NORTH ANDOVER, Mass. – The lights will be a little bit brighter this time around, and head football coach Mike Gennetti and the Merrimack College football team know it.
The Warriors will face four teams who enter the 2026 campaign having been ranked inside the FCS Preseason Top-25. Six of their 12 opponents this season received top-25 votes by FCS coaches while two others (Delaware, Wake Forest) play in FBS.
"It's going to be a challenging schedule. Our guys know that. We know that," Gennetti said. "Inside of all these challenges, embedded in all of these challenges, are opportunities for our program. Opportunities for Merrimack. Our guys want to play on a huge stage, and we certainly have provided them with that opportunity this year."
The Warriors kick off their season against the Rhode Island Rams at Duane Stadium on Friday night. The Rams, who are coming off back-to-back CAA titles, ranked seventh in the NCAA's Stats Perform FCS Top-25 and eighth in the coaches preseason poll.
Future Merrimack opponents who join the Rams inside the top-25 are No. 5 Tarleton State, No. 19 Yale and No. 23 Monmouth. Dartmouth and New Hampshire also received votes in the coaches poll.
"It's going to be challenging, it's going to be exciting," Gennetti said. "Our guys are going to be playing in front of huge crowds, and experience things that they're going to be very excited for."
The Warriors will turn the offense over to sophomore transfer quarterback AJ Hairston Jr. with redshirt sophomore Cole Meehan behind Hairston. The Merrimack signal-caller will play behind an offensive line made up of, from left to right, Ra'Qui Martin (6-foot-5, 310 pounds), Lakeem Steele (6-foot-3, 310), Logan Wylie (6-foot-2, 305), Tommy Dickinson (6-foot-4, 310) and Chris Leonardo (6-foot-3, 290). DeMarcus McElroy and Galamama Mulbah headline the Merrimack backfield with wide receivers Austin Palmer, Kenyon Massey, Stephon Patrick, Dennis Morgan, Bryce Goulet and Ethan Crite as well as tight end Ty Yocum among those featured at the skill positions.
The Warriors are coming off a 2025 season in which they averaged 20.5 points per game and compiled an average of 343.9 yards per game, including 4.6 yards per rushing attempt.
"The wide receiver position for us has been – I think in the spring they really opened up our eyes," Gennetti said. "I think that group is an exciting group to watch. And I think we're going to have guys who are going to be able to get them the ball and open up the offense for us. So, we're looking forward to that."
On the defensive side, Gennetti and company will look to defensive tackle Bryce Warrick to lead the interior rush along with nose tackle Bryce Ricks (6-foot-1, 330). Defensive ends Dwayne Green Jr. and junior Logan Graham will be among those counted on to get after the quarterback while the linebacker corps will be headlined by graduate transfer Micah Green with Markeith Hogan and Will Claude. The Warrior defensive backfield will include free safety Danny Simms, safety Kamden Wyatt and cornerbacks Bertin Placide, DeAndre Ricks, Garret Jackson and Kasir Hicks, among others.
Merrimack limited opposing offenses to 24.4 points per game during the 2025 season with an impressive 202.8 passing yards per game allowed.
"We have that competition. We have a lot of hungry guys, guys that are going to get a lot more opportunities than they've had in the past. And we're excited for them," Gennetti said. "They're working hard. That's the type of group we are. We are going to play incredibly hard. That is our MO. That is what we have to be each and every day. So, these guys have bought in."
