Cornell football looks ahead to a season of opportunity — to put new athletes in the spotlight, improve on a rocky defensive year and possibly reach unforeseen postseason heights.
After the Ivy League reversed nearly 80 years of precedent by allowing the conference champion to compete in NCAA Division I Football Championship Subdivision playoffs, there’s never been so much on the line for the Red. However, after losing a four-year quarterback to graduation and a standout wide receiver to injury, offensive uncertainty may put playoff dreams out of reach.
Head coach Dan Swanstrom, though, is optimistic about his second year leading the team.
“[We had a] good [training] camp, some competition battles and really sharp practices," Swanstrom said. “Execution’s not perfect, nor should it be. We’ve been competing against ourselves.”
After mustering a lackluster 4-6 record last season, the Red looks to utilize returning talent and capitalize on chances for growth to fight for the Ivy League title and a place in the history books.
Offense
The Red made offensive strides in 2024, largely thanks to the efforts of four-year varsity starter quarterback Jameson Wang ’25. Junior quarterbacks Garrett Bass-Sulpizio and Devin Page, Wang’s expected successors, will have big shoes to fill — his final year at Cornell, Wang ranked first in the Football Championship Subdivision for points per game (18.8) and was the first Ivy League athlete to record 50 career passing touchdowns and 25 career rushing touchdowns.
“[Bass-Sulpizio] and [Page] are both highly talented quarterbacks,” Swanstrom said. “[Page] is a very accurate passer and has been a good decision maker throughout camp. [Bass-Sulpizio] isn’t as fast, but he’s as gifted a thrower as I’ve ever been around.”
Bass-Sulpizio took the field four times last season on both the offensive and defensive squads. He’s recorded one total yard with the Red — rushing against Dartmouth on Nov. 16.
Page saw action twice in 2024, but he did not log any additions to his stats sheet. Sophomore Adam Landry and freshmen Ty Blair and Ryan Downes round out the quarterback cohort. The relatively inexperienced set of athletes will have plenty of opportunities to prove their spot as a team cornerstone throughout the season.
Supplementing the offense are returning standouts junior running back Ean Pope and senior wide receiver Parker Woodring. Pope finished last season with 513 rushing yards, and Woodring made 36 receptions — leading the team on both fronts.
Junior wide receiver Samuel Musungu, who led the team in 2024 with 960 passing yards and topped multiple Ivy League stats, is a critical missing piece in the Red’s offense while out of action due to an ACL injury. The injury occurred during last season’s opener against Colgate, and a post-season MRI revealed that Musungu had been neglecting serious damage for months.
“Sam [Musungu]’s one of the best wide receivers in FCS football,” Swanstrom said. “The fun part of [his success last year] was his age, and we were excited to see his growth and development. We’ve got to make sure we do what’s right for him, and what’s right for the program, to have him back.”
Defense
Expectations aren’t as high for the Red’s defense, which ranked poorly among Ivy League competitors last year. While the team lost Luke Banbury ’25, the team’s leader in tackles, fifth-year safety Damon Barnes, senior linebacker Joey Cheshire and fifth-year cornerback Michael O’Keefe bring experience and leadership to the front lines.
“The hope is we’re much improved,” Swanstrom said. “We’ve changed some structural things. We expect better results. We expect better competitive endurance. We’re going to bring a lot of energy to make up for our lack of size on that side of the ball.”
Swanstrom promises that the team will “try something different” — after a lackluster 2024, something different may be just what this defensive squad needs to put up a fight against aggressive competitors.
Special Teams
Junior kicker Alan Zhao promises another secure year in front of the field goal, returning after missing just one of 14 attempts last season. He set a school record against Dartmouth with four field goals and 15 kicking points and earned the second-most single-season points by a Cornell kicker.
Football kicks off its season opener against the University of Albany this Saturday at 7 p.m. Read The Sun’s preview of the matchup here.
Alexis Rogers is the sports editor on the 143rd editorial board. She is in the Class of 2028 in the College of Arts & Sciences, and she can be reached at arogers@cornellsun.com.
