LEWISTON, Maine -- The 2022 football season promises to be one of the most intriguing in years for the Bobcats. It's the combination of a feeling of unfinished business among a big senior class and the excitement of a new coaching staff that should provide plenty of things for Bates fans to follow throughout the season. 

The storylines begin this Saturday when the Bobcats visit Wesleyan for a 1pm kick against new Bates head coach Matt Coyne's alma mater. 

"There are a lot of emotions built into this season opener," Coyne said. "I don't know if I will really experience all of them until Saturday but we understand the challenge we're facing with Wesleyan as our first opponent and we can't wait to kick off the season." 

• Football announces 2022 coaching staff

Offense

Quarterbacks

With the graduation of record-setting quarterback Brendan Costa '22, the Bobcats held a spirited competition for the starting job during fall camp. Bates is not lacking for depth, sporting five quarterbacks on the roster.

Seniors Liam Foley (Foxboro, Mass.), and Jack Bryant (Falmouth, Maine) both have starting experience, as does sophomore Colton Bosselait (Westminster, Mass.), who memorably set the Bates single-game record for passing yards last year in a 27-21 last-second win over Hamilton. 

Bryant is one of 11 fifth-year seniors who opted to use their extra year of eligibility due to the 2020 season getting wiped out by the COVID-19 pandemic.

"To have so many fifth-year players like Jack returning just says so much about their character and their devotion to the program," Coyne said. "They have a little chip on their shoulder from so many close calls last year and they are ready to compete." 

Meanwhile, Foley saw playing time as a rookie in 2019 and has been impressing in practice ever since, battling for another opportunity to lead the offense. 

Running Backs

Just like the quarterback room, there was a lot of competition among the running backs this fall. Bates threw the ball frequently in 2021, setting a program record with 2,136 passing yards. But the Bobcats only finished with 784 rushing yards on the year. On top of that, their top four rushers graduated, so 2022 is a great opportunity for some new faces to make a big impact.

Senior Reza Badiee (La Jolla, Calif.) moves from linebacker to running back this season and has impressed in camp. Meanwhile, sophomore Jamil Mouehla (Harrington Park, N.J.) will have a much bigger role this year after getting his feet wet in college football last season, seeing action in two games. The Bobcats also added a pair of first-years in Xander Scavone (Ridgefield, Conn.) and Jack Morrall (Hopkinton, N.H.) to the mix this season. 

"I am really excited to see how our position battles turn out at quarterback and running back," Coyne said. "These guys are hungry to compete and it's been fun to watch. They are definitely making our decisions difficult but that's a good thing." 

Wide Receivers/Tight Ends

Fifth-year senior captain Sean Bryant (Falmouth, Maine) leads the wide receivers, having caught 50 passes last season, the third-most in Bates history. His 627 receiving yards were the sixth most in the NESCAC.

• Hear from Bryant on the Bates Bobcast

The Bobcats do not lack pass catchers, with fifth-year senior Jackson Hayes (San Marino, Calif.) hoping to bounce back from an injury-plagued season and senior Mohamed Diawara (Philadelphia, Pa.) looking to do the same. Both showed off their potential when healthy in 2021. Diawara caught a long touchdown pass in the season opener against Amherst and Hayes tallied a pair of touchdown receptions in the Bobcats' 25-24 win at Bowdoin. 

Fifth-year senior Christian Olivieri (Hull, Mass.) was the breakout performer for Bates in 2021, starting the year at running back but moving to wide receiver during the season, where he shined. Olivieri caught 15 passes for 353 yards and three touchdowns, including a last-second 48-yard touchdown reception to beat Hamilton.

"Our wide receivers are a known quantity within the NESCAC," Coyne said. "We won't be surprising anyone with who we put out there at wide receiver, and we have a lot of confidence in all of them." 

Juniors Steven Guerrette (Bow, N.H.) and Alexander Suny (North Reading, Mass.) are both six-foot, three, 225-pound tight ends who made their collegiate debuts last year. Guerrette caught four passes for 57 yards and Suny caught five passes for 41 yards and two touchdowns. 

Offensive Line

The offensive line entered 2021 as a big question mark. The unit, known as "the hogs", ended the season as perhaps the team's biggest strength. 

"This group is so close knit," Coyne said. "They are big, physical, and athletic. Their strong relationship carries over onto the field and allows them to have a lot of success." 

Junior left tackle Peter Simplicio (West Hartford, Conn.) protected the blind side of Bates' quarterbacks last year, locking down opposing defensive ends in impressive fashion. Fifth-year senior Quinn Woods (Minot, Maine) provides plenty of personality and a strong presence at left guard for the Bobcats. Fellow fifth-year senior Nick Florio (Beachwood, N.J.) returns as well, manning center for the Bobcats. Senior right guard Cameron Winslow (Winslow, Maine) is the biggest hog of the bunch, tipping the scales at 306 pounds and junior captain Cole De Magistris (Emerson, N.J.) moves to right tackle this year after filling in where needed on the line throughout last season. De Magistris also serves as the team's long snapper. 

The Bobcats have strong depth on the line, with senior Jake Parsons (Belmont, Mass.) and junior Matthew Schreiber (Mount Sinai, N.Y.) being the most experienced back-ups. 

Defense/Special Teams

Defensive Backs

The Bates secondary is led by senior Mohamed Coulibaly (Philadelphia, Pa.) a second team All-NESCAC cornerback in 2021. Coulibaly started all nine games and piled up big numbers for his position, ranking fifth on the team in tackles (41) and third in solo tackles (29). Coulibaly also had an interception and four pass breakups on the year.

"Coulibaly is adjusting well to coach Jirgl's defense and to see him defend his cousin Mohamed Diawara every day in practice is a lot of fun," Coyne said. "The competition between our defense and the offense is really intense every day." 

Fifth-year senior Owen Straley (Norwell, Mass.), who had a scoop-and-score last year in a 33-10 win at Tufts, returns on the other side of the field from Coulibaly. Fifth-year senior Jose Calleja (Secane, Pa.) and junior Jarrin Sato (Honolulu, Hawaii) will provide the last line of defense for the Bobcats as the starting safeties.  

Bates fans can expect to see a lot of senior defensive back Quinn Kieselowsky (Newton, N.J.), who missed last season due to injury but saw action in six games back in 2019 when he was a rookie. Talented junior Anthony Morton Jr. (Philadelphia, Pa.) saw action in five games last year and should contribute again in 2022. 

Linebackers

Senior captain Tony Hooks (New Rochelle, N.Y.) is the heart and soul of the Bates defense, having led the NESCAC with 92 tackles last season. For his efforts, Hooks earned first team All-NESCAC honors and was a nominee for the Cliff Harris Award, which goes to the nation's best small college defensive player. 

"As a leader, Tony is the voice of the defense, he shows up early and leaves late," Coyne said. "We joke that I missed out on him when I was at Wesleyan, but I am sure glad to have him here at Bates."

Hooks is flanked by hard-hitting fifth-year senior Thomas Formus (Ridgefield, Conn.) and junior George Hawkins III (Jacksonville, Fla.). Formus is looking to bounce back after missing five games last year due to injury and Hawkins III looks to build on a very promising sophomore campaign that saw him tally 30 tackles, including 3.5 tackles for loss. 

Fifth-year senior Spencer Adams (Bedford, N.H.) is a tackling machine, netting 62 total tackles in 2021, the second-most on the team. 

Defensive Line

Fifth-year senior Jack Ryan (Cornwall on Hudson, N.Y.) finished 2021 with 31 tackles and is back to anchor a relatively young defensive line. Junior Kyle Hamilton (White River Junction, Vt.) only played in one game last year, but now steps into a starting role. Meanwhile, sophomores Matthew Juneau (Wakefield, Mass.) and Drew Kremhelmer (Warren, Mich.) look to build on promising rookie campaigns. Juneau tallied 26 tackles and Kremhelmer netted 13 tackles, including 2.5 tackles for loss.

Sophomore Finn Duffey (Sciuate, Mich.) is another force to be reckoned with up front for the Bates defense after playing in seven games as a first-year. 

Kickers

When it comes to special teams, the Bobcats have an experienced punter in junior Archie Green Jr. (Upland, Calif.), who averaged 33.4 yards per punt last season, with a long of 54. He also can handle place kicking duties when needed but will face fierce competition from first-year Parker Huynh-Benningfield (Austin, Texas), who brings a big leg from the Lone Star State. 

"We are really focused on the little things in the kicking game because hidden yards can make the difference between a win and a loss," Coyne said. "Special teams is one third of the game. Oftentimes when you lose, you can point to special teams as a big reason why, and it's the same thing when you win." 

Returners

Diawara is one of the most explosive returners in the NESCAC and should provide Bates with great field position when he gets a chance. He returned two kicks for 60 yards and returned four punts for 64 yards against Wesleyan last year before suffering a season-ending injury. 

The Bobcats debut 26 first-years this year as the new coaching staff looks to take Bates to the next level. But they also hope the Bobcats get more out of the experience than wins and losses. 

"Football is a microcosm of life," Coyne said. "When our players go out into the world they'll realize all the lessons they learned playing college football and can apply them to difficult situations they face in the future. We are having a lot of fun coaching them up on and off the field."