GAMBIER, Ohio -- The Kenyon College football teams approaches the 2023 season with a roster that features 26 first-year players. The youthful Owls will try to build upon last year's offensive success, shore up the defense and establish a foothold in the North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
2022 Review:
- 3-7 overall record, including 1-4 at home and 2-3 on the road
- 2-6 mark in the NCAC, good for seventh place in the standings
NCAC Preseason Poll:
Similar to the way things ended in 2022, the Owls were predicted to finish seventh out of nine teams in the 2023 NCAC preseason coaches' poll, which was released earlier this month. Two-time defending champion DePauw was picked to finish first with 77 poll points and six first-place votes. Wabash was predicted to finish second, with 70 points and one first-place vote. Denison and Wittenberg collected the other first place votes. Denison also tallied 59 points, good for third place, while Wittenberg scored 52 points, which was good for fifth. In between those two was Ohio Wesleyan, with 57 points. Rounding out the rest of the poll was Wooster in sixth (32), Kenyon in seventh (26), Hiram in eighth (20) and Oberlin in ninth (12).
Key Returners:
- Nate Stuart – Second Team All-NCAC offensive lineman who helped make way for an average of 444.0 yards of offense per game in 2022.
- Andy Canonico – Second Team All-NCAC defensive lineman who racked up 47 tackles, including team-highs of 18 tackles for loss and six quarterback sacks last season.
- Michael Bongiorno – Linebacker who racked up 47 tackles in nine games played last season.
- Jordon Benjamin – Owls' 2022 leading rusher with 555 yards, three touchdowns and an average of 6.6 yards per carry.
Key Departures:
- Ryan O'Leary – Third Team All-NCAC quarterback who threw for 2,605 yards and 22 touchdowns as a senior.
- Finn Murray, Zachary Kim and Andrew Schnarre – receiving trio that accounted for 2,448 yards, 21 touchdowns, two All-NCAC awards and one All-Region award.
- Mychael Leno – Second Team All-NCAC defensive back who led the Owls with 93 tackles in 2022.
Schedule Overview:
- Season Opener: Saturday, September 2 at Bluffton University (7 pm)
- Home Opener: Saturday, September 9 vs. Kalamazoo College (1 pm)
- NCAC Opener: Saturday, September 16 at Wittenberg University (6 pm)
How to Follow:
Fans can follow Kenyon football throughout the season via the following links:
