CAMBRIDGE – The preseason Ivy League favorites are officially back.
Harvard opened up camp on Saturday morning inside historic Harvard Stadium and there was a clear buzz around the team. Here’s what stood out during the two-hour session:
Attention to detail – From the time stretching started to the final period of walkthrough, everything was covered by second-year head coach Andrew Aurich and his staff. Aurich stuck around the defensive end of the field for a majority of the indy periods – and there were a lot of them, given that it was day one and there were no pads – while his staff honed in on the little things. I sat by the defensive linemen for quite a while and D-line coach Logan Johnson was making sure guys did things correctly every rep, making sure they weren’t just going through the motions, but focusing on technique. Aurich reminded guys often to ‘make it look good on tape’ all over the field. That’s the sign of a good program when even the practice film needs to be as clean as possible. Harvard will not lose a game this season because of many mental errors or lack of attention to detail, that’s a certainty. You can watch our interview with Coach Aurich here.
Jaden Craig ready to roll – Again, not much team stuff, but Craig looks like his usual self in terms of build and arm strength. He was accurate in 7-on-7s and there’s a reason he’s been given a bunch of preseason national and Ivy League accolades. The Crimson will go as he goes. Check out our post-practice interview with him here.
Really deep running backs room – It feels like 20 years now where Harvard has always been deep at running back. With senior Isaiah Abbey and junior Xaviah Bascon (Swampscott HS) leading the way, this is a group that can compliment each other very well. Keep an eye out for sophomore Maddux Reid and junior Jordan Harris who looked solid during the little bit of team work and 7-on-7 we saw.
Receivers who could step up – Obviously, replacing Cooper Barkate isn’t going to come from just one guy. But, Dean Boyd (senior), Caydon Coffman (senior) and Brady Blackburn (sophomore) got plenty of looks and got open often during the team portion of practice. There’s a plethora of others competing for depth chart positioning and don’t forget about tight ends Ryan Osbourne and Seamus Gilmartin, who could be one of the best tight end duos in all of FCS. Craig should still have plenty of weapons at his disposal.
Bartrum leading the way – His energy just during stretching was off the charts. In team period and 7-on-7 he was making plays deep, intermediate and short. Great communicator and there’s a reason he’s the Crimson captain in 2025. The old line from Remember the Titans “attitude reflects leadership, captain” is one everybody knows. Bartrum’s attitude is exactly what you want in a leader.
Final thoughts – Hard not to see this team right back in the Top 2, fighting for that three-peat, but more importantly an outright Ivy League title. There’s also that little carrot at the end this year too with the FCS playoff berth now on the line. The Crimson will be one of the most fun FCS teams to watch in the country this season. I’d bet on it.
