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After a strong regular season in which YSU improved its record from 4-8 to 8-4, the Penguins entered the playoffs with high expectations. Despite close losses to Michigan State, South Dakota State, and North Dakota State, YSU knew it could compete with the upper echelon of the FCS.
Fueled by an electric offense featuring the best quarterback in the country, the Penguins entered the postseason surrounded by national buzz and the potential to make a deep run.
In the first half of YSU’s first-round home game against Yale, the Penguins built a commanding 35-7 lead heading into the break. YSU had played arguably its best half of football and seemed destined for a date with the No. 2 seed, Montana State.
As YSU kicked off the second half, blowing a 28-point lead seemed like the most unlikely scenario. After making it a 42-14 game with 7:37 left in the third quarter, a historic meltdown ensued.
Yale scored four consecutive touchdowns and converted a two-point attempt to give the Bulldogs a 43-42 victory. Three long drives of 13, 11, and 12 plays took the air out of the ball and wore YSU out. Long, well-conducted possessions allowed Yale to stunt the momentum of YSU’s offense and set up the Penguin defense for a late haymaker, which came on a 56-yard rushing touchdown.
Whether perceived as an epic comeback or an all-time collapse, the YSU coaching staff had a lot of questions to answer. Would Beau Brungard leave? Will there be changes on defense? Is a mass portal exodus on the horizon?
These were all questions that flooded the program as YSU faced criticism from the national media for its seemingly impossible collapse.
It wasn’t until the next night that things changed. Doug Phillips drove out to his star quarterback’s house to get a feel for his headspace, and in a matter of seconds, the complexion of the upcoming season changed.
Beau Brungard told the coach who had given him his only Division I offer out of high school that he wasn’t going anywhere, and from that point on the pieces fell into place.
As YSU enters the 2026 season, the stakes are higher than ever for a program that hasn’t won a national championship since 1997. It would be a storybook ending if YSU claimed its fifth national title, considering how the Penguins lost to Yale and the loyalty Brungard and other experienced players showed afterward, but only one team can win it all.
The talent is abundant, as YSU returns six significant contributors on the offensive line, the Walter Payton Award winner at quarterback, its No. 1 running back, and its top two tight ends.
On defense, the Penguins hired former Mercyhurst head coach Ryan Riemedio as defensive coordinator, hoping that he can vastly improve a major weakness from a season ago. Lastly, Thomas Fletcher takes over a special teams unit looking to improve its kickoff and punt coverage.
While there are legitimate questions, this is the most talented team YSU has had in the Doug Phillips era. If YSU is able to get its new-look defense and special teams unit to gel, the Penguins could leave a legacy that is remembered forever.
YSU returns a significant amount of talent from a unit that averaged nearly 37 points per game. With a strong foundation featuring a veteran quarterback and offensive line, the Penguins have a safe floor and one of the highest ceilings in the FCS.
Left tackle Desmeal Leigh (6’-7’’, 325) anchors the offensive front as a legitimate NFL Draft prospect with elite physical talent. Last season, YSU allowed just 17 sacks and got better at run blocking as the season progressed.
The Penguins will look to improve those numbers further and continue to give Beau Brungard a clean pocket to operate from. Brungard put up staggering numbers last season, throwing for 3,230 yards and rushing for 1,468 yards.
His dual-threat nature makes him so difficult to play against, as both his arm talent and rushing ability are elite. Matching the numbers he had a season ago will be difficult, but there is optimism surrounding Brungard’s development as a passer and his potential to stretch the field even more in 2026.
Behind Brungard, Malachi Lewis has emerged as the backup quarterback after pulling away from Cincinnati transfer Zebulin Kinsey during fall camp. Having a succession plan is crucial, especially for a room that has a quarterback as mobile as Brungard, and Lewis seems to have tremendous upside as a former three-star prospect.
In the backfield, lead running back Jaden Gilbert returns after a productive 2025 campaign. At 5-foot-10, 180 pounds, Gilbert has emerged as a viable all-around tailback, capable of pass protection, explosive runs, and catching passes.
His explosiveness was put on full display last fall, as he averaged seven yards per carry and rushed for close to 700 yards on just 96 carries. Behind him, Antuan Gardner has evolved into a short-yardage back with a powerful running style.
At Niles McKinley High School, Gardner earned First-Team All-Ohio Division IV honors as a senior after rushing for 2,479 yards and 31 scores. Now a third-year player, he is expected to see his role increase in the YSU offense.
Donald Barksdale and Tahir Mills are other players to watch. The tight end room is loaded with depth and talent, as Alex McDonald and Austin Bray spearhead a strong rotation.
Both McDonald and Bray showcased their upside as pass catchers, combining for 190 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Micheal Manna also made an impact last season, hauling in five passes for 30 yards.
At wide receiver, YSU had to replace its go-to target Max Tomczak and speedster Flash Wilson, but the coaching staff reloaded through the transfer portal and brought in a deeper group. Findlay transfer Bryan Hunt appears to have emerged as Brungard’s primary receiver, as he had five receptions for 142 yards and a touchdown during the first scrimmage of fall camp.
Dorian Williams (Ohio State) is another wideout who has impressed, becoming a lethal red-zone weapon and deep-ball threat. What stands out most about YSU’s new receiving corps is the size, as Williams (6’-2’’), Lorenzo Jenkins (6’-3’’), Connor Smith (6’-4’’), and Jeremiah Sanders (6’-3’’) all have the length to generate serious mismatches on the perimeter.
In the slot, Grand Valley State transfer Lynn Wyche-El is poised for a breakout season after earning First-Team All-GLIAC accolades in 2025. Returnee Fresh Walters gives offensive coordinator Mike Yurcich another lethal weapon to utilize in the slot.
For a defense that allowed 31 points per game, YSU will have to improve significantly to become a national title contender. New defensive coordinator Ryan Riemedio provides reason for optimism, as he has experience coaching all three levels of the defense and will implement his 3-4 scheme in Youngstown.
Riemedio has an effective anchor in Mike Wells, who will play the defensive end/outside linebacker role known as the JACK position. Wells will be critical to the success of the defense, as he’ll be tasked with rotating between three-man and four-man fronts, offering versatility that YSU didn’t have a season ago.
New Hampshire transfer Raleigh Collins III is another important part of Riemedio’s defense, as he will man the SAM position, a hybrid defensive back/linebacker role. Wells and Collins are the two biggest X-factors for the Penguin defense.
At inside linebacker, Carston Marshall and Graydon Rollins enter the season as one of the better linebacking tandems in the MVFC. Marshall led all YSU linebackers with 71 tackles while also recording seven TFLs, 1.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles.
Rollins started six games last season, finishing with 38 tackles, four TFLs, and 2.5 sacks. There aren’t many questions regarding the starting linebackers, but the depth behind Marshall and Rollins is something to monitor.
Stephen Henderson started the spring game and is projected to have a big season following a standout fall camp. Lemondte Chambers, Danny Nittoli, and Aidan Fischer (Tiffin) continue to battle for second-team reps. If YSU is able to establish depth at linebacker, the front seven could be dominant.
Up front, three of four starters return. Ebony Curry Jr. (6’-5’’, 250) and Thomas Jolly (6’-3’’, 305) are both projected to start, while Connor Johannesen (6’-4’’, 275) offers a solid rotational option. The depth of the defensive line has been a storyline throughout the offseason and is something that championship teams often possess.
Holy Cross transfer Jordan Pritchard-Sewell is expected to start and could push for All-MVFC honors.
The biggest question on defense lies in the secondary. With a wave of transfer additions and a new defensive coordinator, there is hope that YSU has finally found answers in the back end. Dev Holman (Butler) continues to get preseason buzz from the national media, while Cam Smith, Stanley Clyne, and Darvens Tunis are all expected to contribute.
Riemedio has a consistent track record of developing good pass defenses. Can he do the same at YSU? The talent is there, but getting a transfer-laden lineup to gel will determine the success of the defense.
New special teams coordinator Thomas Fletcher is on a mission to fix YSU’s fatal flaws in kickoff and punt coverage. Evan Anderson takes over as the punter, giving the Penguins a young, talented option with tremendous upside.
Long snapper Nate Boozer is projected to start, while Andrew Lastovka and Josh Wilkins anchor the kicking game. Championship teams excel in all three phases of the game, and special teams cost YSU in critical moments last season.
Fletcher coached the top-rated special teams unit at the Division II level last year. Can he do the same at YSU? There is a lot of optimism surrounding Fletcher and the talent that he has to work with.
