Rhode Island Picked To Repeat As CAA Football Champions In 2026
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (July 22, 2026) – Rhode Island, which is coming off back-to-back 11-3 seasons and the outright CAA Football championship in 2025, was the unanimous choice to claim the title again in 2026 according to a vote of the league’s head coaches.
The Rams received all 12 possible first-place votes (coaches can’t vote for their own team) and 144 points in the preseason poll. Monmouth was chosen second with 119 points, while Elon was close behind in third with 115 points. Placing fourth was New Hampshire with 106 points, and Stony Brook, which got one first-place vote, took fifth with 105 points. Towson (93 points) finished sixth in the poll, followed by Maine (88 points), Campbell (56 points), Bryant (50 points), CAA newcomer Sacred Heart (49 points), UAlbany (35 points), North Carolina A&T (28 points) and Hampton (26 points).
In addition to the poll, coaches voted for the preseason all-conference team. Rhode Island senior quarterback
Devin Farrell was chosen as the CAA Offensive Player of the Year after completing 267-of-410 passes for 3,745 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. He ranked 7
th in FCS in passing yards per game (267.5) and 13
th in total offense (273.1 ypg) in 2025. Monmouth junior safety
Jaeden Jones was selected as the CAA Defensive Player of the Year after recording 118 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, an interception and three pass breakups a year ago. He ranked ninth in FCS in tackles per game (9.8) in 2025.
Rhode Island returns 15 starters from last year’s team that matched a program record for wins and reached the second round of the FCS playoffs for the second year in a row. Five of those starters are on offense, including Farrell, All-America wide receiver
Marquis Buchanan (78 rec., 1,337 yds., 8 TD’s) and All-CAA offensive lineman
Tre Alexander. Eight regulars are back on defense, led by linebackers
Moses Meus (110 tackles, 5.5 TFL) and
Rohan Davy (101 tackles, 13.0 TFL), who were first and second on the team in tackles.
Monmouth begins its first season under head coach Jeff Gallo, who served as the offensive coordinator for last year’s 9-3 squad. The Hawks, who led FCS in total offense (498.7 ypg) and ranked fifth in scoring (40.0 ppg) in 2025, welcome back quarterback
Frankie Weaver (1,355 yds., 14 TD’s) and receivers
Gavin Nelson (30 rec., 514 yds., 6 TD’s) and
Tra Neal (29 rec., 427 yds., 7 TD’s). Jones headlines a defense that returns linebackers
Ryan Russo (62 tackles),
Spencer Kishbaugh (56 tackles) and
Charlie Sasso (50 tackles).
Elon posted a 6-6 overall mark in 2025 and finished .500 or better in CAA play for the fifth year in row. The Phoenix return leading rusher
Jimmyll Williams (673 yds., 3 TD’s) and receiver
Landyn Backey (26 rec., 457 yds., 4 TD’s) on offense. Spearheading the defense are All-CAA linebacker
Brodie Carroll (104 tackles, 9.5 TFL’s) and safety
Tony Hart III (82 tackles, 2 int.).
2026 CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches)
OFFENSE
Name, School Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
Devin Farrell, Rhode Island Sr. QB 6-0 195 Stockbridge, Ga.
Mitch Summers, Sacred Heart 5th RB 5-7 155 Greensboro, N.C.
Myles Thomason, New Hampshire Sr. RB 5-9 181 Montclair, N.J.
Jimmyll Williams, Elon Sr. RB 5-9 204 Durham, N.C.
Dylan Magazu, Elon Jr. FB/HB 6-3 245 Newtown, Conn.
Marcus Middleton, Monmouth Jr. TE 6-3 225 Germantown, Md.
Marquis Buchanan, Rhode Island Sr. WR 6-4 190 Providence, R.I.
Aboraa Kwarteng, Rhode Island Sr. WR 6-2 190 Alexandria, Va.
Gavin Nelson, Monmouth Sr. WR 6-0 180 Reisterstown, Md.
Tre Alexander, Rhode Island Sr. OL 6-2 321 Tampa, Fla.
Omari Allen, Hampton Sr. OL 6-4 300 Henderson, N.C.
KJ Brooks, Towson Sr. OL 6-3 290 Olney, Md.
Tim Hogan, Elon Gr. OL 6-5 305 Raleigh, N.C.
Anthony Iliano, Maine Jr. OL 6-3 305 Cleveland, Ohio
Andrew Kocan, Maine Sr. OL 6-4 310 Pittsburgh, Pa.
DEFENSE
Name, School Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
Chris Bacon, Maine Jr. DL 6-3 245 Queens, N.Y.
Case Mankins, Rhode Island Sr. DL 6-3 245 North Attleboro, Mass.
Sebastian Regis, Stony Brook Jr. DL 6-1 260 East Islip, N.Y.
Korede Sogbesan, Hampton Sr. DL 6-3 245 Laurel, Md.
Brodie Carroll, Elon Jr. LB 6-1 240 Haymarket, Va.
Rohan Davy, Rhode Island Jr. LB 5-10 205 Briggs Chaney, Md.
Anthony Ferrelli, Stony Brook Sr. LB 6-0 225 Carlsbad, Calif.
Moses Meus, Rhode Island Jr. LB 6-3 230 Pawtucket, R.I.
Jamaree Gibson, Maine Sr. CB 6-0 205 Rochester, N.Y.
Miles McGoy, Stony Brook Jr. CB 6-4 175 Staten Island, N.Y.
Tony Hart III, Elon Jr. S 6-2 206 Baltimore, Md.
Jaeden Jones, Monmouth Jr. S 6-0 190 Colonia, N.J.
SPECIAL TEAMS
Name, School Cl. Pos. Ht. Wt. Hometown
Keylijah Williams, Bryant Sr. KR 6-0 183 Naples, Fla.
Elijah Kennedy, North Carolina A&T Sr. PR 5-11 180 High Point, N.C.
Luke Barnes, Elon Jr. PK 6-6 220 Greensboro, N.C.
Brett Starling, Hampton Jr. P 6-6 230 Hampton, Va.
Jaeden Jones, Monmouth Jr. SPEC 6-0 190 Colonia, N.J.
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Devin Farrell, QB, Rhode Island
CAA FOOTBALL PRESEASON DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jaeden Jones, S, Monmouth
Honorable mention: Andrew Indorf, QB, Towson;
Brendon Barrow, RB, Rhode Island;
Rashawn Marshall, RB, Maine;
Drew Danson, FB/HB, New Hampshire;
Landyn Backey, WR, Elon;
Tra Neal, WR, Monmouth;
Colby Ramshaw, TE, New Hampshire;
Andrew Dorsey, OL, North Carolina A&T;
Beau Riley, OL, New Hampshire;
Kevin Shriner, OL, Monmouth;
Tim Suk, OL, Sacred Heart;
Wyatt Whalen, OL, Bryant;
Ta’Kai Chisholm, DL, Maine;
Cameron Garner-Young, DL, New Hampshire;
Dillon Pardue, DL, Elon;
Darren Burton, LB, New Hampshire;
Dillon Dunathan, LB, UAlbany;
DaVonyae Pettis, LB, Campbell;
Trey Lubin, CB, Rhode Island;
Andre DePina-Gray, S, Rhode Island;
Jojo Garcia, S, Stony Brook;
Elijah Kennedy, KR, North Carolina A&T;
Samuel Tremblay, PK, Maine;
Luke Schabel, P, Monmouth;
Danny Anderla, SPEC, Towson
2026 CAA FOOTBALL PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches)
- Rhode Island (12 first-place votes) 144
- Monmouth 119
- Elon 115
- New Hampshire 106
- Stony Brook (1 first-place vote) 105
- Towson 93
- Maine 88
- Campbell 56
- Bryant 50
- Sacred Heart 49
- UAlbany 35
- North Carolina A&T 28
- Hampton 26