Robert Morris football: Colonials open Saturday, look for bounce-back season
Football season has finally arrived.
Removing the confusion and convoluted process of the transfer portal, NIL deals and court cases surrounding the “amateur” aspect of the sport, nothing excites the average football fan more than the history and pageantry of college football on a Saturday afternoon.
The Robert Morris University Colonials will take part in that pageantry by entering their 32nd year as a member of the NCAA Division 1 -- Football Championship Subdivision (FCS). Eighth-year head coach Bernard Clark, a former two-time National Champion with the University of Miami and NFL veteran, will lead the Colonials through their challenging non-conference and Northeast Conference schedules.
The Colonials will get their first test Saturday, Aug. 29, when they travel to Staten Island to face the Wagner Seahawks at noon in the earliest Northeast Conference game on record.
RMU, after being selected to finish in the top tier of the NEC last season, struggled to a 3-9 overall record and 2-5 in conference. The season was wrought with injuries, especially at the quarterback position, forcing the Colonials to use four signal callers throughout the season. That severely hampered the team's offensive production.
Several of Robert Morris’ top players were lost to graduation, and the transfer portal was a major factor in the roster construction for this season, as several key players from a year ago entered the portal, including defensive back Xavier Styles (Iowa) and running back Ethan Shine (Pitt).
Of the four quarterbacks who took snaps in 2025, only one (Cooper Panteck) returns in 2026. The Colonials brought in two FCS quarterback transfers in Carson Haggard (Abilene Christian) and Dylan Hassad (Tennessee Tech), as well as freshman Jackson Frey, to compete for the starting role.
Heading into Saturday's opener, Haggard is projected to be the starter. Haggard began his career at Tulane before transferring to FCS Abeline Christian, where he saw action in several games, including leading the team to an FCS Playoff victory over Northern Arizona in 2024. T
Robert Morris will lean heavily on returning players such as running backs Donta Whack and Owen McGraw, wide receivers Jaqai Carter and Tyler Evans and Penn Hills safety Noel Roach.
To bolster the roster, the Colonials added over 20 transfers through the portal, including several former FBS performers in John Gayer (DL-Utah State), Max Lantzsch (DL-East Carolina), Kam Cheatom (DL-Akron via Brashear), Ali Abbasi (DL-Marshall) and Toluwanimi Tunde (OL-Connecticut).
In addition, FCS transfers Brandon Martin (DL-Dayton) and Amanuel Dickson (LB-Chattanooga) enter the fold, as well as several talented Division II, Division III, NAIA and junior college additions. The Colonials also signed a class of 12 freshmen, including Myles Turner (CB-Moon), James Gardner (LS-Upper St. Clair) and Kymone Brown (WR-Jeannette).
Robert Morris will play a 12-game schedule, including two nonconference games against FBS opponents Akron and Buffalo from the Mid-American Conference (MAC). Other non-conference opponents include Norfolk State, Morgan State and West Virginia State, as well as a conference slate that includes Duquesne, Long Island, Central Connecticut State, New Haven, Wagner, Stonehill and Mercyhurst.
During NEC Media Week, two-time defending champion Central Connecticut State was picked to finish first in the conference with Duquesne coming in second.
Robert Morris, with its uncertainty at quarterback, was selected to finish sixth in the eight-team conference. The Sporting News FCS Top 10 rankings include Montana State, South Dakota State, Montana, North Dakota, Illinois State, Villanova, Tarleton State, Rhode Island, South Dakota and UC Davis. The Colonials are not scheduled to play any opponents in the FCS Top 20.
Following Saturday's season opener, the Colonials will open their home schedule against West Virginia State on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Joe Walton Stadium. RMU will look to improve upon its 1-4 home record from a year ago.
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