The Top Ivy League Football Players of 2010: Offense by Position

Spring football in New England brings to mind the need to review who is returning to the Ancient Eight gridirons come fall.

QUARTERBACK

QB Kyle Newhall-Caballero, BROWN (Sr.)

All-Ivy first team selection as a junior led the Ivy League in passing yards and touchdowns in 2009. How those numbers look replacing three of the top 10 receivers in the Ivys, including Player of the Year and All-American Buddy Farnham is yet to be seen.

RUNNING BACK

RB Nick Schwieger, DARTMOUTH (Jr.) / Lyle Marsh, PENN (Soph.)

With intact lines and returning starters, these young runners put up great numbers last year and should have no problem repeating their performances.

Harvard, Princeton, and Brown are losing significant portions of their offensive lines. That will call into question the running games of rising senior Gino Gordon and rising sophomore Trevor Scales, as well as the punishing Brown duo of Zach Tronti and Sprio Theodhosi.

WIDE RECEIVER/TIGHT END

WR Chris Lorditch, HARVARD and TE Nicolai Schwarzkopf, HARVARD

Both had impressive performances last season and now returning as seniors should put the exclamation on their collegiate careers. They will be joined by senior wide receiver Trey Peacock of Princeton an All-Ivy honorable mention last year.

OFFENSIVE LINE

Ben Osborne, HARVARD (Sr.); Jeff Adams, COLUMBIA (Jr.); Joe D'Orazio, PENN (Sr.); Luis Ruffalo, PENN (Sr.); Greg Van Roten, PENN (Jr.)

Again, Harvard, Princeton, and Brown are losing significant portions of their offensive lines. Comprised of first and second team All-Ivy players, it will be hard to replace that many holes. Penn, on the other hand, is returning nearly all its All-Ivy starters and will be a force to be reckoned with.

SPECIAL TEAMS

In the kicking game, Penn's rising senior kicker Andrew Sampson returns from his first team All-Ivy selection. Joined by second team All-Ivy punter Kyle Lovett of Brown, this kicking duo will provide additional weapons in the arsenal for their teams.

In the return game, the Ivy League loses three seniors who topped the league in return yardage with Buddy Farnham of Brown, Austin Knowlin of Columbia, and Bryan Walters of Cornell. Replacements have large shoes to fill.