A common sentiment in the world of competitive football boils down to this: Games are won and lost in the offseason. What we see on the field in the fall is the result of months of commitment and laser-focus on improving at every facet of the game. To showcase how this hard work plays out in real time, Dartmouth football recently held the annual spring game on May 9.
Spring games are opportunities for coaches to rotate players in and out of the lineup to get a better understanding of where the team is a few months before the season kicks off. The Big Green is losing some key contributors from the Class of 2026, including Minnesota Vikings-bound offensive lineman Delby Lemieux ’26, so letting younger guys get in-game reps was a priority.
“Going into the spring we knew we had to fill some holes,” head coach Sammy McCorkle said. “But we felt confident that we’ve got some talent.”
The flashes of this talent were on full display from the game’s beginning. Quarterback Noah Trigueros ’28 led a decisive drive that culminated in a touchdown toss to wide receiver Ian Scott ’27, but was hindered by some excellent defensive plays from linebackers Johnny Riley ’28 and Cameron Lee ’27. Riley stood out all game as a wrecking ball in the front seven who will likely step up into a leadership role this coming season.
“What I’m really trying to do is just read my keys,” Riley said when asked about his play strategy. “If you just focus on the small details, you can get a kind of cheat or get an understanding of what the play might be.”
The next drive featured impressive throws from quarterback Charlie Peters ’29 but was snuffed out by a third-down tackle from defensive back Lou Lamar ’28. Across the board, the Big Green defense interfered with offensive communications, a strength McCorkle emphasized.
“Our defense did a really good job coverage wise mixing things up and making it difficult for the offense,” McCorkle said. “It’s a great experience for our quarterbacks to be able to see that and react quickly.”
The second half showcased more of the rushing attack, with Jaden Cummings ’29, Peters, Woods Ray ’27 and Trigueros, all taking it themselves out of the pocket on multiple plays. Running back Immanuel Johnson ’29 also saw the field quite often, running with tenacity and catching passes out of the backfield in third-down situations.
At the last second of this year’s spring game, wide receiver Ky’dric Fisher ’28 made an incredible spinning grab in the end zone on a throw from Peters. Fisher, who carved out a solid role as a deep threat last season, is someone to watch as a huge contributor in the passing game this coming year.
“The main focus for me has been getting bigger and stronger,” Fisher said. “I’ll be out there on a lot of plays, run plays included, so blocking is a big thing I’m focusing on.”
The spring game includes a halftime pause during which season captains are named and most-improved awards are given out. Quarterback Grayson Saunier ’27, defensive back Harrison Keith ’27 and defensive end Joshua Johnson ’27 will be leading the charge for Dartmouth this season, and the team couldn’t be happier.
“It wasn’t a surprise one bit,” McCorkle said. “We’re really excited for all three of those guys. They all bring different leadership styles, different personalities, and they’re exactly what our locker room needs, what our culture needs and what our program needs.”
Johnson, Lamar and Riley, and were among those named most improved over the course of the spring. The group features five players from the Class of 2029, two from the Class of 2028 and three from the Class of 2027, showing how involved the younger players were throughout the spring ball period.
“It felt great,” Riley said. “I put a lot of work in in the winter and going through the spring … I’m glad that the hard work paid off.”
Defensively, multiple starters both in the front seven and the secondary will not be back for the upcoming season. It will ultimately be a new-look squad — and due to the lack of experience, the emphasis is on drive and tenacity over the finer play details.
“Playing with high level energy and urgency was the main goal of the spring game,” McCorkle said. “We’ll get you lined up, you’ll learn your assignments, but it’s about playing with energy and effort.”
On offense, Saunier will still be running the show, but he will no longer be targeting tight end Chris Corbo ’26 and receivers Daniel Haughton ’26 and Grayson O’Bara ’26.
“I’m just looking to build off everything we did last year,” Fisher said. “Keeping the same identity but also finding another identity within the team we have and the leaders we have now.”
The spring game showed flashes of a great team, but in an ever-improving Ivy League, flashes do not always equal results. Above anything else, The Big Green are clearly hungry for the opportunity to compete and showcase their new identity.
“We had great competition, and I think that’s what happens when opportunities arise,” McCorkle said. “The names and the faces change, but our standard will never change.”
Look ahead to what will no doubt be an exciting and fast-paced 2026 season for Dartmouth football.
