In Jamie Franco’s first year as head coach of the Hofstra University wrestling team, the Pride went 7-6 in dual meet action, while  graduate students Kyle Mosher and Ross McFarland qualified for the NCAA Championships. The two were also crowned Eastern Intercollegiate Wrestling Association (EIWA) Champions, boosting the Pride to a seventh-place team finish with 72.5 points.

McFarland, a five-year starter for the Pride, went 0-2 at the NCAA Championships at 184 pounds, falling to two eventual All-Americans. Mosher, transfer student from Columbia University, went 2-2 at 165 pounds, earning the most wins by a Hofstra wrestler since Greg Gaxiola in 2021.

Besides McFarland and Mosher, the Pride also graduated key starters Dylan Acevedo-Switzer at 125 pounds, Justin Hoyle at 141 pounds and Nickolas Miller at 197 pounds.

“I think there’s a lot of confidence in our team right now [from] knowing that they were going toe-to-toe with some of these guys in the room last year and saw that what they were doing, how they were training and how as time goes on and you believe in it, things are going to happen and they’re going to go deep,” Franco said.

This season’s roster blends returning talent with a wave of incoming freshmen: At 149 pounds, junior Noah Tapia, returns from a strong 2024-25 season in which he posted an 18-13 record and placed fourth at the EIWA Championships. He led the team with five wins by technical fall and embodies the showmanship Franco hopes to see.

Graduate student Chase Liardi and redshirt junior Jurius Clark are taking a note out of McFarland’s book and are both moving up weight classes this season. Now at 141 pounds, Liardi brings a wealth of experience and leadership to the lineup. In 2024-25, he posted a 12-14 record with multiple wins by pin and major decision. Clark, now two weight classes higher than last season at 174 pounds, is coming off a seventh-place finish at the EIWA Championships and a 13-15 record.

“[Clark] made a big jump, not just in his efforts, but in his weight,” Franco said. “He jumped up two weight classes, and it’s one of those things where … guys move weight classes and they’re not always fully confident that they are ready to do it. To go up two is even harder, but he did a really good job this year in the weight room putting on good size. He looks good, moves well still and he’s filled out, which is really nice.”

The incoming class brings a wave of expectation and adds depth to the Hofstra roster: At 125 pounds, Tommy Aiello arrives from East Northport, New York, with a decorated high-school career as a two-time New York State Champion from his sophomore and senior years. Two more Long Islanders join the Pride alongside Aiello: Gino Manata, a 133/141 pounder out of Hauppauge, New York, and Josh Jorgge, a 184-pounder from Hicksville, New York.

At 157 pounds, Chase Hontz is one of Hofstra’s best recruits as a three-time Pennsylvania state medalist from Faith Christian Academy. Rounding out the freshman class at 141 pounds is Jackson Slotnick, a two-time New Jersey state medalist and health science major, joins the Pride’s roster and will be alongside his brother, Jake Slotnick, redshirt sophomore.

“You’ve got to feel comfortable in a room,” Franco said when speaking about recruiting guys who have existing connections on the team. “College wrestling is hard, and there’s gonna be times where you break and you’re gonna feel like it’s only you, and when you have no connections other than moving in and meeting the guys, it’s hard sometimes. You need someone to lean on.”

The 2025-26 schedule for Hofstra is loaded with opportunities from several high-profile dual meets, giving the Pride chances for wins, growth and statement performances.

“The advantage of having [ranked teams] in a dual meet is [that] we’re going to see six to ten nationally ranked guys, depending on who’s coming in,” Franco said. “We’re guaranteed a lot of top-ranked matchups, and just more opportunities for our guy to knock those guys off and get noticed, get confidence. This is who we need to beat if we want to get on the podium at the end of the year and be an All-American. These are the guys that we need to knock off, and it’s better to see them earlier in the year than for the first time seeing them at either conference semis or NCAAs.”

The Pride’s first dual meets were against Duke University and Appalachian State University on Saturday, Nov. 8, immediately followed by one of the toughest early-season tournaments against the Journeymen Collegiate Classic on Sunday, Nov. 9.

Hofstra hosts its first home dual against Columbia on Sunday, Nov. 16 and continues facing Ivy Leagues the next week against the University of Pennsylvania on Saturday, Nov. 22.

For their first Big Ten opponent of the season, Hofstra hosts the University of Wisconsin on Dec. 7. They end the year with three duals at the Bucknell Quad against the University of Virginia, Morgan State University and Bucknell University on Dec. 21.

January is a quick schedule for the Pride, starting with the Journeymen Armbar Duals, where they face Princeton University and Binghamton University on Jan. 4. Then they travel to the Franklin and Marshall Open on Jan. 9 before heading upstate to the University of Buffalo on Jan. 25.

For the last month of the regular season, the Pride travels for three back-to-back EIWA duals before hosting some of the most anticipated matchups of the season. On Feb. 9, the Pride hosts rival Long Island University, followed by Harvard University and Brown University both on Feb. 15, before ending their homestead against Rutgers University on Feb. 18.

Last season, Franco’s theme for the year was effort. With a young roster and many tough matchups, this season’s theme evolves from effort to performance.

“Just put on a show,” Franco said. “Last year was effort, this year we’re stepping up, we gotta put a show on for the guys. … We want to put a product out on that mat of guys that are gonna go out and live and die on their sword of competing hard … Let’s go put on a show … for the fans, because we want the fans to come back, so the only way we’re gonna do that is by scoring points … The big change for this year is just the effort and to make it exciting, push for points at all times.”