With football players arriving up to two or three days early, excitement and anticipation filled the halls of the Lilly Center and its coaching offices.
The mandatory day to arrive on campus was Thursday, Aug. 11, but that didn't stop junior tight end Bobby Coburn from showing up early on Tuesday with other teammates.
"We have a lot of new guys on the team and new guys stepping into new positions," Coburn said. "I'm really excited. We have a lot of guys competing, and it's a lot of fun to watch."
Coburn will be one of many trying to impress coaches in hopes of earning a first string spot on the team. The junior played in seven games last year and caught one pass for a touchdown. Competition to earn starting places will occur on both sides of the field with a total of 17 starters having graduated in the spring.
"Every position on the football team is open, even if the guy coming back is a three-year starter," said head coach Robby Long. "The only way you will compete on Saturday is if you come out and compete in practice."
Out of the many positions left open, the most glaring hole is once again found at quarterback. When the coaching staff was in a similar situation last season, then-senior Michael Engle stepped into the position with a studious nature and intimate knowledge of the DePauw offensive system. Engle then went on to throw 283 passes for 3,180 yards and 30 touchdowns. Long and his staff will have to go through the same process during this preseason.
"We are again in a situation where the quarterback is going to be a guy who hasn't thrown a lot of passes," Long said. "We're looking forward to the competition and seeing who comes out on top."
Helping the future quarterback will be new quarterbacks coach, Brett Dietz. A former Arena Football League quarterback, Dietz coached wide receivers last season and will continue to do so even with his additional responsibilities.
Other coaching changes include Joe Deifel, who moved from offensive line coach to offensive coordinator and Michael Engle, who returns as the running backs coach. The newest face to the football program is defensive coordinator Scott Srnka, who spent 17 years at Rhodes College in the same role.
While the quarterback position is sorted out, the Tigers can hope to rely on their traditional strength: running backs.
The Tigers lost Derrick Karazsia, who rushed for 655 yards and eight touchdowns. But with his departure, senior Jon Ellis, who rushed for 474 yards and four touchdowns last year, will take his place.
The Tigers also lost two-time all-American wide receiver Alex Koors. Koors finished the season with 86 catches for 1,255 yards and 16 touchdowns. Lining up opposite of Koors, Brayden Dahlstrom, who caught 76 passes for 767 yards and four touchdowns, also leaves a gaping hole.
"Every year going in to camp there are questions in your mind about who's going to show up and who's going to move to the front of the line — that's what camp is all about," Long said. "As coaches, our jobs are to put them in the best place to succeed."
On the defensive side of things, middle linebacker Matt Johnson returns for his final year and will likely ease the transition for the new defensive coordinator. Johnson recorded 55 tackles and 2.5 sacks last year.
An awkward transition from the NCAC to the SCAC places the Tiger football program in conference limbo for one season. DePauw will play a schedule of teams from both conferences and hopes to have a strong enough record at the end of the season for a NCAA Div. III playoffs berth.
"Preparation is still the same and coaching is just the same," Long said. "We are in the background waiting for our turn. For us right now, because we're a part of both, we're not as concerned about the switch, we are just going to go out and play football."
Despite not belonging to a conference, the Tigers remain optimistic and are preparing for their first game on Sept. 3 against Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology.
"We're not writing this year off under any means," Coburn said. "If anything, we're committing ourselves that much more to getting the bell back, winning all of our games and hopefully making a push to the playoffs."