Roster full of experience coupled with a clean slate has Penn football feeling optimistic
A returning corps that knows what to expect has Penn football eager to improve on a one-win season in 2021.
After going 1-6 in conference play in 2021 and placing sixth in the 2022 preseason poll, improvement is vital for Penn football.
“No one at Penn was satisfied, not one,” said head coach Ray Priore during Monday’s Media Day for Ivy League football programs. “I think we all went into the offseason with a focus and a mind-set and with some changes and some adjustments that we made through some things.”
With an experienced roster entering this season, things are looking up for Penn already. One key improvement is the offensive line. Penn will have four returners to its front five. Last season, only one starting offensive lineman, Trevor Radosevich, had previous collegiate experience ahead of the season.
“So much of the offensive line has chemistry,[it’s all about] knowing how the guys are gonna play next to you,” Radosevich said. “[Having] returning starters are way more valuable [on] the offensive line than in most position groups; knowing how guys are gonna play and what to expect. You got your five guys and you go into battle with them.”
With Quinnelly out, is the sophomore Sayin in at QB?
Last year’s starting quarterback in senior John Quinnelly was injured part way through the season, which gave backups like Hugh Brady and Aidan Sayin a chance to impress the coaching staff. Although Brady, a junior, has more years with the Quakers, Sayin, a rising sophomore, saw more playing time.
“I thought [Sayin] made the necessary improvements from being a freshman just to… how he’s developed in the offseason to now,” Priore said. “He was here for a large part of the summer training and throwing with his guys.”
Even though it appears that Priore has preemptively tapped Sayin as QB1, the door is not fully closed for Brady or the other QBs on the roster — junior Ryan Zanelli and freshman Liam O’Brien.
“We have a couple of guys behind him but I think Aiden’s done a good job to this point and we’re excited about that.”
Penn’s big test against Dartmouth comes early
It’s possible Penn’s biggest game of the season will be its third when the Quakers make the six-hour drive to Hanover, N.H. to face Dartmouth, the defending Ivy League champions, on Sept. 30 (7 p.m., ESPNU). Of the six Ivy football games to be featured on ESPNU, this road game at Dartmouth will be the only one to feature Penn.
“During the time when so much of college athletics is focused on realignment, the transfer portal, and the future of the NCAA, I invite you to tune in on ESPN each weekend and take notice of a conference that is rooted in collegiality, stability, and principles and of course filled with incredibly talented student-athletes on the field,” Ivy League Executive Director Robin Harris said of the slate of games on national television.
Dartmouth has been the class of Ivy League football as the Big Green won both the 2019 and 2021 Ivy League titles and was currently ranked No. 23 in the latest FCS coaches poll.
The Dartmouth game also generates interest because it is the only Friday night game all year.
“We fell in love with the game playing on Friday night,” Penn linebacker Jake Heimlicher said. “We only get one a year, which I wish we played more. It’s just an amazing experience and something I personally really look forward to.”