Johns Hopkins University Athletics men’s football will open the 2026 season against Ithaca at Homewood Field on Sept. 5, with junior quarterback Luke Baker expected to make his first career start. The noon game will serve as the season opener for both teams and marks the fourth consecutive year they have met in each team’s opening game.
Johns Hopkins enters the matchup ranked fourth in the AFCA and D3football.com preseason polls and sixth by Lindy’s. The Blue Jays went 12-2 in 2025, advanced to the NCAA Semifinals for the second consecutive year and finished fourth in the final AFCA Poll and third in the final D3football.com Poll.
Luke Baker Expected to Make First Start
Baker is one of five co-captains selected to lead Johns Hopkins in 2026. Seniors Cole Crotty, Robby Enright, Will Seibert and Browning Trainer also will serve as co-captains.
Johns Hopkins has won 13 consecutive first career starts by its starting quarterbacks, according to the game notes. The streak began with Shane Kibbe and was most recently extended in 2024, when James Rinello led the Blue Jays to a 20-13 victory against Rowan in his first career start.
Zack Baker, Luke Baker’s older brother, was the 10th quarterback in the streak and led Johns Hopkins to a 41-10 win at Dickinson in 2017. Luke Baker will try to continue that run when he takes his first start at quarterback against Ithaca.
Johns Hopkins Faces Ithaca in Season Opener
Ithaca went 8-2 in 2025 and won eight of its final nine games. The Bombers were not ranked in the Lindy’s or AFCA preseason polls but received votes in the D3football.com preseason poll.
Johns Hopkins was picked first in the Centennial Conference Preseason Coaches Poll, while Ithaca was selected second in the Liberty League Preseason Poll. The game will be the fourth all-time meeting between Johns Hopkins and Ithaca, and the 17th time Johns Hopkins has faced a Liberty League team; the Blue Jays are 11-5 against Liberty League opponents.
Johns Hopkins also will face Randolph-Macon and Susquehanna during the first three weeks of the season. Randolph-Macon went 9-2 with an Old Dominion Athletic Conference title and an NCAA Playoff appearance in 2025, while Susquehanna went 11-3 and advanced to the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Blue Jays Bring Season-Opening and September Streaks
Johns Hopkins has won its last 14 season openers dating to 2011. During that stretch, the Blue Jays have outscored their opponents 573-248, with four games decided by 15 points or fewer.
Johns Hopkins also owns a 54-5 September record dating to 2010, including a 24-2 mark at home and a 30-3 record on the road. The Blue Jays have advanced to at least the NCAA Quarterfinals in each of the last three seasons, from 2023 through 2025.
Wide receiver Cole Crotty enters the season with 226 career receptions, 3,260 receiving yards and 28 touchdown receptions. He ranks seventh in Johns Hopkins history in career receptions, second in receiving yards and fourth in touchdown receptions.
Special teams will feature Josh Moore, who set the Johns Hopkins single-season record with 687 kickoff-return yards in 2025, and Alex Orecchio, who averaged 14.9 yards per punt return last season.
Jim Margraff Family to Be Honored at Halftime
Representatives of the National Football Foundation are scheduled to present Jim Margraff’s family with a replica College Football Hall of Fame plaque at halftime. Margraff served as Johns Hopkins’ head coach from 1990 through 2018 and was elected to the College Football Hall of Fame earlier in 2026.
The replica plaque will be displayed at Johns Hopkins alongside the plaque honoring Bill Stromberg, the only other Johns Hopkins football representative inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame. Ithaca defensive coordinator Will Margraff, Jim Margraff’s youngest son, also connects the two programs.
Maryland Sports Blog Take
Johns Hopkins enters the opener with a top-four national ranking, recent postseason success and a 14-game winning streak in season openers. Baker’s first start at quarterback is the central competitive storyline, while Ithaca brings an 8-2 record from 2025 and strong late-season momentum.
The halftime tribute to Jim Margraff will add significance to the Homewood Field opener. The matchup also begins a 2026 schedule that places Johns Hopkins against Ithaca, Randolph-Macon and Susquehanna during the opening three weeks.
Source: Original report
