SoCon Football 2026: Spring Projected Order of Finish (Subject to Before My Official Fall Predictions)

 Can the Catamounts Snap the Curse in 2026?

I know it's only May and it's early to be making SoCon predictions, so these are some of my thoughts heading into fall camp at the end of the summer, as we are now through a majority of the portal changes we will see.

The SoCon's struggles since COVID really came to a head last season, potentially reaching the lowest point they have to this point. Even in the spring 2020-21 season, which was shortened to only league games as a result of the pandemic, at least league champion VMI was competitive in its playoff loss at James Madison (L, 31-24). The same cannot be said of Mercer last season, which broke through to win its second-straight SoCon crown, while becoming the first to win consecutive crowns in the league since Wofford won three-straight from 2017-19.

There were three coaching changes of note during the off-season, with Chris Hatcher getting fired at Samford, while Danny Rocco left his post at VMI to join James Franklin's staff at Virginia Tech as an analyst, and Mike Jacobs left his job after only two seasons at the helm in Macon to level up to the FBS as the new head coach at Toledo.

Stepping into new roles will be John Grass, who comes to Samford after serving the past four seasons as an analyst at Clemson following a successful stint at Jacksonville State as the head coach before joining Dabo Swinney's staff in 2021. 

Ashely Ingram will be the new man in charge at VMI after spending two highly-successful seasons as the head coach at NCAA Division II Carson-Newman. Before his two-year stint in Jefferson City, Tennessee, Ingram served on staff at the Naval Academy for 16 years, helping the Midshipmen garner 10 bowl bids from 2008-23.

The final new coach installed is a familiar name to the program in which he takes over, as Joel Taylor became the fourth head coach for Mercer football since its return to the gridiron back in 2014 after a 72-year hiatus. 

Taylor, who served on staff as the Bears' highly respected defensive coordinator under Drew Cronic from 2020-23, has spent each of the past two seasons helping West Georgia make the transition from NCAA Division II to the FCS level, and in only two seasons, he helped the Wolves become a  title  contender in the UAC. Now he'll be asked to help the Bears sustain the winning culture, which was originally established while he was on staff as the defensive coordinator in his previous stint with the Bears under Cronic.

Over the past five seasons, the Bears have won 49 games, including a 37-11 mark in league play since the start of the 2020-21 season. The Bears have a 21-3 mark over the past three seasons in league play, and have made three-straight FCS Playoff appearances, and will enter the campaign with a string of 12-straight league wins. 

Finally, the league will get some added momentum heading into 2026, with the addition of Tennessee Tech this fall. The Golden Eagles are coming off an 11-win and OVC/Big South title under second-year head coach Bobby Wilder. Sustaining that success will be easier said than done, as the Golden Eagles lost a ton off that team that looked dominant at times in the 2026 OVC/Big South conference. 

It was quite a statement the Golden Eagles made in their final season, and the energy from that run coupled with the backing of a supportive athletic director and fanbase certainly makes this transition into the SoCon much more intriguing than even when Mercer joined the SoCon back in 2014 as a startup program participating in just its second season. 

The Upstate of South Carolina should have a pair of programs that are once again ready to compete for a Southern Conference title and subsequent FCS Playoff berths. Both enter the 2026 season coming off six-win seasons, and both were able to retain a top performer from a year ago, while adding some key pieces from the portal. 

Wofford--was able to keep a little continuity in the ranks with the return of quarterback JT Fayard, while Furman added some key pieces on offense, including a couple of quarterbacks, as well as keeping Buck Buchanan Award finalist and the nation's sack leader--defensive end Joshua Stoneking--around for at least another season, and that should make the Paladins an instant contender in the SoCon this fall. 

Now let's take a brief look at each of the 10 teams heading into the summer. I will be both shocked and disappointed if the SoCon doesn't have 2-4 participants in the FCS playoffs come late November.

1. Western Carolina--The Catamounts might have lost Taron Dickens to North Carolina, but if you aren't aware, the Catamounts just recycle quarterbacks with some pretty awesome effectiveness, and a Kerwin Bell-led offense is always going to put up big numbers. 

With that said, whether its Lex Thomas, Isaac Lee or Jordan Martin-Durham leading this offense next season, we know that it will produce. Add to that the fact that both AJ Colombo, Michael Rossin and Jai Boyd return at wide receiver, as well as Patrick Boyd Jr. at running back, the only real major question surrounding the Catamounts entering the 2026 season is on defense, where Nick Reveiz takes over a unit that was in disarray each of the past two seasons under Jerry Odom. 

Had that unit been just adequate last season, WCU might have been able to snap its streak 48-year streak of never having claimed a SoCon title. Catamount fans are hoping that with the hiring of Reveiz, it will change the trajectory of the program and break the curse. With Ken Moore Jr. back at 'nickel' and Blue Monroe at linebacker, the Catamounts will have some good pieces to build around on defense. The key will be retooling a defensive line that needs to be completely replaced.

Not trying to jinx the Catamounts, who were within a Marcus Trout 32-yard field goal make of ending nearly half a century of futility only to see the kick sail wide right in a 49-47 loss to Mercer, however, if the Catamounts can figure out their defense, we know what they can do on offense.

2. Mercer--We all knew how good of a defensive coordinator Joel Taylor was during his first stint in Macon, serving in that capacity under former head coach Drew Cronic from 2020-23 as the Bears' defensive coordinator. After turning a start-up program like West Georgia into a UAC title contender in a matter of just two seasons, it didn't take long for Director of Athletics Jim Cole to dial his former DC following Mike Jacobs' departure for Toledo to become the new head coach of the Rockets. 

The Bears, like virtually everyone else in the league, have some major holes to address that came mostly as a result of the coaching transition, as well as the Bears' overall success over the past three seasons. Mercer has won 19-straight SoCon games entering the 2026 season, including having won back-to-back titles for the first time since Wofford won three in a row from 2017-19. The Bears will be very similar on both sides of the football as to how they were under Jacobs, and I look for JP Pickles to be the guy under center, although he will be likely pushed by former ETSU starter Jaylen King. 

Pickles will have some good weapons that are back for another season to throw to, in tight end Apollos Cook and wideout Braden Smith, who are holdovers from last season's championship team. The defense will have to completely overhauled, however, that is Taylor's forte' and there shouldn't be a drop-off on that side of the ball even despite the replacements. Asa Gregg is a speedster to watch in the passing game for the Bears this fall

Andrew Zock's up front on the defensive line each of the past two seasons was something to behold, and he became the first player from the SoCon to claim the prestigious Buck Buchanan Award. 

Much like Tennessee Tech in the Big South/OVC from last year or in 2023 when Furman lost nearly it's entire three-deep, the Bears will have to replace much of what enabled the program to win 21 games over the past two seasons, which is a big reason for the signing class of 45 newcomers, which will include 31 transfers that come from 17 different institutions. 

There are several key additions that will make immediate impacts from the transfer portal, with linebacker Jaise Davis (Shorter) being one from the lower ranks that should be an impact player right away this fall for the Bears. I'd be shocked if the Bears aren't in the mix for a third-straight title and fourth-consecutive playoff bid in late November even despite all the turnover.

3. Furman--Furman has been a program in transition ever since 46 seniors were lost to graduation or others to the transfer portal with a season of eligibility remaining following the 2023 season. Veteran head coach Clay Hendrix leveraged all that talent, experience and maturity into making one final run, and it nearly worked.

Over the course of two seasons, the Paladins won 20 games and lost only six, and since that, Furman has been building back towards another run at a conference title and also a potential deep run in the FCS Playoffs. That '23 Paladin team was built for success because of its physicality and depth in the trenches.

After posting 3-8 and 6-6 records over the past couple of campaigns, the Paladins now have some momentum, replacing some of the hindrances on both sides of the ball that have been holding back the team over the past couple of seasons. Trey Hedden, who was an outstanding passing quarterback, but no threat at all in the run game has transferred out to New Mexico State, while Carson Jones has opted to go ahead and graduate, despite another year of eligibility left. 

Furman brought in three quarterbacks that have some pretty solid potential for Justin Roper's offense to be successful this fall. Both Michigan transfer Jake Garcia and Western New Mexico transfer Connor Ackerley are the two that will be in heated contention for the job in the spring, while Banks Bouton--a talented freshman signal-caller out of Gaffney High School--is likely to see the field either situationally under center, or as a wide receiver because of his play-making ability with his legs.

While Furman lost its top offensive weapon, in record-setting true freshman wideout Evan James, the Paladins will once again have one of the league's top tight ends, in junior Jackson Pryor, while UCF transfer Dwartney Wortham will be one of the newcomers to watch in the passing attack, while Luke Shields joins the program as a graduate student from Tennessee Tech. 

CJ Nettles returns to bolster the ground game, which seemed non-existent for much of the season in 2025, after putting together what was an impressive rookie campaign, and veteran center and all-league hopeful Chris Luna is back at center. 

The Paladins could have among the league's top defensive units in 2026, as well as one of the top units in the nation if the secondary can improve. Redshirt freshman Caleb Easterling could be one of the best players on either side of the ball for the Paladins this fall, and his impact could be enough to see substantial improvement right away. 

The front seven, and in particular, the defensive, have a chance to be a dominant force when it comes to getting pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Joshua Stoneking, who led the nation with 20 sacks last season, returns, as does Garrison Butler, who had an outstanding season in his first campaign with the Paladins after transferring in from Appalachian State.

Linebacker Ryan Earl, who was a preseason all-league pick prior to last season and was arguably Furman's best overall defender in 2024, returns after having his 2025 season cut short due to an injury in week three.

Furman looks like that team that is a dark horse title contender in the SoCon much the same as they were in 2022 when they were picked fourth.

4. Tennessee Tech--The Golden Eagles will come in as one of the favorites to claim the league title, and there is no reason why to believe anything other than Tennessee Tech being a prime contender, despite the fact they are transitioning into a league that is tougher overall and the fact that there are some huge holes to fill after posting that historic final run in the OVC/Big South last season. 

Replacing the Kekoa Vesperas under center will be the biggest key on the offensive side of the football, but overall there is a positive vibe about the momentum established with the 11-win campaign of a year ago. 

The Golden Eagles were in fact hit pretty hard by graduation on the transfer portal, and coach Bobby Wilder hit the transfer portal hard, bringing a total of 46 newcomers, which includes a whopping 41 transfers, including a pair of quarterbacks, in Zolten Osborne (Charleston Southern) and Jax Leatherwood (SEMO). 

The offense was decimated by both graduation and the transfer portal, with Nason Simmons the lone returnee of the five offensive linemen, while the skill positions were also hit hard by the portal, with not much in the way of continuity returning from last season. The good news is the Golden Eagles are solid at the skill spots, where leading rusher Quintell Quinn (101 rush att, 698 rush yds, 9 TDs, 6.1 YPC in 2025) and Maury Sullivan (50 catches, 631 yds, 4 TDs in 2025) are both back to give either Leatherwood or Osborne some great options in the passing attack.

Tennessee Tech ranked ninth in the nation in total defense last season, surrendering just 296.7 YPG in 2025. One of the holdovers from that outstanding defensive unit from last season are defensive backs Omar Philyaw and Leon Thomas, while Idris King, Xavier Randolph and Kanstin Brooks represent three of four starters from the defensive line. 

Linebacker is the one position on the defensive side of the football that remains a bit of a concern heading into the 2026 season, but the Golden Eagles should again be stout on the defensive side of the ball. 

Tennessee Tech has talent and winning experience returning, but questions at quarterback, along the OL and at linebacker are ones that outweigh even those talented returnees, but it wouldn't be shocking if Tennessee Tech comes in and is competitive or in its first season in the SoCon. After all, this isn't the same SoCon that Mercer or even Samford before that entered in their respective first seasons in 2014 and '08, respectively. 

5.  Wofford--Wofford's run to close the season was nothing short of every bit a result of JT Fayard becoming healthy enough to lead the Terriers over the final half of the season. Head coach Shawn Watson has now assembled a team that can not only be competitive in the Southern Conference in 2026, but one that can win the league.

Not only is Fayard back under center, but also he will have weapons around him on the offensive side of the football next season like big play wideout Ivory Aikens, who comes off a a season which saw him finish second on the team in receiving with 39 catches for 498 yards and six touchdowns. 

In the backfield, Gerald Modest Jr. is back after rushing for 530 yards and five touchdowns on 104 attempts last season, averaging an impressive 5.1 YPC in 2025. 

Defense is really where the Terriers have excelled under the leadership of Watson, and the Terriers were solid on that side of the football once again last season, as the Terriers finished the season ranking 40th overall in total defense, surrendering just 350.8 YPG. That ended up being the highest ranked defense in the SoCon at season's end, which was even four spots higher than league champion Mercer.

Set to anchor what should again be a solid unit is linebacker Javario Tinch, while the secondary does lose one of the best players in the Southern Conference in interceptions leader Maximus Pulley (), the unit does welcome back free safety Eli Campbell, as well as cornerback J'vion Luster, as secondary should be a strength of what should be another solid defensive unit this fall.

The 6-6 season a year ago was a breakthrough of sorts for the Terriers, and I expect Wofford to be in the mix for a SoCon title and a playoff berth for the first time under Watson and for the first time since 2019. 

6. Chattanooga--Three years ago, many considered Chattanooga's football program as the most dominant in the Southern Conference, and the Mocs had a well-defined model of being physical in the trenches and physically imposing within the front seven on the defensive side of the football.

Then came last season's 5-7 team that seemed a shell of itself on both sides of the football, fielding a defensive unit that closed out the season ranking an unheard of 91st in the nation in total defense, surrendering 403.1 YPG. 

Chattanooga's program decline over the past couple of seasons has forced me to critically think about a lot of things that concern the classification moving forward, and what direction we see everything headed. 

The Mocs football program has more questions than answers for the second-consecutive offseason, and with things so fluid during the portal era until more guardrails are put into place, it's been hard to establish continuity and slow down the pace of how fast it's all seemingly going at this point to get a plan in place and cultivate a culture, which is something both former head coach Russ Huesman and current head coach Rusty Wright were and are best at doing. Now things are much different, and it will depend on how Wright adapts to this new college football microwave culture that will determine his own fate in the Scenic City.

And while I say that is true for Wright, it's also true for every coach at the FCS level that values culture and family atmosphere within their respective programs, with the tentacles of this new college football NIL/transfer portal era even touching some of the "untouchables programs" like South Dakota State and the Montana schools to an extent. Of course that would have included North Dakota State, however, the Bison decided to make the move to the new Mountain West Football Conference it was announced back in February.

As long as this level remains in so much flux, the harder it is going to be to get back to where we saw this thing from 1982-2019. In that former span, FCS had some great years, but ultimately what we have had after COVID has been a zombie FCS football that is a shadow of its former life in a different era. During its former era, there was with a higher level of performance from its best teams all the way down to its worst teams. Bottom line what we are seeing now is a vastly different product and it has zero to do with coaching.

I think what you'll see is a diluted product of what we once all loved about FCS football, and that was that we as a subclassification, could compete with anyone, any place at any time, and I am talking about the best at this level being able to give the best at the next level some concerns. I fear that is something that has been lost in all of this. One day very soon, App State's upset of Michigan in 2007 will seem like one of the real anomalies of college football, and something that, as we get further removed with huge hauls of transfer turnover every year, is more impossible now than when App State did it in the first place. One day very soon, a win over Troy by a good FCS team will soon seem like App State's upset of FBS No. 5 Michigan.

Which brings me back to UTC. The Mocs should have been more competitive in eras gone by, but if there has been a program that has underachieved more as an FCS member of the SoCon, you'd have a hard time getting past UTC considering the money available and dedicated towards the sport, as well as the academic requirements being what they are in comparison to their league rivals.

With that said, I don't think that this is all Rusty Wright's fault either. In many ways, Rusty Wright strikes me as the Mike Jones (former UNCG Basketball Head Coach) of the SoCon Football scene. By that I mean the Wright is very much old school, and doesn't put up with a lot of non-sense, much like Jones. 

Both men also strike me as two that aren't very fond of the transfer portal. That disdain for the portal, one might use deductive reasoning to conclude that is what ultimately led to Jones' sudden firing at UNCG. One could use that same reasoning to conclude that Wright might be on very thin ice in the Scenic City heading into 2026.

One area that Wright must get right is quarterback, and the past two seasons have revealed that Camden Orth and Luke Schomburg were both not it under center for the Mocs. New Mexico State transfer Parker Awad and returning quarterback Battle Alberson appear to be the frontrunners to lead the Mocs offense this fall. 

Not many holdovers remain at the skill positions on the offensive side of the ball, however, one of the main ones that does is wideout Josh Williams, who was one of the top big-play threats in the SoCon last season as a wideout. He was one of six UTC players to start all 12 games last season for UTC, finishing out the season with 44 catches for 585 yards and four TDs.

The running game will have to be better than it has been the past couple of seasons for the Mocs to have the kind of success they have been accustomed to have offensively. Journey Wyche will be the leader in the run game this fall for UTC. He is the leading returning rusher for the Mocs, as Justus Durant, Ryan Ingram and Camden Orth have all moved on from the Mocs' program.

Another unit facing some major question marks entering the 2026 season for UTC will be its offensive line, which might have struggled more last season than any of the previous six under Wright. The good news is that three starters return to the fold for the upcoming season, guaranteeing at least some continuity. 

One of those that has moved on--right tackle Ryan Merklinger--was one a second-team All-SoCon pick last season. Center Devin Lively, right guard Nick Paul, and left tackle Aidan Donald all return to the fold.

I expect the Mocs defense to be much better this season than they were a year ago, with the 2025 campaign being much more of an aberration than anything else. Experience abounds in the two-deep along the defensive line, with defensive ends Orlando Daniels and Jestin Gilmore and nose tackles Montrell Henderson and Ky Tayo all returning to the unit. Under Wright, when the Mocs are solid on defensively, they have almost always been dominant on the defensive front, and that has the potential to be the case once again this season.

Veteran linebacker Zion Rutledge returns at middle linebacker where he led the team with 100 tackles last season. 

At the third level, the Mocs will miss the leadership of guys like Kaelin Drakeford and Jeremiah Baptiste, but Keyshawn Jackson and AJ Wallace are expected to step into those vacated positions at free safety and cornerback, respectively. Both nickel Martez Cooksey Jr. and strong safety Kam Baah-Slay are two playmakers to watch from that secondary unit this fall. 

The past couple of seasons have seen the Mocs really go out and test themselves in the non-conference slate, and games at West Georgia, Eastern Kentucky and Alabama once again sees the Mocs taking on some substantial tests out of the league.

7. ETSU--In Will Healy's first season at the helm of the Bucs football program, the Bucs didn't really show their overall talent and depth until it was much too late to do anything about the 2025 season, as ETSU fell out of both league title and FCS Playoff contention much earlier than most would have anticipated. Still, the Bucs have been pretty good each of the past two seasons under first-year head coaches, with ETSU posting a combined 14-10 record overall under the direction both Tre Lamb and Healy.

Still, the way ETSU ended the season with four-straight wins after a heartbreaking loss at Chattanooga has a lot of folks excited about a continuation of that momentum into 2026. 

Set to replace the quarterbacks Cade McNamara and Jacolby Criswell this fall for ETSU will likely be either Jake McNamara or Jackson Byrd, or maybe even both? The Bucs also have made a splash by welcoming in a couple of more power four level quarterbacks, as both former Michigan transfer Jadyn Davis and Louisville transfer Mason Mims will make their new home in Johnson City this fall. Both Mims and Davis are expected to compete with McNamara and Byrd in the quarterback competition during fall camp.

The entire offensive line must be re-tooled this fall, as well as many of the skill positions. The most-experienced wideout returning to the fold will be Xavier Gaillardetz. Gaillardetz has been loyal to the Bucs throughout his career, as the redshirt senior has been a lethal return threat throughout his previous three seasons at ETSU, as well as having been a solid option in the Bucs passing game over the course of his career with the Blue and Gold, having hauled in 39 passes for 720 yards and seven scores in his Bucs career.

The Bucs lose three of their top four rushing options from a year ago, but will welcome the return of Jason Albritton and Jaiden Daniels, who should factor in as primary ground options again this fall. Albritton finished the season as ETSU's second-leading rusher in 2025, finishing off the campaign with 518 yards and eight touchdowns on 104 attempts (5.0 YPC).

Defensively, the Bucs should be solid and certainly better than 90th in the country, which is where they ranked at season's end a year ago after surrendering 402.3 YPG in 2025. It will start up from where veteran Brendan LeBlanc, who has played in all 35 games since arriving at ETSU in 2023, will anchor the defensive front. Gideon Herbert, who transferred in from Arkansas State, figures to step into Nick Hunter's vacated positing at the 'Jack' edge linebacker spot.

The secondary was a place the Bucs especially struggled last season, but there is at least a little continuity that returns to the fold for the 2026 season, with nickel Jivon Oggs, cornerback Jimmy Bowdry and safety Mike Jenkins all returning to the unit this fall with a year more experience under their respective belts.

If the offense adjusts well to a new offensive line and a new quarterback under center, the Bucs could finish much higher than seventh in the league. Otherwise, a more experienced defense will have to carry this team in 2026.

8.  The Citadel--It's always a pretty big deal when your quarterback returns under center, and that seems to be happening less and less these days in the transfer portal era. Luckily, The Citadel will have some continuity under center this fall with the return of quarterback Quentin Hayes returning, and unlike last season, it doesn't appear as though he will have to share the role with another quarterback.

Hayes comes off a solid initial campaign for the Bulldogs, which saw him finish the season as The Citadel's leading rusher, finishing up the season with 682 yards and seven TDs on 153 attempts (4.5 YPC), while also completing 58-of-92 passes for 897 yards, including eight TDs and four INTs. 

The offensive line will have a rather large hole to fill in the middle with the graduation of All-SoCon center Mike Bartilucci, however, not all is lost along the offensive line, as the left side returns intact, with both left tackle Darwin Murillo and left guard Tyler Heggins-Hill returning to the fold. Redshirt sophomore Brady Pickett is back at right tackle, where he was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last fall. That's three starters returning along a unit that led the SoCon and ranked ninth nationally in rushing offense (210.6 YPG) last season.

There will be a new running back leading the charge out of the backfield for the Bulldogs next season, with the departures of both Garrison Johnson Sr. and Corey Ibrahim, and that will help make way for a guy like redshirt sophomore Sebastien Boyle, who is a running back that helps hearken back to the old school in many ways. He's a physical runner with deceptive speed that loves to initiate contact. 

The Bulldogs don't have much in the way of receiving options returning to the fold, with both Jihadi Marks and Javonte Graves-Billups having both moved on, however, Braylon Knauth was just starting to come into his own as a receiving threat last season, as the Orlando, FL., native finished the campaign with 16 catches for 240 yards and a pair of scores last season.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Bulldogs will have some work to do developing continuity along the defensive front, where only one starter returns, in senior Chris Benton. Maurice Bonneau Jr. is expected to step into a starting role to provide some leadership at the position, as he was a key role player along the defensive front as a redshirt junior last season. 

One young player that could see time sooner rather than later at linebacker is Michael Boulware out of Gray Collegiate Academy, where he was the Region 4 Defensive Player of the Year and an All-State selection. Boulware will be in competition with redshirt freshman Willie Smith Jr. to try and solidify the middle of the Bulldogs defense, which must replace two of its main leaders in the middle, with Mikey Rosa and Je'Mazin Roberts both having moved on.

The secondary was also hit hard by graduation and the transfer portal, with strong safety and all-conference leading tackler Cale Williams, as well as corners Bradlee Jones and Sayre Smothers having moved on. Peyton Betts and Temarcus Elam are the two main performers returning from the two-deep from last season, as each will be in contention to be the replacements at the free and strong safety positions.

Maurice Drayton has seen his teams close the season with some momentum down the stretch in each of the past two seasons, and for the first time in his career as the head coach, he has a reliable, dependable option returning under center. The biggest questions entering the 2026 season are clearly on the defensive side of the football.

9. Samford--It's really hard to accurately describe where Samford's football program went wrong from the end of a 2022 season that saw them win 11 games and win the program's first officially recognized Southern Conference title to a program battling to stay out of the bottom place, but that's indeed where this program is, as John Grass takes over the reins as the 37th head coach in program history.

Grass' coaching staff will have a uniquely tinge of Clemson Orange with it, as the four-year analyst on staff in Tiger Town brings along with him several former Clemson assistants, as the new staff will look to rebuild a program that slipped to its worst season since moving to NCAA Division I football at the FCS level back in 1989. 

It was the worst record to end a season since the first season the program was brought back after a nine-year hiatus (1974-83), as the Bulldogs finished with just one win (1-7) under Kim Alsop in 1984.

As good as Grass has been during his career as a highly accomplished high school coach and college coach at Jacksonville State before moving on to Clemson for a four-year stint as a staff analyst, he and his Clemson colleagues that take over Samford will have their work cut out for them. 

In Chris Hatcher's final three seasons as the head coach, he systematically tore down everything he'd worked so hard to build by completely selling out to the portal because he hit all the right buttons by doing that very thing in the offseason following the 2021 campaign. Despite hitting it exactly right in 2022, that same philosophy would fail in three-straight seasons, as Hatcher's final three seasons as the Bulldogs would produce as many wins (11) as the Bulldogs' breakthrough season as a SoCon member in 2022. Samford went 11-23 in Hatcher's final three seasons as the head coach.

Grass and his new staff have effectively overhauled most of the roster that have chosen to leave, graduated or been asked to leave, as 34 newcomers highlight the two signing day hauls back in December and February, respectively. 

So Grass takes over a program that didn't have many positives to build on moving forward, and that includes plenty of remaining question marks at the quarterback position where Wake Forest transfer Charlie Gilliam and Coulter Cleland are expected to be the leading candidates to replace Quincy Crittendon at quarterback this fall.

As far as the running back spot is concerned, Troy transfer Keion Dunlap and Clemson transfer Marquise Henderson are expected to be the two main options, as more emphasis will be placed upon the ground game in Samford's move away from the 'Hatch Attack' offense and into the John Grass coaching era. Henderson was a four-star recruit coming out of Belton Honea Path HS. 

The Bulldogs have at least one transfer coming to town from another Southern Conference program, in tight end Ryan Skinner, while Preston Bird, who was Samford's second-best receiver a year ago, hauling in 53 passes for 617 yards and four scores, has decided to return for his junior season. 

Without question the offensive line was Samford's biggest issue in each of Hatcher's final three seasons as the head coach, however, there is some young talented players within the younger crop moving forward, such as rising sophomores Web Davidson (RT) and Will Turner IV (C) and rising juniors Kaleb May (LG) and Tyler Doughtit (LT). In fact, with the return of right guard Duncan Johnson, the Bulldogs are set to return all five starters from the unit that lined up against Texas A&M as the starters in the final game of the regular-season.

Defensively, there is also much work new defensive coordinator Mickey Conn, who worked as the defensive backs coach at Clemson. He will be charged with helping rebuild a defense that ranked 117th out of 126 FCS teams last fall in total defense, as the Bulldogs surrendered 454.7 YPG last season. 

The lone returning starter along the defensive line heading into the 2026 season will be nose tackle Maxton Woodward, while junior Jacob Johnson is the lone returning linebacker from the two-deep from last season. Jalen Johnson and safety Trey Lenhardt highlight the listed returnees from the two-deep in the defensive backfield. Lenhardt was a SoCon All-Freshman selection last season after posting 21 tackles, 2.0 tackles-for-loss and an INT.

10. VMI--Another new beginning slated to take place within the Southern Conference for the upcoming season is the one at VMI. It's a new, hopeful era in the Shenandoah Valley region of Virginia as Ashley Ingram takes over as the 34th coach in the history of Keydets football.

Ingram will be a bit of a throwback to the old style of football coach at VMI, as they Keydets will welcome the return of the option offense to Lexington, VA. this fall. Ingram's new offensive coordinator will be the former successful The Citadel head coach and Southern Conference champion, in Brent Thompson.

Thompson will have a slew of quarterbacks both acquired from the transfer portal, as well as ones still remaining on the roster that will be competing to take over the new Keydets offense, as whomever becomes the starter this fall will be taking over the reigns of the offense vacated by Collin Shannon, who has moved on after completing 247-of-442 passes for 2,936 yards, with 15 TDs and 12 INTs over much of what seemed like an injury-plagued playing career. 

There are several candidates to replace the outgoing Collin Shannon under center for VMI this season and those will include the following candidates: true freshman Caden Baugh; Junior JoJo Crump; RS Junior Chandler Wilson; sophomore Nana Utsey; sophomore Ian Reynolds; and RS Sophomore Cody Shelton.

Nana Utsey is a guy that immediately stands out that could very well excel in Brent Thompson's presumed option offense. Utsey possesses all the necessary tools to be successful attributes to be successful in this type of offensive unit. Utsey logged action in nine games last season, rushing for 197 yards and three scores on 57 attempts, while also finishing the season by completing 15-of-41 passes for 215 yards with a pair of INTs. Utsey garnered his first-career start in the regular-season finale vs. Western Carolina. 

Both Wilson and Crump bring experience with starts under their proverbial belts. Wilson started two games just this past season, as he finished out the season connecting on 26-of-54 passes for 197 yards, with a touchdown and an INT. JoJo Crump has seen over the past two seasons under center, but he's mostly been a threat in 'wildcat' situations. His skillset, much like Utsey's, would help enhance this offense overall. 

The change in offensive philosophy will be a welcomed change, and it will hearken back to VMI's option roots, giving the Keydets the most sensible chance to be successful in the SoCon this fall.

As far as the rest of the offense is concerned, the Keydets will have a capable bowling ball of a running back to lead the offense, in rising senior Leo Boehling. Boehling comes off a 2025 campaign, which saw him post 537 yards and two touchdowns on the ground, as he logged 128 attempts (4.2 YPC) as the Keydets' leading rusher this past season. 

Another candidate to draw plenty of attention as a running back in the VMI backfield this fall is Aslin Shipe. The junior from Ashburn, VA., comes off a 2025 campaign which saw him rush for 270 yards and a touchdown on 67 attempts this past fall, as he averaged 4.0 YPC.

Keydets fans are excited about the prospects of former Carson-Newman recruit and athlete Drew Parrott getting an opportunity to show what he can do in this new Keydets offense after he was a standout quarterback as a prep at Bearden HS, where he threw for 5,504 yards and 52 TDs in four years. He will compete for a spot on the VMI depth chart as a running back this fall. 

Drew Ray is another running back coming aboard out of the Volunteer State where he was a standout running back, finishing as a finalist for Mr. Football in the state of Tennessee where he was an All-State selection after rushing for 1,642 yards and 32 TDs as a senior in 2025.

At wide receiver, the Keydets lost potentially their biggest offensive weapon from a year ago, in big-play threat Owen Sweeney, who has opted to continue his career at Marshall University after putting together a strong season for VMI this past season, hauling in 44 passes for 723 yards and a team-leading scores, averaging 16.4 YPR. Also gone is Noah Grievous from the receiving unit, as he led VMI in receiving yards as a redshirt freshman last season, hauling in 52 passes for 728 yards, including three TDs (14.0 YPR) last season.

Stony Brook transfer Brooks Martin is a candidate to be an immediate playmaker at wide receiver this fall, as well as other younger, up-and-coming talents at receiver like rising sophomore Treveion Slaughter. 

Just two regulars return along the offensive line for the Keydets this fall, with left tackle Tristan Woodley and right guard Chase Aslett returning to try and help an offense see some kind of improvement after coming off a season which saw VMI rank 111th nationally (291.8 YPG) last fall. 

Defensively, as you might imagine, things weren't much better for a team that struggled so much as a whole last season, as VMI completed the campaign with just a 1-11 overall record. Jared Backus is the newly announced defensive coordinator for the red and gold heading into the 2026 season after coming aboard from Cornell where he was the defensive coordinator and associate head coach. 

The defensive line will see the return of veterans Elijah Brooks and Jacob Moore, as the Keydets will have a little continuity up front back for the 2026 season. 

Three of four starters are back that started at linebacker last season for the Keydets, as outside linebackers EJ Wilburne and Henry Berling both return, as does inside linebacker Camden Clinton. Isaiah Grievous is the leading returning tackler on the defensive side of the ball, and he figures to step into Stephen Dean III's vacated defensive line spot vacated inside linebacker spot where he posted 60 tackles, 7.0 tackles-for-loss and 1.5 sacks last season. He also recovered a pair of fumbles and forced one fumble for VMI last fall.

Kouri Crump is a major loss to the secondary, which is a unit that will have to almost be completely overhauled next season.

It's going to be a steep hill to climb for the new staff, which it seems I say almost every time VMI has a change in leadership on the gridiron. 

Stay tuned for more football content ahead, as we continue to look ahead to the 2026 football season in the SoCon.