and strong. That's a great combination. he's happy to be here. On RBs Matthews is what I wanted to see today. I know what Jerry (Howard) can do. I know what Kobe can do. We played a little bit in what D'Ago (Hunter) can do. But you just might have seen the short-yardage back show up today in Matthews. He's not big but he explodes into you. He's powerful. On other freshmen Kenjuan Manuel didn't play today, but is having a great camp. He's really good. He's going to help us. Shafeek (Smith) is going to be really good. Little Rut (Evan Rutkowski) he can help us at four different positions. All those kids look like they are going to play sooner than later. On Cost of Attendance It's a competitive advantage of disadvantage if you have it or you don't. Delaware and JMU have it and we don't. When it comes down to recruits and, all things being equal, they are going to take $5,000 to $2,000 a year that they get from somewhere else and we don't get them. It's a competitive disadvantage in our league. It's the amount that the University declares for extra fees. Room, board, books. There are computer fees. There's travel. They call that the true Cost of Attendance to attend a school. The difference between those numbers can be made up with grant money. If you have it. Delaware and JMU do it. We don't. On NIL It's awesome. It's about time. It's going to be a challenge to handle to some degree. At this level, I don't know how much we're going to have to worry about. I caution the guys that to make sure you are always respectful and take care of the game first. Because without the game, there's no name, image, and likeness. So if you are more worried name, image, and likeness than the game, you are not going to make much money at all. On facilities We're going to have an academic center in the near future. We're having monster conversations about closing that all off (stadium) but you'd have to ask people above me. Jerry Howard on moving from defense back to offense I didn't play that much defense. With COVID, I got a week or two of linebacker play and then I switched back to running back by Game 3. It feels great. I'm supposed to be here as a running back. I want to move to linebacker at Georgia Tech. I didn't p play that much my junior year so to get more reps I wanted to play linebacker. It didn't work out the way I wanted to so I was playing special teams and I moved back to RB. On getting recruited by Rob Ambrose I was telling him it was between Mercer and Towson. And due to the relationship I had with Coach Ambrose was the reason I came here. Strengths I would say I can manipulate the defensive line and to be this big, I have some speed on me. I clocked about a 4.52 at laser at 225. I'm about 218. I'm a lot faster (at the lower weight). On experience It's helpful. We have to make sure we are on the same page. They came from a bigger school, but they may not have the field experience. Towson The goal is to win a National Championship. Starts in two weeks. On running style Feel like I'm electric, but still a bruiser.

Great to be out there at football practice for the first time in nearly two years. One issue I had was with the numbers. Jerry Howard was 31 and he was listed on the roster as 30. I originally thought he was 4, but that was Kobe Young, who is normally 19. Some guys were wearing different numbers than they had on the roster. Let's start with quarterback. There's no doubt, Chris Ferguson is the guy. He has good leadership qualities and has the size (6-3, 235) to run a little when needed. He's certainly not a runner like Tom Flacco was, but I think most knew that. I thought he needed to put more zip on a few balls out there to the sidelines, but overall he was solid. There were also be a lot of play-action, assuming the running game is going to be strong and it should be. I'll get to that later. I do like Jeff Miller. He's has made strides from the last time I saw him. Of course, he's big (6-6, 235) and has a strong arm. He just has to limit the mistakes. If Ferguson wins it, it's because he's experienced (took Maine to the semi-finals in 2018) and takes care of the ball. You don't have to be spectacular with this offense. They will be able to run the football, but you can make plays in the passing game with receivers like Jabari Allen, Caleb Smith, Darian Street, etc. Vincent Amendola (6-3, 220ish) is another big quarterback, who can run. I didn't see enough of him, but I assume he's competing with Miller for the second spot. I like the potential of Nathan Kent from Liberty, who can throw but also is a dual threat. Scott Smith (6-4, 210) is another big gunslinger that can throw it from the pocket. So two seasons ago, Towson averaged just 4.4 yards per carry and allowed 4.2 yards per carry. Part of that was due to the loss of Shane Simpson. But for them to be effective they have to get to close to the 5.0 yards per carry mark and with a 230-pound bruiser like Howard along with Sabias Folley (5-11, 235ish), and a huge, experienced O-line, we should have no problem getting to that mark. To me, the offensive line is everything, but if you have a big back like Howard, who can break tackles, it's going to help. In 2017, we had Kobe Young (328 yds, 4.7ypc) and that was it. Simpson was injured again (3.3ypc) and Ryan Stover was the QB. Rough. In 2016, with Darius Victor injured Simpson stepped up with 784 yards and averaged 5.6ypc. That was another year of injured QB (Morgan Mahalak) and the team averaged 4.3ypc. That was three years after the championship offensive line graduated. With Young back and looking great, Howard, Folley, Devin Matthews (5-9, 210) a pleasant surprise and even D'Ago Hunter lining up in the backfield, we seem to have pretty good depth and should be adding another piece shortly. Not thrilled with Hunter (5-8????, 160) as a back. He's fun to watch, but if he's going to be my main return man, not sure I'd want to risk losing him. He's listed at 5-8, which is a stretch and 160. I know size isn't everything and that doesn't always make great OLines. Morgan State used to roll out some huge lines and some were pretty good and some weren't. It depends on how you carry the weight. DeMarcus Gilmore was in the 360-pound range two seasons ago and he looks like he dropped about 30 pounds, while freshman Jean Germain (6-6, 355) also looked to be in great shape. He was battling a nagging injury and working out on the side. I think we have a line that can rival many FBS line in terms of size. We will average around 6-4.5 and 325 across the line. The defensive line, if he start Cholewa, Reece and Gibbs. You're talking about averaging 6-5 and 290. Not just size, but Gibbs and Reece can both move. So can Oly Olokambi (6-1, 275). Sam Gyeni (6-0, 280) could end up starting at nose guard or they can move Cholewa (6-7, 310) there or Olokombi. I'll talk more about the defense in my report next week. I want to focus more on No. 18 Elorm Lumor (6-3, 245), who should be a huge difference-maker at rush end. Somebody we've been waiting for since #56 was getting double-digit sacks nearly a decade ago. Now, to the safeties. Keyvon Bruton (5-11, 210) is one of those guys you will see all over the field. Check out No. 3. The three-star Temple transfer will play some safety, some linebacker. He's basically a hybrid, which you need. He can hit and he should be able to cover slot receivers. But we will see. Jamal Gay and S.J. Brown are likely the starters and they would have been in 2019 had Gay not torn his ACL before the year starter. I've talked about the depth at cornerback all off-season. That was something we didn't have in 2019. If Brandon Shuman goes down again, we have Charles Peoples, the juco transfer. If he goes down, we have Makai Self, a Penn State transfer or 6-3 DJ Pratt from Virginia. We also have Mark Collins Jr., the South Dakota transfer, who led the nation in batted balls in 2018. All are at least 5-11 except for Self. The best corner eventually could be freshman Shafeek Smith (5-10, 175), who can fly and is a three-star from Philly (no. 2 corner in Pa). Also, the kicking situation is a bit of a question mark. I thought freshman Keegan Vaughn looked very good and may have taken the lead. UConn transfer Clayton Harris really struggled. Now to the interview after the practice. Rob Ambrose Impressions "First live work in the heat since 2019. I'll take it." "We don't look worse for wear. Look pretty sound. I'm pleased. Very pleased." On competitions "Competition makes the world go around. It makes everybody better. 'I'm going to work. I'm a starter. You're not going to take my job away.' We got better. Or the guy behind him works hard and takes his job. Either way, we got better." Steadiest position "Offensive line. Those guys have great chemistry. We have five or six guys that have played tons of games. Great knowledge." On having a year off "It's a year of working out so everybody is bigger, faster, and stronger. We put some feelers from people across the country who played in the spring and they said we got beat up. Well, why wouldn't you be? We're not. We have one injury coming out of the spring and he's practicing now. So we're as healthy as we've ever been. On QBs "We're just throwing them in there and having fun. I thought we did 1000x better than we did today than all of a spring." On young QBs "Young kids with talent. Scott Smith is tremendously accurate and Nathan Kent is more athletic. He's Carroll County Player of the Decade. He's a true athlete." On what the starting QB needs to do "Lead. Run the other 10 guys the right way. Consistently put the ball in the end zone. Don't turn the ball over." On Jerry Howard "He has weight and strength. It usually takes more than one guy to bring him down. We said that last fall. We had to get a bigger back. He fits that bill perfectly." On OL "We haven't had a chance to have them all healthy at the same time. We're figuring out who is our best five and who fits behind them." On DL "We are as a deep as we've ever been in the front 7. This front 7 will rival the front 7 from the national championship (team)." On Olokombi "We recruited him. Wanted him badly. Kent State had...Cost of Attendance gets you." On Reynolds and inside linebackers "Dixon and Kearney are great. We just added so much quality depth. Reynolds was here in the spring. If you don't do your job, somebody else will." "Recruited Reynolds and Howard in high school. Those personal relationships paid dividends down the road." "Guys looking for opportunities. We have guys that appreciate the opportunities." "I loved every team I ever coached. But this group is special. They like each other. They have fun with each other. They work hard for each other. Maybe it was Covid or not playing, but these guys are fun to be with." At corner The depth and the experience is better. Makes them work harder. That's completely open. We would evaluate the depth chart and we'll see. Xavier (Terry) can play safety or corner. The punter is the punter. The fact that Shane McDonough is not first-team all-league is whatever. Lack of respect. You're a two-time all-league player and you don't get notice. You think Aaron Grzymkowski is not pissed off. On practice next couple of weeks "We need to get tougher. Trying to gThe difference between an 11-game season and a 16-game season. The attitude you have to have for your body, if you want to play that long, you have to practice in a way that gets you there and we're not there yet."

On Monday afternoon, I was able to speak with new AD Steve Eigenbrot for about an hour at the Towson. Eigenbrot had only been on the job for about 3 1/2 months and has had to hire three new coaches (WBB, SWIM, WTrack). He also is about to embark on his first football season after spending 12 years at an SEC school in Columbia, S.C. What he brought from South Carolina "I would say that based on where TU is right now, and my background having worked in the external side of the shop and sport administrator, two of those opportunities I had that I can bring my experiences from SC and change where we look at in terms of handling things. The external part getting some synergies. We have a number of positions that are open and we are going to need a couple of more bodies which will be important to our future. Sponsorships sales, ticket sales and development. How are they working together and making sure they are the best version of TU and collaborating on campus. I had a chance to hire three coaches this spring. My experience at South Carolina and was able to spend time on search committees. The challenge was trying to figure it out. Leaning on people here. Hiring coach Harper..." My fourth day on the job, Temple's AD called me and said she's (Coach Richardson) on the top of his list. Two days later she was hired. Credit it to her, she made the position much more attractive. We used the same search firm that hired me. Leaning on Dan (Crowley) and Tricia (Turley Brandenburg)." On using South Carolina to get more people in the seats "There are a lot of opportunities here. Nick Saban is complaining about students not coming to the Alabama games. There are challenges across the board with live sport in this day and age. It was part of my life at South Carolina for 12 years. Great ideas at South Carolina maybe don't play at Towson. Trying to get all the smart people in the room that have tried things. What worked and what didn't work? The student population changed or...I haven't been to a Towson football game yet. I got hired on a Tuesday. We played at Wilmington. Won by 24 points on the road. Before the game, I was near some Towson donors. They were like, "We have to make SECU Arena like this." Wilmington is a different market, but what kinds of experiences do kids want in terms of sports." On getting students to games (giving gifts) "The Delaware re-start game. We were giving Calzones to get the kids to games. I'm not beyond for sure." On the CAA "I'm bullish on it. Getting used to the way we interacted with the SEC was different the way we interacted with the CAA. A lot of history and ebbs and flows of the football program. Our profile is one of the better ones in that conference. It's still an attractive place to be. We have the opportunity to be very successful moving on." On Flo Sports and the CAA "I think that it's easy to knock on FLO. The landscape has changed and what are the alternatives. To be able to have CBS Sports and be on National TV it's extremely valuable. We're still trying to figure out the TV deal moving forward. If we were in the future where Peacock, Hulu and other streaming services were interested in competing against Flo, that I'd be surprised to find that out. ESPN, as powerful as they are, and easy as it is to log in to ESPN+, there are production standards, you are not going to be on National TV with any regularity. What are the resources provided? Flo is easy to knock, but the money is real. How many players are there: Fox Sports, Peacock? Or is it just two options? We have new members that have experienced the other alternatives. The fact that we have an opportunity to be on CBS is top of theist. How can you repackage to get linear opportunities?" ADs agree that regardless of who the partners will be, that we need to invest more in our broadcasts. Our arena helps with that (production). Baseball does one camera shoots while the rest of the conference does two. The standard moving forward, regardless of who your partner is, this is what you have to do." On FCS and the future "Just had the conversation with someone that had some tenure in our league that move on to a different role. Being with a Group of Five, with the landscape, the teams that left FCS to compete, I'm not saying this sarcastically, hope for their sake that the way that FBS football thing plays out over the next couple of years that they don't get send down to this level. There are probably some sleepless nights. I'm pretty comfortable where we are. FCS football is well-aligned with the values of being in an institution of higher education. I like where we're at. I don't want to speak ill of others seeking the football thing. It's a complicated and expensive formula. That world is shifting really fast." There are a lot of Power Five schools that aren't making a profit on football. You have to find value in the institutional prestige that you are competing at the highest level." On Marketing for football "We have to develop better marketing plans. We have to have more resources that are involved in trying to promote. We're a little bit short on the external side. We've not realized the synergies that are possible. COVID probably had something to do with it. Investing time, energy, effort and money on staff and/or advertising. Whether it's students and faculty, in our community or alums, all we are crafting plans for. Trying to do a better job. We have to try and do a better job of getting former student-athletes that we want them to be here. You're going to have a short conversation about pro sports in South Carolina. This area is complicated, it's crowded, there's traffic and there's lots of competition for the entertainment dollar. If they are not coming, are we inviting them?" "Part of our history, commuter school, teacher's college. They are becoming less true today. You spend four years on campus and intercollegiate athletics is more a part of the average students' experience. It's something we need to work towards. Osler is a challenge. The University's Master Plan has a bridge over Osler, which will certainly help. Us promoting the program to our students that live here will be very important." Merge campus "At Wilmington, they have a good program. Not all just geography. That kid falls out of his dorm room and lands at Trask Coliseum. It's a nice walk. Long term, it would be nice to have an easier path getting here. " Practice facility on promotion "When I came here, I came here for a study abroad meeting, it's changed a ton. You come here and I met with Pat's recruits and talked to the parents. They are blown away with what they see. They come here and they think they'll see a scene from The Wire. They drive up here and green trees. Uptown is beautiful. We can't afford to be in the same place that we are. We've had some success. We all want more success. Our storytelling. We have to get better at storytelling. I'm very bullish on investment there. Facilities are nice. From a weight room to a training room to mental health. We need to invest and figure ou ways to find more for our kids." On Field House, etc. "Our academic center was moved to the Field House. There are some funds that came from the state and fundraising success behind it. Further advancement to the academic center and field house. Master Plan around the Towson Center. A four-phased approach. We have a lot of square footage. Racquetball courts. Trying to figure out the best for moving forward to fulfill the needs to our student-athletes. It will be 30-40 million price tag. We have to figure out how to make it more functional. One of the things I've been impressed with is that there are no shortage of dreams on South campus of how this could become a better version of how this it today. Don't know that those dreams are necessarily rooted in practical methodology for delivering these dreams. How are you getting these things funded? Doing public and private partnerships with the facility work at my old institution. Is there something else that we can do to get heartbeats on South campus so that this becomes more of a part of the local community and a reason for people in the greater Towson area to come to campus and maybe they stay at the basketball game because they want to a local restaurant? What that is and what it looks like. We have more work to do. We know that there will be more work for the Field House. The Towson Center services a lot of our student-athletes. Trying to figure out what it needs to be." Indoor practice facility "It snows in Maryland. Our lacrosse teams are outside in the winter. They know they are not going to get a lot of practice that day. Trying to figure out viable solutions there. We're studying it right now.Having a meeting about it tomorrow." There's no shortage of great dreams about South campus. Put a hotel there. Three hospitals, a restaurant. Putting a dorm would help. Auburn Drive is a sleepy campus road. Trying to get more concerts there. We do a great job with graduations. Just saw Women's World Lacrosse Tournament. We have a great infrastructure. Drive revenue and pay the bill." On weight room in Field House "Our weight room staff gets in a 5am and trains people through 6pm. Our teams can't get into the single weight room that we have and can't always get in. That's high on the list that we need to prioritize. The Towson Center is another possibility for extra space. What are you going to do in the short term\ that our student-athletes have a better experience from a S&C perspective? That can be multiple millions of dollars. Are you raising the money? We have kids that need to have a better experience. There's the short term and then the long term. I went to some lacrosse games over the spring. We'll keep our eyes on things. There's no shortage of quality ideas. At South Carolina, we were in the process of laying the plan on a public/private project that was part of the football stadium. I need some time to get some wear on the tire and figure out the lay of the land around here." Approach to NIL "One of the things that I'm thankful for is that it's a different part of the conversation. Coming from South Carolina, it wasn't really a part of the recruiting conversations. A year later, it was all the rage. I think that what that means in the mid-major space is something that is being fleshed out. It's harder to raise money. There are not as many people that are quite as passionate. In the high major world, there are collectives to raise money. NCAA has changed some of that. There are schools in our conference that have collective. Not sure that that's going to be part of our future. Feel like the volume has been turned down on NIL. But that's going to change in the next couple of months. I don't know if I have the answer after 3.5 months that I have an answer of what the future what NIL will look like in this athletic's dept. Our state law goes into effect next summer (Alston Image Likeness). You are walking this awkward tightrope. We're not too far away from launching an NIL website that will be a better place for somebody that wants to engage one of our student athlete's to go to and find them. We will support them. The world change and you have to adapt. Over the next year, we're going to watch other changes happen in our landscape. Alston lawsuit. Federal Supreme Court ruled that you can award $5,980 per student-athlete. Starting in 2023-24 can award funds in the CAA. Academic benefit. Some schools tie it to academic outcomes. Getting money in their pocket providing they are meeting their academic marks. Not just by scoring 20 points." https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/ncaa-v-alston-the-beginning-of-the-end-9351737/#:~:text=In its unanimous 9-0,related expenses) on antitrust grounds. On Cost of Attendance "Where we are right now, be careful what you say or put it in ink. Our conference is stable of how we are attacking COA. The Alston piece in our conference. Delaware is the only one that does COF, but is not planning on doing the Alston funds. Money going to student-athletes. Most are not going to attack COA for 2022-23 academic year, but never say never. It's complicated. Each institution doing it at as they seek fit it a bit wonky. I get it. There's a fair amount of integrity to it. " UNderfunded Olympic sports Funding sports at a higher level. Making us more competitive in our conference. You have plenty of P5 institutions that don't fund all their sports. Yes, one of the pieces to that puzzle is what do we need to help our sport become more successful. How can you use money in a better way. It would be great to get more scholarships with some of our sports. Ways to be more efficient with your money. And how to fund more scholarships for our student-athletes." More alumni-engagement "Re-examining our marketing. We need to do a better job of welcoming our former student-athletes and offering them tickets. We need to show some more want to. Hired three new coaches. What's been done here and what we need to do better. Those former student-athletes might not want to find the number of the new coach. Marketing perspective. That's my background. Trying to examine what we're doing. Be more engaged with the non-student athletes. Buy tickets. Show up." On Scheduling "In football, we need to play a guaranteed game in football. Unless we can figure out another scenario. In 2026, we have the opportunity to play two guaranteed games, but we're not married to that. The basketball thing is a little bit more challenging. We've worked on trying to put together a tough schedule. Making sure they play a schedule that's appropriate for the team and fans. Really good returning roster. Worked at South Carolina basketball, making some calls to help Pat (Skerry). What does that do for you moving forward. He has to have a schedule where his team has their legs in December. The challenges are real. You have to figure out a schedule that you fell comfortable with. Two spots left in basketball. Can't get people to return phone calls. On seeing a name team come to SECU "Coming this year, will be tough. So many of the teams have their schedules done. There are more games out there to get. Can we be patient? We got Pitt late last year in August." On playing local schools "I haven't talked to Loyola or UMBC. I let Pat steer those conversations. Calling former SEC colleagues. Plenty of that was done. Some calls were more effective than others." Playing Maryland next season in football and in 2025. 2024 is not complete yet. Would like to play Maryland in basketball. A double-header. Get them up to Baltimore. Celebrate Maryland's two largest schools."

Maybe it was a bored Wednesday night for him and wanted to troll the 8 of us in towsonfans

I thought we had the best team coming into the tournament and then watched us live against Northeastern. We all wanted more shooters. We got them. But we also could have used a Brian Fobbs. I don't know if we'll ever win a conference title or get to a final in my lifetime, but I do like the nucleus of people returning and the two incoming freshmen. I like the approach of getting experienced mid-majors instead of projects from high major schools who rarely played. Keep that same formula by getting another experienced point guard, a wing who can create, and an athletic and skilled big. As far as I know, there are no ships available with Gray and Holland (ugh) gone. Of course, Nolan has to make a decision or can just move on to support his family. Rizzuto has a year left, but it was a rough one for him with a knee injury that I assume he'll take care of in the offseason. He's already played four full seasons. Does he want to play one more? Then you have the players on the bench that never really played: Gill, Coleman, Jones and Biekeu. Jones hasn't played at all in two seasons. The writing is on the wall there. Need more athleticism and a point guard that can push the ball more. I liked the fact that we used the press this season for the first time in certain situations. It basically no effect on Delaware tonight. That's where you need length and athleticism. No knock on our freshmen coming in. But I think it's very tough to enter a rotation where you have experience and likely transfers who will play right away. I do like Christian May as a piece who is a team player who can shoot and has some athleticism. Dylan Williamson is a 6-0 scoring guard. Not sure if he can play the point right away, but he can shoot it. The future is still bright guys. I don't know about the CAA finals and getting there or winning it. I do think we're on the right track to breaking down that wall.

If my emotional level for a regular season championship is any indication, I'll be a total mess watching these tournament games. These guys LAUGHED at that 9-point deficit and just as I suspected, they had the lead by the first TV timeout. Chickens never had a chance after that initial deluge. This team is peaking at the exact right time and they're not to be messed with right now. We get to enjoy this for 4-5 days and then it's time to get back to the nitty gritty for the ultimate goal. In the meantime...IT'S FRICKIN AWESOME TO HAVE *OUR* FANS STORM THE COURT AND *WE* GET TO CUT DOWN SOME NETS. Job #1 complete.

This is such a difficult situation for Dan and the department as a whole that it is ahrd to imagine. As Interim, Dan has limited ability to go out on a limb. He is Interim at a time when the CAA has made itself a much weaker league by adding three team that no one really cares about. We will not draw one additional fan to SECU or Unitas Stadium by adding Stony Brook, Hampton and Monmouth. Most fans know that but it is hard to say that out loud. If Towson has any intention of being "Baltimore's College Team", the school needs to be a part of a conference that brings higher profile and more competitive teams here...year after year after year. If JMU from a one horse town of Harrisonburg, VCU from a smaller town and smaller TV Market of Richmond can move to more competitive conferences there is no reason to believe Towson can not do it with the correct leadership.....but that assumes that the goal is to be at a higher athletic level....a question that we can not answer at this point. I do think that this particular hire as AD will be the turning point in Towson Athletics for the foreseeable future. In my opinion, we need someone with Waddell's drive and foresight, but without his lunacy and lack of financial discipline, again, based on the ultimate goal of the university administration. Just a few passing thoughts.

I would think Jared from Subway would have a better chance of getting the gig

Hopefully, I will be able to see practice next Saturday, health-willing and assuming no other rules prop up where I can't go. I would really like to see these guys for the first time since I haven't been at practice since August of 2019: #13 Vincent Amendola (6-3, 215). Big, strong-armed transfer from UNC. Good athlete. #12 Ty'Shaun Granger (6-1, 195). Freshman WR from Virginia. Two-star 247. Big, physical receiver. #32 Tramar Reece, big DL from Indiana (6-4, 280ish). Didn't play a lot for great D, but has a lot of talent. Three star recruit #3 Keyvon Bruton, S from Temple (5-11, 210ish). 3* recruit from most recruiting services. Played mainly special teams and did have five tackles in 2018 against USF. Had TFL against Duke in 2018 Independence Bowl. #11 DL Oly Okombi (6-1, 275) transfer from Kent State. From Silver Spring. Big DL with quick feet. Had a sack in four games in the MAC. #9 CB/S D.J. Pratt (6-3, 185) transfer from UVa. Went to Good Counsel. Track star in HS. 2* 247. #7 ILB Darrien Reynolds (6-0, 225) transfer from Gardner-Webb. All-Big South second team for two straight seasons. Had 128 tackles as a junior in 2019. Was Preseason All-Big South for 2020, but transferred to Towson before the season started. #14 QB Chris Ferguson (6-3, 230) transfer from Maine. Know what he can do. Just want to see him gel with receivers and other offensive skill players. #15 QB Nathan Kent (6-2, 195) freshman from Liberty HS. Lone dual-threat QB on roster. Ran for 870 and threw for 2,300 yards last year. #16 QB Scott Smith (6-4, 210) freshman from St. Paul's. Completed 67% of his passes in 2019. #18 OLB/DE Elorm Lumor (6-3, 245) grad student from Rutgers. Three-star recruit from Rivals and 247. Had 9.5 sacks in his career and 107 tackles in 44 games with 15 tackles for loss. #20 CB Mark Collins Jr. (5-11, 190) grad student. Transfer from South Dakota. Had 25 pass breakups and four picks in 27 games. Two-star from 247 Sports. #21 RB Sabias Folley (5-11, 235) freshman from Fork Union Military Academy. #30 RB Jerry Howard (6-0, 230) grad student from Georgia Tech. Had 564 rushing yards and five TDs in 2018. Was moved to LB in 2019. Three-star ESPN. #25 CB Charles Peoples (6-0, 190) from Reedly College in California. Had 7 picks in 18 games. #31 CB Shafeek Smith (5-10, 175) freshman from Philadelphia, Imhotep Charter HS. Three-star from Rivals, ESPN and 247Sports. Ranked No. 2 CB in the state. #35 RB Devin Matthews (5-9, 200) freshman from Falls Church. Also rank track in HS. #42 RB/FB Dion Crews Harris (6-0, 240) freshman from Dunbar. #35 CB Makai Self (5-9, 175) junior from Penn State. Went to St. John's HS and IMG Academy. Track star in HS #37 LB JeVaughn Faunteroy (6-0, 200) freshman from Bishop McNamara HS. #40 LB Amir Murray (5-11, 225) junior from Sierra College, earning 141 career tackles. #52 LB Michael Robinson (6-1, 220) junior transfer from Ball State. Two-star recruit. #55 LB Mason Woods (6-0, 220) freshman from Gar-Field. Two star recruit. #56 LB Connor Maloney (6-2, 215) freshman from Palotti HS. Former decathalete. #76 OL Darian Bryant (6-6, 330) grad student from Temple. Possible starting right tackle. Missed 2019 season due to knee injury. Three-star from 247Sports. #79 OL Florida Staehler (6-8, 280) from Germany. #80 TE Robert Schwob (6-7, 240) junior transfer from Maryland. Former volleyball player and walk-on at Md. Excellent athlete. #85 TE Marcus Joyner (6-2, 245) grad student from ODU. Three-star recruit from 247Sports. Played 29 games. Had 14 catches in 12 games as a starter in 2019 for 144 yards. #87 TE Griffin Patterson (6-5, 230) freshman from Broadlands, Va. Father Sean played for Towson in the early nineties. #88 WR Dah'Mear Triplett (6-1, 190) sophomore transfer from Lincoln (PA). Played 10 games in 2019 and had 42 catches for 631 yards and seven TDs. #93 DT Kenjuan Manuel (6-1, 295) freshman from Washington D.C. (St. John's HS). Three star ESPN and 247Sports. #94 DT Mason Cholewa (6-7, 305) grad student transfer from JMU. Had 11 tackles and a sack in the spring playing nose guard. Also played for UCF from 2017-19. Three-star recruit from ESPN out of Pittsburgh. WR Matthew Akuchie (6-3, 195) sophomore transfer from Florida Atlantic. Did not appear in a game. Ran 4.6 40 and 35-inch vertical coming out of HS.

Nobody really knows who two years off will affect us. We did practice in the spring, but since I couldn't get out there, I'm not 100% sure what this team is going to look like. Everything starts with Juwon Pass. If he's a 6-4, 230-pound Flacco, we should be ok. Still might need one more playmaker on offense. You look at that last game against Elon in 2019 and we had Shane Leatherbury. He was the only real burner and the Phoenix knew that. Not having Caleb Smith in that game was also devastating, because he was coming on. Both Shanes are gone, but Jabari Allen is back. At 6-3, 215 with speed and hands, he has a chance to be special. But he has to stay healthy. He wasn't in 2019. The entire offensive line is back along with Darian Bryant. Who is Darrian Bryant? He's a 6-6, 330-pound Temple transfer, who missed the entire 2019 season due to an ACL. Because he was out, we had to move DeMarcus Gilmore to right tackle. Gilmore at 6-3, 360 is more of a guard. He did a serviceable job there, but having Gilmore and Bryant on the right side should be fun for us and not for our opponents. The entire offensive line is back with Bryant and guys like Brenand Cassells and Jon Desire. Kobe Young and Adrian Platt are the only experienced running backs. With Kobe's injury history and freshman Sabias Folley being talented but raw, I'd assume that they add another RB over the summer. Tight end is a bit iffy only because there are a few new guys including Marcus Joyner, a transfer from ODU. I don't expect another Chris Clark, but hopefully Joyner can provide some red-zone help. At receiver, we have some young guys that could really blossom if Pass or Jeff Miller are slinging it around. Charles Murphy should be a veritcal threat along with Smith. Ty'Shaun Granger has a lot of size and we have another big freshman coming in Isaiah Perkins (6-2, 200). But we also have veterans in Ryan Rutkowski, Darian Street, Allen, D'Ago Hunter ajd Daniel Thompson returning. Defensively, with Bryce Carter transferring, Ron Johnson not returning along with Quahon Alexander and Tibo Debaille coming off back issues, we desperately need to add help. Help is coming from what I hear in the form of at least two players. We still have Jesus Gibbs, Bryce Lauer, Marcus Bowman, Sam Gyeni and Vinny Shaffer returning, so we have some talent back, but need more depth and for guys to stay healthy. Kenjuan Manuel (6-1, 300+) arrives from St. John's as a three-star nose guard, but will have to beat out veterans in summer camp. At linebacker, the loss of Ricky DeBerry was softened by the addition of senior Darien Reynolds from Garnder-Webb. Thought that was a great pickup for a proven guy. I think Nygil Johnson finally gets his chance this season at OLB. Christian Dixon started in 2019 for DeBerry, so expect him to be better. We also added Michael Robinson Jr. from Ball State. He should have a role somewhere. Ryan Kearney should be involved as well. Obviously considering the tough circumstances with Chizz, that opens up another spot in terms of depth and on special teams. Watch out for Keyvone Bruton. He's a hard-hitting safety from Temple, who could also play in a Rover-type of a role. The secondary is usually the biggest question mark, but it should be a strength. Brandon Shuman is back. He missed the second half of the season in 2019 and you could tell we really struggled in the back end. We added Mark Collins Jr. (South Dakota), 6-3 D.J. Pratt (UVa) Charles Peoples (Juco/Ga St) and Makai Self (Penn State transfer). Shuman and Peoples could be the starters, but Collins, Self and freshman Shaeek Smith, the No. 2 corner in PA, who could also return kicks. At safety, Jamal Gay returns after an ACL injury that cost him 2019. He's back along with S.J. Brown, who had a pretty good 2019. We lose Coby Tippett, but also should get some help from Robert Topps, the Kansas transfer, who came off the bench in 2019. Bruton could also be moved back there if needed. I wonder if they move a big corner back there but they do have some young guys like Ubayd Steed, who sat out last season, who could be in the mix. It's a long way of saying, we could be pretty good or very good if Pass is the real deal. A little worried about the D-line. In other words, a lot rests on Pass to be the guy.

The question I have for the numbskulls who made this decision (cough, Tim Leonard, cough) is what is the cost in dollars to have a moribund basketball program, no hope, no alumni engagement, just a worthless activity run by a failed regime. Whatever money is guaranteed to this guy is already wasted - there is no chance of success. If that is the only cost, then go ahead, let him run this program further into the ditch for 5 more years. But if it is worth anything to the institution to have a basketball team that brings alums together, provides a positive social activity for people based on their connection to the school then its high time to stop throwing away seasons and make a change. I'd love to care about Towson basketball again, but as long as the school doesn't care there is no point in anyone else investing their time or interest either. It won't happen, of course, because the Fordham playbook that dictates decisions these days says athletics are unimportant, a waste of resources, and simply an expense that must be managed to lowest possible number. It not whether you win or lose, but how much you paid to play the games.

We just beat a team by 17 on the road, who had taken JMU to overtime, beat Villanova on the road, and we are nitpicking because we didn't win by more?? Really?? Half our starting secondary is injured, our best linebacker has been out since the first game, and our stud transfer D-lineman played like half a game before getting hurt. Oh, and our 1st team all-American running back/kick returner hasn't played since the first conference game of the year. There are two games left and this team is poised to make the playoffs. For once can the players get some credit for winning?? Who cares how many you win by. Especially on the road.

JFC, the negativity is already starting! I know my kid is busting his ass off, along with the other boys to have a great season. Let's hold off on the "I expect this team to finish near the bottom of the league once again" talk and support these boys! Shit happens at every school in the country, however, it's about uniting as a team, brotherhood, not dividing!