Football Friday: Monmouth At Colgate Game Preview

WEST LONG BRANCH – Monmouth University football travels to Colgate for its 2025 season opener this Friday, with kickoff scheduled for 7:00 p.m. and streamed live on ESPN+. Below is an in-depth preview of the game.

COLGATE UNIVERSITY

The Raiders finished last in the Patriot League a year ago, finishing with an overall 2-10 record and a 1-5 conference record. They struggled on both sides of the ball, with their offense ranked 86th and 99th nationally in total yards per game (329.9) and points per game (20.2), respectively, while their defense ranked 95th and 94th nationally in points allowed per game (31.5) and yards allowed per game (417.0), respectively.

New head coach Curt Fitzpatrick was brought in to right the ship, becoming the 31st head coach in Colgate history. Fitzpatrick carries with him a proven track record after most recently leading Division III Cortland to a 45-5 record in four seasons at the helm. He was the 2023 DIII National Coach of the Year after guiding Cortland to a national championship in 2023, in addition to four consecutive Empire 8 titles. He’s considered an offensive guru and will coach the quarterbacks as well.

So, as you can imagine, there’s a renewed sense of optimism surrounding the program, which is great, but you still need the talent to succeed, and the Raiders may still be a few years away from accomplishing that.

Picked to finish seventh in the eight-team Patriot League this season by Hero Sports, Colgate does have some weapons, just not enough of them.

Colgate’s top four wide receivers are back, including All-Patriot League selection senior Treyvhon Saunders, who led the league with 88 receptions, along with 831 yards and two touchdowns. Saunders is also a 2025 Stats FCS Preseason All-American third-team selection. Senior Brady Hutchison (44-540-4), junior Winston Moore (32-288-0) and junior Reed Swanson (20-223-4) form an impressive foursome at the wideout position.

Fitzpatrick indicated that junior Jake Stearney, the 2024 starter, and senior Zach Osborne will share the quarterback duties to start the season, with both players likely to see action against the Hawks. Stearney was 201-of-309 for 1869 yards and 11 touchdowns, but his 13 interceptions are a concern. In limited action last season, Osborne was 5-of-7 for eight yards with an interception.

Senior Marco Maldonado, last season's second leading rusher, is back after running for 371 yards on 92 attempts and two touchdowns. Fifth-year running back Brendan Cassamajor returns after rushing for 159 yards on 40 attempts with four touchdowns a year ago.

The offensive line will need rebuilding, with junior right tackle Ryan Steinbrin the only returning starter on the line. Senior Miles Salinas and junior Sean Haney each have two starts in their careers and will vie for starting positions.

Colgate’s defensive line will need rebuilding as well, with three of last season’s four starters having moved on. Senior defensive end/linebacker Dane Picariello will anchor the line after starting 12 games a year ago. He was third on the team with 71 tackles (30 solo), eight tackles for loss, and 3.5 sacks. Junior end Brock Winsett (four starts) and senior tackle Danny Norocea (six starts) will look to fill the void.

The linebacking unit is in even worse shape with no one on the two-deep depth chart from a year ago back this season. Sophomore transfer Connor Phelps, a walk-on at Tulsa, will compete for a starting job while Fitzpatrick is high on junior linebacker Trooper Price, who saw action in nine games last season with zero starts.

Without a doubt, the Raiders' defensive backfield is the strength of the defense. Junior cornerback Tymir Wynn was tied for fifth in the Patriot League in Interceptions (3) and tied for seventh in the league in passes defended (7). He added 46 tackles, including 38 solo tackles. Fellow starter at the cornerback position, junior Kaleb Alexander, had 27 tackles, 19 solo tackles, and two passes defended. Starting strong safety junior Josh Stinespring is also back after a strong 2024 campaign that saw him make 45 tackles, 33 solo tackles, one interception, and two passes defended. Sophomore safety Reece Allen appeared in all twelve games, adding 25 tackles, 18 solo tackles, 1.5 TFL and one pass defended. He should slide into a starting role this season.

Junior placekicker Luke Vogler was a 2024 first team All-Patriot League selection a year ago and a 2025 All-Patriot League Preseason selection. He was good on 13-of-15 field goal attempts with a long of 51 yards and perfect on PAT’s hitting all 27 attempts.

MONMOUTH UNIVERSITY

What more can I write about Monmouth’s juggernaut offense that hasn’t already been written? They have an All-American quarterback who has already rewritten the Monmouth record books, and from the sound of things coming out of fall training camp, Derek Robertson has just scratched the surface on what he can accomplish on the playing field. And then there is his returning cast of characters on offense, which is essentially the entire unit from a year ago that led the country in offensive production.

According to head coach Kevin Callahan, Robertson has been more vocal in his leadership role in camp, and the players have responded accordingly. He’s added muscle, and his arm strength has also improved courtesy of intense offseason workouts. With the talent surrounding him on offense, don’t be surprised to see Robertson take the next step in his development that appears boundless.

Two of Monmouth’s top three running backs from last season are back, including sophomore Rodney Nelson, who led the team in rushing with 809 yards on 133 attempts and six touchdowns, and also caught 17 passes for 154 yards out of the backfield. At 5-foot-8, 195 pounds, Nelson runs with speed and power. He’s a 2025 Coastal Athletic Association Preseason Honorable Mention selection and was named to the freshman All-American team last season by FCS Football Central. Senior Makhi Green flashed blazing speed a year ago and is expected to be more involved in the offense this season after rushing for 278 yards on 55 attempts and catching nine passes for 95 yards. Green is a return specialist as well and returned a kickoff last season for 100 yards and a touchdown. Callahan mentioned freshman Kenny Smith and redshirt freshman Elijah Jennings as players who could also contribute out of the backfield.

The Hawks' experienced receiving corps are deep and talented. It boasts two 2025 All-CAA Preseason selections in junior Josh Derry and senior T.J. Speight. Derry was a second team pick last season after catching 60 passes for 917 yards and five touchdowns, while Speight added 61 receptions for 896 yards and six touchdowns. Speight is also a dangerous return man and had a 79-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last season. Senior Gavin Nelson came into his own last season, placing third on the team with 35 catches for 643 yards and three touchdowns, while leading the Hawks with an 18.4 yards per catch average. Sophomore Tray Neal played a significant role in the Hawks' offense last season, having a team-high seven touchdowns to go along with his 34 receptions for 490 yards. He was a FCS Football Central Freshman All-American selection as well. Senior Maxwell James is also back after contributing 22 receptions for 293 yards and four touchdowns. Look for redshirt freshman Landon Kannel to work his way into the rotation. Monmouth returns its two top tight ends, including 2025 All-CAA Preseason selection Jack Neri, who was a 2024 CAA Honorable Mention selection a year ago. The 6-foot-3, 245-pound Neri caught 32 passes for 329 yards and five touchdowns. Sophomore tight end Marcus Middleton added 14 catches for 165 yards and two touchdowns. For Robertson, it’s going to be like picking candy at a candy store.

The offensive line returns intact, except for the center position, which will be manned by redshirt junior Kevin Shriner, who came out of nowhere to win the starting job with a strong fall camp. The line will be anchored once again by Preseason All-American right tackle J.T. Cornelius, who brings invaluable experience and savvy to the unit. Fifth-year senior David Dutra returns at left tackle, junior Chris Moreno is back at left guard, and senior Shalik Hubbard returns at right guard. There’s a lot of veteran know-how across that line.

Defensively, except for the secondary, which is probably the deepest and strongest position group on defense, the Hawks are in a transition mode. Six of their top linemen and linebackers were lost to the transfer portal, and they responded by signing 11 defensive players from the portal. Junior safety Deuce Lee is back and was named to the 2025 Preseason All-CAA team after a solid 2024 campaign in which he recorded 70 tackles (third on the team), including 46 solo stops (first on the team), five pass breakups (second on the team), one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. Redshirt senior Justin Bennin returns at the viper position, a hybrid linebacker/safety role. He’s a captain, and his leadership on and off the field is immeasurable. He recorded 55 tackles (fifth on the team), 35 solo tackles, two interceptions, and a fumble return. Redshirt sophomore Israel Clark-White gets the start at one cornerback spot after appearing in 10 games with eight starts and establishing himself as someone to reckon with. Wagner transfer Jack Ricci gets the starting nod at the other corner spot. He was a 2024 second team All-NEC selection last season and won an intense battle for the starting spot in fall camp. Sophomore Jaedon Jones, who was an all-state quarterback in high school, gets the start at safety opposite Lee after an impressive performance in fall camp, where he showcased his athleticism. He appeared in seven games last season with one start as a true freshman, making 23 tackles, including 10 solo stops.

Monmouth’s revamped defensive line is intriguing with a lot of potential, but its strength as a unit is unproven. Redshirt junior defensive tackle Bryce Rooks missed all of last season due to injury after appearing in 10 games as a sophomore. According to defensive coordinator Lewis Walker, Rooks has had a great fall camp, and he expects Rooks, a two-star prospect coming out of high school, to have a breakout season. Findlay University transfer J.J. Lewis gets the start at the other tackle spot. The 6-foot-4, 275 pound Lewis had 7.5 TFL and two sacks last season for Findlay. Emory and Henry transfer junior Josiah Graham will start at defensive end after recording five sacks and 6.5 TFL last season for the Wasps. Redshirt freshman Hunter Watson won the battle for the starting end opposite Graham after a stellar fall camp. The 6-foot-5, 225-pound Watson was a first-team All-South Jersey pick coming out of high school and helped his team go 14-0 and win a state championship as a senior.

Redshirt junior Charlie Sasso returns after an injury-plagued 2024 season and gets the starting role at middle linebacker. Sasso saw action in nine games a year ago, including three starts. Coming out of Wall Township High School, Sasso was the New Jersey Defensive Player of the Year as a junior and second team all-state as a senior. According to Walker, Sasso is completely healthy and has been a monster during fall camp. Towson transfer Evan Rutkowski will start next to Sasso at inside linebacker. The 6-foot-2, 215 pound Rutkowski had 32 tackles, six tackles for loss, two sacks, and two forced fumbles last season for the Tigers. Former Rutgers commit and Iowa Central Community College transfer Ryan Russo, along with Coastal Carolina transfer Spencer Kishbaugh, provide the Hawks with quality depth at linebacker.

Redshirt junior Luke Schabel will handle the punting duties, while Eastern Michigan transfer and Schabel will handle the kicking.

If this defense can gel into a cohesive unit, as all signs indicate, this may turn out to be a very special year for the Hawks and their fans.