Merrimack Preview

Merrimack finished last year 4-8 overall and 0-7 away from home, with one of the wins coming over Division II Saint Anselm. To their credit, the Warriors started and finished strong with a 21-17 loss at FBS Kent State in their opener, and a  27-26 win over Fordham in their finale.

What to make of Merrimack for 2026?

It's hard to say because information is scarce on one of the nation's only independent programs, the school's sports information office hasn't yet turned its attention to 2026, and the team features a bevy of largely unknown newcomers – with a chance there will be a transfer or two not yet listed on the roster.

The Warriors graduated starting quarterback Ayden Pereira who started against Dartmouth in 2024 when the Big Green escaped with a last-minute 16-14 win. The leading candidate to replace him – on paper at least – is AJ Hairston, a 6-foot-3, 215-pound transfer from UMass. Hairston completed a subpar 107-of-216 throws for 957 yards with four touchdowns and four interceptions last fall, and while that was playing on one of the worst FBS teams in the country, it was against FBS competition. As a high schooler in Florida, he threw for 8,098 yards and 77 touchdowns.

If Hairston wins the quarterback competition he could have a familiar target to throw to in UMass transfer Kenyon Massey, who caught 17 passes for the Minutemen last year.

St. Francis transfer DeMarcus McElroy is the top returning rusher after going for 263 yards last year while Galamama Mulbah, a Lackawanna College product, had 240 yards and a healthy 5.1-yard average.

On the plus side, the Warriors return a trio of 300-pound starters on the offensive line and three starters on the D-line.

On the minus side, they will have to replace their entire starting secondary.

Last Year:

The Big Picture:

The Bottom Line:

If the UMass transfer tandem of quarterback AJ Hairston and receiver Kenyon Massey click behind a veteran offensive line, the Warriors have an outside shot at increasing their win total this fall. Dartmouth coach Sammy McCorkle will tell you they have good athletes and they play hard. But with a schedule featuring Wake Forest, URI, Delaware, Monmouth, New Hampshire and Tarleton, just matching last year's four wins would be a win.