POUGHKEEPSIE, New York – The Marist football team is ready to open the 2021 season on Saturday at Ivy League foe Columbia. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN+ and SNY, with a free audio broadcast available on the Red Fox Network. Geoff Brault (play-by-play), Steve Eggink (analyst),
 
Here is a closer look at the 2021 Red Foxes:
 

Headlines & Notes

• Of the 115 players on Marist's roster, 37 have previously appeared in a game for the Red Foxes, and 19 have previously started games. The roster includes 64 true or red-shirt freshmen.
• In the 2020-21 school year, Marist set a program record with 61 student-athletes named to the PFL Academic Honor Roll.
• On Aug. 25, the program held a "Lift for Life" event sponsored by the Marist Chapter of Uplifting Athletes that raised over $20,000. Marist's chapter is led by red-shirt junior safety Paul Olivett and red-shirt junior kicker Luke Paladino.
• Marist was picked to finish tied for ninth in the PFL Preseason Poll.
• Graduate safety Kyle Fleitman and red-shirt junior defensive end Aaron Acosta were named Preseason All-PFL.

 

Quarterback

Austin Day became Marist's starter midway through the 2018 season, and has 13 career starts. Day holds Marist's single-game passing yards record with 440, which came in a double overtime win against Davidson in his first career start on Oct. 20, 2018. He tied a program record with five passing touchdowns in the game. He is a captain. ... Julian McGarvey is #2 on the depth chart. He has not seen game action. ... The only other quarterback who has played is Matt Edwards, who went 16-for-20 for 168 yards and a touchdown in 2019.
 

Running Back

Hunter Cobb started the final six games of the 2019 season. He finished the year with 13 touchdowns, the highest total for a Marist running back since 2008. Over the final five games of the season, Cobb averaged 125.4 rushing yards per game. ... Fifth-year senior Mekhai Johnson has appeared in 23 career games, and started the first four games of the 2019 season. He has averaged 6.0 yards per carry in his career, and has 579 rushing yards. He has 170 rushing yards and three touchdowns at Morehead State on Oct. 27, 2018. ... The only other running back who has seen game action is fifth-year senior Dazhon Miller, who has appeared in 11 career games and had one start in 2019.
 

Wide Receiver

The trio of Dwayne Menders Jr., Sydney Person, and Scott Scherzer are the only Red Foxes who have seen game action at the position. ... Menders had 758 all-purpose yards in 2019, and caught 18 passes for 209 yards. He made his first career start in Marist's season finale in '19  ... Person made three starts in 2019 and appeared in all 11 games. He caught 21 passes for 199 yards. He set career highs with five receptions and 45 receiving yards against #21 Dartmouth on Oct. 21, 2019. ... Scherzer appeared in all 11 games in 2019 as a reserve. He caught 15 passes for 179 yards, and had his first career touchdown with a 30-yard reception against Jacksonville on Nov. 16, 2019.
 

Tight End

Wyatt McMahon is the only Red Fox who has seen prior action at the position. He has made four career starts, with three coming in the 2019 season, when he caught four passes for 32 yards. McMahon has played in 16 career games, and is currently pursuing his Master's degree.
 

Offensive Line

Ben Johnson is the lone player on this unit who has previously started. Johnson played in all 11 games in 2019, and started the final six at right tackle. He is slated to start at left tackle, and is a captain. ... Ethan Parrish saw extensive playing time in 2019 as a reserve at both guard positions. He is projected to start at center. ... Anthony D'Urso, the projected starter at right guard, is the only other offensive lineman who has seen game action. ... Red-shirt freshmen Zaire Cooper and Nico Negron are the projected starters at left guard and right tackle, respectively.
 

Defensive Line

Aaron Acosta was named a Freshman All-American in 2019, and Preseason All-PFL this season. Acosta played in nine games, with three starts, in 2019. He registered seven tackles for loss and four sacks, both of which ranked second on the team. ... Jacob Abill and Nick Foglia essentially shared the nose tackle position in 2019, with Foglia starting six games and Abill five. This year, Foglia is projected as the starter inside, with Abill taking over as a starter at defensive end opposite Acosta. Foglia was named Academic All-District this past school year. ... The Red Foxes have experience with red-shirt junior defensive ends Halil Gecaj and Carson Badamo having seen game action.
 

Linebacker

Although none of the Red Foxes' returners at this position have previously started a game, there is plenty of experience and leadership. Projected starters Mike Arrington, Jayden Johnson, and Arthur Pinckney are all red-shirt juniors who have seen game action. Arrington and Pinckey are both captains. Pinckey is Co-President of Marist's Black Student-Athlete Alliance, and is Marist's nominee for the Allstate AFCA GoodWorks Team this season.
 

Cornerback

Three returning Red Foxes have seen game action, but none have started. ... Jamal Valentin is a fifth-year senior who has played in 19 career games. ... Tyhir Harley is a projected starter who saw action in five games as a true freshman in 2019. ... Isaiah Smith played in all 11 games as a freshman two years ago. ... True freshman Al Stallworth (28) is projected to start opposite Harley. … KJ Thomas (27) is a transfer who previously played at Ursinus.
 

Safety

Kyle Fleitman is a captain, was named Second Team All-PFL in 2019, and Preseason All-PFL this year. In his first year as a starter in 2019, Fleitman notched 62 tackles, two interceptions, and five pass break-ups. He is Marist's nominee for the Campbell Trophy this season. He is currently pursuing his Master's degree. ... Red-shirt senior Teddy Wright along with red-shirt juniors Clayborne Fields III and Jhonny Quest played in all 11 games in 2019, and each started a game. Wright and Fields are slated to join Fleitman as starters. ... Red-shirt sophomore Kyle Coffindaffer is making the transition from linebacker. ... Red-shirt junior Paul Olivett and red-shirt sophomore Brendan Pacheco have also seen game action.
 

Special Teams

Luke Paladino was 11-for-14 on field goal attempts and 28-for-29 on PATs in 2019. Paladino tied the school record originally set by current Seattle Seahawk Jason Myers with a 49-yarder, and made three kicks of 45 yards or longer. ... Dominic Donohue averaged 34.2 yards per punt, and had zero touchbacks on 60 punts in 2019. He is also the team's holder. ... Dwayne Menders Jr. and Mekhai Johnson will be used on kickoff returns, and Menders is the primary punt returner. Johnson had a 90-yard kickoff return touchdown in 2017. ... Justin Iaccio, who appeared in three games in 2019, is the long snapper.
 

Coaching Staff

Jim Parady is the longest-tenured head coach in Division I football, and is in his 30^th year leading the program. … The Red Foxes' coaching staff has remained largely intact from two years ago, including associate head coach/defensive coordinator Scott Rumsey (24^th year), offensive coordinator/offensive line Jake Dembow (ninth year), special teams coordinator/safeties Cameron Gibson (fifth year), pass game coordinator/wide receivers Billy Creed (sixth year), defensive line/recruiting coordinator James Groce (fourth year), tight ends/assistant special teams coordinator Casey Tosches (fourth year), specialists coach Tom Kelly (38^th year), cornerbacks coach Larry Riley (34^th year), and linebackers coach Mike Kagafas (third year). … Isaiah Watson is in his third year on staff, and was promoted to running backs coach in December of 2020. … The three newcomers include two former players in Luke Butera (assistant linebackers) and Sean Gaffney (assistant offensive line), along with director of football operations Jimmy Picerelli.