Outside of the top two or three teams, the FCS is as hard to peg down as it ever has been coming into 2026. Yes, the Montana schools and South Dakota State will probably be at the tippy top again but beyond that, it’s anyone’s guess as to who will be right there making noise come November and December. Teams like Illinois State, Austin Peay, Tarleton State among several others all have legitimate arguments that this could be their year to break through. Perhaps the team with the strongest argument is also
the one flying under the radar the most, though. Don’t be surprised if Rhode Island is right in the thick of it when the dust settles.
The Rams finally got over the postseason hump a couple of years ago and have been a second-round team in each of the last two seasons. This year, however, Rhody should be in line to take the next step and make a deep playoff run for a multitude of reasons. With all the talent they return, the continued dilution of the CAA around them and the overall experience they boast, if Rhody isn’t at the very least quarterfinal team or, even perhaps competing at the doorstep of Nashville, this fall will go down as maybe the biggest missed opportunity in recent program history.
From front to back, URI is built for success this year but they will be a particularly tough matchup on offense because of the big names coming back on that side of the ball, starting with All-American pass catcher Marquis Buchanan. Buchanan might be the best receiver in the FCS and, quite frankly, it’s impressive that Rhode Island was able to stave off the transfer portal from their superstar wideout. Buchanan is likely NFL-bound and could have easily moved up after the number he posted in 2025. 1,337 receiving yards on 78 catches made Buchanan the top receiver in not only the the subdivision but in Division I as a whole. He chose to stay in Kingston and that alone should make Rhode Island’s offense one of the more dangerous in the country this season.
Buchanan’s return is no doubt huge for URI but equally impactful for the Rams will be the fact that he has the same guy throwing him the ball. Quarterback Devil Farrell is also back following a season that saw him throw for 3,745 yards and 24 touchdowns. Since joining the team in 2023, Farrell has started 23 games and is completing his passes at a 63% clip. On top of all that, he’s rushed for 411 more yards and eight scores over the last three seasons. Farrell is one of the more experienced passers in the subdivision entering 2026 and with weapons like Buchanan at his disposal, he appears primed for another very productive year.
There really aren’t a whole lot of worries surrounding the Rhode Island offense. With those two plus some experience on the offensive front coming in from the FBS, that side of the ball shouldn’t be much of an issue. The defense, though, faces some more pressing questions. Even with a few uncertainties looming, however, that group has a high ceiling as well.
The biggest loss will undoubtedly be that of A.J. Pena. The star linebacker was a phenom for the Rams over his four years, racking up 235 tackles, 65.5 TFLs, 38 sacks and three forced fumbles. Filling those shoes will be a tall order and yet one that is doable with the guys that Rhody has. Moses Meus, for example, actually had more stops than Pena last year with 110 and was a turnover machine, forcing a pair of fumbles and picking off a pass as a redshirt sophomore. Meus is back and looks to be a leader on the defense. If Pena’s absence doesn’t seem like it’s that bad, it will likely be because of #53.
It may also be because junior Rohan Davy continues to come into his own, though. Davy will be patrolling the middle of the field alongside Meus too and, if 2025 was any indication, he could be on his way to an All-Conference type season as well. A year ago he was second on the team with seven sacks and had 101 stops. He and Meus have proven to be an absolute nightmare of a tandem for opposing offenses and should again account for a vast majority of the defensive productivity if they can stay healthy.
Grad senior Trey Lubin will be asked to take up a similar mantle in the secondary. He broke up seven passes and intercepted one more last fall. With Ayinde Johnson and Justin Carcel gone, Lubin will be leaned upon heavily on the back end. Also playing a significant role in that department, though, will be incoming transfer Drew Cromier. Cromier had a solid season with Bucknell last year, authoring 59 tackles (39 solo) from his safety spot and added five PBUs. The secondary could be very stout with this pair leading the charge.
It’s all to say that Rhode Island… at least on paper… has the pieces in place to be a real deal FCS heavyweight when this season kicks off in August. It feels as though this group as been knocking on the door the last couple of years and 2026 might be when they finally kick that door down. As is the case with almost every team, there will be some minor chemistry things that will need to be ironed out as far as the new faces are concerned. But as far as a nucleus goes, the Rams have about as strong of one as any heading into this summer.
The CAA is also continuing to weaken around them in many ways and if Rhody doesn’t end up winning it again, it will be a pretty big surprise. The stars might be aligning for a really memorable season at URI and, if they do, it will be a long time coming. Rhode Island has never played in an FCS championship game and the last team they reached the quarterfinals or the semifinals was way back in 1985. This year’s team might end up being one for the history books when all is said and done but of course it all has to pan out; something that has been a real hurdle for a long, long time now. As far as reasons to be optimistic, however, Rams fans have a whole lot of them right now.
Rhode Island will begin its season on August 28 when it travels to Merrimack for a Friday night showdown. Conference play will begin just two weeks later with the home opener against Elon on September 12.
