Best Ofs

Silly season continues as outlets compile their "best of" lists. While each of Dartmouth's nonconference opponents has players who made one of the "best of" lists we start today with a "best of" from the Big Green's Ivy League archrival:

The Best Returning FCS Running Back In Each Conference (LINK):

IVY

Shane McLaughlin, Harvard, Sr.  

2023 STAT LINE: 830 yards rushing, 6 TDs in 9 games

McLaughlin will punch and punch and punch you some more in the run game, and he will be a massive part of any offensive success the Crimson have this year.

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Top-10 Rankings: FCS Explosive Playmakers (LINK):
No. 3: Donovan Wadley, Merrimack, Sr.
Wadley can slice and dice an opponent three different ways, as he did last year on his way to 11 touchdowns. He led the nation in kickoff return average (37.9) and tied for the high in kickoff return touchdowns (three). 

Wadley averaged more than 18 yards per reception and rushed for three touchdowns, even though he’s listed as a wide receiver.

Keep an eye on Wadley against the Air Force Academy in Week 1, as the Falcons are clearly the biggest opponent Merrimack has faced in the Massachusetts school’s short FCS era (since 2019). The Warriors are playing as an FCS independent this season.

No. 9: Elijah Howard, Central Connecticut State, Jr.

In his first season at CCSU after a transfer from Virginia Tech, Howard fell just shy of 1,000 rushing yards. He broke through the offensive line for touchdown runs of 80+ yards in back-to-back games.

Dartmouth will play at Merrimack on Sept. 28 and host Central Connecticut on Oct. 19. The season opens with a visit from Fordham on Sept. 21 and in case you missed this when it was posted earlier :

The Best Returning FCS Quarterback In Each Conference (LINK):
PATRIOT
CJ Montes, Fordham, Jr.
2023 STAT LINE: 3,000 passing yards, 26 TDs, 1 INTs; 3 rushing TDs
In his first year at Fordham after transferring from New Mexico, Montes was a 2023 Walter Payton Award finalist. With recent Patriot League power Holy Cross going through some transition with a coaching change and some key players moving on, Montes might be the kind of talent that pushes Fordham to the past levels of the Chase Edmonds days. 

And . . .

IVY
Jake Willcox, Brown, Grad (sic)
2023 STAT LINE: 2,924 yards passing, 18 TDs, 9 INTs
Willcox couldn’t participate in spring drills as a fifth-year player, but is expected to be under center this fall – the top QB returner in the Ivy League in 2024. Another good candidate is Cornell’s Jameson Wang.

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And Dartmouth hasn't been shut out in the "best of" world. Junior Delby Lemieux is among the 25 best returning offensive linemen according to HERO Sports. BGA posted a blurb about that mention just over a week ago HERE.

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EXTRA POINT
We are headed north to pick up our beloved '84 Volkswagen Westfalia poptop camper from the VW Whisperer. We spoke with him yesterday and he's confident "Wiffle" is ready to go even if he isn't quite sure what the problem had been. Fingers crossed. ;-)