The Bryant Bulldogs are looking to bounce back from a subpar 2024 season where they finished 2-10 with a 0-8 conference record. Not only are the Bulldogs looking to bounce back from the 2024 season, but they are going to have to do so without star wide receiver Landon Ruggieri, an All-American. 

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Even without Ruggieri, Bryant is returning a key part of its offense, quarterback Brennan Myer. The sophomore had a stellar freshman season, throwing for 1,111 total yards and 12 touchdowns in seven games and four starts. He had a career-high 338 yards against Stony Brook and four touchdowns against Maine. 

Wide receiver Keylijah Williams will likely be Myer’s top target as he was a breakout wide receiver and star kick returner as a redshirt freshman. Alongside Williams, fifth-year receiver Tristen Riley will bring experience, looking to follow up his 15 catches, 155 yards, and two-touchdown season with more success. 

Both running backs, Dylan Kedzior and Markiel Cockrell, are looking to make their impact as versatile players, both having success running out of the backfield and catching passes. 

On defense, the Bulldogs are returning defensive lineman Michael Otty, who had 13 total tackles, including five tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, and one blocked kick. He earned CAA Second Team honors and will be a key veteran on the Bulldogs' defense. 

Behind Otty, Bryant is returning linebacker Lonnie Rice, who tallied 56 tackles, three tackles for loss, and one forced fumble as a redshirt junior in 2024. Fellow defensive Lineman Beau Shugarts is also returning after a 55-tackle junior season. 

Olatunde Mkparu also brings a veteran presence at defensive back, and in his junior season had 54 tackles, one interception, and shared a tackle for loss, and will be a leader in the defensive backs room. The defensive backs are losing their top player, Colin Elliott, who led the team in tackles and interceptions, and will be looking to Mkparu for leadership in the secondary. 

The Bryant Bulldogs have a steep hill to climb to reach CAA success, but with the veteran presence they are returning, they have the potential to surpass their win total of two from 2024. They lost several starters to graduation and the transfer portal, but are looking to use their remaining veterans to lead the Bulldogs to their next winning season. 

Who Is The Bryant Football Head Coach?

Chris Merritt was named the head coach of Bryant Football on Dec 20, 2018 and has since taken the Bulldogs to a 25-36 record. He was given the Eddie Robinson Award, the FCS Coach of the Year Award, in 2021 after leading Bryant to a 7-4 record and taking them to their first competition against an FBS opponent in Akron. 

Since 2021, Merritt has had little success, with just one other winning season in 2023. Merritt joined Bryant after success at the high school level in Florida and is still looking to replicate that success at the FCS level. 

2025 Bryant Football Schedule 

Aug 30 at New Mexico State 

Sept 6 at UMass

Sept 13 vs Bentley 

Sept 20 at Campbell*

Sept 20 vs Towson*

Oct 4 vs Maine* 

Oct 11 vs Brown

Oct 25 at Rhode Island*

Nov 1 vs Monmouth*

Nov 14 vs New Hampshire*

Nov 22 at Stony Brook* 

- * denotes conference game 

2024 Bryant Football Record 

Aug 29 at Delaware - L 48-17

Sept 7 vs Franklin Pierce - W 21-17

Sept 14 vs Holy Cross - L 43-22*

Sept 21 at New Hampshire - L 38-17*

Oct 5 at Brown - W 42-35

Oct 12 vs Albany - L 24-17*

Oct 19 at Monmouth - L 55-17*

Oct 26 vs Richmond - L 41-14*

Nov 2 vs Stony Brook - 31-30*

Nov 9 at Maine - L 38-26*

Nov 16 at William & Mary - L 22-12*

Nov 23 vs Rhode Island - L 35-21* 

Bryant Football Roster 

• 1 - Keylijah Williams - WR - Junior
• 3 - Tristen Riley - WR - Graduate Student
• 4 - Dorian Helm - DB - Senior
• 4 - Brennan Myer - QB - Sophomore
• 5 - James Anderson - QB - Junior
• 9 - Michael Otty - DL - Graduate Student
• 10 - Jaden Keefner - QB - Junior
• 12 - Ridge Docekal - QB - Senior
• 13 - Kaden Hamilton - DB - Senior
• 13 - Carter Neuman - TE - Redshirt Senior
• 16 - Zyheem Collick - WR - Sophomore
• 17 - Gideon Bedada - DL - Junior
• 17 - Aldrich Doe - WR - Junior
• 18 - Lonnie Rice - LB - Redshirt Junior
• 19 - Anthony Schettino - DL - Junior
• 20 - Sean Hunt - DB - Graduate Student
• 21 - Elijah Brown - DB - Sophomore
• 23 - Markiel Cockrell - RB - Sophomore
• 23 - Azarel Juste - DB - Sophomore
• 24 - Dylan Kedzior - RB - Graduate Student
• 24 - Darrell A Mitchell-Jackson - DB - Sophomore
• 24 - Olatunde Mkparu - DB - Senior
• 25 - Drake Lusk - LB - Sophomore
• 26 - Michael Nwaogwugwu - DB - Sophomore
• 27 - Dedric Walker - DB - Senior
• 28 - Ezra Carter - DB - Sophomore
• 28 - Jake Croke - WR - Sophomore
• 29 - Joshua Smith - LB - Sophomore
• 32 - Levi Wilkins - TE - Senior
• 33 - Jake Davis - DB - Sophomore
• 38 - Samuel Isiguzo - DB - Junior
• 39 - Chase Aston - DB - Senior
• 40 - Jaylin Ballew - TE - Sophomore
• 43 - Brendan Flanagan - LB - Sophomore
• 45 - Owen Howlett - LB - Sophomore
• 47 - Michael Fileppo - LB - Junior
• 50 - Maximus Villar - DL - Graduate Student
• 52 - Beau Shugarts - DL - Senior
• 53 - Andre Smith - LB - Senior
• 54 - Sean Cowie - LS - Junior
• 54 - Jon Fagley - OL - Senior
• 55 - Xavier Belton - DL - Junior
• 55 - Matthew Rau - OL - Graduate Student
• 56 - Toby Brown Jr. - DL - Junior
• 57 - Jack Buttine - DL - Junior
• 58 - Ryan Bushnell - DL - Junior
• 59 - Ryan Geary - LB - Sophomore
• 62 - Nick Porada - DE - Senior
• 65 - Wyatt Whalen - OL - Junior
• 67 - Kale Hauserman - OL - Junior
• 68 - Jayden Hazelwood - DL - Sophomore
• 71 - Aden Smith - OL - Sophomore
• 72 - Brayden Staggs - OL - Graduate Student
• 74 - Nickolas Molina - OL - Senior
• 76 - Kieran Bill - OL - Senior
• 77 - Anthony Perez - OL - Graduate Student
• 80 - Maximus Nosler - TE - Sophomore
• 81 - Connor Lennon - WR - Sophomore
• 81 - Zachary Powell - WR - Junior
• 82 - Darian Thomson - WR - Sophomore
• 83 - Braxton Bartz - WR - Sophomore
• 83 - Koby Keenan - TE - Junior
• 84 - Sterling Anderson - WR - Sophomore
• 84 - Sean O'Neill - P - Junior
• 86 - Jase Hannigan - WR - Sophomore
• 89 - Alfredo Perez - WR - Junior
• 91 - Lucian DePino - DL - Sophomore
• 92 - Nathan LaPlante - DL - Junior
• 93 - Clark (Jacob) Miller - LS - Redshirt Junior
• 94 - Amin Abbassi - DL - Sophomore
• 95 - Zach Taylor - DL - Sophomore
• 96 - Nick Monahan - DL - Sophomore
• 98 - Gustavo Bravo - DL - Junior
• 99 - Hollis Dirstine - DL - Senior
• 99 - Bryce Soli - K - Senior
• Tyler Abbondanzio - DL - Freshman
• Valdimir Acosta - OL - Freshman
• Matthew Bowes - TE - Graduate Student
• Peter Braz - WR - Freshman
• Brady Crowley - TE - Freshman
• Jesse Denobile - DE - Freshman
• Jack Donnelly - K - Freshman
• Elijah Elliot - RB - Graduate Student
• Michael Ferry - DB - Freshman
• Bryson Fields - WR - Freshman
• Aleks Freyman - OL - Freshman
• Michael Grant - DL - Senior
• Dirk Hoenkirk - DB - Freshman
• Destyn Hoggard - OL - Freshman
• Jalen Johnson - DB - Senior
• Kristian Karoglan - K - Junior
• Leroy Lee - DB - Freshman
• Liam Lindo - DB - Senior
• David Matesic - LB - Freshman
• Omaris McMiller - DB - Freshman
• Owen O'Toole - QB - Freshman
• Anthony Ottinot - LB - Freshman
• Nate Owens - WR - Junior
• Isaiah Pierre - DE - Freshman
• Ben Pipolo - DL - Freshman
• Logan Rubel - TE - Freshman
• Carlie Sayegh - H - Freshman
• Tyler Scott - LB - Freshman
• Ayaan Sharfudeen - OL - Freshman
• Nelson Sparrow - DB - Freshman
• Thomas Stanley - LB - Freshman
• Michael Stevenson - DL - Freshman
• Rhett Thompson - QB - Freshman
• Silas Tiedermann - OL - Freshman
• Nathan Ughovwa - TE - Freshman
• Marcus Williams - OL - Senior
• Ryan Williams - DB - Sophomore
• Teion Winslow - DB - Freshman
• TJ Woods - OL - Freshman

Bryant Football Coaching Staff 

• Head Coach: Chris Merritt
• Defensive Coordinator | Assistant Head Coach: Anthony Barese
• Tight Ends | Special Teams Coordinator: John Sielawa
• Offensive Coordinator | Offensive Line | Pro Liaison: Ben McKaig
• Defensive Line Coach: Kris Kulzer
• Linebackers | Recruiting Coordinator: Jordan Frost-Dixon
• Corners: Eugene Jones
• Nickels Coach | On-Campus Recruiting Coordinator: Dan Hicks
• Quarterbacks: Drew Anderson
• Wide Receivers Coach: Greg Hardin
• Running Backs Coach: Brandon Linney
• Graduate Assistant: Montaner Fresilli
• Student Assistant: Eli Culotta
• Offensive Quality Control: Jay Mota
• Offensive Quality Control: Andrew Licciardi
• Defensive Quality Control: Mathew Kapfer
• Quality Control: Nick Guerriero
• Quality Control: Marcus Price
• Quality Control: Ryan Tigges
• Assistant Athletic Director for Sports Performance: Brandon Beach
• Head Football Athletic Trainer: Brian Stefanik
• Assistant Athletic Trainer: Brianna Bernett
• Academic Advisor for Student-Athletes: Maggie Barden
• Academic Advisor for Student-Athletes: Morgan O'Brien
• Assistant Director of Athletic Communications: Max Slomiak

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