HANOVER — The Dartmouth College football team may be going back to the drawing board once again in its search for a new kicker.
Senior Cameron Baller, viewed as a favorite to take over kicking duties from the graduated Connor Davis, will miss the entire season with a hip injury that is likely to require labrum surgery.
Baller was the Big Green’s kickoff specialist for all of last year, punted for the first six games, and was also the placekicker for the first two weeks before Davis made his season debut.
Davis was rock-steady upon his return, converting all 30 of his extra points and making seven of nine field goal attempts, including a career-long 51-yarder against New Hampshire.
Baller’s injury leaves two kicking specialists on the roster — senior Zach Drescher, who made both of his field goal attempts in the spring game; and sophomore Davis Golick, who replaced Baller at punter against Columbia and filled that role for the remaining four games.
While Drescher, who has not seen the field in a regular-season game, appears to have the inside track at kicker with Golick staying on as the punter, head coach Buddy Teevens held an open kicking tryout at Memorial Field in May and said he plans to have another one before the season begins.
Junior wide receiver Isaac Boston, who caught 19 passes for 172 yards and a touchdown in 2021, will also be out for the year with a torn pectoral. Dartmouth has plenty of depth at that position to make up for it, with junior Paxton Scott and seniors Dale Chesson and Jamal Cooney the expected starters.
Former Big Green defensive end and outside linebacker Niko Lalos, 10 days after being waived by the New York Giants, signed with the New Orleans Saints on Aug. 15.
Lalos played in six games for the Giants in 2020, snagging an interception in his NFL debut and recovering a fumble the following week. He did not see any action last season.
Prior to his debut, Lalos received a shoutout on Twitter from NBA superstar LeBron James, who, like Lalos, attended St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.
At Dartmouth, Lalos earned first-team all-Ivy League honors as a senior in 2019, making 10 tackles for loss and recording 5.5 sacks. He also returned an interception for a touchdown in a win over Princeton at Yankee Stadium. Lalos signed as an undrafted free agent with the Giants following the 2020 NFL Draft.
Entering the 2022 season, Lalos is the only former Dartmouth player under contract with an NFL team. Offensive tackle Matt Kaskey played in one game for the Carolina Panthers in 2020 and is currently a free agent.
The Big Green have not had a player selected in the draft since 2004, when running back Casey Cramer went to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the seventh round.
Benjamin Rosenberg can be reached at brosenberg@vnews.com or 603-727-3302.