As conference play kicks off on Saturday, Marist football sits at 1-2, with its lone win coming against Franklin Pierce, a Division II program. The Marist offense was clicking to start the year in New Haven before falling short at the end. Then, the unit stalled against Lafayette in a 13-9 loss and looked uncomfortable at times against the aforementioned Franklin Pierce.
The Red Foxes do have a one-week non-conference break when they face Columbia on Oct. 9, but the team enters a challenging stretch after that Ivy League matchup. Marist will need to take advantage of some favorable matchups in early October to ride into that tough stretch on a high note.
What does Marist need to continue doing to succeed in Pioneer Football League play?
Hayden Shapiro, Marist football beat writer: Marist did not win a single Pioneer Football League game away from home last season. Two heartbreaking losses and a blowout summarized a tough road year in 2025. This year, two of the Red Foxes’ first three PFL matchups are on the road, so starting on the right foot by hosting Presbyterian at home this Saturday is huge.
If Marist can come out victorious against a Blue Hose squad that lost over half of its roster this offseason, the Red Foxes will be set up for PFL success. The team travels to Stetson and Drake for the next two conference games following a home clash against Columbia of the Ivy League.
Dave Troeger, Contributor: Marist has had strong play by the unsung heroes on special teams. Coordinator John Audino’s second season at the helm has seen him managing it similarly to his running back room, with a ‘by committee’ approach. This makes the squad difficult to gameplan against, and with Marist’s inconsistency on offense, starting with good field position is key.
The boot of junior punter Ethan Yuska has come to the rescue many times, and through three games he has eclipsed his punt average from last season; 40.5 yards per punt is good for second in the FCS. Redshirt Freshman kicker Luke Stenson hasn’t been given many chances to this point, but after four turnovers on downs at Lafayette, one has to assume his role will grow in the conference slate.
Ally Schmitz, Contributor: The most points Marist has allowed in a game so far this season is 22; if they keep doing that, it should help tremendously. The offense also needs to be more consistent, which has lacked in the early portion of the season, and they also need to continue limiting penalties and small mistakes. Marist is among the middle of the pack in the Pioneer League, and its next opponent, Presbyterian, has had two huge losses recently. It would do the Red Foxes well to get off to a fast start in league play.
Max Moughan, Contributor: If it wants to succeed in the Pioneer Football League play, Marist needs to be more consistent on offense, specifically in the red zone. When the Red Foxes played Lafayette, they had possession for 10 more minutes than Lafayette, but couldn’t put up more than nine points on offense. They had multiple opportunities to score in the second half, only to come up short.
Graduate student quarterback Sonny Mannino has been able to extend countless plays with his running ability. He has just under 150 rushing yards and three touchdowns in just three games this season, putting him on pace to easily lap his rushing statistics over the past two seasons. Red Foxes have shown they can easily keep every game close; the question is if they will capitalize on their opportunities and establish a true offensive identity.
What offensive player can change the season’s trajectory for the Red Foxes?
Hayden: Senior utility man Marco Lainez III has played the gadget role for Marist’s offense and has quickly become graduate student quarterback Sonny Mannino’s favorite target on screens and in the red zone. Lainez III has played quarterback throughout his collegiate career at Iowa and Elon, but has spent most of his time as a tight end or H-back in 12-personnel. His flexibility and willingness to block makes everything easier for this Marist offense, making the biggest X-factor moving forward.
Dave: The answer isn’t a specific player; it’s whoever emerges as the top running back This offense feels out of sync, and while last season saw some success with the game-by-game star approach, consistency is needed to bring this attack to the next level. Now graduated, Tristan Shannon gave this offense a dependable floor last season, allowing Mannino to work his magic.
The loss of now-graduated and nationally recognized guard Dominic Perricone was a hit to the run game, but the shell of graduate student preseason Second Team All-PFL tackle Will Aaronson and third year starter Brandon Furey at center allow room for growth with a developing offensive line. The duo of smashmouth senior running back Lincoln Cardillo and sophomore speedster Jeremy Decaro provides two potential routes to developing this unit.
Ally: Junior receiver Zach Garmont can absolutely change the season trajectory for Marist. Garmont has two touchdowns, 113 yards and has played in all three games this season. He has scored both a receiving touchdown and on a punt return, and if he can keep his stats up alongside with Mannino, then he can be a powerhouse for the Marist offense. Garmont also had a team high of 64 receiving yards on three catches against Franklin Pierce; he can be the breakout player that Marist needs because of his ability to make explosive plays on the offensive side of the ball, especially after the catch.
Max: The biggest x-factor for the offense may be the offensive line, the most underappreciated position. As mentioned before, Mannino has quickly displayed his running ability through the first three games of this season, but that wouldn’t be possible without the impeccable blocking from the offensive line. Aaronson especially stands out here—he played 96% of 814 possible snaps last season and gave up only one sack on 451 pass attempts.
Furey has matched him with that elite level of blocking. If they keep up that elite play, it’s only a matter of time before the offense starts clicking. We saw a great example of this in Marist’s win against Franklin Pierce, when the Red Foxes put up 27 points in a high-scoring game.
What defensive player needs to continue their dominance heading into conference play?
Hayden: True freshman cornerback Reggie Bropleh Jr. has quietly been sensational to begin his collegiate career for the Red Foxes. He is sticky in man coverage and does his job defending the run. It is clear that head coach Mike Willis trusts him, as Bropleh Jr. is often left alone with no safety help in zone. If the New Jersey native can continue his prowess as a shadow corner, the Marist pass rush should be able to continue getting home due to how well covered wideouts are.
Dave: After a monster of a rookie year, sophomore defensive back Chase Hatton would rightfully be in the corner of any quarterback’s eye, but down the stretch we saw another freshman emerge. Sophomore safety Jace Williamson announced his breakout in a loss to Morehead State last season, blowing up a running back and forcing the ball free.
A 5-foot-10 defensive back, Williamson is an unassuming turnover machine, sticky in coverage and shifty enough to be dangerous on a pick return, something Stetson quarterback Gavin Rupp and Davidson quarterback Coulter Cleveland learned the hard way after 28 and 45-yard returns in consecutive weeks last season. Opposing offenses this season have had a rough go of trying to find chunk plays on this Marist defense, averaging under 200 passing yards per game and less than six per completion, in no small part due to the play of the safeties.
Ally: Senior linebacker Kade Werner is one of Marist’s top defensive players who needs to continue his dominance heading into conference play. He has been a star for Marist this season, attaining 17 solo tackles, 23 total tackles, 6 assisted tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss. If Werner continues to fill up the defensive stat sheet, he will continue to be a key for a strong Marist defense—back in 2024, the Red Foxes surrendered 56 points to Lafayette. This year, despite losing, they only allowed 13.
Max: Junior defensive back Tyrell Powell has been awesome to start the 2026 season. The junior from New Jersey was everywhere on the defensive side last year, leading the team in fumble recoveries and tied for second in pass breakups and forced fumbles. That stellar play has only elevated this year; he was responsible for several clutch plays against Franklin Pierce, including a stop on a two-point conversion that would’ve made it a one-possession lead late in the fourth.
He kept it up against Lafayette despite the loss, with a career-high three pass breakups. With Nate Robinson Jr’s departure this past summer, someone had to step up and Powell clearly knows that with the way he has played thus far.
What is your final record prediction for Marist in 2026, and why?
Hayden: A 7-5 finish is certainly possible for the Red Foxes despite a gauntlet of a schedule starting in late October into mid-November. If they can take these next few games and control a historically brutal Columbia squad, it will set the tone for the Red Foxes moving into the aforementioned tough end of the season.
Dave: Marist faces a gauntlet in the midseason, and they will have to clean things up after giving away winnable games against New Haven and Lafayette. The Red Foxes start off the PFL slate with ideal matchups, but it will be pivotal that they set the tone early. Coming off a bye, keeping momentum in an opening victory would give more confidence in this squad, but as of now the lack of a playmaking emergence on offense makes it difficult to say Marist will drastically improve.
That being said, Marist will always have a chance if the defense can hold as strong as it has to this point. Considering the turnover, a potential first .500 record since 2021 would be a confidence builder and set this team up for future success. This team might not be ready to gun for the conference, but a 6-6 finish is very much in reach.
Ally: Marist will go through several ups and downs throughout the season with an easier start in the beginning before facing more challenging opponents towards the end. Playing teams like Davidson, Butler and St. Thomas at the tail end of the season will undoubtedly make it a challenge to finish in a high not. This Marist squad seems to have more potential than in recent years, but it needs to find offensive consistency to have a chance at real improvement. There is a world in which Marist could finish the season at .500, but realistically, I see the Red Foxes wrapping up at 5-7.
Max: Marist is going 7-5. Despite being 1-2 currently, Marist’s losses were by five combined points, and its win over Franklin Pierce was a sign of how good the Red Foxes could be this season. The defense has played a fantastic three games, and the offense has shown explosiveness despite some inconsistency. They have some difficult games at the end of the season, but a good showing in the first half of the season should give them enough momentum to at least keep every game close.
They only have one non-PFL opponent left, and the Red Foxes are hungry for success after some disappointing seasons. Marist has the potential to impress a lot of people this year; they just need to get more consistent.
Edited by Max Rosen and Hayden Shapiro
Graphic by Jaylen Rizzo
Photo by Stockton Photo