The vibe around the Franklin & Marshall College football program these days is a good one.

Coming off their best season in more than a decade and stocked with a cupboard full of talent for this year and the near future, the Diplomats are no longer the hunters, but instead are quickly becoming the hunted in the Centennial Conference.

"People are definitely looking at us now," said quarterback John Harrison. "We're not a team that's going to sneak up on anybody any more."

Harrison is a major factor behind the Diplomat surge, which has them picked second in the CC behind defending champ Johns Hopkins and ranked No. 25 in NCAA Division III, according to The Sporting News.

The junior enters the 2010 season having started every game of his collegiate career and is on the cusp of breaking every quarterback record there is.

"He's special and he does a great job," said Diplomat coach John Troxell. "It's going to be hard to repeat what he did last year."

All Harrison did last year was become the first F&M quarterback with more than 250 completions, 30 touchdowns and 3,000 yards in a season.

He finished the year with 276 completions for 3,096 yards and 32 touchdowns. He led all sophomore passers in Division III in passing yards.

Already, Harrison is sixth on the school's all-time pass attempt list (628), second in completions (409, which is 71 away from taking over the top spot) and sixth in yards (4,453). With just under 1,200 passing yards this season, he will become the school's all-time leader.

"There are a lot of expectations this year," Harrison said. "That's always good."

"We got on the map last year with what we did," he added. "With the guys we have back and the experience we have, I think we're ready to pick up right where we left off last year."

Harrison is one of eight returning starters from an offense that spent most Saturdays last fall lighting up the scoreboard.

F&M's attack averaged 30.4 points and 372 yards per game, including a conference-best 296.5 yards passing.

Those numbers fueled a 9-2 season, the Diplomats' best record and second winning season since 1996. It ended with a 29-24 win over Wilkes in the ECAC South Atlantic Championship game.

"It was great to go out on that note last year," said senior wide receiver Jay Ridinger (Manheim Township). "I think everyone is even hungrier this year."

Ridinger, a co-captain, tops the list of returning weapons for Harrison, who lost favorite target George Eager (89 catches for 1,169 yards and 11 TDs).

A season ago, Ridinger hauled in 42 catches for 502 yards and five touchdowns. Jarrell Diggs, another wideout, is back on the heels of his 37-catch season (494 yards) as is all-conference tight end Michael Deutch (35-375).

John Kaschak returns at running back after rushing for 577 yards and nine touchdowns in 2009.

Another key for the offense is the return of four linemen. Nick Tucciarone (6-1, 255) anchors the line at center and is joined by guards Zach Robinson (6-1, 295) and Danny Peretz (5-11, 255), as well as left tackle Nick Gerace (6-2, 250).

Senior Steve Sheehan (6-1, 255) won the right tackle job.

Robinson is expected to miss the first couple weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. In his absence, Sami Caygoz (6-2, 300), a transfer from New Haven, will be starting.

The defense also welcomes back eight starters, including the entire front seven.

The main cog there is linebacker Sam Massaro. Despite missing the final two games of his freshman season, Massaro led the team in tackles (70). He also recorded four sacks and intercepted three passes.

"It's exciting to get back out there," said Massaro. "Everyone kind of has a chip on their shoulder. We know we have a target on our back."

Up front, co-captain Mark Surma leads the way along with Kenny Provost and C.T . Marsh.

The lone question mark on defense is replacing three of four starters from the secondary, including all-Centennial cornerback Barry Lovett.

"I think everybody around here enjoys the fact that people are noticing us and we're not the team we were four years ago," said Troxell, entering his fifth season. "I'd rather be there than where we were."