Marshall football enters the 2026 season with a chip on its shoulder after a rollercoaster campaign that saw the Thundering Herd go from Sun Belt champions to a 5-7 finish. The offense, led by a dynamic quarterback, has the firepower to make noise—but the defense faces a major rebuild. Here's a closer look at what to expect when the Herd take the field.
It was a tale of two seasons for Marshall in 2024. After a 10-win championship run, the Herd stumbled out of the gate with a 45-7 loss to powerhouse Georgia. A surprising defeat to Missouri State followed, dropping them to 0-2. But just when it seemed all hope was lost, the offense found its groove. Marshall won four of their next five games, with the only blemish being a double-overtime heartbreaker against Louisiana. The momentum was real—until it wasn't.
Things unraveled quickly. A loss to Coastal Carolina triggered a downward spiral, with the Herd dropping four of their final five games. The season ended at 5-7, missing a bowl game after a promising 4-3 start. It was a bitter pill for a team that had tasted championship glory just a year before.
If there's a reason for optimism, it's quarterback Del-Rio Wilson. The former Syracuse transfer decided to stay in Huntington after a breakout season that could have landed him back in a Power 4 program. Wilson didn't throw an interception until the sixth game of the year, finishing with 17 touchdown passes against just five picks. He completed an impressive 67% of his passes in his first season as a starter—and he was just as dangerous on the ground. Wilson led the team in rushing with 657 yards, topping 70 yards in six games and adding six rushing touchdowns. At 6-foot-2 and 215 pounds, he has the size and skill set to draw NFL attention if he builds on this success in 2026.
Defensively, Marshall is leaning on linebacker Gilmore. The Mississippi State transfer was fourth on the team with 62 tackles last season, including a career-high 13 in a double-overtime win over Texas State. As a fifth-year senior, Gilmore will need to anchor a unit that lost star defensive back Boogie Trotter and several other key contributors. It's a tall order for a defense that already struggled in 2025.
The Herd have the pieces to bounce back in the Sun Belt, with Wilson leading a potent offense and several top skill players returning. But the defense will need a major overhaul to turn close games into wins. Even with Penn State undergoing its own roster and staff changes, Marshall knows it must fix its own house first. One thing's for sure: with a quarterback like Wilson under center, the Herd won't go down without a fight.