By Ryan Barry
NEFJ Correspondent

The New Hampshire Wildcats enter the 2024 season flying under the radar.

This storied program of the FCS who has been a model of consistency hasn’t drawn the levels of attention like they did entering the 2023 season.

This time a year ago all eyes were on a potential playoff run led by star quarterback Max Brosmer and running back Dylan Laube, with the hope of returning the program back to the level of success that they’re used to.

Unfortunately in football, as in life, things don’t always go according to plan, with the Wildcats struggling to meet the expectations that fans and pundits drew up.

As frustrating as this might’ve been for head coach Rick Santos, who enters his fourth year in charge of the program, the experience might just be the perfect motivator for 2024.

With the Wildcats picked seventh in the Coast Athletic Association (CAA) preseason poll, the squad has all the ammunition they need to prove people wrong and write their own story.

2023 Recap

The Wildcats entered 2023 as the 11th ranked team in the nation, and were picked to finish second in the CAA.

After a week one stomping of Stonehill, the Wildcats nearly pulled off the “FCS over FBS” upset with a three point loss to Central Michigan of Mid-American Conference.

An impressive win over in-state rivals Dartmouth a week later had the team in a good position before conference play began, with the offense just beginning to hit their stride.

Unfortunately for their counterparts on defense, they never quite found their groove, as the Wildcats would go 4-4 down the stretch and allow at least 30 or more points in four of those remaining eight games.

A win over rival Maine in the last week of the season solidified a frustrating 6-5 season.

Offensive Preview

Quarterbacks 

 

With Brosmer transferring to Minnesota, the Wildcats will have a new starting quarterback for the first time in two years. To address his departure, Santos looked externally and found Shepherd University transfer Seth Morgan. At Shepherd, a Division II program, Morgan threw for 2,970 yards and 24 touchdowns with 11 interceptions, leading them to a postseason appearance.  Prior to Shepherd he spent two years at Virginia Military Institute, a Division I FCS program in the Southern Conference, where he was SoCon Freshman of the Year and led them to their first ever playoff berth.

With 33 starts between Shepherd and VMI, Morgan has veteran experience that is much needed with the loss of Brosmer. Morgan is an accurate passer with strong vision under center, and is able to put touch on the ball in difficult spaces.

While he’ll be the Wildcats starter come week one, sophomore Barry Kleinpeter and redshirt freshman Matt Vezza will be competing for the back-up job.

Kleinpeter may earn the nod having a little more experience in the program, along with an impressive running ability, but Vezza showed last season that he can play too, stepping up late in the game with Brosmer going down to help them earn a win over Monmouth.

While no one can step in and do what Brosmer did the last two years on day one, Morgan has the skillset and pedigree to be one of the better quarterbacks in the CAA.

Running Backs

It’ll be no easy task to replace Laube either, who now dons the silver and black of the Las Vegas Raiders after being taken in the sixth round of the NFL Draft.

Santos has said in camp there isn’t a clear cut number one option at the moment, but junior Myles Thomason figures to see the lionshare of the carries to start.

Thomason had 48 carries for 215 yards and a touchdown in 2023, along with 12 receptions for 103 yards and two touchdowns, putting him more in a Laube-type role in this year’s offense.

Senior Isaac Seide will slot in alongside him after a modest 28 carries for 102 yards and two touchdowns in 2023.

Both backs have the ability to take on more of a role in 2024, especially with an unproven backfield behind them. None of the four reserve backs on the roster had a carry in 2023, with junior Dominic Cavanagh’s lone touches coming back in 2022.  With a new quarterback the run game will be an integral part to giving them different looks for options, making Thomason and Seide’s job massively important to offensive success.

Wide Receivers 

Arguably the strongest player that returns to the Wildcats offense is graduate wide receiver Logan Tomlinson. Tomlinson arrived from Wesleyan, a Division III school, in 2023 and made an immediate impact. His 42 receptions for 618 yards and seven touchdowns earned him CAA Third Team honors.  While Tomlinson had a walking boot on for most of the spring, he looks ready to go for what should be another impactful year.

Juniors Caleb Burke (34 receptions, 425 yards, three touchdowns) and Joey Corcoran (30 receptions, 324 yards, one touchdown) had productive 2023 campaigns and have the skillset to make an even bigger force this season.

Sophomore Josh Filllion (13 receptions, 159 yards) played mostly a depth role in 2023, but has an opportunity to step up for more opportunities with the departures of DJ Linkins and Heron Maurisseau.

Outside of this returning group, Saint Francis transfer Casey McKinney figures to be a name that could have an impact on day one. McKinney’s 20 receptions for 282 yards and three touchdowns were second on the team last year, where he also had an impact at punt returner.

Incoming freshman DaMontre Patterson will also be a name to watch. He was the 19th rated wide receiver prospect in Oklahoma (according to 247Sporting.com), and featured offers from California, Marshall, Colorado, and Michigan State.

Morgan steps into a room that will give him plenty of options to spread the ball around.

Tight Ends

The graduation of Kyle Lepkowski opens the door for a new leading tight end for the Wildcats. Enter sophomore Colby Ramshaw, who was named to the FCS Football Central Freshman All-American Team in 2023.  The Londonderry, New Hampshire native had 11 receptions for 77 yards and four touchdowns last year behind Lepkowski, and figures to step right in and assume his targets.

The question lies in who takes over the TE2 role. Sophomore Drew Danson was the only other Wildcat tight end to see action last season, registering just two catches for three yards and a touchdown.

Junior Denin Limouris is a former Iowa walk-on who didn’t see much action last season during his first year in Durham, but could assume a bigger role, as could sophomore Peyton Strickland and freshman Jacob Metivier.

Either way, it’ll be exciting to see how big a step Ramshaw takes in 2024.

Offensive Line

A new quarterback and an inexperienced offensive line always make for a tricky combination, making this group one of the most important to watch in 2024. The Wildcats had mixed results along the offensive line in 2023, but were led by seniors  Osho Omoyeni and Matt O’Neil, who both found their way on all-CAA postseason teams.

This year’s squad features several incoming players, redshirt freshman, or depth players from 2023 needing to step in and play some big minutes.

Senior Dylan Poirier returns to anchor the line after seeing ten games of action last season. Stonehill senior transfer Tolu Olajide joins the Wildcats over offers from Akron, UMass, and several other prominent FCS schools, making him a huge get along the line. Junior Mason Davis appeared in eight games last season, as did sophomore Beau Riley.

Outside of these four, the Wildcats return seven juniors and sophomores who saw little to no action last season, have three redshirt freshmen coming off their year on the bench, and welcome six new freshmen to campus.

New offensive line coach Ryan Wilson will certainly have his work cut out for him to build a solid starting five, find his reserves, and develop the young guys.

Defensive Preview

Defensive Line

The Wildcats have one of the best one-two punches in the CAA thanks to seniors Josiah Silver and Dylan Ruiz.

Both players were named to the CAA Second Team Defense last season, and were given Preseason CAA First Team Defense honors for 2024. For Silver in particular, who has drawn national attention by being named to the Buck Buchanan Award watch list, another stellar season in Durham could see his name draw some draft buzz come next April.

With a two headed monster in Silver and Ruiz, defensive coordinator Garret Gillick will have the chance to draw up opportunities for the rest of the line. Senior Neil Politano and junior Tim Bonagura return at defensive tackle with plenty of experience and ability to disrupt things along the line of scrimmage.

Graduate transfer Jacoby Sherard arrives from Shippensburg, a Division II program, to provide even more depth at the tackle position where he earned all-conference honors last season. Junior Zach Garron and sophomore Justin Fevrier also return to provide depth along the line to round out what should be a very capable group this fall.

Linebackers

Senior captain Ryan Toscano is everything a Wildcat fan can ask for.

A local from Bedford, New Hampshire, his 76 total tackles helped him earn and honorable mention nod on last year’s CAA postseason teams, and was named to that same honor this year’s preseason team.

The combined leadership of Toscano and Silver, another defensive captain, will make for a strong cohesive front seven that has plenty of skills to back it up. Junior Brandon Perkins, who appeared in ten games and had 24 total tackles last season, should take a step forward this season alongside Toscano.

The addition of Delaware graduate transfer Mateo Vandamia, who chose the Wildcats over several other CAA schools, brings another layer of depth and experience to a side already featuring plenty.

 

Defensive Backs

The Wildcats return some key players across the defensive backfield, but there is a question of who’ll step up alongside those returnees to help improve a group that struggled at times last season.

At cornerback, senior Noah Stansbury leads the bunch after 49 total tackles and two interceptions last season. Fellow seniors Jonathan Collins Jr. and Caleb Mead figure to slot into the position as well, but will need to take a big step forward to create more of an impact alongside Stansbury.

Junior Gavin Urda and the incoming/redshirt freshman will compete to fill out the rest of the depth chart. Senior Zedane Williams, another defensive captain, leads the safety group. His 42 total tackles were good for fifth on the team, and will see his role increase with the graduation of Joe Eichman.

Isaiah Gilmore, a graduate transfer from Shippensburg, will provide depth alongside senior Duncan Moreland and junior Brendan Tighe.

The Wildcats also added transfer defensive backs Wande Owens (Yale) and Zeroun Skinner (Florida Atlantic), whose experience should prove huge to reinvigorate this group.

Special Teams Preview

 

The Wildcats are fortunate to return both players who handled kicking and punting from last season.

Junior kicker Nick Mazzie went 14 for 20 on field goals and 46 for 48 on extra points, hitting from as far as 47 yards in their win against Stonehill. Another offseason to develop can only add to his development.

Senior punter Sean Lehane handled 38 punts last season and put 13 inside the 20 yard line. With four punts over 50 yards and just four for touchbacks, Lehane will be an asset in 2024 when the offense comes off the field.

The loss of Laube won’t just hurt the offense, but special teams as well. His kickoff and punt returns earned him all-conference and all-american nods, making him a threat that’ll be difficult to replace.

Look for Myles Thomason and Caleb Mead to try and fill the roles in his absence.

Also not going unnoticed is the graduation of Charles Briscoe III, who earned all-conference honors as a special teamer in a “Matthew Slater” type role that helped aid such an impressive special teams unit in 2023.

 

Game-by-Game Prediction

Away @ Central Florida

• Date: Thursday, August 29th

• SP+ FBS Ranking: 45

• 2023 Record: 6-7

• Prediction: Loss

• The chance to take on a Big 12 team under the lights in primetime is an amazing opportunity for the Wildcats, though it’s one that unfortunately may end in a lopsided loss. Gus Malzahn’s job is starting to get warm in Orlando, and can’t afford a close game against an FCS opponent, look for them to run up the score if they have an opportunity to.

 

Away @ Holy Cross

• Date: Saturday, September 7th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Others Receiving Votes

• 2023 Record: 7-4

• Prediction: Loss

• The Crusaders and Wildcats enter 2024 in similar spots. They both lost their star starting quarterbacks to the transfer portal, and saw some of their best offensive players find their way to the NFL. I don’t think there’s a huge separation between these two, but being in Worcester has me leaning towards the black and purple.

 

Home vs. Stonehill

• Date: Saturday, September 14th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 5-5

• Prediction: Win

• The Wildcats annihilated the Skyhawks 51-17 to open last season in Easton. I don’t think they win by that much this time around, but it’ll be a chance to notch their first win of the season.

 

Home vs. Bryant

• Date: Saturday, September 21st

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 6-5

• Prediction: Win

• The Bulldogs enter 2024 amidst a host of transitions of their own, but I like the Wildcats returning cast better. A win to get back to .500 will be good for momentum heading into an early bye week.

 

Away @ Harvard

• Date: Friday, October 4th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Others Receiving Votes

• 2023 Record: 8-2

• Prediction: Loss

• This is going to be an awesome game. The last meeting between these schools was in November 1939, which feels strange considering they’re both New England FCS schools. This game is truly a coin flip, but being at Harvard with a more well rounded cast tips the scales to the Crimson.

 

Away @ Elon

• Date:  Saturday, October 12th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Others Receiving Votes

• 2023 Record: 6-5

• Prediction: Loss

• The Phoenix were taken just one spot ahead of the Wildcats in the CAA preseason poll. Another game that should be close, which again I unfortunately favor Elon being on the road with CAA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year Caleb Curtain leading the way.

 

Home vs. Rhode Island

• Date: Saturday, October 19th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 6-5

• Prediction: Win

• Losing to Rhody on the road last season killed the Wildcats chances at an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament. This season, I think it’s one which will ultimately get them back on track after a tough start, especially with the Rams in a season of transition of their own.

 

Away @ Villanova

• Date: Saturday, October 26th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: 6th

• 2023 Record: 10-3

• Prediction: Loss

• With nine first place votes atop the CAA preseason poll and multiple top 10 national rankings, Villanova are the darlings of the conference this season. Quarterback Connor Watkins is one of the best at his position in the FCS, which means it could be a long afternoon for UNH if they can’t slow him down.

 

Away @ UAlbany

• Date: Saturday, November 2nd

• FCS Preseason Ranking: 14th

• 2023 Record: 11-4

• Prediction: Loss

• The Wildcats took down a good UAlbany team at home last season, but an improved Great Danes squad should see them exert their revenge. Running back Griffin Woodell will be a handful for the Wildcats defense on the road.

 

Home vs. Monmouth

• Date: Saturday, November 9th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 4-7

• Prediction: Win

• The Wildcats will open a three game stretch over teams they should be favored over. A thrilling win over Monmouth in November last year should see another win this season for the Wildcats, just hopefully less dramatic.

 

Home vs. Stony Brook

• Date: Saturday, November 16th

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 0-10

• Prediction: Win

• Stony Brook have really struggled the past few years, and unfortunately this season may be no different. Look for the Wildcats to roll in this game.

 

Away @ Maine

• Date: Saturday, November 23rd

• FCS Preseason Ranking: Not ranked

• 2023 Record: 2-9

• Prediction: Win

• UNH has won their last two games over bitter rivals Maine. I like the Wildcats to pick up their third straight win over the Black Bears, but you never truly know how rivalry games will shake out, and this game being in Orono could possibly throw a wrench in things should they not bring their best game.

 

Final Season Record Prediction: 6-5

The Wildcats have enough talent to finish in the top quarter of the CAA. A solid transfer quarterback, a star wide receiver, two of the best edge rushers in the conference, should have fans in Durham at least confident of a competitive season. Where my confidence strays lies in the schedule, along with possible after effects of losing two of their best offensive players in program history. As exciting as the Holy Cross and Harvard games are, they’re certainly not easy, especially on top of a challenging CAA slate. If the defense improves then a lot of these coin flip games could favor the Wildcats, with a season closer to 7-4, or even 8-3, certainly possible. Until we see what that looks like, a similar record to last year is where things could fall. Either way, Santos will have his guys ready come Thursday night for what’s sure to be an exciting season at Wildcat Stadium.