ITHACA, N.Y. — Cornell football seniors Ryder Kurtz and Samuel Musungu have been named to Phil Steele's FCS Preseason All-America Teams, with Kurtz earning first-team honors at tight end and Musungu landing on the third team at wide receiver. Musungu was also tabbed the 2026 Ivy League Preseason Offensive Player of the Year, part of a trio of Big Red selections to Steele's Preseason All-Ivy League Teams.

Musungu and Kurtz both earned first-team all-conference honors at their respective positions, and are joined on the Preseason All-Ivy list by senior Brendan Lee, who was named to the second team as a punt returner.

Musungu, who missed last season due to injury, last played in 2024, a breakout campaign for the rising senior, hauling in 83 receptions for 960 yards and 10 touchdowns. For his career, he has totaled 108 receptions for 1,167 yards and 11 touchdowns, adding 42 rushing yards and 218 all-purpose yards as a return man. He set single-game highs with 14 receptions twice and posted a 165-yard, three-touchdown effort at Princeton in 2024.

Kurtz, an All-American and steady presence at tight end the past two seasons, has caught 80 passes for 964 yards and eight touchdowns across his career. He turned in a career-high nine catches at Dartmouth in 2025 and has topped 400 receiving yards in each of his two seasons on campus.

Lee has developed into one of the Ivy League's best all-purpose threats, totaling 728 all-purpose yards over his career, including 478 in 2025 on 40 rushing yards, 312 receiving yards and returns of both punts and kicks. He set career high with 31 receptions in 2025, and his 24-yard punt return at Yale and 25-yard kick return against Columbia rank among his top special teams plays.

Cornell opens the 2026 season on Saturday, Sept. 19 at Colgate. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m. on ESPN+.