“Everybody who is healthy is ready to play,” Medes said. “If someone goes down, the next person is ready to hop right in.”

For Medes, the highlight of his breakout year was the Sept. 28 game against Brown, which was the Crimson’s home opener. Medes contributed 10 tackles under the lights, leading the team for the night.

“I think he’s much more confident in his role and his assignments in fundamentals and techniques,” Murphy said. “As a freshman he’d run around and make some plays, but he wasn’t always where he was supposed to be when he was supposed to be there, and that’s the biggest difference. He’s the total package now.”

For both players, being out on the field as a sophomore has encouraged the veteran mentality that they have been there before and know the roots of the program a little bit better than they did a year ago.

Although the excitement to play Harvard football is still there, the mentality of a newcomer has been replaced by the minds of experienced players who have a sense of how the program is run and what kind of performance is necessary in order for it to operate.

“This year I’ve been able to do more for the team because I’ve had they playing time,” Stanton said. “Once you get out on the field more, you have more of an opportunity [to help your team].”