2026 Princeton Football: Offensive/Special Teams Preview

Oyintare Porbeni

Photo by: Sideline Photos

2026 Princeton Football: Offensive/Special Teams Preview

September 16, 2026 | Football

By Craig Sachson
PrincetonTigersFootball.com

It's natural to look at a football offense and judge it mostly by what you know about its quarterback. While it is the most important position in sports, it's also one of 11 who take the field every offensive play.

Good luck to you if you are making predictions on the 2026 Princeton offense based on what you know about the quarterback. If you aren't related to one of them, or you haven't been in the locker room over the last month, you probably don't know much at all.

But if you expand your view a bit, there is plenty to feel optimistic about on that side of the ball. The offensive line draws NFL scouts to practice on a near daily basis. The top running back earned All-Ivy honors last season. The top wide receiver rewrote the Princeton freshman record book en route to winning Ivy League Rookie of the Year. There are plenty of returning starters or key rotation pieces building off last season.

As for the quarterbacks, what they lack in gameday experience, they have made up for in exciting preseason moments.

Here is a look at the 2026 Princeton offense.

Offensive Line
"Our line really took off as last season rolled along, and we ended up with the second-ranked offensive line in the country by the end," head coach Bob Surace, a former All-Ivy center, said. "We have four starters returning, and another who was basically a co-starter. We have NFL scouts at every practice and the first people they talk about are some of our linemen."

One of the first they ask about is senior Oyintare Porbeni, one of four captains for the upcoming season. Porbeni was a standout basketball player in Minnesota who came to Princeton with limited football knowledge. He has listened, learned and worked his way into NFL Draft conversations.

Porbeni became a starter at tackle last season, and he improved at a trajectory that few could match. He didn't come in with bad habits — he barely had any habits — and the coaching staff gave him a blueprint to become a technically sound lineman. That was all they needed, because Porbeni has off-the charts athleticism. That combination helped him become one of the three Tiger offensive linemen to earn Preseason Phil Steele First-Team All-Ivy recognition.

Junior Andrew Pedersen found a home at tackle last season as well, despite being the top-ranked guard to come out of Tennessee three years ago. Surace didn't know what to expect when injury forced Pederson to tackle, but everything clicked quickly and he went from unknown to building block.

The senior tandem of Barrett Eddlemon and Justin Selbert also both earned Preseason Phil Steele First-Team All-Ivy recognition at the guard position. Eddlemon brings the most experience of any of Princeton's returning linemen, while Selbert ranks with the strongest players to ever compete in the Orange and Black. Both earned second-team All-Ivy League honors last season.

Having a reliable interior offensive line is critical for a new quarterback, and Surace believes in the center position just as he does the two guard spots. Senior Phil Eichelzer rotated with the recently graduated Scott Becker at center over the last two seasons, so he brings experience to that key position.

Senior Will Beargie played in all 10 games of the 2024 season before missing last fall due to injury. His return gives the offense an experienced veteran they can shuffle between guard and tackle. Sophomores Anthony Liakhnovich and Jayden Hadzovic have impressed at the tackle position in camp, and classmate Derrick Eddlemon has looked good upon his return from injury.

Sophomore Ned Zilinskas has earned rotation time at the center position during the preseason, while classmate Cole Euker has put himself in the guard rotation. Upperclassmen Barry Richardson, Evan Radosevich and Connor McAllen provide important depth, and there are a number of freshmen who have looked good early and could possibly vie for time as the season progresses.

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends
When Josh Robinson started to figure out the system during his freshman camp, Surace suspected he could aid the offense by the end of the season. He did not count on him breaking records, winning half of the Ivy League Rookie of the Week honors before claiming Rookie of the Year or being considered one of the top freshmen in the FCS.

This year, Surace won't put any limits on Robinson's potential.

"Josh did a great job in the weight room during the offseason, and he's a very explosive player in terms of his speed and acceleration," Surace said. "He's a very mature kid, and I believe he's going to be a force in the league again this year."

Robinson has the slot position on lockdown, but Surace knows Princeton needs more on the outside this year.

"We need to improve the volume, and we have a lot of guys who can help us get there," Surace said. "Do we have six guys contributing, or four guys catching 20 passes, or two guys catching 40? We'll have to see how the offense progresses, but we need to make sure we're getting big contributions."

Princeton returns four receivers who caught between 10-20 passes last year, so that's where the coaches will look first for big production jumps. Senior Roman Laurio finished second to Robinson on the team in both catches (19) and receiving yards (309) last season, while classmate Aidan Besselman added 14 catches for 162 yards and two touchdowns. Junior Paul Kuhner, a track standout, played in every game last season and had 10 catches for 190 yards.

The most well-known of the upperclassman returning seniors is likely Jackson Green, though much of his fame comes from another field. Green, who caught 17 passes for 223 yards and three touchdowns in 2025, was an All-American midfielder for the NCAA champion Princeton lacrosse team last spring.

Junior Landon DePrima and sophomores Lacy Rice and Josh Smith could also battle their way into offensive snaps, and there are a few freshmen who just might surprise on the offense by the end of the season.

Senior Joey Wassler has made incremental growth every year at the tight end position, and he seemed to click in the second half of last season. He built on that in the offseason and should be one of the Ivy's most versatile tight ends this season. Classmate Jack Comeau was set to work with Wassler at the position in 2025, but he suffered an immediate injury that cost him his season. His return this fall gives the offense a strong 1-2 punch.

Sophomore Charlie Kaludis is an elite blocker, and he is showing progress as a receiver as well. Junior Asher Weiner and sophomore Jake Kessner will also compete at the position.

Running Backs
Senior Ethan Clark established himself as the driving force of the Princeton offense last season. While the offensive coaches would like to see more production out of the air this fall, they plan on feeding Clark early and often.

"Ethan is so compact and strong, but he's also athletic with really good hands," Surace said. "He can be the foundation of an excellent offense, and he's put in the work to expect his best season yet."

Clark, a second-team All-Ivy honoree last season, is 60 rushing yards short of 1,000 for his career, and his 59.4 rushing yards per game ranked fifth in the Ivies last year. Junior Kai Honda was expected to the lightning to Clark's thunder, but an injury cut his season short last year. Honda still managed 214 rushing yards last season and has had a terrific offseason.

Juniors Christian Lynch and Kenny Jordan both had head-turning preseasons, while senior Luke Tucci has had his best camp. Between that trio and a strong group of freshmen, Surace feels very good about the depth behind his 1-2 punch.

Quarterbacks
Ever since John Lovett took the opening snap of the magical 2018 championship run, Princeton has entered almost every autumn breaking in a new starting quarterback. The departures of Kai Colon and Blaine Hipa leave the Tigers facing that familiar script once again, yet the situation under center feels far from desperate. The eventual starter — a battle that will go down to the final day or two — will inherit an offense packed with veteran playmakers, giving the coaching staff plenty of room to let an intriguing, talented quarterback room grow into the role.

Senior West Smith has the best understanding of the offense and came into the preseason in the best shape of his career. He has a big arm and can make all the throws asked of him. Sophomores Ty Ciongoli and Eli Friend have grown a lot after Year 1 learning the offense. Ciongoli is a lefty whose grasp of the offense is far beyond what any sophomore should have. Beyond the knowledge of the offense, he also has the accuracy to get the ball where he knows it should go. Friend has also picked up the offense well, and he brings a different level of athleticism to the field, making him a bit more of a dual theat. Freshman Wyatt Becker is one of the most impressive recruits to join Princeton; the two-time All-Mission League recorded 7,223 passing yards and 68 touchdowns at Sierra Canyon, and he picked up the Princeton offense quickly enough to compete for playing time early this season.

Special Teams – Placekickers
Senior Esteban Nunez Perez returns after connecting on nine of 11 field goal attempts last season, with a long of 38 in the win over Columbia. He earned Surace's trust with his consistency and has had another strong camp, but he's getting pushed by both junior Will Cluskey, who handled kickoff duties last season, and sophomore Vaughn Lennon, who is working as both a placekicker and punter this season.

Season Tickets on Sale
Albany – Sept. 26 – 3 p.m.
Brown – Oct. 17 - 12 p.m.
Cornell – Oct. 31 – 12 p.m.
Dartmouth – Nov. 7 – 12 p.m.
Penn - Nov. 21 – 12 p.m.