KINGSTON, R.I. - Rhode Island topped the CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish and had 10 different players earn preseason accolades, with quarterback Devin Farrell being named Preseason Offensive Player of the Year on Wednesday morning.

Joining Farrell on the Preseason All-Conference Team were wide receivers Marquis Buchanan and Aboraa Kwarteng, offensive lineman Tre Alexander, linebackers Rohan Davy and Moses Meus, and defensive lineman Case Mankins. Running back Brendon Barrow, cornerback Trey Lubin, and safety Andre DePina-Gray all earned honorable mention nods. 

The reigning CAA Football Champions earned 12 first-place votes from the league's head coaches, totaling 144 points in the poll. Monmouth (119 points) and Elon (115 points) rounded out the top three. Stony Brook earned one first-place vote and collected 105 points. The Seawolves were predicted to finish fifth in the league. 

Farrell was a First Team All-CAA Football honoree a season ago and the first Rhode Island quarterback to earn First Team all league honors since Tom Ehrhardt did so in the Yankee Conference in 1984. Farrell finished the 2025 season with 3,745 passing yards, the third most in a single season in team history and second most in the FCS. That propelled his career passing yards total to 5,474, making Farrell the fifth quarterback in program history to surpass 5,000 career passing yards. After completing 65 percent of his passes in 2025, Farrell's career passing percentage rose to 62.7 percent, second highest in team history trailing JaJuan Lawson's 63.3 percent from 2017-2018.

A First-Team All-American honoree in 2025 from Stats Perform, FCS Football Central, and the Associated Press, Buchanan's season totals included 78 catches and an FCS Football leading 1,337 receiving yards. He joined Brian Forster as the players in program history to record multiple 1,000-yard receiving seasons. Buchanan's 3,099 career receiving yards is third-most in team history. Over the last three seasons, Buchanan has notched 202 receptions. That's the third-most in program history trailing only Forster (284) and Aaron Parker (216). The Providence, R.I. native added a team-high eight receiving touchdowns.

Kwarteng carved out a solid role as Rhode Island's number three target in a crowded receivers room a season ago. Despite appearing in just two games as a reserve in 2024, the Alexandria, Va. native finished last season with 41 receptions for 614 yards and a pair of touchdown catches. Kwarteng topped 100 receiving yards twice last year at Stony Brook (114 yards) and at Elon (123 yards). He continued to improve throughout the entire 2025 season tallying 16 catches over the season's final three games including a six-reception performance at UC Davis in the second round of the FCS Playoffs. 

Part of the 2026 Stats Perform Preseason All-America Team, Alexander has started the last 16 games for Rhode Island and has anchored the Rams offensive line at center. He earned postseason recognition as a Second Team All-CAA Football selection. The Tampa, Fla. native helped the Rams accrue the second-most yards of offense in program history last season totaling 6,018. With Alexander leading the way, running back Antwain Littleton, Jr. to rushed for 1,243 yards, the fourth-most in a single season in program history. 

A Second Team All-CAA Football honoree last season, Davy has become one of the premiere linebackers in the CAA and across FCS Football. He was second on the team in tackles (101), tackles for loss (13), and sacks (7) last season and started all 14 games for the Rams. Last season, Davy impressed with a career-high 12 tackles at FBS Western Michigan on Sept. 27. 

Meus is one of the top returning defensive players in CAA Football. Last year, the Pawtucket, R.I. native finished the season with a team-best 110 tackles. That mark was fifth best in CAA Football. His five sacks was third on the Rams and tied for third-most in CAA Football. He became the eighth player in program history and first since 2014 to record 19 or more tackles in a single game after his eye-popping 19-tackle performance at Western Michigan.

With just 24 tackles in 2024, Mankins has doubled his production in 2025. He finished the season with 55 tackles, five tackles for loss, and four sacks. The North Attleboro, Mass. native's best game of the season was at UAlbany where he recorded his first career game with two sacks. He earned Third Team All-CAA Football for his performance in 2025 and preseason All-America honors from Stats Perform in 2026.

Barrow joined the Rams in 2025 after a four year career at Stanford. He appeared in Rhode Island's final nine games of the year making one start and finishing second on the team with 423 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. He had a career day against New Hampshire (Oct. 11) with 111 rushing yards and two rushing touchdowns. 

Lubin appeared in all 14 games for the Rams in 2025. He was second on the team with seven pass breakups and intercepted a pass at UC Davis in the FCS Playoffs. A transfer from Memphis, Lubin didn't appear in a game for the Tigers in 2024. He settled in during his first year in Kingston in 2025 and recorded 40 tackles for the Rams. 

DePina-Gray has been a reliable and productive member of the Rhode Island secondary, earning All-CAA Honorable Mention recognition during the 2024 season. In 2025, he finished fifth on the team with 55 total tackles while adding 2.5 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, a fumble recovery, and an interception. 

This is the second consecutive season Rhode Island has been voted the preseason favorite to win the league by the league's head coaches. URI is coming off of back-to-back postseason appearances after earning the No. 9 seed in last year's FCS Football Championship field.

Rhody's season officially begins with a game at Merrimack on Friday, Aug. 28. The game start time is to be announced. 

2026 CAA Football Predicted Order of Finish
(Selected by a vote of Head Coaches)

1. Rhode Island (12 first-place votes) - 144
2. Monmouth - 119
3. Elon - 115
4. New Hampshire - 106
5. Stony Brook (1 first-place vote) - 105 
6. Towson - 93
7. Maine - 88
8. Campbell - 56
9. Bryant - 50
10. Sacred Heart - 49
11. UAlbany - 35
12. North Carolina A&T - 28
13. Hampton - 26