When senior captains Trayvon Toney, Parker Thelander, Jacob Stanley, Tucker Gumkowski, and Conner Hartigan lead the 2015 Hobart football team onto the field on Sept. 5 at Dickinson, it will be an historic moment.

No class of Hobart football seniors has reached that stage of its career without suffering at least one regular season loss, but the Class of 2016 carries a 29-0 record into its final campaign. The Statesmen will also carry the weight of a preseason national ranking onto the field. Hobart landed at No. 16 in both the D3football.com and Sporting News polls.

The Statesmen may also carry a chip on their shoulder. The Liberty League coaches did not pick Hobart to capture its fifth consecutive conference championship. The league's coaches split their first place votes evenly between the Statesmen and Saints, but SLU collected one more point to get the title, "preseason favorite." 

Hobart is coming off a 12-1 season that saw the Statesmen grab the Liberty League crown with a perfect 7-0 record. Hobart advanced to the NCAA quarterfinal round for the second time in three seasons.
The Statesmen claimed 21 All-Liberty League awards, including the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, six D3football.com All-East awards, including the Defensive Player of the Year, and five All-America awards, including the D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year.

How the 2015 season shakes out for Hobart will depend on the program's ability to fill in the gaps for lost talent. In addition to replacing a talented and deep senior class, the Statesmen will also have two new coordinators. 

Long-time Quarterbacks Coach Jon Drach was promoted to offensive coordinator after Kevin DeWall '00 accepted the head coaching job at Endicott College (Hobart's Week 2 opponent) and Kory David joins the staff as defensive coordinator following Nick Grange decision to leave coaching.

Let's start a position-by-position look at the 2015 Statesmen where the biggest holes are (both literally and figuratively).

OFFENSIVE LINE 

Hobart's line returns three starters, but its two losses were both All-Americans, left tackle Ali Marpet '15 and right guard DeAndré Smith '15. Marpet earned a share of the Liberty League Offensive Player of the Year award and garnered first team All-America praise from the AFCA and D3football.com while Smith received third team recognition from D3football.com. Marpet made history (see pg. 30) when he was selected by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the 61st overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft.

Returning starters senior Brendan Casey, junior Patrick O'Connell, and junior Nick Testani will form the nucleus of this year's line. A two-year starter and a 2014 second team All-Liberty League pick, O'Connell will move from the right to left tackle spot, taking over for Marpet. Casey will continue to man the left guard spot. Testani, who earned All-Liberty League honorable mention last year, started at center, but could move out to right tackle to get maximum effectiveness out of his talent. Together with Marpet and Smith, they ranked sixth in the nation in fewest tackles for loss allowed and sixth in fewest sacks allowed in 2014.

If Testani stays at center, look for junior Justin DiJiulio to get the start at right tackle. The 6-foot-4, 285 pounder returns to the sideline after missing last season with an injury. He has the physical tools to start, but will need to shake off the rust to get game ready. If Testani moves out to tackle, look for senior T.J. Scamurra to man the middle. He saw action in eight games last year and has a strong grasp of Hobart's blocking schemes.

Senior Emiliano Acosta is the leading candidate to start in place of Smith at right guard. He started four games last season when Casey was out with an injury.

Depth will not be an issue for the Statesmen on the line. In addition to 12 returning linemen, Hobart will also welcome a class of seven first-year linemen. Among returning players, junior Matthew Mancuso and sophomores Alex Helm and Stephen VanHoesen performed well in preseason and could compete for a starting job. Helm is a tough, smart center, Mancuso is a big (6-4, 300), physical blocker that will contribute at guard, and VanHoesen is a converted defensive tackle that could rotate in at any of the five spots along the line. The Class of 2019's Jonathan Koch (6-2, 285) and John Deveney (6-5, 290) impressed the coaching staff in preseason camp and are expected to earn quality minutes from Day 1.

QUARTERBACK

Patrick Conlan '15 graduated with a 22-2 record as a starter under center, having passed for 3,603 yards and 33 touchdowns. The two-time All-Liberty League selection's experience and leadership will be difficult to replace. Senior Parker Thelander and sophomore transfers Shane Sweeney and Thomas Sydeski are the top candidates to take over at quarterback.

A team captain, Thelander knows the offense the best and came through in the clutch, completing a crucial third down pass during Hobart's game-winning drive against Ithaca in the NCAA playoffs. Sweeney returns to Geneva after two years at the University of Albany. The former Geneva High School two-sport star—he was the Finger Lakes Player of the Year in both football and basketball as a senior—is looking for his first collegiate action. Sydeski transferred from Division II Stonehill. He played in five games last season for the Skyhawks, throwing for 1,166 yards and seven touchdowns. A native of Brockport, Sydeski enrolled at Hobart for the 2015 spring semester, getting a jump-start on learning the offense in spring ball.

First-years Anthony Pino and Matt Woods will add depth while learning the Hobart offense.

RUNNING BACK

Hartigan, who gained a season-high 125 yards in the win at St. Lawrence, returns for his second season as the starting tailback. He averaged 5.5 yards per carry and scored nine touchdowns. As in years past, Hobart will use a running back-by-committee approach, splitting carries between as many as four other backs.

Senior Justin Burke, junior Bradley Burns, sophomore Joe Letizia, and first-year Tynard Barfield will share the workload with Hartigan. Burke is a speedy runner, who's been slowed by injuries. If he can remain healthy, expect big things in his final campaign. Burns trails only Hartigan among returning players in rushing yards, gaining 385 yards and three touchdowns on 77 carries. Letizia had just 18 carries as a first-year, but picked up a season-high 41 yards on a season-high eight carries against Merchant Marine. Barfield was an All-Maryland defensive back for Patterson High School last year. He's an explosive runner and an exceptional athlete who could also contribute on special teams.

At fullback, first-team All-Liberty League selection Dominique Ellis graduated, taking with him his team-leading 10 rushing touchdowns. Ellis' understudy, senior Christopher Holoman, is expected to step into the starting role. Holoman started three games a year ago and gained a season-high 91 yards with two touchdowns on just three carries at Rensselaer.

Holoman will be backed up by a pair of converted fullbacks. Junior Sean Bright began his Hobart career as a tailback while classmate Mark Marino was originally a linebacker. Bright is among the smartest players on the team in the classroom and on the field, while Marino is a punishing blocker.

TIGHT END

Hobart also takes a hit at tight end with the graduation of Mike Berkowitz and his six receiving touchdowns. The good news is, the Statesmen are very deep at tight end.

Sophomore Chris Cyr was second on the depth chart last year and is expected to start at Dickinson. He had nine catches for 120 yards as a first-year, pulling in his first collegiate touchdown in the NCAA quarterfinals at No. 4 Wesley.

Senior Josh Britton and sophomore Zach Withers are good pass catchers and big, physical blockers. Senior Nick Liverio is a tough, smart player and sophomore Dylan Quay is aggressive and physical. The collective skill and experience of this quintet has the coaches planning to use two and three tight end formations.

WIDE RECEIVER

The Statesmen graduated three of their top four pass catchers from a year ago—Elvin Souffrant 31 rec., 474 yds., 3 TDs, John Fasano 35-381-3, and Troy Robinson 19-218-1—but the returning talent has the coaches believing there will be no drop off in production.

Junior Jack Pfohl is the top returning pass catcher with 21 receptions for 226 yards in 2014. Sophomore Brandon Shed was slowed by a finger injury last year, but showed his potential with two receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns at Curry. The coaching staff expects to get a breakout season from the Florida native. Senior Cooper Merrill (12-94-0) and junior Sean Cunningham (2-38-1) are projected to round out the two-deep.

Senior Yanni Zulia, sophomores Drew Fineberg and Stephen Rogers, and first-year Joe Barrocas are also talented enough to work their way onto the field this season.

DEFENSIVE END

For the past four seasons, Tyre Coleman '15 terrorized opposing quarterbacks while winning three straight Liberty League Defensive Player of the Year awards and the 2014 D3football.com National Defensive Player of the Year award. By the time he was through with his junior seasons, he had broken Hobart's career records for sacks and tackles for loss, finishing his career with 51 sacks and 94.5 tackles for loss. Coleman stands second on the NCAA Division III all-time sacks list and third in tackles for loss.

The coaches aren't expecting anyone on the roster to be able to duplicate that level of production, but they do believe they have the talent and skill to put on an effective pass rush. Junior James Hedger is back for his second season as a starter after compiling 31 stops a year ago. Sophomore Patrick Sheppard, last season's team Rookie Award winner, is expected to start on the other side after notching 18 tackles as a first-year. Both men are good against the run and are improving pass rushers.

Senior Julian Jackson and junior Zach Thornton will fill out the two-deep. Jackson has played sparingly over the past three seasons but is ready for a breakthrough senior year. Thornton is being converted to defensive end from linebacker to bolster the position's depth and experience.

Sophomore Brandon Ball and first-years Elijah Auringer and Al Smith will also compete for quality playing time.

DEFENSIVE TACKLE

First team All-Liberty League tackle Troy Johnson '15 logged 37 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, and 5.5 sacks, including a career-high 3.5 sacks in the Liberty League Championship clinching win at St. Lawrence.

Hobart welcomes back senior Tucker Gumkowski, himself an All-Liberty League caliber run stuffer and pass rusher. A team captain, he made 39 stops, including seven tackles for loss, last season.
Junior Jake Russell is expected to start next to him. He played in every game last year and set up Hobart's game-winning drive by recovering a Johns Hopkins fumble late in the fourth quarter of the NCAA playoff game.

Junior Elliot Adler and sophomores Jon Maciejewski and Zackary Robak will compete for a spot on the two-deep, but could be challenged by first-years A.J. McFarlane and Sean Moore. Out of Surrey, British Columbia, McFarlane stands 6-foot-3 and weighs in at 285 pounds, while Moore hails from Bohemia, N.Y., and is 6-foot-1, 270 pounds. Both players could prove to be fixtures in the middle of the Hobart line over the next few seasons.

LINEBACKER

When discussing his team's prospects for the 2015 season, Head Coach Mike Cragg didn't mince words when it comes to his linebacker corps. "We're as good at linebacker as any team in the country."

Senior captains Jacob Stanley and Trayvon Toney return to start at inside linebacker after sharing the team lead in tackles last season, ringing up 93 apiece. Toney produced a career-high 15 tackles and forced a fumble in the win over Springfield. Stanley scored his first collegiate touchdown on a 44-yard fumble return and sealed the win over the Blue Jays in the second round of the playoffs with his interception at the Hobart 2.

Sophomore Almamy Conde and first-years Josh Ammon, Aaron Louis, and Bryce Gioia in some combination will round out the two-deep, but don't expect Stanley or Toney to come off the field much.

At outside linebacker, junior Marcus Jemison is back for his second season as a starter. He showed no signs of a sophomore jinx, registering 71 tackles, 17.0 tackles for loss, and 9.5 sacks in 2014. Jemison was named to the 2015 D3football.com preseason All-America second team. Junior Michael Harper and sophomore Roddy Tierney will compete for the job vacated by three-year starter Nolan Toran '15. Harper has contributed at free safety and outside linebacker over the past two seasons and is a punishing hitter. Tierney played well in a limited role last year, and impressed in spring ball and preseason camp.

First-years Kai Brandford, Brandan Kahari, and Bobby Lewis will compete for the final spot on the depth chart.

DEFENSIVE BACK

Free safeties Matt Cragg and Gabriel Smith both auditioned at other positions during preseason camp. Cragg, last year's starter at free safety, tested out his skills at corner back and Smith, who returns to the roster after a year off, also played some linebacker in camp. The coaches are excited about the talent level both players possess and are looking for ways to get both on the field at the same time. To open the season, however, they'll be one-two on the depth chart at free safety.

Second team All-Liberty League pick, junior Todd Collier will hold down one of the two starting cornerback jobs. He led the Statesmen last year with 10 pass breakups and three interceptions, including a pick six at Rensselaer. Sophomore Tommy D'Antonio is the front runner for the other starting nod. He turned in his first collegiate interception in Hobart's biggest game of the year, killing a Wesley drive late in the first quarter of the NCAA quarterfinal.

Depth at corner will come from sophomore Daryl Scales and one of a quartet of first-years—C.J. Boleware, Matt Morgante, Kiande Phillips, and Sam Wheeler.

SCHEDULE

For the 24th consecutive season, Hobart will open its slate against Dickinson. The Statesmen will travel to Carlisle, Pa., on Sept. 5, looking for their sixth straight win over the Red Devils.
Hobart will begin its home schedule on Sept. 12 against a familiar face, if not a familiar foe. The Statesmen will host Endicott in a series that began last year with a 28-18 Hobart win in Beverley, Mass. The familiar face will be the Gulls new Head Coach and former Statesmen Offensive Coordinator Kevin DeWall '00.

Hobart will wrap up its non-conference schedule at Ithaca on Sept. 19 in a rematch of last season's NCAA opener that the Statesmen won 22-15.

The quest for a fifth straight Liberty League title begins at Merchant Marine on Sept. 26. Hobart hosts WPI on Oct. 3 for Homecoming at Boswell Field. That game will also be the sixth annual Touchdowns and Tackles for Happiness House fundraiser which has raised more than $20,000 over the past five years.

A week later, Hobart heads to Springfield followed by a week off. On Oct. 24, the Statesmen will host Rensselaer and don their camouflage jerseys for their annual game to raise awareness and funds for Honor Flight Rochester. The 99th meeting between Hobart and Union will be on Halloween in Schenectady.

November 7 will be the 88th contest between the Statesmen and St. Lawrence. It will also be Senior Day. The regular season will conclude on Nov. 14 at Rochester. The local rivals will face off on the gridiron for the 108th time, playing for the ninth annual Centennial Cup.