STONY BROOK, N.Y. – After orchestrating one of the most dramatic turnarounds in FCS football last season, the Stony Brook football team has been picked to finish fourth in the CAA Preseason Coaches Poll, with six players earning spots on the CAA Football Preseason All-Conference Team, the league announced Wednesday morning.
🚨 Preseason Poll Alert 🚨
Check out the 2025 #CAAFB projected order of finish selected by the league’s head coaches
🔗 https://t.co/05Gqyvdal4 pic.twitter.com/37v0avdv8D
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) July 23, 2025
In his debut season, head coach Billy Cosh led Stony Brook to an 8-4 record — a seven-win improvement from the previous year — marking the biggest single-season turnaround in the nation at the FCS level. Cosh recieved CAA Football Coach of the Year and FCS National Coach of the Year honors a season ago, leading the Seawolves to their first national ranking and winning season since 2018.
Now it’s time to focus on the #CAAFB Preseason All-CAA Honors!
Here are the selections on offense 🏆@MUHawksFB | @RhodyFootball | @NovaFootball | @StonyBrookFB | @WMTribeFootball | @NCATFootball pic.twitter.com/Qen7RddQke
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) July 23, 2025
All-America running back Roland Dempster headlines the Seawolves’ preseason honorees. A 2024 Walter Payton Award finalist, Dempster set the tone for a record-breaking campaign, finishing with 1,332 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns. He averaged 111.0 rushing yards and 138.9 all-purpose yards per game, surpassed 100 rushing yards in seven contests, and became the first Stony Brook player since Miguel Maysonet (2011) to post three games with three rushing touchdowns. Dempster earned All-American honors from the Associated Press, Stats Perform, Phil Steele, and FCS Central, and ended the season ranked fourth in program history for most rushing yards in a single season and second in rushing touchdowns.
Up front, offensive lineman Niko Papic also landed a spot on the preseason team following a standout 2024 season. A Phil Steele All-CAA and All-CAA Third Team selection, Papic was one of only two players to start every game on the offensive line. He helped anchor a unit that improved its total offense by nearly 90 yards per game, including a jump from 104.1 to 170.3 rushing yards per game. The Seawolves led the CAA in time of possession and posted 100+ rushing yards in 10 of 12 games and 200+ passing yards in six contests.
Defense wins championships 🏆
Let’s give it up for your #CAAFB Preseason All-CAA defensive picks @NovaFootball | @Towson_FB | @WMTribeFootball | @StonyBrookFB | @RhodyFootball | @MUHawksFB | @BryantUFootball pic.twitter.com/WhUkuqvv8R
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) July 23, 2025
On defense, linebacker AJ Roberts returns after earning Second Team All-CAA honors last fall. He led the team with 86 tackles (32 solo), posted 4.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, and added an interception, three pass breakups, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. Roberts recorded at least four tackles in every game and delivered a season-high 11-tackle performance in the win over William & Mary, where he also recorded his first career interception and touchdown.
Defensive lineman Rodney Faulk also earned preseason All-CAA recognition. A team captain and force in the trenches, Faulk played in all 12 games and tallied 37 tackles, 10.0 tackles for loss, and 4.5 sacks. He led the team with four quarterback hurries and three forced fumbles, highlighted by a dominant performance against New Hampshire with three tackles for loss and two sacks.
Shoutout to the special teamers!
Here are your #CAAFB Preseason All-CAA specialists 🏆 @BlackBearsFB | @MUHawksFB | @ElonFootball | @WMTribeFootball | @hupirates_fb | @StonyBrookFB pic.twitter.com/xVpl8RA2ZH
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) July 23, 2025
Kicker Enda Kirby rounds out the Seawolves’ preseason selections after rewriting the record book in 2024. He set a program record with 17 made field goals and led the CAA with an 85 percent field goal percentage, the second-best in school history. A Second Team All-CAA selection and First Team Phil Steele All-CAA honoree, Kirby connected on 41 of 44 PATs and ended the year with eight consecutive field goals, including a season-high four made kicks at Monmouth.
Before Media Day gets underway, we finish by highlighting the #CAAFB Preseason All-CAA honorable mention selections @RhodyFootball | @UNH_Football | @Towson_FB | @BlackBearsFB | @ElonFootball | @NovaFootball | @hupirates_fb | @GoCamelsFB | @WMTribeFootball | @UAlbanyFootball |… pic.twitter.com/WV2rEmr8y4
— CAA Football (@CAAFootball) July 23, 2025
Additionally, linebacker Anthony Ferrelli was named to the CAA Preseason Honorable Mention list after finishing with a career-high 84 tackles (38 solo), 5.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, three pass breakups, and a fumble recovery. Ferrelli ranked among the CAA’s top 20 tacklers and logged five or more stops in 11 of 12 games.
In the CAA Preseason Poll, Stony Brook earned 125 points to finish fourth behind only Rhode Island (163), Monmouth (142), and Villanova (139). The Seawolves were the highest-ranked team in the poll not to receive a first-place vote after being picked to finish last in the 2024 Preseason Poll.
Bring your group out to Kenneth P. LaValle Stadium and enjoy the thrill of gameday, exclusive group benefits, and great discounted pricing to help create an unforgettable experience.Click here or contact the Stony Brook Athletics ticket office at 631-632-WOLF or seawolvestickets@stonybrook.edu to get started.
More information on each theme and ticket offers will be available throughout the offseason on social media and at StonyBrookAthletics.com.
For an inside look at the Seawolves football program, be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
