Hanover's Regan is Heading to Hobart

Ok, so I misfired on my last post, as it was (nicely) pointed out to me that the real first commit to the Class of 2030 was actually Hanover HS (MA) RB/OLB Tommy Regan. Regan doesn't have much a social media (well, Twitter/X) presence, so that's probably why I missed it back in December.

That said you can check out his Hudl highlights here. 

Standing 6' 2" and weighing in at 205 lbs., Tommy has great field vision, speed and is an elusive RB out of the backfield. He had a lot of success catching passes and breaking tackles. He also stars on the lacrosse field so perhaps he may be a dual sport athlete for the Statesmen. Time will tell. 

Please join me in welcoming Tommy and the Regan family (for the second time as older brother John is a JR DL) to the Hobart College Football one! 

Thanks, as always for reading and go 'Bart!!

Here Comes the Hobart Class of 2030 - Randolph's Magley Commits to Statesmen

Here we go again. It's another quiet offseason, but Coach DeWall '00 and the Statesmen coaching staff's work on the recruiting trail is just starting to pay off.

The first new Statesmen to announce his commitment to Hobart is Randolph HS (NJ) SR QB/ATH Jackson Magley. 

He took to Twitter/X this week to say "I’m extremely excited to officially announce that I am 100% COMMITTED to @HobartFootball!

Huge thank you to everyone who helped me earn this opportunity, especially my family, coaches, teammates, and friends.

Grateful for every coach and program I had the chance to connect with during this process.

Hobart felt like home from day one. Excited for the next 4 years! #TheHobartWay #GoStatesMen

While Jackson struggled with injuries his senior season, he came back and found ways to contribute to his team as a WR, DB and as QB. You can see his junior year highlights here. 

Please join me in welcoming Jackson and the extended Magley family to the Hobart College Football one!

More recruiting updates as they come in. Thanks, as always, for reading and go 'Bart! 

2025 Season Retrospective

After a long break, I wanted to make sure I finally "put a bow" on the 2025 season. We've seen a lot of news transpire between now and then, and while I will mention a few items here and there, I wanted to focus more on looking back before we look ahead. 

Hobart College Statesmen football had "a tale of two seasons" in 2025. The first half featured a loaded schedule and a slew of injuries never seen before in my now going 34 years (and 33 seasons) of following this program. 

The Statesmen struggled out to a 1-4 first half, but four of those games were decided only by a combined 18 points. A few bounces here and there, and this year could have been very different. Unfortunately the Hobart offense wasn't put together as I may have thought early on, as finding a new starting QB proved to be difficult. Eventually SO QB Jeremy Weiss rose from the third to the first string and the Statesmen's season began to shift in a more positive direction. 

With less than 50 players able to travel to league rival Union College, who would eventually go on to win the conference and qualify for the playoffs, Hobart dropped to 1-5 and went into the bye week with a lot of soul-searching to do.

The Statesmen came out of the break invigorated and a much better football team. They would win their final four regular season games by a combined 175-53 margin and earn a postseason bid in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl game. Hobart would travel downstate and easily defeat SUNY-Maritime, 42-14. JR RB E.J Taylor was named the game's MVP behind an impressive 19 rushes for 172 yards and two TDs. 

While a 6-5 overall mark isn't the standard we've come to be used to as Hobart fans, I view this as a great ending to one of the most difficult seasons I've seen in about three decades. The Statesmen proved themselves to be resilient and finished strong, winning five in a row to help set the foundation for a (hopefully) more successful 2026 campaign. It also kept the Statesmen's streak of having 28 consecutive winning seasons intact, as well earning Hobart's sixth consecutive postseason appearance, dating back to 2019. 

Now, let's look at some statistics and other highlights from all three facets of the game from 2025.

The Hobart offense was once again led by JR RB E.J. Taylor who finished the 2025 campaign with 1,354 rushing yards on 216 carries, which averaged over 123 YPG. He also led the team with 18 rushing TDs, adding one receiving TD against Hilbert. Assuming he stays healthy, Taylor will make a run at the record books in his final season, as he's already rushed for 2,883 yards and 33 touchdowns in 33 career games. He ranks seventh on the program's all-time rushing list for yards and eighth in TDs.

SO QB Jeremy Weiss would finish the year with 1,447 passing yards and 15 TDs with only three INTs. He completed 62.5% of his passes, which is one of the best marks by a Statesmen QB - narrowly edging Shane Sweeney's 62.3% for third best all-time - in almost two decades!

Weiss's favorite target was SO WR Johnny Harding, who built on his conference ROTY award winning 2024 campaign with a team high 43 receptions for 768 yards and 10 TDs.

Defensively Hobart was once again led by SR OLB Mike McGhee who finished his impressive Statesmen career with 234 total tackles, including 23 TFL for -96 yards and 7.5 sacks for -59 yards. In 2025 he tallied 100 total tackles - nearly as much as his sophomore and junior years combined. 

SR LB Noah Chachre would have a big season, his first as a starter, tallying 68 tackles with seven TFL, two sacks and two INTs.

SO DL Billy Brosko, who's FY campaign was shortened by injury, proved to be a force up front, logging 63 tackles with a team high 12.5 TFL. He also forced two fumbles and recovered one. 

On Special Teams, SR PK Vicente Lyon once again earned All-Conference, All-Region and All-American recognition as one of the best punters in the nation. He averaged near 43 YPP with a long of 63. 

JR PK Luke Monteyne would finish the year 4-7 on FGs (with a long of 37 yards) and an impressive 39-40 on PATs. 

Overall, the Statesmen would see 10 players earn All-Conference nods.

Given an unprecedented offseason with the transfer portal, it remains to be seen how Hobart's and other LL teams' rosters are affected. I do expect another strong incoming recruiting class to bolster which should be a relatively experienced team after the ups and downs of 2025 that saw a lot of new faces get valuable playing time. 

The Statesmen's 2026 schedule is already posted and is basically a mirror image (with home and away dates swapped) to 2025. Hobart gets the benefit of six home games this fall, which is great. A real bonus will be hosting Alfred, Brockport, Ithaca and Union at the Boz, where the Statesmen have an incredible W/L record. 

Friday night, September 4th is a long way off for now, so I will keep an eye out for recruiting news in the offseason, in the meantime. Last but certainly not least, congratulations to Coach Mike Green '14 on being named the new HC at Gettysburg College. I had a feeling this would be his final year at Hobart and wish him nothing the best with the Bullets. At least the color scheme will feel familiar. 

Thanks, as always for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Win ECAC James Lynah Bowl, 42-14, Finish 2025 on 5-Game Win Streak

The Hobart College Statesmen finished their 2025 campaign on a five-game winning streak, defeating the SUNY-Maritime Privateers in convincing fashion in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl game, 42-14.

Hobart (6-5, 4-3) controlled the game from the get-go. The Statesmen outgained the Privateers (5-6, 3-4) 472-316 total yards. JR RB EJ Taylor had his seventh 100-yard rushing game of the season, carrying the ball 19 times for 172 yards and 2 rushing TDs.

SO QB Jeremy Weiss went 8-13 for 186 yards, 3 passing TDs and only one INT. His favorite target was SO WR Johnny Harding who caught two passes for 53 yards with both going for TDs. SR LB Noah Chachere and SO DL Trey Dillanough led the Hobart defense with nine tackles each. 

Hobart opened the scoring with SR QB Tru Styles running in from 11 yards out to take an early, 7-0, lead. Taylor would score his first TD of the day to open the second quarter to give the Statesmen a 14-0 advantage. Credit Maritime, they made it 14-7 with 3:19 to go before the half, but Hobart would take a 21-7 halftime lead thanks to a Weiss to JR WR Marcus Peterson 38-yard TD pass.

The second half was all Hobart with the second Taylor TD run and both of Harding's TD receptions. Although the Statesmen would give up a "garbage time" TD, they would win the game. 42-14.

This concludes Hobart's season and ends it on a positive note. I'll have a season recap and review later next week. In the meantime, let's enjoy this, the Statesmen's fourth ECAC bowl championship.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

ECAC James Lynah Bowl Preview: Hobart vs. SUNY-Maritime

The Hobart College Statesmen will make the long drive down to the Bronx to take on the SUNY-Maritime Privateers of the NEWMAC in the ECAC James Lynah Bowl. 

The game is scheduled for Saturday, November 22, 2025, at Maritime's Reinhart Field in Throggs Neck, New York, giving the Privateers home-field advantage. This marks the first-ever football meeting between these two programs. Kickoff is set for 1 PM.

This game is a classic battle of strengths: Hobart's dominant run game and elite defense versus Maritime's balanced, pass-first attack and time of possession ball control offense.

The Statesmen (5-5, 4-3) enter the bowl on a scorching four-game winning streak, suggesting they've peaked at the perfect time. Their identity is clear:

Elite Rushing Attack: Hobart's offense is powered by JR RB E.J. Taylor, who posted his sixth straight 100-yard rushing performance in the regular-season finale. He is the engine of the offense, allowing them to control the clock and score in the red zone (26 rushing TDs total). Hobart averages 163.6 RYPG and a robust 4.6 YPR.

Lights-Out Defense: Led by SR OLB Mike McGhee, the defense is the team's true calling card. They led the Liberty League in total defense, allowing a mere 267.9 YPG and just 19.4 PPG. They are excellent at stopping the run (114.3 YPG allowed).

The X-Factor: SO QB Jeremy Weiss has established himself as a capable passer (12 TDs, 2 INTs), but his role is often managing the game and taking shots when the defense commits to the run.

The Maritime Privateers (5-5, 3-4) is looking to bounce back from a tough end to their schedule, including a heartbreaking double-overtime loss to MIT and a loss to conference champion Springfield. The Privateers identity is:

Balanced Offensive Output: The Privateers are slightly more balanced than Hobart, averaging 171.5 rushing YPG and 183.7 passing YPG.

Time of Possession (TOP): Maritime is highly successful in controlling the ball, owning a massive TOP advantage (32:07 per game). This is key to keeping Hobart's star RB on the sideline.

Air Attack Threat: GR QB Will Pickett is the focal point of the offense, a threat through the air (17 TDs, 6 INTs) and a key part of their rushing game (10 rushing TDs). His ability to hit his receivers will test Hobart's secondary.

Run Defense is a Concern: Maritime's run defense is respectable but allows a higher yards-per-carry average (144 RYPG) than Hobart's defense. The Privateers will need their front seven to be at their best to stop the momentum of the Statesmen's running game.

Keys to the Game:

1. Feed Taylor: Establish the OL's control of the LOS and run the ball early. Keeping Taylor on the field will wear down the Privateers' defensive front.

2. Pressure Pickett: Contain the Maritime QB's running ability and force him into quick, inaccurate throws.

3. Avoid Turnovers: Do not give Maritime's opportunistic offense short fields in a potentially low-scoring affair.

Final Thoughts:

This is an incredibly even matchup on paper, with both teams coming in at 5-5. However, the contrast in recent momentum is striking. Hobart is red-hot, having corrected their mid-season struggles, while Maritime has struggled against the top teams in the NEWMAC late in the year.

The key factor will be Hobart's ability to run the ball on Maritime's home turf. The Statesmen's suffocating defense is designed to win games in the low-to-mid 20s, which is often what bowl games involving defensive teams become. Maritime will get their offense moving, but ultimately, the Statesmen's ability to consistently control the line of scrimmage, both offensively and defensively, will give them the edge.

I am biased, but I like Hobart's chances to take an ECAC Trophy back to home to Geneva and end the 2025 on a real high note.

Thanks as always for reading and go 'Bart!

(PS - thanks to Rowan superfan and friend Juan Sanchez for help with this write up).

Statesmen Set to Sail to NYC to Face SUNY-Maritime in the 2025 ECAC James Lynah Bowl

The Hobart College Statemen will go bowling, getting the final bowl selection to play the SUNY-Maritime Privateers of the NEWMAC. This will be the first ever meeting between these two programs. 

Maritime (5-5, 3-4) is coached by Anthony Trotta (Wilkes '17), who has prior experience with the Statesmen (5-5, 4-3) as the former defensive coordinator for Union College. Trotta also worked for former Hobart OC / QB coach Jon Drach (now the HC at Liberty League Champion, Union).

Kickoff time for the game is determined by the two teams, per the ECAC, so "check your local listings" later this week for more information. I thought this could be a possibility, and I believe this pairing was achieved by Hobart and Maritime by having the best NPI rankings of the remaining .500 or better teams in the pool. The Privateers ended up having a slightly higher NPI (aka the NCAA Power Index rating of 115) than the Statesmen (which ended up with a NPI of 128), which is probably why they are the hosts.

I am happy for both teams, but obviously more of the Statesmen seniors and players, to have earned this additional opportunity to suit up one more time this season. 

I'll have more on this matchup later this week. 

Thanks for reading and go 'Bart!

Statesmen Roll Bengals, 35-9, Await (Hopefully An) ECAC Bowl Bid

The Hobart College Statesmen ended their 2025 regular season on a four-game winning streak, beating the Buffalo State Bengals, 35-9, on Senior Day. You can read all about it via the HWSAthletics.com release here.

Hobart (5-5. 4-3) had to wait out a lightning delay and now waits out this morning to see whether or not they'll receive a potential postseason ECAC Bowl game. Please join us on In the D3FB Huddle at noon to see if they receive a bid. 

A bid will come down to whether or not there are four bowl games, not three, like they had last year. The Statesmen are one of five .500 teams, but they are the only ones with a winning conference record. I am hoping this group gets one more chance. We will find out in a couple of hours.

Thanks as always for reading, and go 'Bart!