ALBANY - Travis Mikel heads into year two as head coach for Albany football with his Hornets coming off a 4-7 season and a first-round exit in the state playoffs. The Hornets bring back the majority of that team, with one glaring omission.

Jonah Grob, who ran for more than 2,000 yards for the Hornets last season, graduated and moved on to the college level. For a team that is self-described as "run-first," that could be the most valuable position on offense that Coach Mikel needs to fill.

For any run-first team, the play of the offensive line is extremely important. Albany brings back three guys on the o-line, but Coach Mikel raised concerns about the experience the unit has as a whole. Something the Hornets don't lack, according to their coach, is effort. Mikel was very pleased with how his team has gone about its business during the offseason.

A big issue for the Hornets last season was how the beginning and the end of their season went. The Hornets opened 2025 by losing three of four. They finished the season the same way, plus a 42-6 playoff loss to Brusly.