Position-By-Position (Offense)
Offensive Line – The Cardinals’ offensive line features a mixture of experience and players stepping into larger roles.
Fisher returns three starters from last season: senior left tackle Jacob Sturgis, a 2025 third-team All-Empire 8 selection, senior left guard Davis Damelio and junior right tackle Jason Kovaluskie, who played right guard as a sophomore. The Cardinals lost All-E8 center Eli Williams, All-E8 right tackle Justin Rojek and a handful of experienced backup linemen to graduation.
The Cardinals expect junior Joe Main to start at center and sophomore Jared Curcio to start at right guard. Main has played in one collegiate game, while Curcio spent last season developing in JV contests.
Last season, the Cardinals’ front five helped pave the way for an offense that averaged 172.7 yards rushing per game and amassed 17 touchdowns on the ground. The unit allowed just 20 sacks in 11 games, a marked decrease from the 35 Fisher gave up in 2024.
“I would say Kovaluskie has taken the biggest jump,” Raby said. “I have been very impressed with him. He really bought in and has gained 40 pounds. He’s a physical guy. I think he’s going to have a great season.
“Joe Main is very talented and has put in the work. Jared Curcio, our sophomore guard, is a physical guy. I think we will be a very physical front, but we’re going to be relying on a lot of freshmen in our two-deep.”
The Cardinals’ depth includes sophomores Richard Vanatta and Colin Smith and freshmen Ivan Pusloski, Ryan Healey and Mason McGloin.
“Richard and Colin have played a lot of different roles in camp,” Raby said. “I think that will benefit us because those two guys have become Swiss Army knives. They know they need to be ready to play.”
Quarterback – Ryan Whitney has quietly been one of the top dual-threat quarterbacks in the region since becoming the Cardinals’ starter in 2024. Over 18 games (14 starts), the 6-foot-2 signal-caller has completed 62% of his passes for 2,678 yards with 18 touchdowns to 14 interceptions and rushed for 725 yards and six scores on 192 carries. He played in eight of the Cardinals’ 10 games last season, accounting for 1,117 total yards (414 rushing, 703 passing) and 10 total touchdowns (3 rushing, 7 passing).
Whitney, 6-foot-2, 230 pounds, ended his junior season with two of his best collegiate performances. He completed nearly 80% of his passes for 129 yards and two touchdowns and rushed for 152 yards and another score in a dominant victory over Alfred State on Nov. 15. The following week, in the ECAC Clayton Champman Bowl against RPI, he completed more than 70% of his throws for 247 yards and three touchdowns to go with another 120 yards on the ground. With those performances, he became the first St. John Fisher quarterback since Ryan Kramer in 2011 to record multiple 100-yard rushing games in a season.
“Ryan Whitney is a stud,” Raby said. “He’s a great leader, and he’s smart. He sees the whole football field and understands what defenses are trying to do. When you have a quarterback who makes good decisions and combine that with the talent he has, that’s a good recipe for success.
“He’s really talented in the run-pass option game, he has a strong arm and has gotten so much better as a passer. He can do a lot of different things. His physicality when he runs – he’s a lot like a Tim Tebow-style runner. I think he’s going to have a great season.”
Running Backs – The Cardinals had a strong one-two punch with Cam Chance and Deante Hall in 2025, but with both players graduated, Raby expects the offense to have a by-committee approach at running back, at least early in the season. The Cardinals’ mix includes senior Shane Zaletofsky, junior Justin Maier, formerly a wide receiver, and sophomores Christian Beason and Marco Morelli.
“We’re young, but we have four guys who know they are going to play,” Raby said. “They all have different skill sets. We can kind of pick and match (based on the situation). By no means do we lack talent – it’s just about seeing how they play in games.”
Zaletofsky (19 carries, 80 yards) and Beason (15 carries, 34 yards, 1 TD) both saw action in four games last season. Maier missed the entire year due to injury, and Morelli had a strong developmental year on the JV team.
“Justin has the explosiveness, and Christian is that guy too,” Raby said. “He’s really talented. You get those two guys out in the open field, they can take it to the house. It’s huge to have those types of players. With Justin, he’s a really intelligent player and can be used in the pass game because of his experience at receiver, which can put stress on defenses.
“Marco has really stepped up, and he’s a more physical runner. He’s a strong blocker in the quarterback run game. And then with Zaletofsky – he’s Mr. Steady. He’s had a great camp.”
Wide Receivers – Only one of the Cardinals' top three pass catchers from last season returns, but with plenty of depth established, Raby expects another strong season from Fisher’s wide receivers.
Jackson Cusack, a third-team All-Empire 8 selection in each of the last two years, headlines the group. The senior has caught nearly 70 passes for 826 yards with nine touchdowns over the last two seasons. In 2025, he set career highs in receptions (36) and touchdowns (6) while playing in all 11 games.
“Cusack is the guy,” Raby said. “He can play every position and is everything you want in a receiver. He’s everything you want in a captain. He’s the hardest worker, is physical and sets the tone in the run game as a blocker.”
The Cardinals expect senior Mykel White and junior Gavin Horton to take steps forward this season. Juniors Michael LoRusso and Shawn Watson also figure to contribute.
“Mykel has made a massive jump. He’s gotten so much better,” Raby said. “Gavin Horton is another guy who has had a strong camp. He can get you some explosive plays in the passing game. We have some solid ability at wide receiver.”
Tight Ends – The Cardinals return a talented senior duo in Nate McGoldrick and Nathan Delill.
McGoldrick has caught 19 passes in each of the last three seasons, totaling 717 yards and four touchdowns. He caught three touchdown passes as a freshman in 2023.
Delill played in nine of the Cardinals’ 11 games last season and established himself as a reliable blocker.
“Nate, in my opinion, should have been an All-Conference tight end last year,” Raby said. “Delill is a physical blocker for us, and we need that presence. I think our top two tight ends … I would take them over anybody. We have a good one-two punch there. They’re experienced. I think we will get a lot out of those guys.”
