Christina Lee, Head Photography Editor

The 2024 Yale football season officially concluded last Sunday with the team’s end-of-season banquet, looking back at the year and setting their sights on 2025. 

After defeating Harvard in this year’s playing of The Game, the Bulldogs had 11 players named to All-Ivy teams, and Josh Pitsenberger ’26 was named the captain of Team 152 for next season. 

Ivy Awards 

The Bulldogs had 10 All-Ivy award recipients coming from all over the field. Four players received First Team All-Ivy honors, including offensive lineman Michael Bennett ’26, defensive lineman Ejiroghene Egodogbare ’26, defensive back Abu Kamara ’27 and wide receiver David Pantelis ’25. There are no surprises here; Kamara and Pantelis have been stars, making big plays all season. The same can be said for Bennett and Egodogbare on the line. 

Three Bulldogs clinched Second Team All-Ivy honors, including offensive lineman Osize Daniyan ’27, defensive lineman Tamatoa McDonough ’25 and running back Pitsenberger. Once again, these three players have been named to watch all year. Pitsenberger picked up a couple of touchdowns against Harvard, and Daniyan brought that quarterback pressure while McDonough held the line.

The awards did not end there for the Bulldogs, with three seniors earning an Honorable Mention. These key players included defensive lineman Alvin Gulley Jr. ’25, quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 and offensive lineman Connor Smith ’25. All three seniors greatly impacted this season, with the unexpected star quarterback Jordan leading the way. 

Rounding out the awards, the Bulldogs have one All-Academic player, defensive lineman Jack Michalik ’25.  

Season Record + Yale–Harvard win 

In the Ivy Conference, the Bulldogs landed in fourth, climbing the ladder as the season progressed. The team showed their determination and grit right until the very last minute. 

The Bulldogs finished the season on a high note with a nail-biting win over the Crimson 34–29. This is their fourth consecutive win in the past six years — with two seasons canceled due to COVID-19 — and they managed to achieve it as the underdogs.

2025 Captain 

The most important offseason announcement was made at the team’s end-of-season banquet on Sunday after their win at Harvard. Running back Josh Pitsenberger was named the captain of Team 152.

“Being named captain is the greatest honor I’ve ever received,” Pitsenberger wrote to the News. “It shows that the team views me as an important member and trusts me to lead. It’s a position that comes with responsibility, and it’s now my role to prioritize and serve the team. We have an incredible group with excellent talent and character, and I’m excited to see what’s in-store for this program.”

Pitsenberger, a current junior from Bethesda, Maryland, has had a prolific career at Yale and will now step into the top leadership role on the team. In addition to his Second Team All-Ivy honor this season, Pitsenberger was the 2022 Ivy League Rookie of the Year, 2022 First Team All-Ivy and 2023 Second Team All-Ivy. 

As the Bulldogs enter their offseason training plan, it will be Pitsenberger’s job to lead the way back to the field for the 2025 season.

Seniors leaving 

The graduating class will leave Yale, winning three of four games against their Cambridge rivals and being two-time Ivy League Champions. While many will graduate and head into the professional world, some will be looking to transfer for their graduate years and continue playing.

Most notable have been the announcements by quarterback Grant Jordan ’25 and wide receiver David Pantelis ’25 that they will be entering the transfer portal. Both are sure to garner looks from other programs after stellar senior seasons, with Jordan having two seasons of eligibility left and Pantelis one season. 

Pantleis notched 901 receiving yards this season, the seventh-highest mark ever by a Bulldog in a single season.