WALTHAM, Mass. – The Bentley football program in recent years has been on the cusp of claiming the Northeast-10 Championship ring, and there's plenty of reason to believe that the 2024 season will culminate with a conference title.
The Falcons ended both the 2022 and 2023 seasons with the second-best record in the NE10. Last year, Bentley played at New Haven in the season finale. It just so happened to be a battle between the top two teams in the NE10, both with a 5-1 conference record. However, the Falcons came up just short in a one-possession game.

Bentley was picked to finish second this fall, according to the NE10 Coaches' Preseason Poll.

Although Bentley graduated 2023 NE10 Most Valuable Player Salvatore Lupoli Jr., the Falcons still have the pieces to make another run at the conference crown. Graduate students Herve Tshibamba and Zachary Goodwin are back on the defensive line after earning All-NE10 First Team honors last year.

Senior defensive linemen AJ Norton-Jefferson and Tommy DeMatteo, and graduate student linebackers Joe Rivers and Nick Pucillo are all expected to make significant contributions for a defense that led the NE10 in fewest yards allowed per game with 232.7 one year ago.

Senior defensive backs Mike DiPlacido and Rene Nunez will lead Bentley's secondary this fall.

All-NE10 First Team honoree Joe LoChiatto anchors an offensive line that will continue to create lanes for fellow All-NE10 First Team selection Vinnie Holmes. Holmes ended the 2023 season as the conference's second-leading rusher with an average of 94.0 yards per game. He reached the 100-yard mark on the ground three times in 2023, including a 260-yard game at Post (Sept. 16) that stands as the third-most rushing yards in a game in school history.

Rashon Bradford leads a dynamic receiving group. Now a senior, Bradford was an All-NE10 Second Team selection in 2023. The wide receiver had five touchdown catches against NE10 opponents, including a two-score game against American International. He and senior Isaiah Decias bring a lot speed, while tight ends Pat Damon (graduate student) and Nayvon Reid (senior) provide plenty of size.

Brett Pullman returns to Bentley as a graduate student in 2024, and he figures to see a majority of the snaps under center this fall. Standing at 6-4 and weighing in at 240 pounds, Pullman has the physical makings of a top quarterback in the NE10. He appeared in two games last year, including a start against Southern Connecticut. In that game, he threw for 193 yards and rushed for a touchdown. Pullman also threw two touchdown passes at American International last year.
 
Bentley coaches also expect sophomore Billy Osborn to take advantage of his opportunities leading the huddle.
 
Mason Campbell has been one of the nation's best kickers the past two seasons, and he returns to Bentley as a graduate student. Campbell is a two-time All-NE10 First Team recipient. Last year, he broke his own school record for longest field goal by connecting on a 49-yard try in a September home game against New Haven.

The 2024 season begins at West Chester, Sept. 7, with a 12 p.m. kickoff. The home opener is Sept. 20 against Southern Connecticut. Bentley officially dedicates its field to legendary coach Peter Yetten before kickoff.

The Falcons host New Haven during Falcon Weekend, Sept. 28. The Senior Day game is Nov. 16 against St. Anselm.