Having had another full year to settle into his old space, Franklin football coach Mike Leonard feels far more situated than he was during his "second first" season season with the Grizzlies.

Just don't call him more comfortable.

"You're never comfortable," Leonard said. "You're always a little on edge wondering how your teams are going to form and perform."

Hopes are high, though, for what will be Leonard's 19th Griz team overall after a 5-5 2025 season that featured some growing pains but also frequent signs of promise. With junior quarterback Marshall Kmiecik and All-Region offensive linemen Isaak Fischer and Ben Roembke headlining a veteran offensive group and all three starting linebackers (Brayden Baker, Haden Durnil and Drew Servies) among those returning on defense, Franklin was picked third in the HCAC preseason poll behind defending champion Hanover and Mount St. Joseph.

Before getting into league play, though, the Grizzlies need to navigate a challenging nonconference slate that begins with Saturday's 6 p.m. clash with North Park — the first night football game at Faught Stadium since Leonard's 2019 squad opened the home slate against Albion.

After that comes a trip to FCS opponent Butler, followed by a home date with a Calvin team coming off of a seven-win campaign.

The 2026 schedule features six home dates in all, including the final three games of the regular season. Leonard hopes to ride what he considers "a good home-field advantage" at Faught Stadium.

"It's just a great environment for college football," he said.

As with most Leonard teams over the years, talk about the nucleus begins on offense, where the Grizzlies averaged 32.3 points and more than 400 yards per game last fall. Kmiecik (2,891 yards and 29 touchdowns passing) again has a deep receiving corps to work with, led by senior Owen Wright and junior Isaiah Miller. Sophomore Levi Johnson heads up the running back corps.

Defensively, the Griz have plenty of experience to lean on. Beyond the three returning linebackers, starting safeties Haidyn Bulmer and Michael Loehmer are both back along with veteran nose tackles Seth Rindfuss and Adam Young.

Leonard also feels a little bit better about his depth at most positions after adding more than 50 new players.

"We've got a lot of capable guys in the wings that, if something were to happen ... we're ready to go," the coach said.

After a good training camp marked by relatively good health, the Grizzlies are ready to get out on the field and hit somebody else. What the record looks like at season's end is anyone's guess at this point, but Leonard and his squad are eager to get going and aren't placing any limitations on what's possible.

"This feels like the start of the Indy 500," Leonard said. "We've got a shot. We're in the field, and we'll see how these first three games pan out, and then a bye week — so we're a month away from the conference schedule. ... We just want to form as a team, see who can perform, who's going to fill what role.

"We hope to be forged and ready to go first game of the conference in October."