Harvard spring scrimmage showcases Dante Torres, Logan Reaska's 99-yard touchdown

Harvard got the kind of spring snapshot coaches can actually use: an explosive passing strike, turnover production and enough depth to keep the two-deep unsettled heading into August.

The loudest play belonged to Dante Torres and Logan Reaska. Torres opened the scoring on his second drive by finding Reaska at the 26-yard line, and Reaska turned it into a 99-yard touchdown, the most eye-catching sequence of Harvard’s April 11 scrimmage at Harvard Stadium. For a team that spent much of last fall ranked in the national top 25, that kind of vertical hit showed the ceiling remains high even in a windy spring setting.

That matters because Harvard entered 2026 as the defending Ivy League champion for the third straight season and did it after making its first NCAA FCS Playoff appearance in 2025. The Crimson went 9-2 overall and 6-1 in league play, climbed as high as No. 7 in the Stats Perform poll and No. 10 in the AFCA coaches poll, then finished No. 20 and No. 23. The spring game capped on-field work for the 2025-26 academic year after practice began in early March, giving the staff one last live look before the roster turns toward the opener at New Hampshire on Sept. 19.

The defense made sure the offense did not leave with all the momentum. Xaden Benson, who tied for the team lead with two interceptions last season, jumped a pass early in the second quarter and returned it 14 yards. Sean Line added another interception late in the second period, a reminder that Harvard’s linebacking depth is still a real strength after he led the Crimson with 94 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss and one pick in 2025. By the end, Harvard’s defense had five sacks and two interceptions, the kind of production that usually travels.

Special teams and the run game also left marks. Kieran Corr drilled a 47-yard field goal on his first try of the morning, continuing a run that already includes his school-record 53-yarder against Penn last fall. Cole Allen broke free for a 56-yard touchdown, and Maddux Reid later added a one-yard score as Harvard spread work across four quarterbacks and 13 different pass catchers. With five more first-years added on April 3, bringing the Class of 2030 to 26 players, the Crimson still have pieces arriving as the battle for snaps sharpens. The first home game comes Oct. 3 against Colgate, and at $99 a season-ticket package, Harvard is selling a fall built around another title chase.