Ithaca College will open its 2026 football season Saturday at fourth-ranked Johns Hopkins with a new head coach, an experienced lineup and expectations of returning to the NCAA playoffs.
Brandon Maguire, 35, takes over after two seasons as Ithaca's offensive coordinator. The Bombers went 8-2 last year, finished second in the Liberty League at 6-1 and won the Cortaca Jug.
New coach builds around returning staff
Maguire retained defensive coordinator Will Margraff, offensive line coach Drew Miller and wide receivers coach Will Gladney. James Colzie III, Florida A&M's head coach in 2024 and 2025, joins the staff to coach defensive backs and coordinate special teams.
Maguire said Colzie's head-coaching experience has given him a valuable sounding board during his first months leading the program.
Quarterback Michael Reed took over the starting job midway through last season and earned first-team All-Liberty League honors after throwing nine touchdown passes and leading the team with eight rushing scores.
Leading rusher Chris Scully also returns, along with Ahmad Taylor, Anthony Mestre and Chase Myers. Maguire said the depth at running back will require the offense to find roles for several players.
Veteran receivers and defenders return
Nicholas Lang leads a deep receiving group after catching 60 passes for 899 yards and 10 touchdowns. Tian Murray had 34 receptions for 515 yards, and Nicholas Matos is returning from a midseason injury after appearing in 22 games over three years.
Will Scordato and former quarterback Colin Schumm are options at tight end. Schumm gives the offense a 6-foot-4, 210-pound target.
Ithaca returns eight offensive linemen with game experience, including Andrew Ohnegian, Dan Pauletti and Zachary Gagner.
ORANGE GAME WEEK: Syracuse football begins new season against New Hampshire Saturday (preview) On defense, seniors Aidan Perry and Carson Ciancuielli anchor the line. Ciancuielli was a preseason All-American in 2025 but was limited to four games by injury.
Henry Tackas returns after leading Ithaca with eight tackles for loss and 4.5 sacks. The secondary is led by Joe Spirra, a 2026 preseason first-team All-American selection by d3football.com, while Marven Simeus returns after making 47 tackles last season.
Caleb Wandell returns as kicker and punter, Luke Savino handled kickoffs last year, and Mestre and Marcus Boyle bring experience as returners. Ithaca still must identify a new long snapper.
Schedule features historic home opener
The Sept. 5 opener in Baltimore will test Ithaca against a Johns Hopkins team that reached last season's national semifinals.
Ithaca returns to Butterfield Stadium on Sept. 12 for the first night game in program history, a 6 p.m. matchup with Alfred University. The game will also mark the debut of a new college pep band open to students from all majors.
The Bombers then host Hilbert on Sept. 19 and St. Lawrence on Sept. 26. Other home games include Rochester on Oct. 10 and RPI on Nov. 7.
The season culminates Nov. 14 with Cortaca at Yankee Stadium. It will be the rivalry's third neutral-site game after the 2023 contest at Yankee Stadium and the 2019 game at MetLife Stadium, which drew a Division III-record crowd of 45,161.
Maguire said the program expects to reach the playoffs and compete nationally, while the opening trip to Johns Hopkins will offer an immediate measure of the team's progress.
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