Oberlin, Ohio – The Oberlin College football team returns nine starters on defense and recording-breaking quarterback Zach Taylor under center, which are two big reasons for optimism heading into the 2019 campaign.
 
Taylor is the only returning all-conference quarterback in the North Coast Athletic Conference after earning honorable-mention honors a season ago. The Artesia, California, native threw for 18 touchdowns and 2,169 yards last year. The school's all-time performer in total offense with 7,282 yards, he needs just 779 yards to surpass Greg Mangan (7,002 yards) as Oberlin's all-time passing leader. Furthermore, he is just one TD toss away from tying Mangan at the top of the list with 48 touchdown passes.
 
Unfortunately, Taylor will no longer have the services of 1,000-yard wide receiver Ryan Gleeson. In fact, his top three wideouts from a season ago have all departed, leaving plenty of opportunities for senior Ceiveon Munoz, junior Miles Temoney, and sophomores, Brian Colarusso and Tim Martin to step up. The second-year trio combined for 29 catches, 338 yards, and two touchdowns in 2018. Additionally, sophomore tight end Brandon Davies emerged late in his rookie season to finish with 219 yards on 27 catches with a TD. Freshmen receivers Bear Broyles, Caleb Mullenix, Ryan McCrum, and David Strunk will also push for time.
 
The Yeomen have three capable running backs who can each shoulder the load when called upon. Senior incumbent Melvin Briggs rushed for 745 yards on just 87 carries last year, averaging a conference-best 8.6 yards per carry while scoring six touchdowns. Sophomore Kobe Brooks flashed his talent before going down with an injury in week one, while highly-touted first-year Dalton Story should also factor into the rotation.
 
Seniors Jason Hewitt and Chandler Laird anchor another wise young offensive line unit that is tasked with protecting Taylor and opening up lanes for the backs.
 
The senior linebacking core of Von Wooding and Devin White headlines a stout Yeomen defense that is poised to wreak havoc on opposing offenses this year. The duo finished first and third in the conference in tackling a season ago as Wooding averaged 10.6 stops per game while White secured 9.6 tackles per contest to go along with a league-leading 73 solo takedowns.
 
Junior backer Luke Buck is looking to build off his breakout sophomore campaign that featured 65 tackles and two interceptions. First-years Hulan Edward, Mason LeVasseur, and Ethan Boufford will also mix in as they adjust to the collegiate game.
 
The senior twin-brother tandem of Jubree and Jubreel Hason man the corners as the duo combined for 106 tackles, 19 pass break-ups, an interception and two fumble recoveries in 2018. All-conference junior safety Malachi Clemons returns on the backline after recording 61 tackles and 11 pass breakups last fall. Expect to see sophomore Christian Arnold also get expanded time in the defensive backfield this season along with rookie Liam Akpata.
 
Senior captain Justin Godfrey is the leader of the defensive line and will look to be a key run-stopper and pass rusher this year after registering 67 tackles and four sacks as a junior. Along with Godfrey, Oberlin welcomes back a plethora of talent up front in juniors Alex Etgen and Jarrett Smith. The combo combined for 88 tackles and 2.5 sacks last season. Senior Jack Lesniak brings an additional veteran presence, while sophomore Zac Ntia, junior Khalid McCalla, and junior transfer Ben Collado add more talent to the unit.
 
The Yeomen open the season at Bailey Field on September 7 against Kalamazoo College. Following a couple of road tilts at Wooster (Sept. 14) and Ohio Wesleyan (Sept. 21), Oberlin returns home for a Homecoming clash with Kenyon on October 5. Fans who cannot attend the games in person can watch all of the games live online. Home games can also be accessed on a smart TV through the official Oberlin College athletics app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and Android TV.