Towson Names Six Captains for 2026 Football Season
Towson football has selected six players to lead the Tigers into the 2026 season, with head coach Pete Shinnick turning to a mixture of veteran experience, young standouts and leadership from both sides of the football.
Defensive lineman Shamir Boyd, offensive linemen KJ Brooks and Joden Nelson, quarterback Andrew Indorf and linebackers Ben Kumpon and Matthieu Longa have been named Towson’s captains for the 2026 campaign.
All six will serve as permanent captains for the first time at Towson.
The decision represents a change for Shinnick’s program. During his previous seasons at Towson, the Tigers selected captains on a game-by-game basis during the first portion of the schedule before choosing permanent captains around the midway point.
For 2026, the leadership group is established before the opening kickoff.
That group will be responsible for setting the tone as Towson attempts to take another step forward in the Coastal Athletic Association.
Shamir Boyd Brings Experience to Defensive Front
Boyd enters his fourth season in the Towson program and gives the Tigers an experienced voice along the defensive line.
The 6-foot-2, 290-pound redshirt junior appeared in nine games with five starts during the 2025 season. He finished with 20 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss, including a season-high five tackles against Villanova.
Boyd also appeared in seven games during the 2024 season after spending his first year in the program as a redshirt.
The Voorhees, New Jersey native played both offensive and defensive line at Eastside High School, where he helped his team capture three consecutive sectional championships.
He also earned Second Team All-New Jersey and First Team All-South Jersey honors during his high school career.
With Towson continuing to develop its defensive front, Boyd’s experience should be valuable both on the field and inside the locker room.
KJ Brooks Anchors the Offensive Line
Brooks is one of the most established players on Towson’s roster.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound senior has started extensively throughout his career and enters 2026 as one of the top offensive linemen in the CAA.
Brooks started all 12 games last season, primarily at left guard, while also seeing action at left tackle and right tackle.
His versatility has allowed Towson to move him around the offensive line when needed.
Brooks originally established himself as a major piece of the Tigers’ future during his freshman season in 2023.
He started the final nine games of that season at right tackle and earned Freshman All-America recognition from STATS Perform, FCS Football Central and Phil Steele.
Towson’s offensive line allowed a CAA-low 15 sacks during that season.
Brooks began 2024 as Towson’s starting right tackle before an injury ended his season after six games.
He returned in 2025 and immediately re-established himself as one of the Tigers’ most dependable offensive linemen.
The Olney, Maryland native played high school football at Our Lady of Good Counsel.
Brooks also enters 2026 as a CAA Preseason All-Conference selection, making his captaincy one of the least surprising choices on the roster.
Andrew Indorf Becomes Captain After Breakout Freshman Season
Perhaps the most notable selection is quarterback Andrew Indorf.
Indorf is only entering his sophomore season, but he quickly established himself as the leader of Towson’s offense during a remarkable freshman campaign.
The Miami native started as a true freshman in 2025 and earned CAA Co-Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Indorf completed 59.6 percent of his passes for 2,344 yards, 16 touchdowns and only four interceptions.
His ability to protect the football helped Towson finish with the fewest interceptions among CAA teams.
Indorf earned three CAA Rookie of the Week awards during the season.
He threw for 292 yards and two touchdowns while completing 21 of 28 passes against Monmouth and later produced 294 passing yards and two touchdowns in a victory over North Carolina A&T.
Indorf saved one of his most memorable performances for the season finale against Campbell.
He threw four touchdown passes, including the game-winning score to Cleveland Charlton in the final minute, as Towson closed the year with a victory.
Indorf finished 15th nationally in voting for the Jerry Rice Award, which recognizes the top freshman in FCS football.
His leadership background goes back well before Towson.
Indorf starred at Florida powerhouse St. Thomas Aquinas and helped the Raiders win three state championships. He finished his high school career with a 27-4 record as a starter, 5,675 passing yards and 77 total touchdowns.
He was also a two-year high school team captain.
Now, after only one collegiate season, Indorf has been selected to help lead Towson.
The Tigers are clearly putting plenty of trust in their young quarterback.
Ben Kumpon Emerges as Young Defensive Leader
Indorf is not the only sophomore selected as a captain.
Linebacker Ben Kumpon also earned the honor following an impressive freshman season.
Kumpon played in all 12 games in 2025 and led all Towson freshmen with 33 tackles.
He recorded at least three tackles in five games and earned CAA Rookie of the Week recognition after producing seven tackles in Towson’s victory over Bryant.
Kumpon later recorded a career-high nine tackles against Stony Brook.
The 6-foot-1, 220-pound linebacker came to Towson after playing at Malvern Prep in Pennsylvania.
He played both linebacker and tight end in high school and earned First Team All-Inter-Ac recognition in 2024.
Kumpon totaled 108 tackles during his final two high school seasons.
His selection as a captain after only one collegiate season says plenty about how Towson’s coaching staff and players view his presence in the program.
Indorf and Kumpon give the Tigers two sophomore captains who could potentially remain major leaders for several seasons.
Matthieu Longa Provides Maryland Leadership
Few players on Towson’s roster have been as consistently available as Longa.
The senior linebacker has appeared in all 35 Towson games over the previous three seasons.
Longa has contributed at linebacker and on special teams since arriving on campus.
During the 2025 season, he recorded 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
One of his best performances came against North Carolina A&T, when he finished with four tackles, a blocked kick and a half-sack in a Towson victory.
Longa also blocked a kick against Norfolk State during the 2024 season.
His value extends beyond traditional defensive statistics.
Special teams players often become important leaders because of the number of different units they work with, and Longa has been a consistent presence across Towson’s special teams throughout his career.
The Gaithersburg, Maryland native starred at Quince Orchard High School.
Longa helped Quince Orchard capture consecutive Maryland Class 4A state championships and complete a 14-0 season during his senior year.
He led the Cougars in tackles and earned first-team county recognition at inside linebacker.
Longa was also selected to Maryland’s roster for the prestigious Big 33 Football Classic.
His Maryland roots and years of experience in the Towson program make him a natural choice for the leadership group.
Joden Nelson Gives Tigers Veteran Presence at Center
Nelson is the most experienced member of Towson’s captain group.
The 6-foot-4, 280-pound graduate student has appeared in 29 games over the previous three seasons and took over as Towson’s starting center in 2025.
Nelson started all 12 games at center last season.
Before moving into the starting lineup, Nelson gained experience as a reserve offensive lineman and on Towson’s field goal and extra-point units.
He appeared in eight games during 2024 and nine in 2023.
Nelson came to Towson from William Penn High School in York, Pennsylvania, where he earned all-area, all-conference and All-York County honors.
He was also selected to Pennsylvania’s Big 33 team.
Center is one of the most important leadership positions on an offense.
Nelson is responsible for identifying fronts, communicating protections and working directly with Indorf before each snap.
Having both the starting quarterback and starting center represented among the captains gives Towson an established leadership structure in the middle of its offense.
Balanced Leadership Group
Towson’s six captains represent nearly every major area of the roster.
Brooks and Nelson give the offensive line two veteran leaders.
Indorf represents the quarterback room and the skill-position side of the offense.
Boyd provides leadership along the defensive line.
Kumpon and Longa represent the linebackers, while Longa also gives Towson an experienced special teams voice.
There is also a wide range of experience.
Nelson is a graduate student. Brooks and Longa are seniors. Boyd is a redshirt junior.
Then there are Indorf and Kumpon, two sophomores whose inclusion shows how quickly both have earned respect inside the program.
That balance could prove valuable over a demanding 2026 schedule.
Tigers Looking to Build on Strong Finish
Towson finished the 2025 season 6-6 overall and 4-4 in CAA play.
The Tigers won their final two games of the year to reach .500 and finished .500 or better in conference play for the sixth time in the last seven fall seasons.
Towson was picked sixth in the 2026 CAA preseason poll.
Rhode Island, the defending conference champion, was selected first.
Brooks earned CAA Preseason All-Conference honors, while Indorf was named preseason honorable mention following his breakout freshman season.
The Tigers will now try to outperform those preseason expectations.
Their schedule will provide an immediate test.
Maine Comes to Unitas Stadium
Towson begins the season Thursday, Aug. 27 against Maine at Johnny Unitas Stadium.
Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m.
The CAA matchup will also serve as Towson’s annual Gold Rush game.
It will be the first meeting between Towson and Maine since 2019.
After that, the schedule becomes significantly more difficult.
Towson travels to Annapolis to face Navy on Sept. 5 before heading to Columbia, South Carolina for an SEC matchup against South Carolina on Sept. 12.
The Tigers return home Sept. 19 for the Battle for Greater Baltimore against Morgan State.
That early stretch will test Towson’s depth, physicality and leadership.
The six captains announced this week will have a major role in determining how the Tigers handle it.
MSB Take
Towson’s captain selections make a lot of sense, but the most interesting part is the combination of experience and youth.
Brooks, Nelson, Longa and Boyd have spent years in the program. They understand Towson football, CAA competition and what Pete Shinnick expects.
Then there are Indorf and Kumpon.
Naming two sophomores permanent captains is significant.
Indorf’s selection especially shows how completely this has become his offense. He was excellent as a freshman, throwing 16 touchdowns against only four interceptions, but being a captain requires much more than producing numbers.
Towson clearly believes he can be the face and leader of the offense.
Kumpon’s selection says something similar about his future on defense.
The other thing I like about the group is the emphasis on the trenches. Three of the six captains are linemen, with Brooks and Nelson on offense and Boyd on defense. Football games are still usually decided up front, especially in the CAA.
Towson finished 2025 with two straight wins and has enough returning leadership to believe it can improve on 6-6.
The schedule is not easy. Maine is followed quickly by Navy and South Carolina before Morgan State comes to Unitas Stadium.
That makes leadership even more important.
Towson will find out very quickly what kind of team it has in 2026, and these six players will be responsible for setting the tone.
