New coach Rick Santos shares insight into Penn’s changes, starting QB, and what’s ahead
The first-year coach plans to bring a similar defensive scheme he had while coaching at New Hampshire. He also named Karson Siqueiros-Lasky as the starting quarterback.
Rick Santos has already implemented changes to Penn football as the new head coach.
While fans won’t see those changes until the Quakers’ season kicks off on Sept. 19 against Bucknell, Santos gave a glimpse inside his program during the Ivy League’s media day on Monday.
Santos, who led New Hampshire to three FCS playoff appearances in five seasons, was hired in December to succeed longtime Quakers coach Ray Priore. He is taking over a program that finished 3-4 in Ivy League play last season and has not won a conference title since 2016.
“I don’t think there was a ton of hurdles [taking over the program],” Santos said. “I just think it was an opportunity for growth for all of us to work as hard as we could to get this thing [going] and lay the foundation that we feel like is going to be sturdy for championships to come.”
Added senior guard Luke Sacchetti: “The overall buy-in is greater than I’ve ever seen rolling into a season. It felt like every day of spring ball was like a new game. Guys were really fighting and battling, whereas some years it felt like we might have just been lulled to sleep. So I’m really excited to see what we can do in the regular season.”
Here are other notable takeaways from Ivy media day.
Penn’s starting QB
Santos confirmed that junior Karson Siqueiros-Lasky will start at quarterback this season.
Siqueiros-Lasky lacks experience in the quarterback room, but the junior, who was named a captain, backed up starter Liam O’Brien last season. Due to Ivy League rules, O’Brien was forced to transfer for his final year of eligibility following his graduation from Penn. He will play at Cincinnati this season.
» READ MORE: Penn lost significant talent to NCAA transfer portal, including this offensive trio
Siqueiros-Lasky has not started a game in college. He was primarily a pocket passer at Seminole High School in Sanford, Fla.
“I thought it was a really good battle during the spring between Carson Siqueiros-Lasky and [sophomore] Shane Throgmartin,” Santos said. “Those guys battled back and forth. I think by the end of it … Carson really took a stronghold on the position. He finished with a really strong spring scrimmage that we had. Right now, he’s the clear-cut No. 1 going into it.”
Another name at quarterback that Santos briefly mentioned is freshman Miles Teodecki — the highest-rated Penn recruit since 2000. Teodecki originally signed with Kansas State before opting to mutually part ways with the Big 12 program. The Quakers could see the freshman get time under center this season.
‘Cause chaos’
Santos brought his codefensive coordinators and cornerbacks coach with him from New Hampshire. Penn will be running a similar defensive scheme to the one the Wildcats employed the past few years: a 4-2-5.
The scheme, which sees five defensive backs on the field at once, also plays to the Quakers’ strengths in the secondary. Santos noted that the team will look to lean on the “defensive backfield” spearheaded by senior safety Josh Narcisse and play “a lot of man-to-man.”
Last season, the Quakers gave up 377.4 yards per game — the second most in the Ivy League.
» READ MORE: ‘A sense of urgency,’ focal point of the offense, and more takeaways from Penn State football’s media day
“We’ll take advantage of some of the experience that we have coming back,” Narcisse said. “Overall, when you look at our defense, without getting into the technicals, what you’ll see is a violent defense. We’re going to communicate every single snap before the play, during the play, and we’re going to swarm to the ball. We’re going to tackle well. We’re going to be efficient, and we’re going to limit all explosive plays. We’re going to cause chaos in the trenches.”
Yale’s Abu Kamara named captain
Delaware County’s Abu Kamara, now a senior defensive back at Yale, starred on both sides of the field at Interboro High.
During his final campaign with the Buccaneers, Kamara rushed for 2,832 yards and scored 40 total touchdowns. Defensively, he accounted for 70 tackles and 11 interceptions.
His career at Yale followed suit. Last season, Kamara recorded 76 total tackles, 3.5 sacks, three forced fumbles, and two interceptions. For his efforts, he was named a unanimous All-Ivy selection and a finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award — which is given annually to the best defensive player at the FCS level.
This offseason, Kamara was named a captain for the Bulldogs. However, he is not looking to let the new title change how he approaches his role on the team.
“I want to still be that same player,” Kamara said. “Still be that same person that people can come up to and ask questions and be comfortable around. I don’t want there to be some sort of barrier just because I’m of a certain status now. I still want to be known as Abu Kamara, the Yale football player, the funny, charismatic guy on the football team.”
In 2024, when Yale traveled to Penn, the Interboro faithful packed Franklin Field to cheer on Kamara — who finished his day with seven tackles, a sack, and two turnovers. Bucs fans will get the chance to do the same come Oct. 23, when the Bulldogs face Penn at Franklin Field.