ALFRED, NY – The Alfred University football team is preparing to return to action this fall, welcoming many returning student-athletes and first-year talents.

The Saxons are led by Head Coach Bob Rankl, who is entering his 11th season as the head coach of the football program and his 26th year overall with AU.

"We are focused on moving forward this fall season," Rankl said. "We have a great group of returning student-athletes that have put in a lot of work. We firmly believe we can win the Empire 8 conference if we get everybody moving in the right direction."

Alfred University finished last season with a 4-6 overall record, which included Empire 8 wins over SUNY Morrisville and Hartwick College. With a full preseason in effect, the Saxons are looking forward to what this season will bring.

Chris Kelly (Lake Ronkonkoma, NY/Sachem North) will be among the veterans on the fall roster, returning under center for his junior season. Kelly has received playing time in each of the previous two seasons, totaling 1,480 passing yards and 10 total touchdowns to this point.

Max Freeman IV (Painted Post, NY/Corning-Painted Post) will lead the backfield for the Saxons, having been named as an All-Empire 8 talent in each of the last three seasons. Over the course of his career with AU, Freeman has put together 2,152 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Last season, Freeman ranked fourth in the Empire 8 with 702 rushing yards. Freeman is one of five team captains for the Saxons ahead of the 2024 season.

Sophomore wide receiver Dion Anderson (Buffalo, NY/St. Joseph's Collegiate Institute) is coming off a successful first-year season with Alfred University, finishing in the top 10 in the conference with 416 receiving yards to go with a team-high four touchdowns.

Up front, Gavin Bartholomew (Cato, NY/Cato-Meridian) has been named as a team captain for the Saxons. Entering his senior season, Bartholomew will be among the veteran leaders for the offensive front.

On the defensive line, Danny Quiñones (Endicott, NY/Union-Endicott) has been named as a team captain for the second straight season. In 2023, Quinones was honored as an All-Empire 8 and All-ECAC member. He finished the season with a team-high 13 tackles for loss, which included three sacks.

Joe Copp (Minoa, NY/East Syracuse-Minoa) will be returning for his fifth season with Alfred University, including his third year as a team captain. Entering the 2024 season, Copp is just 55 tackles away from the all-time program record. Last fall, Copp was recognized as a D3football.com All-Region honoree, All-Empire 8 talent and All-ECAC recipient. Copp finished the fall year with a career-high 122 tackles, which ranked second in the nation.

The defensive backfield will be led by Adam Mietz (Akron, NY/Akron), who rounds out the team captains for the 2024 season. Mietz totaled 73 tackles last season with go with a pair of interceptions for Alfred University. He was later named as an All-Empire 8 talent.

Alfred University will begin their season on the road at Hobart College on September 6. Empire 8 competition will open for the Saxons at Morrisville State College on October 12. AU will celebrate Hall of Fame Weekend and Senior Day during the regular season finale against SUNY Brockport on November 16.

"Our top priority is to put forward the best culture," Rankl said. "If we can do that, our talented group of student-athletes will lead us to overall goals as a football program."