This Labor Day weekend the Stony Brook football team will play their first game of the season, and they may have never had higher expectations than they do right now.
The Seawolves begin the season ranked #24 in the nation in the 2025 Stats Perform FCS Preseason Top 25 Poll.
The Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) performed well in the preseason polls with five teams ranked inside the top 15. Rhode Island is the favorite ranking 9th overall, followed by Villanova, at 13, Monmouth, at 22, and New Hampshire, which received some votes.
Stony Brook had one of the most unexpected seasons last year and it was one of the biggest turnarounds in FCS history. The year prior the Wolves went 0-10, but last season with a new Head Coach and new direction they were able to win 8 games. Billy Cosh, who is the second-youngest head coach in Division I football, was named CAA Coach of the Year and became just the second rookie head coach to earn AFCA National Coach of the Year honors.
Offensively, Stony Brook literally doubled their offensive production improving from 15 points per game in 2023 to 30 in 2024. They also had a big increase in total yards and rushing. They more than doubled up their total TDs with just 19 touchdowns in 2023 to 44 scores last season.
Defensively, the Seawolves also saw a big improvement as they cut their points allowed from 39 to 24 per game. Their yards per game decreased by almost 100 yards and they gave up 32 touchdowns compared to 53 in 2023.
Stony Brook returns several key contributors on both sides of the ball, including All-American running back Roland Dempster, offensive linemen Niko Papic and Kollin Melendez, wide receivers Jayce Freeman and Dez Williams, tight end Cole Bunicci, defensive linemen Sebastian Regis and Rodney Faulk, linebackers AJ Roberts and Anthony Ferrelli, kicker Enda Kirby, and punter Clayton Taylor.