The 2025 season will be remembered as a turning point for Franklin & Marshall football. An overtime win over Johns Hopkins not only secured the Centennial Conference championship but also marked the program’s inaugural NCAA Tournament berth, a milestone that has energized the campus and the surrounding community.
A Coach With a Vision
Head coach Michael Phelan returns with a clear mandate: sustain the momentum generated by last year’s triumph while nurturing the next generation of leaders. His approach blends disciplined preparation with an emphasis on player development, a philosophy that has already begun to shape the team’s identity.
The roster features twelve returning all‑conference athletes, a depth of experience that positions the Diplomats to compete at the highest level. Among them, quarterback Paulus Zittrauer brings five career starts to the field, while running back Louis Paris and wide receiver Gary Lewis have each earned All‑Centennial Conference recognition.
On the offensive side, the departure of Ty Tremba creates an opening for emerging talents such as junior Na'Rome Rayborn and sophomore Jadon Prinzivalli. Both players have shown flashes of playmaking ability during spring practices, and coaches expect them to shoulder greater responsibility in the upcoming season.
Defensively, the team retains key contributors like Austin Hadley and Connor Hille, whose experience in the secondary and line will be vital as the Diplomats aim to tighten a unit that showed improvement in the latter half of the previous campaign.
The 2026 schedule opens with a home matchup against Lebanon Valley, followed by contests against Westminster and Catholic before conference play begins in October. This early slate offers a blend of non‑conference challenges and opportunities to fine‑tune strategies before league competition.
Expectations are high, with the squad projected to receive votes in both the D3football.com and AFCA national polls. In the preseason conference vote, the Diplomats were slated third, a testament to the belief in their potential to climb the rankings as the season progresses.
Beyond the scoreboard, the program’s leadership hopes to cement a legacy of consistent postseason appearances. The early success has sparked enthusiasm among alumni and donors, suggesting that the foundation laid in 2025 could support sustained excellence in the years ahead.