With linebackers Justin Frantz '96, Brian Borg '96 and Rupen Soultanian '96 all lost to graduation, the competition for the starting spots in Harvard's 4-3 defense has been fierce.
Junior Mike Layden, a projected starter, recently underwent arthroscopic surgery and is expected to miss at least one month. Sophomores Scott Larkee and Joe Weidle are two of the leading candidates for the openings.
"We're going to be very green at linebacker, but we've got excellent athleticism at that position," said Murphy, noting that Larkee runs a 4.65 40-yard dash. "They're a lot faster than what we've had in the past."
Harvard's front four are as battle-tested as its linebackers are unproven. A host of juniors including Jason Hughes, Chris Smith, Tim Fleiszer, Chris Schaefer and Brendan Bibro team with senior left end Mike Kent to form the Crimson's deepest and most talented unit. With a total of eight sacks last season, Bibro, Smith and Hughes are Harvard's top pass rushers, while the 6-5, 250-pound Kent excelled against the run, racking up 52 tackles.
The Crimson secondary should remain adequate--junior Jeff Compas and senior Matt Bradley return as starters, though Compas shifts from his position of right cornerback to free safety. And while the graduation of Clete Johnson and Kevin Dwan will certainly be felt early in the season, sophomore strong safety Cory Costanzo was impressive in nickel situations last season and should make his presence felt by mid-season.
Replacing Compas at right corner, sophomore Glenn Jackson (6-1, 180 lbs.) has great physical tools but might be pushed by fellow sophomore Derek Yankoff, who was limited last season due to a severe ankle injury.
Harvard's special teams--specifically the kicking game--are questionable; sophomore Ryan Korinke has emerged as the Crimson's kicker, while Murphy has yet to determine who will face the difficult task of replacing Tim Griffin (perhaps the greatest punter in Harvard history).
"Ryan Korinke has improved tremendously and gotten stronger," Murphy said. "The kicking game has the potential to be a strong part of our game."
Of the three years which comprise coach Tim Murphy's brief tenure at Harvard, this season is perhaps the most pivotal. He has firmly established his offensive and defensive schemes, and most of his starters are players he recruited over his first two seasons.
As a result, coach Murphy's expectations are high; anything less than a winning season--which would mark the first time a Crimson team finished over .500 since 1987--would be disappointing.
"I think we stack up fairly well [against the rest of the league]," Murphy said. "If we stay healthy, we'll be exciting. We feel we can line up and beat anybody on any given day."
OUTLOOK * FOOTBALL
RECORD: 2-8
IVY LEAGUE: 1-6 (Eighth)
COACH: Tim Murphy
CAPTAIN: Sean Riley '97
KEY RETURNEES: Eion Hu '97, Jay Snowden '98, Troy Jones '99, Coby Skelton '98, Jeff Compas '98, Mike Kent '97, Brendan Bibro '98
KEY LOSSES: Vin Ferrara '95-'96, Brian Borg '96, Kevin Dwan '96, Justin Frantz '96, Mike Halligan '96