PITMAN, NJ – Salisbury has been selected as the preseason favorite in the 2026 New Jersey Athletic Conference Football Coaches Poll, receiving six of the eight first-place votes in balloting by the league's head coaches.
Christopher Newport picked up one first-place vote to land second, while Rowan earned a first-place nod and was tabbed third. Montclair State was tagged as this year's dark horse in fourth. TCNJ, Kean, William Paterson, and Vermont State–Castleton rounded out the poll.
The regular-season champion earns the league's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Football Championship.
2026 NJAC FOOTBALL PRESEASON POLL
(first place votes in parentheses)
1. Salisbury (6)
2. Christopher Newport (1)
3. Rowan (1)
4. Montclair State (dark horse)
5. TCNJ
6. Kean
7. William Paterson
8. Vermont State-Castleton
SALISBURY
Salisbury enters 2026 ranked No. 17 in both the AFCA and D3football.com preseason polls. The Sea Gull come off a 10-2 season that ended with a third-round NCAA playoff loss to Johns Hopkins, having graduated nearly 30 seniors from last year's roster. Despite the turnover, one of the most experienced coaching staffs in the country returns a proven core: running back Dario Belizaire, the NJAC's all-purpose yardage leader a year ago at 137.3 yards per game, comes back after totaling 621 rushing yards, nine touchdown receptions and 404 kick-return yards in 2025. Dual-threat quarterback SyRus McGowan, a Second Team All-NJAC selection, returns after accounting for 2,512 total yards and ranking third in the league in total offense. The secondary will lean on veterans Dylan Lyerly and Patrick Sheil, an Honorable Mention All-NJAC safety who finished fourth in the conference with four interceptions. The Sea Gulls will hope to ride a home-heavy schedule to another NCAA playoff berth.
CHRISTOPHER NEWPORT
Christopher Newport - ranked No. 18 in both major preseason polls - returns a strong nucleus on both sides of the ball after capturing last year's NJAC championship with a perfect 7-0 conference mark. Offensively, the Captains bring back First Team All-NJAC offensive lineman Andrew Belford, a 2026 D3football.com First Team Preseason All-American. He is joined by tight ends Jayson Viernes and Ethan Barham, who caught seven touchdowns and ranked sixth in the league in receiving yards per game. On defense, First Team All-NJAC safety Noah Martin returns after finishing among the NJAC's top tacklers with 72 stops and two interceptions, joined by defensive lineman Charlie Clawson and Second Team All-NJAC linebacker Masi Bruning. Punter Maxx Lawton, who ranked third in the conference at 40.1 yards per attempt, also returns. With a deep, experienced group, CNU will again be in the title hunt.
Head Coach Paul Crowley: "We are excited as a team to start a new season. We have a challenging out of conference schedule, and the overall quality and physicality in the NJAC will be very strong as always."
ROWAN
Rowan enters 2026 by receiving votes in both major preseason polls, and returns one of the NJAC's most complete rosters. Quarterback Nate Maiers, who led the team with 2,151 passing yards and 20 touchdowns, is back under center, joined by First Team All-NJAC running back Nunes Bukula IV, who led the conference in scoring with 108 points, and receiver Mike Zarfati, who led the team with 797 receiving yards and eight touchdowns. On defense, lineman Giaini Derameaux, who led the Profs with 4.5 sacks and was recently named to the 2026 D3football.com Preseason All-American Second Team, headlines the returning group, joined by cornerback CJ Carter, who tied for the team lead with two interceptions and six pass breakups. The Profs add several newcomers, including running back Daysir Spille, linebacker Justus Peyton, and kicker/punter Zack Burlingame.
Newcomers to Watch: Daysir Spille (RB; Immaculata), Justus Peyton (LB; Cedar Creek), Zack Burlingame (K/P; Kingsway Regional)
Head Coach Pat Ruley: "Overall, it is still a younger group but with a good amount of game reps under their belt. The guys understand the expectations in the building and I'm eager to see how they respond."
MONTCLAIR STATE
Montclair State was tabbed as this year's dark horse behind one of the NJAC's most explosive returning weapons. Running back Diante Wilson led the conference in rushing a year ago with 889 yards and 16 touchdowns and finished second in scoring, while receiver TJ Kachala ranked second in the league in receiving with 916 yards and six touchdowns. Luke Henrich, who passed for 1,868 yards and 10 touchdowns a season ago, returns as part of the receiving corps. Defensively, linebacker Ashan Harris and defensive back Tyler Jackson anchor the group, with return specialist Ali Lee Jr. providing experience in the kicking game. Newcomers Farad Green Jr., JoVanny Mora, Caron McNair, and Thomas Cader are expected to compete for immediate roles.
Newcomers to Watch: Farad Green Jr. (RB, Fr.), JoVanny Mora (DB, Fr.), Caron McNair (OL, So.), Thomas Cader (DL, So.)
Head Coach Mike Palazzo: "Good mix of veterans and newcomers. Leading returning WR and RB in the NJAC coming back. Only projecting 2 seniors starters on defense."
TCNJ
TCNJ returns a mix of veteran leadership and building blocks up front. Offensive linemen Tyler Addonisio, a Second Team All-NJAC selection, and Logan Ritchie anchor the line for running back Jordan Morrell, who ranked ninth in the league in rushing yards a season ago. On defense, cornerback Sam Kuhns and Albert D'Alessandro, who ranked second in the NJAC in kick-return average, provide experience. Kicker Tim Willever, who converted five field goals a year ago, also returns. The Lions bring in a mix of first-year starters and true freshmen to fill out the roster.
Newcomers to Watch: Clifford Dirkes (So., DL; Ocean City, NJ/Ocean City), Remy Feniello (So., OLB; Hamilton, NJ/Steinert), Sam Dech (Fr., RB; Phillipsburg, NJ/Phillipsburg), Jason Hall (Fr., DL; Woodland Park, NJ/St. Joseph's Regional)
Head Coach Tyler Moody: "We're replacing 15 starters from last year, which brings a ton of excitement as new guys step up to earn those roles. With more than half the team made up of underclassmen, we've got a hungry group that worked hard this offseason and is ready to compete."
KEAN
Kean brings back a proven core. Wide receiver Christian Bujno, who also handles punt returns, averaged 70.4 receiving yards per game and scored two touchdowns, while receiver Jason Marasciulo added 224 yards and a score of his own. Running back Derrick Hammond ran for 328 net yards and two touchdowns. On defense, lineman Claude Blagogee racked up 18 tackles and four tackles for loss, cornerback Tre Allen broke up seven passes and picked off two, and safety Kwadair Holland totaled 45 tackles. Punter Dondre Dookie, who averaged 38.7 yards per attempt on 54 punts with a long of 75, anchors the kicking game. Kean adds a mix of transfers and incoming talent, including running back Francisco Then and quarterback Christian Solino, a transfer from Monmouth.
Newcomers to Watch: Francisco Then (RB; Ridgefield Park), Tahji Hill (LB; Bordentown), Christian Solino (QB; St. Joseph's Metuchen/Monmouth), Logan Simpson (LB; Absegami)
Head Coach Dan Garrett: "We have a lot of momentum coming out of last fall and this past spring. We need to continue to trend in the right direction with our upperclassmen and the attention to detail on the little things. We finally feel a little older and with the growth and maturity of last year's freshmen class we have more depth. This is about how well we can stay focused on the process. The daily process of getting a little better each day. Putting the work in with our fundamentals and techniques and improving the intricacies of every position! If we continue to make the strides we have made the last two years, I am excited about 2026."
WILLIAM PATERSON
William Paterson enters the season under new head coach Edwyn Edwards, who arrives after serving as defensive coordinator at TCNJ. Offensively, the Pioneers return lineman Spencer Ribitzki, an Honorable Mention All-NJAC selection, along with running backs Ray'Mir Johnson, who led returning rushers with 338 net yards, and Ethan MacNair, who added 214 yards and a touchdown. On defense, Joseph Pressley returns after leading the team in tackles for loss (16.5) and sacks (3.5) a year ago, joined by Stan Davis and Terrill Yankson, who racked up 21 tackles, an interception and two forced fumbles in just five games. Kicker/punter Omar Rodriguez also returns. The Pioneers add two newcomers from Ocean County Community College.
Newcomers to Watch: Hilton Aguilar (WR; Ocean County College), Leo Soberanis (LB; Ocean County College)
Head Coach Edwyn Edwards: "We are looking to improve upon the finish we had last year by playing with excellent effort and playing for one another. We have a good number of returners who understand the difficulty of the NJAC and we will be leaning on them to guide us in the right direction."
VERMONT STATE-CASTLETON
Castleton returns a veteran core in its second NJAC campaign. Offensive lineman Alex Simon anchors the line, while tight end Brody Tyburski, who ranked third on the team in receiving yards (303) and caught a touchdown, and running back Ryan Freund provide experience on offense. On defense, linebacker Deacon Schneider led the Spartans in total tackles (88) and added a forced fumble and a safety, while linebacker Tyler Buxton led the team in tackles for loss (10.0) and finished second on the roster in total tackles (69). Cornerback Brendan Driscoll led Castleton with two interceptions and five pass breakups. The Spartans add newcomers Tyler Gentry, Joe Duffy, and Romel Argueta to round out the roster.
Newcomers to Watch: Tyler Gentry (WR; Sante Fe High School, FL), Joe Duffy (DB; Agawam High School, MA), Romel Argueta (OL; Nassau)
Head Coach Tyler Higley: "This year's team has a really good mix of returning starters and new faces. The exciting new faces fill in some graduates from last year's team really well to play complimentary football."