ITHACA, N.Y. -- For the first time in program history, Cornell football has a path to the postseason. The question facing the Big Red as they prepare to open the 2025 season is whether this group of largely unproven players can seize that opportunity.
 
"I don't really know where we are. The guys are working, they're playing hard, we're practicing hard. It's been pretty competitive and physical, so I like that part," commented The Roger J. Weiss Head Coach of Cornell Football Dan Swanstrom. "But we're pretty unknown, and we won't know much until we get out on the field. I really don't have a good baseline for what this group is capable of doing. A lot of guys haven't played varsity football, and the ones who have weren't very competitive last year. The question is, have they gotten better? So this is wait and see. It's about growth, learning how to compete, learning how to play with physicality and competitiveness for 60 minutes. Those are the things we're really looking for."
   
The Offense:
Cornell is coming off a season in which it ranked third in total yards (412.6), passing yards (264.4) per game, and had the third-best scoring offense in the league at 30.2 points per game, trailing only Yale (33.8) and Harvard (32.6). The Big Red was also fifth in rushing yards (148.2) per game in the Ivy League.
 
However, it will be a wait-and-see situation with the group after graduating All-Ivy quarterback Jameson Wang and still needing to figure out his replacement under center. 
 
Key Returners: Ean Pope (RB), Ryder Kurtz (TE), Parker Woodring (WR), Samuel Musungu (WR)
Players to Watch: Robert Tucker III (RB), Garrett Bass-Sulpizio (QB), Devin Page (QB), Doryn Smith (WR)
 
"Offensively we have a lot of guys back, so we're excited to see if they've grown. From skill positions to the offensive line, a lot of those guys played a lot of football, but have they become a better group? Have their cohesiveness, strength, and size gotten better? We're still working on the quarterback situation and getting that sorted out. So there are still a lot of unknowns." – Coach Swanstrom.
 
"It's really just been great working with the new guys (quarterbacks) in the spring and over the summer, just running a lot of routes and working on our timing. Also, getting in the film room and seeing what they're seeing has helped a lot. It's definitely been good, I've enjoyed it a lot and I think we've looked really good over the summer." – Parker Woodring (Senior, WR)
 
 
The Defense:
For the Big Red defense, it's all about improvement in 2025 after allowing the second-most yards per game to its opponents in the Ivy League a season ago at 431.2 yards per contest. The good news is the team's top three tacklers are back and there is a conscious effort to get better.
 
Key Returners: Damon Barnes (DB), Joey Cheshire (LB), Michael O'Keeefe (CB), 
Players to Watch: James Reinbold (LB), Tyler Gibson (CB), Michael O'Keefe (DL), Maxwell Van Fleet (DL)
 
"Defensively, we weren't very good last year, we weren't very competitive and didn't handle adversity well. We're really looking to see if this group can learn how to compete consistently, like you need to in this sport. But a lot of part-time players, guys who played a little bit here and there, not a ton of major contributors are back. So that's another wait-and-see situation."  -- Coach Swanstrom.
 
"There are a lot of guys, including myself, that need to step up and prove to the league, prove to each other, or even prove to themselves, that they deserve to be on the field and that they have the right mindset going into each game and each practice. There's a lot of guys in a lot of different positions that have things to prove, and need to prove to themselves that they are a force in this league and have the ability to make plays."  -- Damon Barnes (5th Year, DB)

 

Special Teams:
Cornell returns kicker Alan Zhao, who was named to the Fred Mitchell Watch List, as well as Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy First Team selection Nolan Albright at long snapper. Zhao was nearly perfect a season ago, missing just one field goal attempt all season, leading to a spot on the Phil Steele Preseason All-Ivy second team.
 
Key Returners: Alan Zhao (K), Nolan Albright (LS), Caden Lesiewicz (P)
 
"This group is OK. But it's really about building that consistency and cohesiveness as a unit. Special teams can make or break you, so we need those guys to gel together and execute when it matters. That's what we're working toward." – Coach Swanstrom.
 
Schedule Outlook:
Cornell will play its typical 10-game slate in 2025, but for the first time, there is an opportunity for more. The 2025 season marks the first year the Ivy League will send its champion to the FCS Playoff, opening new possibilities for all league programs.
 
After playing its first two games on the road, including its league opener against Yale on Sept. 27, the Big Red returns to Schoellkopf for their first home game of 2025. Cornell will welcome Colgate for Homecoming, marking the team's return to familiar turf.
 
The Big Red will then travel to Cambridge to face Harvard on ESPNU on Friday, Oct. 10 at 7 p.m. This road test will be followed by three consecutive home games: Bucknell on Oct. 18, Brown on Oct. 25, and Princeton on Nov. 1.
 
Cornell closes the regular season with two road games, Penn on Nov. 8 and Dartmouth on Nov. 15, before returning home to face Columbia on Nov. 22 in the season finale.
All Cornell home games will kick off at 1 p.m., with the exception of Homecoming, which is scheduled for a 2 p.m. start.