ITHACA, N.Y. -- The 2022 season was one to be celebrated for Big Red football. The best road record since 2016. The most wins since 2011. The most all-Ivy honorees since the 2005 season. Still, with returning 18 starters this season and a head coach entering his 11th season, Cornell has big hopes for the 2023 slate.

Offense
The offensive captain and 2022 all-Ivy honorable mention, Micah Sahakian, is among six returning offensive lineman who tallied at least one start in the 2023 rotation. Together, the o-line allowed the second fewest sacks in school history (14), led the Ivy League in fourth-down conversions (15-of-26, 58 percent), and led the league in time of possession by nearly two minutes per game.

Behind the offensive line returns Jameson Wang. Wang enters his junior season with 30 passing and rushing touchdowns, nearly 2000 passing yards, and over 900 rushing yards. The all-Ivy quarterback was responsible for a league-best 22 touchdowns in 2022. He finished last season ranked among the top-100 nationally in 14 different offensive categories.

In the backfield, the Big Red returns Eddy Tillman, Gannon Carothers, and Robert Tucker III, who combined for 683 yards on the ground. In addition to an experienced returning class, rookie Ean Pope joins the mix, a recruit out of Miami, Fla., who rushed for over 1,000-yards in high school, and clocks in at 4.5 in the 40-yard dash.

The Big Red's offense capitalized on passing game last year, totaling 166 completions for 1,826 yards. This year, the receiving core is one of the youngest on the roster, with just one senior returning in Nicholas Laboy. Laboy totaled 369 yards on 25 catches as a junior, while also hauling in two touchdowns. Matthew Robbert is set to return at tight end after an all-Ivy campaign in 2022. The then-junior caught 31 passes for 468 yards and three touchdowns. His touchdown mark was the most-ever by a Big Red tight end, while leading the Ivy League in yard per catch in Ivy games.

Defense
Connor Morgan returns in 2023 after starting all 10 games on the defensive line. in 2022, Morgan was credited with 18 tackles including a sack, and a pass breakup. He will be joined by Muhammed-Ali Kobo, Mason Yacovelli, Brendan Chestnut, Isaiah Gomes, Amon Williams, Maxwell Van Fleet, and Ezekiel Evans, who all saw rotations last season on the defensive line as reserves.

Headlined by captain Jake Stebbins, the linebacker room could be one of the deepest for the Big Red in 2023. Seven of the seventeen rostered linebackers are seniors. Returners like Malin White, who just broke the all-time squat record, Holt Fletcher, who led the 2022 roster in interceptions, Connor Henderson, who earned an all-Ivy nod at linebacker, and Noah Taylor, who tallied the third-most tackles last season, will look to pick up where they left off.

The cornerbacks will see the return of Paul Lewis III, a second-team all-Ivy selection in 2022. He earned 52 tackles across the year and led the team with 11 pass breakups, ranking third in the Ivy and 28th nationally. He will be joined by Anthony Chideme-Alfaro, who finished the year ranked seventh in Ivy in pass breakups (9).

Trey Harris, DJ Hooker, and Brody Kidwell are back for the safeties. The three combined for 102 tackles in 2022.

Special Teams
Jackson Kennedy, a second-team all-Ivy selection as a place kicker, is set to return to the punting and placekicking role for the Big Red. Kennedy went 7-for-11 on field goals last season, and drilled all 25 PAT attempts, accounting for 46 points.

Many other special team contributors are returning this year, including Manny Adebi. Adebi led the Ivy League and all of FCs with the most blocked kicks with four in just six games. This number ranked fourth among all levels of NCAA collegiate football and tied the Cornell single-season record.

The Big Red will take all this experience into kickoff this week against Lehigh to open the 2023 campaign. The game is set for Saturday, September 16, at 12 p.m. in Bethlehem, Pa. Fans at home can catch the action on ESPN+, those attending the game can grab tickets at th link here.