CASTLETON, VT- The Vermont State Castleton football team is ready to embark on its 2026 season as the Spartans prepare for their home opener against Westfield State on Saturday. Game time is set for 1:00 pm at Dave Wolk Stadium.

The Spartans hope their final season in the New Jersey Athletic Conference will be a successful one. Castleton will rejoin the MASCAC in 2027 where it played one season in 2024.

The Spartans have three players return that earned NJAC All-Conference honors last year. On the offensive side is junior tight end Brody Tyburski who was an Honorable Mention. He had 31 catches for 303 yards and a touchdown, averaging 33.67 receiving yards per game.

Senior Ryan Freund and first year Max Cutler will be at running back. At wide receiver, sophomore Ty Dowell returns and is joined by first year Tyler Gentry and sophomore Anthony Lopez-Hippler. Dowell caught nine passes for 108 yards a year ago. The offensive line has a pair of experienced starters back in juniors Quan Johnson and Alex Simon with seniors Joe Medrano and Caleb Russell joining them.

The quarterbacks will be RJ Monger and Reese Rotella. Monger will see his first action under center while Rotella had one touchdown pass in brief duty last year in his first season with the Spartans.

On the defensive side of the ball, 2025 NJAC Second Team selection Deacon Schneider headlines the group. Schneider led the conference in assisted tackles (57) and finished second overall in total tackles (88) a year ago. Tyler Buxton is also back at strong side linebacker. Buxton had a team-high 10 tackles for a loss of 32 yards and added two sacks. He also forced three fumbles and blocked two kicks.  Sophomore Brendan McMahon will look to make an impact at the middle linebacker position.

The defensive line will feature some new players factoring in that hope to bring pressure up front. Kaden James moves from the linebacker position with Owen Bombardier moving from the offensive line. Kavon Graham-Jones saw time last year as did Lazaro Herrera. First years Nathan Lord and Tanner Fields will both see action in the rotation as will junior college transfer Romel Argueta.

At cornerback, 2025 NJAC Honorable Mention Brendan Driscoll tied for fifth in the league with two interceptions and paced the Spartans with five pass breakups. Junior Bobby Kinsella will be at the opposite corner position. He had 14 total tackles and one pass breakup in 2025.

Senior Alex Polli is back at safety. He had a career season in 2025 as he totaled 46 tackles (18 solo, 28 assisted) and broke up two passes. Junior Zeke Dubois is the other safety and he defended three passes with 17 tackles last season.

Kicking and punting duties will go to Wyatt Fuller, Zach Dragon, and Drew Frostick.