RMU Adds Women's Flag For 2027-28 Season
The RMU Colonials announced today that they'll be adding women's flag football. This is the 5th NEC conference member or football member toadd the NCAA emerging sport. All other NEC schools compete in the ECAC. Details are forthcoming on RMU's plans for competition.
Under new AD Ron Moses, the Colonials will begin a national search for a head coach. Women's Flag is booming in popularity in Western Pennsylvania, and we're fully committed to covering the sport to the best of our ability- as well as making sure the Lambert Trophy is present at select games to celebrate the heritage of Eastern football and connecting it to this new chapter.
We'll have updates as they come.
Week 4 NECBlitz Players of the Week
This week’s NECBlitz Players of the Week, brought to you by Second Season Football by Plaay Games:
QB: Carson Haggard, RMU
RB: Cam Oliver, Duquesne
RB: Emanuel Fincher, Mercyhurst
WR: Zae-Mear Correll, Duquesne
WR: Noah Schaerli, RMU
TE: Cole Clark, Stonehill
Defense: Duquesne
Model Train Layout Football
I want to write about a concept rather than NEC football for a minute.
Don't worry, that's coming. Power rankings will be back tomorrow before the weekend starts.
The concept is what I've described as a "Model Train Layout" approach to enjoying football. Specifically, the idea that you can make your own league, enjoy your own games, and follow your own players as opposed to what's actually happening in, say, the NFL. For my part, I've been looking back lately and missing when football was, well, "football." I don't mean when helmet to helmet hits were legal or anything. Just when linebackers were larger than life, intimidating figures and fullbacks delivered crucial blocks to spring tailbacks from the I Formation.
This is why I've been leaning so heavily into Second Season Football lately. I got the official 1990 set in a PDF from the website and printed it off. Using the book and dice, last night I played the first half on stream of my own 1990 season's Week 1 Monday Night Football game in an AFC West tilt between the Raiders and the Seahawks. Man, it was a blast playing with these teams and just seeing the action in my mind. And imagine what you could do. There's a How To book to make your own teams based on stats. You could easily make cards based on the season you played, run your own free agency and draft, and just... keep moving on.
I really think this is the way things are going to start moving in the future, believe it or not. It's only crazy until it's true.
For my part, I'll continue my 1990 NFL season and keep going from there. There's no reason the game has to move away from the power concepts that enthralled me growing up. Not when it's your own league. Second Season is honestly the best way I've found to enjoy that style of football simulation so far, which is why I talk so much about it here.
I do want to quickly mention that there's a "Football America" set that Plaay puts out that does this exact concept- an alternate reality league- but I haven't really played it yet, so I don't know how often they use fullbacks.
Anyway, you can follow the 1990 season's crucial games on the NECBlitz YouTube page, where I'll keep going... and going... and going... like the old Energizer bunny commercials that totally play during my league's season. Why not? If you're building a model train layout, you go all the way. Shouldn't you do that for football, too?
Dukes Fall to Air Force, 34-0
The Air Force may be known for attacks through the air- at least, when they’re not playing football- but the Falcons kept it on the ground with a diverse and varied ground attack today in Colorado Springs and sent Duquesne home scoreless.
The Dukes had trouble establishing much of anything offensively. According to the stat sheet, they averaged 2:07 in possession per drive and while it’s somewhat expected to have difficulty controlling the clock against a service academy, Duquesne was eventually outpossessed 19:10 to 40:50.
It’s hard to get a good read on the Duquesne offense, because we simply didn’t see much of them. Postgame, Coach Schmitt noted that plays they were able to make in camp just weren’t falling for them against Air Force today. The plan- to gain medium yardage on first and second down on the ground- never came to fruition. The Dukes tried to rely on Ness Davis, who led the stable of backs with 11 attempts on 32 yards. Shawn Solomon was only able to rush once for 3, which was about the expected outcome for the Dukes when they ran the ball, as Davis only averaged 2.9 on the ground.
Blake Fletcher for the Falcons was the star defensively, with 1.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. “We couldn’t find him,” said Coach Schmitt after the game. “I told him he’s one of the best I’ve seen in awhile.”
In a game like this, it’s tempting to draw conclusions but ultimately there’s not a ton to take away from a challenge against a strong FBS team. The environment is obviously a good thing for the players to experience, and it gives you a taste of action without the weight of the conference race on your shoulders. When that conference race starts, the Dukes will need to make some of the plays they left on the table tonight.
There’s definitely potential here for that to develop, though. Ryan Petras and Zae-Mear Correll, both sophomores, combined for 8 targets today. They’ll need to develop quickly, but young talent spearheading a passing group that has historically been a strength for the Dukes puts Duquesne in a promising spot.
The plays that weren’t made today will have to be made against the CCSUs and LIUs of this league., but flush it and move on; Youngstown State is up next.
Week 0 All-NEC Blitz Team
To end Week 0, here are your top performers in the NEC using Card and Dice rules. Completely unofficially.
QB: AJ Duffy, Luca Stanzani
RB: Mookie Gamble, Shane Eason
WR: Michael Trovarelli, Galen Combs
TE: Camden Lewis
DEF: Wagner Seahawks
Colonials Comb Over the Seahawks, 28-7.
RMU holds sole possession of first place in the NEC after opening up with a conference win on the road in Staten Island. Everything seemed to be against them early- a Wagner team that was expected to improve on both sides of the ball and the surprising stat that RMU hadn’t won an opener on the road since 2003 (Buffalo State).
You can put the latter to bed. There’s plenty of time for the Seahawks, but RMU has now won their first road opener in over 20 years. Obviously, that’s always a challenge in the NEC, but to do it with a conference win is going to make the road home from Staten Island that much smoother.
RMU struck first, capitalizing on some high snaps to the punter to block a punt. Sophomore WR Galen Combs blocked the punt, scooped up the loose rock and took it to the house. The only other score of the drive was a Jaqai Carter touchdown catch (we’ll see more of those this season) to put the Colonials up 14-0.
Combs wasn’t done, though, and he has immediately put himself on the short list for players to watch in the NEC this season. He caught two touchdown passes in the second half- one for 64 yards and one for 15. Both were delivered by new starting QB Carson Haggard, who had transferred in from Abilene Christian after a stint at Tulane. He certainly looks like he’s got the arm to lead the colonials with his three touchdown passes on the day.
He did throw two interceptions, one of which was a pick six from Wagner DB / track athlete Julio Tatis. That would be Wagner’s only points on the day. The Seahawks did try QB Benjamin Newman, but Newman was unable to get the offense going against what appears to be a strong unit for RMU.
We learned a lot about the Colonials here. Among them, we saw HB J’Kharri Thomas emerge as the workhorse back. He had his work cut out for him against a tremendous Wagner DL, though, and the Seahawks were actually able to hold the Colonials as a whole to just 2.5 yards per carry. The offensive line did shine for RMU, though, as Haggard was not sacked once on the day.
The identity for Bobby Mo is obviously evolving here, but you have to like that they’re showing at least three receivers who can get open. We’ll get familiar with former WVU Mountaineer Tyler Evans, as we already have with Jaqai Carter. When you add Combs into the mix, though, you’ve got what was already a solid WR room last year- one of the best in the league- and there’s a chance that they’ve maybe evolved into a three headed monster downfield.
On the other side of the ball, the Seahawks ran Matt Morad 10 times and Sekou Kamau 4 times but had to put the ball in the air due to trailing for much of the game. While Galen Combs will get the headlines and the NEC Player of the Week awards with 4 catches, 104 yards, and 3 total TDs, Zion Fowler-El emerged as yet another target for Wagner’s QB corps.
David Johnson and Khalil hunter each had 1.5 sacks for the Colonials, with Tyreke Jinks and Asher Wilson each adding one. Bobby Mo surrendered under 100 yards defensively on the day. The third straight year with a different defensive coordinator is obviously no problem for RMU. That’s to be expected with Coach Clark at the helm.
Shamar Williams had the other interception for Wagner.
RMU’s receivers included Jaqai Carter and his touchdown on 5 receptions, but Tyler Evans added 4 and Tyreke Jinks had 2 catches. In total, Haggard threw for 206 yards to this group.
The conference race is in its infancy, but it has started now. And for the moment, RMU finds itself all alone in first.
Dubs in the Streets in the Town of New Haven: Chargers Win the 77 Classic
The New Haven Chargers posted the NEC’s first win of the season in a statement victory last night over the Marist Red Foxes, one of the teams that prognosticators have pointed to as a potential dark horse in the Pioneer League this season. What stands out about the victory was how hard-fought it was. The Chargers looked like the better team throughout, but the score remained close and in Marist’s favor until late.
There’s a big difference in saying “there’ll be days like these” and taking the loss versus having one of those days and pulling out the win. Especially against a quality opponent like Marist, led by QB Sonny Mannino. But Mannino and the Red Foxes were stifled by the New Haven defense all day. As a team, Marist could only rush for 90 net and get 70 net yards. Compare that to the Chargers, who ran for 107 and pulled in 311 through the air with two touchdowns. Marist was able to pull in a pick six in the 2nd quarter along with a blocked punt, or this game may not have been very close on the scoreboard.
Zaon Laney made his return with 45 net yards and a long of 16, while Duffy found Issac Glaudin 7 times through the air for 99 yards and a TD. Nate Burleson II caught two passes for 78 yards and a score.
The biggest plays came in the 4th quarter, when New Haven scored on a 19 yard field goal to take the lead 22-21. After forcing a 4th down, the defense came up big once again to force the turnover on downs. A gutsy 4th down completion of their own on a pass to Dom Grguric iced the game, as the Chargers could subsequently kneel.
Two things really jump out to me here. First, this defense looks improved in its second year under Coach Powell’s system. It’s been a rough week for the Pioneer League, but Marist is a quality opponent and this victory hinged on the defense’s ability to continue to shut down the Red Foxes even when they were collecting points in other ways. If the defense doesn’t have a standout performance, we’d look back on this one as a disappointment.
Secondly- the Chargers had so much more balance this year compared to last year in their play calling. Having Zaon Laney back is going to be huge for this offense, as they won’t have to be one dimensional. Their play calling last night proved it.
The Chargers are 1-0 entering conference play against Stonehill next week.
Positive Yardage: 5 Takeaways From Mercyhurst at YSU
It wasn’t the outcome anyone wanted, but it certainly wasn’t without bright spots. After the Lakers fell short 43-10 to the Penguins on Thursday night, I took a look through the noise and at the good things I saw.
Mookie is the Real Deal
I had hoped Mookie Gamble could be an every down back, but Thursday left no doubt that he’s exactly that. He led the team in rushing but also showed aptitude as a pass blocker. That’s no small feat and it’ll go a long way towards keeping him on the field.
Teddy McDuffie and Jaiden Allos
The two young defensive players (I’d call them linebackers, but the hybrid nature of OLB/EDGE makes it hard for me to know if I’m right anymore) had solid games. A second half series from McDuffie was one of the highlights of the game, along with his 1.5 sacks. Allos made an incredible athletic interception to put a stain on an otherwise impeccable night from YSU QB Beau Brungard. What they did in the second half will absolutely translate to Saturdays in the NEC.
Camden Lewis WILL Break out
I had told people in the leadup to this game that Camden Lewis was a candidate to break out. I no longer think he’s a candidate. He’s going to be a breakout player for the Lakers, who were able to try different ways to get him the ball. He had 3 early catches against YSU before they were able to figure him out. I think we saw the beginning of something good for the Lakers.
Christian MacDonald, Amare Lattimore, and Jason Woods
When the shots weren’t falling for Evan Van Dyke and Dylan Evans, it was good to see the Lakers be able to turn towards three other receivers to get some positive momentum. They seemed to really want to get Lattimore the ball in space and let him run with it. It’s something I’m thinking we’ll see more as the season progresses.
Never Say Die
The Lakers lived up to their billing and philosophies. They played to their standard late in the game and scored a late touchdown that I felt showed improvement after the big first series wound down and adversity struck. There wasn’t quit in Mercyhurst on Thursday, which is exactly what you’d see from a team that has good culture. I’m looking forward to watching the Lakers keep driving forward this season against FBS competition and, eventually, the meat of NEC play.
Breakout Year, 2.0: It’s All About Health for the LIU Sharks
NEC football previews almost uniformly note that Long Island has been an upper crust team in the NEC year after year without a clear breakthrough season or a league title.
The question, as always: is this the year?
When you look at 2025, though, you get the sense that the first year of a multi-year run should have already happened. The biggest opponent for the Sharks in 2025 was the injury bug.
After defeating an FBS team (2nd such win for the NEC in 2 years) in Eastern Michigan, the Sharks began what looked like a spiral with 4 consecutive losses, including league games to Stonehill and Mercyhurst. Did the Sharks use up all of their emotion on Eastern Michigan? Did they start overlooking opponents?
Well, hardly. When you look at some of the stats, the answer looks much more obvious. It wasn’t a tale of inconsistency.
Chris Howell became the leading passer for the game against Mercyhurst, and the vaunted 2 QB system of Luca Stanzani and Ethan Greenwood, at times, included neither signal caller. Greenwood, the all-NEC preseason QB for the second year in a row, only played in 7 games last season. Stanani fared a little better, participating in 10.
But when yyou system is so devastating because of both quarterbacks, having just one is a recipe for, well, a season that could have been so much more. 2025 was the second year in a row where you could look at the LIU talent and feel that this could have been a team that went to the FCS playoffs, if only a few things had gone differently.
But it’s not inconsistency, it was injury luck.
And in 2026, this might just be the second year of what could be an LIU dynasty.
Lake Show Offense Ready For Prime Time Opportunity
Mercyhurst opens up the season at Youngstown State in 2026. And by “opens up the season” I mean “this is the first college football game this year.”
Kind of a big opportunity for the Lakers. But having gone through the offense in anticipation of the radio call (you can find it here on NECBlitz.com, on X @NECBlitz, or the NECBlitz Youtube), I’m convinced that they’ve got the horses to make the most of it.
It’s a tall task. The Penguins have, by my count, about 8 guys on the defensive front that can make a big difference in any ballgame. You like transfer Dev Holman coming in from Butler at defensive back. We know just how good of a defensive coach Ryan Riemedio is- he was the HC of the Lakers just last season.
And if that wasn’t bad enough, you’ve got the best player in FCS, Beau Brungard, under center for the Penguins. Youngstown State is loaded.
But the Lakers have talent and experience. The offensive side is jumping off the page to me as I’m putting together my depth chart.
We don’t know the Lakers QB, and I kind of doubt that we will until he steps on the field. We’re told it’s a three way battle between last season’s backup Alex Gevauden, Nevada transfer Anthony Wolter, and darkhorse Tyler Tusai. Whoever it is will have one of the better OLs in the NEC in front of them, which allows for deep threats like Dylan Evans to get behind the new-look Penguins secondary. Last year, this was the weak spot for YSU, and they’ve taken care to rebuild here. If it doesn’t gell quickly, though, this could be a place where the Lakers to take advantage.
At RB, Jahmeir Gamble and Jonathan Askew certainly headline the returners, but transfers Byron Caldwell (former Oregon) and Emanuel Fincher could even be starters here. We’ll get a good idea of how the depth chart in the post- Brian Trobel era early next Thursday.
At WR, Evan Van Dyke and Dylan Evans pack a big 1-2 punch. This is among the best returning WR units in a stacked NEC. Tight End includes breakout candidate Camden Lewis, one of the biggest recruiting wins for the Lakers the year prior. He's now a sophomore after scoring a TD as a true freshman.
We are so lucky to be involved with college football. Let’s enjoy another start to the season and hope for fireworks.
Mission Impossible: Predicting the Order of Finish in NEC Football
It really can’t be done. There’s more parity than ever before in the NEC and somehow every school can win the league. There’s an argument for each, so we’ll say why each school can win as we run through, 1-8.
CCSU
You can’t pick against CCSU anymore. After the past two seasons- even with questions at QB and RB- there’s no way you can pick against 9 preseason all-NEC players anymore. Not with this coaching staff and the success they’ve had the past two seasons. Curiously, this is the only media ranking I’m aware of that has picked the Blue Devils first- but how can you pick against Chris Jean?
Duquesne
It’s easy to take the Dukes for granted when they’ve been so good for so long. HC Jerry Schmitt is the winningest active HC in FCS. They’ve brought in experienced and talented QB Carson Camp to pair with the best RB corps in the NEC and a WR group boasting returning NECBlitz Rookie of the Year Ryan Petras. Opta FCS picked Duquesne to finish first.
LIU
By my estimation, the Sharks are the most talented team in the NEC. The problem last year was health. When they don’t have both QBs in their duo- Ethan Greenwood and Luca Stanzani- this is a different team and you can pretty much tell who watches the league by if they only mention Greenwood or not. At one point last year the Sharks had neither. If they can stay healthy at the QB position and on defense where Trey Watkins and Rafael Fasalino both return, this team should have every opportunity to break through- finally.
Wagner
I was this close to picking Wagner first, but with the parity I couldn’t find a way to do it. They remind me of Mercyhurst in that they return a lot of pieces but have no one picking them highly. Sekou Kamara is a big play threat at RB. WR Teree McDonald and Jeremiah Colclough have first team potential. QB Jack Stevens could have a breakout year. But on DL, this is a filthy team and probably the best unit in the league. Logan Barnes and Ethan Apollon headline this unit, but even behind them LB Eli Hiscock is a fantastic LB. When you put together what’s here, this is easily Coach Masella’s best team and a legitimate contender for the NEC title.
Mercyhurst
Mercyhurst has to replace a lot on offense but has a fierce 3 way QB competition to make up the production they had from former QB Anthony Urena. They additionally lose their top 2 running backs, but return serious talent at WR with Dylan Evans and Evan Van Dyke. There’s also experience that they haven’t had on defense, so a step forward on that side of the ball seems likely. Even with former OC Thomas Sydeski taking over as head coach, this could be a team that looks different yet still wins. And with the continuity the Lakers have (only about 9 players left via the portal), they have familiarity with the systems.
Stonehill
I think I was one year early on predicting a jump from Stonehill. Jack O’Connell (not Neil O’Donnell) returns as QB and is a captain this season. There were times last year where he couldn’t miss. You additionally really have to like Torrance Washington Jr. coming back at wideout, a talented young group of RBs that have to prove it on the field, and DB Mo Seide coming back for one more season. Stonehill probably hasn’t shown their growth in the win column yet, but like everyone else they can win the banner and advance to the FCS playoffs. They just need the 2nd year OC to get the offense gelling and continued stout play from the defense, which will have a new look feel without Charles Battaglia at LB.
RMU
The Colonials often seem to live and die by the transfer portal. Historically, they’ve done well with it, but last year the team wasn’t able to put the new pieces together. The transfer class looks greatly improved from last season including two new faces at QB. They’ve had strong WRs the past several seasons and this year should be no exception. They look good at RB with Donta Whack. This is the third DC in three years, though. Fortunately, HC Bernard Clark is a fantastic defensive coach.
New Haven
New Haven boasts AJ Duffy and RB Zaon Laney to lead the offensive charge for the, well, Chargers. New OC Brian Scott is a proven winner including with Taylor Heinecke at Old Dominion. I personally saw his offense eviscerate a Big East team when they were still transitioning to FBS. You like Duffy to make a big step in this offense. HC Mark Powell is also the DC and with a second year in his scheme you like the team to move forward in that regard, too. Phil Steele thought highly of the talent here and I do think they could surprise some people in Year 1 of the NEC. But without real battle testing, I feel like I have to put them right here. Likely, I just motivated them, so look out.
What We’re Looking Forward to on the Radio This Fall
Elvis Costello once said: You’d better listen to the radio.
Well, add me to the list of people calling for you to do just that. NECBlitz.com is returning to the virtual airwaves this fall to call three Mercyhurst football games: 8/27 at Youngstown State, 9/5 at New Mexico State, and 9/26 at Western Kentucky.
The goal here as always is to provide expert, Mercyhurst focused commentary rather than a generic sounding neutral voice that doesn’t eat, sleep, and breathe the NEC football teams. That’s kind of where I come in.
What’s most exciting isn’t just the experience of calling the games. It’s being able to bring something unique to the conference and to the school that isn’t available everywhere.
I’m also really thrilled to say that Rylan Davison, a former Mercyhurst standout at WR, will be joining up for at least 9/5 at New Mexico State. That’s going to add a level of insight from a true insider that you really, well, can’t get anywhere else. It’s fun building a team to put together the best product possible.
Product, of course, in the sense that something is being produced; this is all absolutely free, and I’m not really into soliciting donations this time around.
I’ve got some other cool stuff with multimedia coming down the pike, so stay tuned and comment below what you want to see.
Jack Stevens and Logan Barnes Named Wagner Captains
As the season gets closer, I’m only going to beat the drum louder for Wagner. I really think this is a good team.
Now, they’ve got their leadership in place.
QB Jack Stevens and DL Logan Barnes have been named the team captains for the Wagner Seahawks. The selection of Stevens feels particularly notable. Quarterbacks are called on to be leaders. Stevens is in his second year as the starter for the Seahawks after sharing the role with Jordan Barton last year. He’s now absolutely in the drivers seat for sole possession of that role- as well as being expected to step up as a leader.
The selection of Barnes isn’t as surprising. He’s one of two first team all-NEC defensive linemen for the Seahawks. With great performance comes great expectations for setting the tone on and off the field. He’ll be asked to lead vocally and by example as well.
I think this really might be the breakout year under Coach Masella. We’ve now got the most visible players who could be responsible for just that.
Building the Perfect Strat-O-Matic NEC Football Cards, for Fun.
It’s generally accepted that Strat-O-Matic Football is one of the most accurate ways to simulate a football game. As long as your calls are appropriate, the players and outcomes generally follow the percentages of their real life counterparts. For example, I like to play as the 1993 Steelers. Throw to Eric Green? It’ll go better than throwing to Jeff Graham.
Just like in real life. Trust me on that.
So in an effort to find new and, well, fun ways to predict NEC games this season, I’ve been hard at work devising formulas to make reasonable facsimiles of NEC football players in Strat-O-Matic. It’s harder than you’d think.
Players like Ethan Greenwood simply don’t have counterparts in the NFL, especially back in the early 90s. (Randall Cunningham is as close as you can get, and it’s not that close). By inputting scaling formulas and more “Must Run” situations, along with modifying dice rolls, I’m able to get something reasonable.
I did the same for AJ Duffy and Jack O’Connell. Not perfect, but surely the closest anyone is going to get this season.
It’s just a reminder here. Football- watching football, playing football, writing football, simulating football- well, it’s supposed to be fun. Sometimes the fun can be taken out of it by putting too much pressure on ourselves or the team. And I’m guilty of this. I used to treat my alma mater’s games as life or death. It just isn’t that serious.
You can let a lot of external forces put pressure on you, too. Especially in a job like this. Believe me, I’ve taken a lot of flak from people for what I consider to be a job pretty well done.
This season, I’m going to focus on making sure I’m having fun without looking over my shoulder or trying to prove my value.
Step one is sharing Strat-O-Matic football cards for NEC players. Because, well, that’s fun.
We’re Sleeping on Duquesne. The Coaches Aren’t.
Maybe the most surpising part of the NEC Coaches Poll was that Duquesne received two votes for first place.
This isn’t to say Duquesne isn’t a good team. They were probably the best overall team in the conference in 2024 and were in the hunt until the last game of the season once again in 2025. There’s been so much buzz around CCSU and Long Island, though- and this has been driven by, among others, myself- that the Dukes being projected first by some coaches came as something of a surprise.
Well, why?
Ness Davis returns, the Dukes have probably the best secondary in the conference, and Carson Camp has targets like Ryan Petras to help ease him into Pittsburgh. By all accounts, the leadership is strong in the program and the coaching staff has been phenomenal for, well, decades at this point. Coach Schmitt is the winningest active coach in the FCS.
I think the Dukes have been so good for so long that we sort of take it for granted, and maybe the “new” surging LIU has been enough to put the Dukes under the radar in the media somewhat.
So, from the outside looking in, we seem to be underrating the Dukes. That’s fine.
The ooaches sure aren’t.
RMU Announces Dr. Ron Moses as New Athletic Director
The recent athletic department changes at RMU caught some of us on the outside by surprise, but the school moved quickly and announced Dr. Ron Moses as the next Athletic Director in Moon Township.
Dr. Moses joins the Colonials from Old Dominion University in Norfolk, VA. Per his bio with that school, “Dr. Ron Moses serves as the Deputy Athletic Director for Student-Athlete Advancement, Revenue Growth, and Competitive Strategy at Old Dominion University.”
I don’t feel qualified to speculate on what made Dr. Moses attractive to the administration at RMU, but it’s probably somewhere in that job description. Dr. Moses is from Athens, GA and has spent most of his career in the southern states.
Pure conjecture: I’m not sure it’ll be a massive change in fundraising from Norfolk to Moon Township. The Colonials occupy a similar place to Old Domion in Norfolk. It is exciting to see the possible emphasis on fundraising. RMU has been a successful business school for some time. The opportunity is there.
As we’ve seen in the past, you can certainly win in Moon Township. RMU has had a recent history of success particularly in basketball, but they’re a contender in the NEC on the gridiron and we’re expecting big things this year from them after an uncharacteristic year in 2025.
There’s always a lot of change with a new athletic director. We’ll have to see what new directions the Colonials take in the near future.
Hurst is Home: Mercyhurst Boasts Small Outgoing Transfer Class, Plenty of Defensive Experience
It’s not an uncommon phrase to hear out of Erie, but perhaps this offseason it’s the most telling one.
“We have a saying here,” Coach Sydeski told NECBlitz.com yesterday. “It’s Hurst is home.”
Whatever the Lakers have done to retain much of a successful 2025 team, it’s created an environment where the roster by and large has stayed home.
Players like Dylan Evans likely had opportunities elsewhere had they chosen to pursue them. In the midst of a coaching change, turmoil and roster turnover was probably to be expected. It’s not what happened in Erie, though.
General Manager Mike Waring pointed out that promoting from within to maintain stability was certainly helpful. It would seem that more than that would have had to be at play here. Only 9 Lakers hit the portal. With a roster that contains plenty of players from out of the area- the Lakers have recruited California well in the past several seasons- they were able to maintain the team and reload for another campaign in 2026.
The running back room will look different this year and there is a 3 man competition at quarterback. The defense will have some more experience than previously, though, after a good showing last year. Young talent like Mookie Gamble looks ready to emerge.
The NEC is so competitive this year. Any prediction is practically a guess. But there’s plenty of reason to believe the Lakers aren’t a one hit wonder.
The Colonials are Reloaded
Last season, something felt off about the RMU Colonials heading into fall camp. They were already dealing with coordinator changes on both sides of the ball, but the personnel had an uncharacteristic amount of question marks also. A program that had proven an ability to reload in the transfer portal- snagging stars like Noah Robinson in the past- looked like it wasn’t able to catch as many big fish heading into 2025. The result was an uncharacterstic down year for RMU.
They don’t look at all like this in 2026.
The Colonials have gotten their transfer portal magic back, adding veteran experience at virtually every position (including a massive haul at DL and QB) to add competition, depth, and most importantly firepower. I think you’ll see improved play as a result. In the midst of an improving NEC overall, they’ll need it.
Quarterback may be an ongoing competition as Cooper Panteck returns, but the Colonials were able to add Carson Haggard from Abilene Christian (has playoff experience) and Dylan Hassid from power Tennessee Tech. My stance has always been that if you have two quarterbacks, you have two quarterbacks; the Colonials probably have three that could start.
Donta Whack figures to be the feature back on offense; the Colonials didn’t really add here in the portal.
Size was added at WR in Brody Graham and Dominic Eyo, and while Coach Rothenbuhler was able to adapt his offense to the personnel last season I suspect this is more in line with what he’ll want to run. They also added size and by my count 4 OL transfers including a player from the FBS ranks.
The embarrassment of riches comes at DL, though. A New Mexico, Marshall, Utah State, and Akron transfer all join this group to provide FBS talent. They added Dayton transfer Brandon Martin as well, but he won’t get lost in the shuffle; he was only first team All-Pioneer last season.
This only continues throughout the secondary and special teams.
The Colonials look much more like the very good 2023 and 2024 teams this season and that’s a good sign out of Moon Township. With classes like this, you always have to be mindful of how the transfers gel. But when there’s a history of making it work well, you have to trust that. Coach Clark hasn’t given us any reason to doubt his skill with managing a large transfer class yet. Improvement seems like a certainty for the Colonials.
Wagner Football May Have Arrived in 2026
Every year at the end of the season, I look at Wagner football and come to the same conclusion: this team was better than the year before.
At some point, when the same thing happens every year, you become accustomed to it.
Jack Stevens is the likely starter at QB for the Seahawks. He split time with Jordan Barton last season, but with Barton moving on Stevens is the likely face of the team on offense. He’s still young, but he was a big get for the Seahawks in recruiting and quarterback development takes time at the college level. Expect to see him take a second year leap forward.
He’ll be helped along by WRs Teree McDonald and Jeremiah Colclough. This is a top 3 returning WR duo in the NEC, and I only say top 3 because at the top of the league it’s too close to call. Having weapons to throw to will obviously assist both with development and production.
Where this Wagner team really shines will be on the defensive line, though. They return Ethan Apollon and Logan Barnes, two of the best along the line in the league last season. It’s a filthy combo. Expect them to be stout up front. I really liked what I saw out of of South Florida transfer Eli Hiscock at linebacker last season, so even the next level might give opponents trouble.
When I look at this Wagner team, the comparison that immediately comes to mind is 2025 Mercyhurst. I had the Lakers picked low, but I really couldn’t figure out why except for the transition into the league. Certainly they seemed to have enough pieces to make a run, but it was hard to know how they’d translate.
For Wagner, though, you kind of know how they’ll fare this season because of the flashes they showed last year including a victory over Duquesne that was not as close as it looked and a game against CCSU that they probably should have won.
The NEC is a funny thing. But I don’t think you’re paying close enough attention if you don’t at least project Wagner in the top half of the conference in the preseason. They are absolutely contenders for the FCS playoff spot this year.
You Can’t Bet Against CCSU Anymore
Central Connecticut State enters 2026 having lost a few key pieces of their team, but returning enough- including Coach Adam Lechtenberg- that NECBlitz.com considers them the favorite to win the NEC.
They have to be. After the past two years, how can you trust anyone else?
Coach Lechtenberg will have to replace RB Elijah Howard to the extent that such an electric player can be replaced, along with Brady Olson. Olson improved dramatically during the course of his career, ending as easily the best QB in the league. You really can’t say enough about the player development in New Britain.
Perhaps that’s why Connor Kenyon is transferring in from Rhode Island. Kenyon had limited experience there, but he fits what we saw from Brady Olson almost to an eerie degree- a quarterback from a New England school moving on somewhere else to start. He’ll be expected to have the leg up entering the fall.
Whoever the quarterback ends up being, there will be help available. Donovan Wadley could be the best deep threat in the NEC, and he’ll be back for a graduate year. With Elijah Howard gone, it’ll be interesting to see if the coaching staff has him play more of a “football player” role like the one he inhabited at Merrimack in his first stint in the NEC.
Michael Trovarelli also returns. He had over 40 receptions last season and led the team as a favorite target of Olson’s. Just a sophomore, he’ll take a bigger role this season.
Defensively, the Blue Devils will still be strong. The obvious reason why is Christopher Jean. Jean is probably the most hyped player in the NEC this year, and for good reason. A first team pre-season All-American, Jean routinely shuts down at least half of the field and is a turnover machine on a defense that has been nothing but opportunistic for the past two seasons. The Blue Devils routinely play with a possession edge, and that benefits them in close games.
It seems like an obvious statement, but that “close games” aspect matters. The Blue Devils have played in a lot of close games in the past two years, but they’ve come out ahead with great frequency. At this point, they’re so used to it that you can’t bet against them in any close game.
And that’s kind of what any preview for the Blue Devils needs to boil down to. After two years of championships, you can’t really bet against the Blue Devils until someone else wins the title. I picked against them last season with Duquesne. I expect Long Island to probably be the trendy pick. But I think the coaches are going to go with CCSU as the favorite to win the league, and that’s what I’m predicting again, too.