BGA had detailed previews of each Ivy League team last month. Here is more of a capsule look at each team, with updates where available.
The "Bottom line" projection for each team in the 2026 season is carried over from the individual previews, with only minor changes.
The BGA season prediction for the Ivy League race is at the bottom of this lengthy post.
BROWN
The Bears are loaded at the skill positions, returning strong-armed quarterback James Murphy, all-purpose running back Matt Childs, and wide receiver Trevor Foley, each chosen to the All-Ivy League second team a year ago. Also back is honorable-mention tight end Levi Linowes. Danny Thompson heads up an offensive line that will have to prove itself.
Edge rusher Ike Odimegwu, whose brother Uche plays for Dartmouth, begins the season as a frontrunner for the Ivy League defensive player of the year, but as always, there will be questions about the Brown defense.
The Bears went 5-5 last year and 2-5 in the Ivy. They showed what they are capable of in a 28-21 win against No. 8/10 Rhode Island early in the season and improved as the year went on, capping the season by winning their final two at Columbia and home against Dartmouth.
The Bottom Line
This has the feel of a critical year for coach James Perry. He's got his quarterback, a star running back, a top receiver, and just about everything he needs on the offensive line. The question remains what it always remains in Providence: Can the defense do enough?
Statistics aside, Brown was better on defense last year than it was early in Perry's tenure. If it improves significantly, the Bears probably won't win the title, but they might just be in the conversation late in the year. If it stays the same - or takes a step back - Brown could slide down the standings no matter how many points it scores.
The first winning record in Perry's tenure is within reach, but the defense will have to take a step forward for the Bears to contend.
COLUMBIA
The Lions have a veteran quarterback in Chase Goodwin and one of the top run games in the Ivy League. As a freshman last fall, 6-foot-2, 225-pound Michael Walters ran for 534 yards, and Griffin Johnson also returns after running for 418 yards a year ago. Expectations are high for speedy Jahmir Pitcher to add breakaway ability in the run game. The return of receiver Hutch Crow after being lost to injury in the second half of last season adds promise to the passing attack.
On the downside, top receiver Titus Evans will miss the season due to injury, the offensive line took serious graduation losses and, perhaps most importantly, Columbia absolutely has to keep Goodwin healthy.
Defensively, the Lions should have one of the better secondary groups in the Ivy League. They return four of their five leading tacklers, but will miss all-time sack leader Justin Townsend. Punter Tommy Sleeman averaged 42.7 yards last year.
The Bottom Line
Do not sleep on Columbia.
The Lions may not be the 2024 Ivy League champions, but neither should they be confused with the team that finished last in the Ivies a year ago and was voted last this year by the Ivy media.
One of the best ground games in the conference, a veteran quarterback who is looking for a bounce-back season, and a defense that returns its entire secondary and that seems to always have a strong presence up front, add up to a team that can make a run at the Ivy League's first division.
CORNELL
Like Columbia, the Big Red returns its starting quarterback in 6-5, 231-pound Garrett Bass-Sulpizio, who showed what he can do with his arm while completing 37-of-45 throws for 328 yards in a narrow loss at Dartmouth last year. He might have the best one-two receiving punch in the league with All-America tight end Ryder Kurtz and receiver Samuel Musungu, who was second in the nation in touchdowns and catches two years ago before missing last season with injury. Air Force transfer running back Jordan Triplett came on strong in the second half last year, and Cornell added Ty Doughty, a transfer running back from Mercer this year. Offensive line is the big question.
Defensively, Cornell loses its top five tacklers from a year ago, including all three players who earned All-Ivy recognition. Charged with getting the defense up to speed is Mike Toerper, the new DC who worked with head coach Dan Swanstrom both at Johns Hopkins and Ithaca College.
Bottom Line
"Bito" Bass-Sulpizio showed a lot at quarterback last year both passing and running, and Kurtz and Musungu may be the best players at their positions in the Ivy League. Offensive line is a concern.
The biggest concern, though, is the defensive rebuilding project in Ithaca. There’s enough talent offensively that if the line develops, Cornell could improve on last year's 3-4 Ivy League mark. But that won’t be easy unless an unproven defense steps up.
HARVARD
The Crimson returns first-team All-Ivy offensive linemen Spencer Doan and Thomas O’Brien, running back Xaviah Bascon and receiver Brady Blackburn from the All-Ivy second team, and from the honorable-mention ranks All-Ivy running back DJ Gordon and tight end Seamus Gilmartin. But the hole in the donut was left by the departure of quarterback Jaden Craig. If anticipated starter Dante Torres is what they hope, Harvard should be just fine on offense.
Defensively, the Crimson returns seven starters led by linebacker Sean Line, who had 82 tackles last year. The secondary features five returnees who had at least 30 tackles last fall, although graduated All-America safety Ty Bartrum isn’t one of them. The concern would be up front, but history tells us Harvard always seems to have talented defensive linemen waiting in the wings.
Kicker Kieran Corr, who booted a 53-yarder with no time left to save Harvard’s season last year, is back after striping 10-of-12 field goal attempts.
Bottom Line
As per usual, Harvard has enough talent to win the Ivy League title. But there are two obvious factors that will go a long way toward determining if the Crimson finishes atop the standings.
First, will they get championship play at quarterback the way they have the last two years? And second, can they get over the Yale hurdle?
The expectation here is that Torres, or whichever QB gets the call, won't necessarily be All-Ivy, but will be good enough. And that leaves the Yale problem. The Bulldogs have won the last four meetings with Harvard, and seven of the last eight.
Expect that the Ivy League championship - at least part of it - won't be determined until the Harvard-Yale game is finished because at least one of those teams will have a shot on the final Saturday of the season. Given graduation losses in New Haven, there's a better chance it will be the Crimson.
PENN
The Quakers bid farewell after last season to the best one-two receiving punch the Ivy League has seen in years. Jared Richardson, who caught 80 passes for 1,033 yards, is now at Duke, and Bisi Owens, who caught 66 throws for 695 yards, is now at Purdue. New coach Ricky Santos also lost quarterback Liam O’Brien, who grad transferred to Cincinnati, and both All-Ivy offensive linemen.
On the defensive side, the Quakers return their entire secondary. Graduation claimed the top linebacker and defensive lineman, but there are solid returnees at both levels.
Maybe the biggest loss beyond the receivers and QB is the departure of return specialist Julien Stokes, the Ivy League special teamer of the year last fall.
Bottom Line
Ricky Santos walked onto the New Hampshire football team in 2004 and won the starting quarterback position as a freshman, throwing for 3,272 yards and 31 touchdowns. He went on to be a three-time All-American and Walter Payton Award winner as the best offensive player in the nation at the FCS level. Given his own history, it's probably no surprise he wasn't afraid to name heralded freshman Miles Teodecki as his starting QB.
Graduation losses mean there's a notable lack of explosiveness on the offensive side, and losing two All-Ivy caliber linemen won't help. While the entire secondary returning is a bonus, the corners and safeties will have to hold up while a largely new group of linebackers and D-linemen settle in.
Santos is a good coach and he'll no doubt bring some of the New Hampshire offensive magic with him to Penn, but it could take a couple of years to bear fruit. Pencil the Quakers in for a battle to avoid the Ivy League's second division.
PRINCETON
The Tigers return their leading rusher in Ethan Clark, their leading receiver in 2025 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Josh Robinson, and two second-team All-Ivy League offensive linemen who helped the Tigers rank second nationally in “effectiveness” per coach Bob Surace. What they are not returning is a quarterback with any significant experience. West Smith, a 6-6 senior who is 3-for-6 passing in his career, is the only QB on the roster who has thrown even a single varsity pass in a Princeton uniform. Look for Wyatt Becker, who fielded offers from Florida State, Georgia, Indiana, Oregon, and Penn State – among others – before landing at Utah, to make a run at the starting job. Interestingly, he practiced with the Utes in the spring before transferring to Princeton.
Leading the defense out of the secondary is Torian Roberts, a second-team All-Ivy pick last fall. He’s joined in the back end by fellow All-Ivy Evan Haynie. Honorable mention pick Chase Christopher heads up the linebacker room, which will miss graduated All-Ivy Marco Scarano. London Robins, a 300-pound interior lineman, will anchor the D-line. Returnee Nate Stohl showed promise last year with 23 tackles as a freshman up front.
The Tigers should be solid in special teams with the return of punter Brady Clark, who averaged 44.8 yards, and kicker Esteban Nunez, who was 9-of-11 on field goals.
Bottom Line
Princeton is the BGA pick for darkhorse of the year. There's experience and talent all over the roster. Last year wasn't what anyone in New Jersey expected, but even while losing their last five, the Tigers played much better down the stretch. Two of those losses were by three points (including at Dartmouth), and the other two were by 11 and 13 points.
The big question, as so often is the case, is at quarterback. If Becker is the real deal and is ready to play, the Tigers can contend. But even if the team gets just average play behind center, Surace is a good enough coach that Princeton at the very least should get back over the .500 mark.
YALE
Yale returns starting quarterback Dante Reno, but he loses his top two weapons in smashmouth tailback Josh Pitsenberger, who ran for 1,571 yards and 19 touchdowns last year, and receiver Nico Brown, who caught 71 passes for 1,085 yards and 11 touchdowns. Combined with 439 yards from tailback Wilhelm Daal, Yale bid farewell to more than 2,000 rush yards. Their leading returnee had 50 yards a year ago. Reno threw 21 TD passes last year and will target Jaxton Santiago, who caught 50 passes for 687 yards and five TDs last fall. Tight end Spencer Mermans, now at Georgia Tech, will be missed, and there will be growing pains on the O-line with the loss of two first-team All-Ivy performers.
All-America defensive back Abu Kamara is a great starting point on that side of the ball, and he’s joined by honorable-mention D-back Jaylin Tate. All-Ivy defensive linemen Ezekiel Larry and Zairion Jackson-Bass both return, as does honorable-mention linebacker Phoenix Grant. Leading tackler Inumidun Ayo-Durojaiye will be missed.
Yale has the kind of special team talent that helps win close games. Kicker Noah Piper was 13-of-15 with a long of 50 while earning freshman All-America honors. Punter Reese Keeney averaged 41.4 yards.
Bottom Line
It's a little puzzling given the heavy graduation losses at Yale that so many are picking the Bulldogs to win the Ivy League again. Dante Reno had a fine first year in New Haven, but it's impossible to overstate how helpful Pitsenberger, Brown, and Mermans were to him, not to mention setting up behind two top-quality graduated offensive linemen. Working in Yale's favor is the return of their starting quarterback, the fact that they know how to win, and the understanding that given former coach Tony Reno's health issue, they will have no lack of motivation. All that said, they probably shouldn't be the favorites.
BGA Ivy League Prediction
Harvard
Princeton
Yale
Brown
Columbia
Penn
Cornell
Dartmouth is not included, and that is not a cop-out. I expect a very good season in Hanover, but I don't believe I can make an apples-to-apples comparison with other teams when it comes to predictions both because of much know about the Big Green, and how little I know about the others. Unfortunately coaches offer little or no information of any substance in their annual media day and there's precious little coming out of the athletic communications offices or the Ivy League office regarding football.
That said, I have Dartmouth solidly in the 2-3 range with Harvard the favorite – if the Crimson gets solid play from their new quarterback, which I expect. If they don't, all bets are off.
As you should know by now, the Big Green had significant graduation departures, but I’ve been impressed by the players who have stepped up. Again, it’s an uneven playing field in the prediction game because I have no idea how Princeton’s new QB is playing, or whether Penn has an exciting new receiver, or if Cornell’s transfer running back is the real deal. So take all of this with a grain few pounds of salt and enjoy the games!
On Tap Tomorrow: The return of The Optimist and The Pessimist.