A few odds and ends today.
Missed this earlier this month but receiver/return specialist Drew Estrada '20, the former Dartmouth Swiss Army Knife who spent a year at Baylor as a grad transfer and then signed with the Houston Texans as an undrafted free agent, has been waived by the team. Estrada tore his Achilles last year and never had a real chance to show the Texans what he could do. (LINK)
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On the subject of players who grad transferred, a story headlined ACC spring wrap: 14 players ready to break out in 2023 featured this (LINK):
SYRACUSE: DB Isaiah Johnson joined the Orange from Dartmouth last season and started six games after a midseason knee injury to Garrett Williams. Syracuse is counting on Johnson to continue his improvement and be a key defensive contributor.
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John Paul Flores, Johnson's teammate in the Dartmouth Class of '22, is preparing for his first season as a grad transfer at Louisville after spending one season at Virginia. From a story headlined Projecting Louisville Football's Post-Spring Two-Deep Depth Chart that lists him a 6-foot-4, 305 pounds (LINK):
Despite losing former All-American Caleb Chandler, Louisville is also in relatively good shape at left guard. Flores gives the Cardinals starting ACC experience after transferring in from Virginia, and looked good in the spring as well.
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A story headlined 2023 FCS Transfer Portal Rankings: Top Offensive Players to Land FBS Spots This Fall includes this on JP Flores' younger brother Michael '23 (LINK):
Michael Flores, G, Old Dominion
From: DartmouthAnother Flores brother to make the leap to FBS, Michael Flores found a home at ODU after transferring from Dartmouth. Flores, an interior lineman with 10 starts at guard under his belt, should be a factor on the Monarchs’ offensive line as early as 2023.
At 6’3″ and 295 pounds, he’s got a frame to pack muscle on while at ODU. If he maintains his balance and improves his strength at the point of contact, he’ll be much more than just a factor on their line and become an integral piece of their offensive attack.
Also getting a mention in the story were Princeton running back Ryan Butler, now at Stanford; Yale offensive lineman Nick Gargiulo, now at South Carolina; Brown wide receiver Hayes Sutton, now at Duke, and Brown receiver Allan Houston III, walking on at Louisville.
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A piece headlined 2023 FCS Transfer Portal Rankings: Top Defensive Players to Land FBS Spots This Fall that includes this (LINK):
Shane Cokes, DT, Colorado
From: DartmouthShake Cokes was a dominant interior pass rusher for the Big Green over the past two seasons. He elevated his game in 2022, earning an offer from Coach Prime and Colorado as a result.
Standing at 6’3″ and weighing 275 pounds, Cokes possesses the ideal size and strength for the interior. If he successfully translates his skills to the speed of the Pac-12 game, Cokes could become an impact player for the Buffaloes this fall.
Also getting a mention were Penn edge rusher Jake Heimlicher, now at UCLA, Princeton linebacker Cole Aubrey, now at Notre Dame, and Cornell safety Demetrius Harris, now at Buffalo.
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While Penn will have to replace Heimlicher, it has good news on the D-line front with James Quinnelly, a 6-4, 285 three-star lineman who redshirted last fall at Memphis, transferring in. He Tweeted his intentions HERE. His brother John started five games at quarterback for the Quakers as a senior in 2021.
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A story headlined Top Of The Depth Chart: Toronto Argonauts includes this (LINK):
DEFENSIVE LINE
We’ll start with Folarin Orimolade, the big prize free agent for the Boatmen! In 2022 as a member of the Calgary Stampeders, Orimolade announced himself to the rest of the league with 37 tackles, six sacks and then in case anyone wasn’t paying attention, he put up six more tackles and sacked Nathan Rourke twice in the Western Semi-Final.
Orimolade '17 was the Ivy League defensive player of the year as a senior.
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EXTRA POINT
Kudos to That Certain Dartmouth '14, who finished fourth among 173 women – and 14th overall – at the Bryce Canyon Ultra 30K yesterday. She'd originally signed up for one of the longer races but given a new job at the park, snow limiting her ability to properly prepare on trail and the hassles of moving to new park housing earlier in the week, she decided 18.6 miles over a trail that starts at about 7,250 feet and twice climbs over 9,000 feet was challenge enough. She missed making the podium by less than two minutes.
