Season No. 88 on the Southern Conference football officially gets underway Thursday night, with both Chattanooga and Furman taking part in a pair of games, however, a large portion of the league's opening week slate will take place on Saturday, and that will include the "Game of the Week" in the league, which will be the only league matchup of the weekend known simply as the "Big Dog Bowl" when The Citadel Bulldogs travel to Spartanburg to take on Wofford.The Bulldogs and Terriers were picked seventh and ninth, respectively in the preseason polls. Both have hopes of well exceeding those lowered expectations that the coaches' poll has them picked to finish this fall.
While that will be the main course for Saturday, several other games of intrigue to take place around the SoCon on Saturday evening. All games will take place in the evening to open the 2026 season, beginning with Campbell's trip to Johnson City to face East Tennessee State, which is slated for a 5:30 p.m. EST kick in Johnson City at William B. Greene Jr. Stadium.
The Bucs will trot out new starting quarterback Mason Mims against Cambell's Kamden Sixkiller in the season-opener. Mims is a transfer from the University of Louisville and won the starting job in fall camp. It will mark the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Campbell went 0-2 against the SoCon last season, dropping a 28-24 home contest to Furman, while dropping Western Carolina handed the Camels a 42-35 home setback a couple of weeks after the Paladins won in Buies Creek.
That kickoff will be followed by a pair of 6 p.m. EST kickoffs, which includes the aforementioned league clash and SoCon "Game of the Week" between the Bulldogs and Terriers. The other 6 p.m. EST contest from the opening weekend slate is one that I think is among the most intriguing of the non-conference slate in the SoCon, with VMI traveling to Holt Arena to take on the Idaho State Bengals in Pocatello, ID.
The last time a SoCon team played in Holt Arena was not against Idaho State, as the Furman Paladins claimed the 1988 national title with a 17-12 win over Georgia Southern inside Holt Arena.
At 7 p.m. EST, two-time defending SoCon Champion Mercer hosts East Texas A&M at Five Star Stadium in what will be the first-ever meeting between those two programs. The Lions were 3-9 last season and play as a member of the Southland Conference. The Lions completed their transition from NCAA Divsion II to the NCAA Division I FCS level in 2022.
The game between the Bears and Lions will not only be a royal battle of two of nature's most ferocious beasts, it will also mark the ninth annual FCS Kickoff Classic and will also be a new start of a new journey for Mercer head coach Joel Taylor, who returns to Macon after spending two seasons as the head coach at West Georgia. The third-year head coach previously served as Mercer's defensive coordinator from 2000-23 under Drew Cronic before getting his first head coaching job at West Georgia.
New SoCon member and No. 14/15 Tennessee Tech will get its start on a new season in a 7 p.m. EST kickoff against No. 22/23 Monmouth. It will be the only game between ranked foes in the SoCon on the opening weekend of the season, and if The Citadel and Wofford weren't already of my designated SoCon Game of the Week for obvious reasons, this game would certainly be the Game of the Week.
The Golden Eagles won 11 games and were the outright OVC/Big South Champions last season and are widely regarded by most media outlets as the SoCon's preseason favorite, despite what the preseason coaches' poll says. Head coach Bobby Wilder lost a lot, but also replaced that talent with the highest rated transfer portal signing class in the FCS according to 247Sports.
Tennessee Tech has three quarterbacks on its roster with starting experience, as Richie Munoz (Weber State), Zolten Osborne (Charleston Southern) and Jax Leatherwood (SEMO) all were starters at their previous destinations prior to arriving in Cookeville.
Another intriguing clash slated for 7 p.m. EST is the one between Western Carolina and Eastern Kentucky, which was interestingly the first game that Kerwin Bell took the sidelines in Cullowhee at EJ Whitmire Stadium/Bob Waters Field as the Catamounts' head football coach back in 2021. The Catamounts will be donning special black uniforms, as the "Black Cats" look for a little mojo, while at the same time jinxing the Colonels in the season-opener.
It certainly seemed like the Catamounts were the ones being "hexed" last season, as quarterback Taron Dickens was suspended for the first three games of the season, which led to an 0-3 start to the season and almost certainly cost the Catamounts first playoff appearance in 42 years and just their second in program history.
There's more uncertainty on the offensive side of the football than in Bell's five previous seasons at the helm, and that's primarily because their are a lot of unknowns at the quarterback spot after Dickens' departure for Northern Illinois.
The final game of the opening weekend of the 2026 season for SoCon football will see an in-state FCS battle between Samford and North Alabama, with the Bulldogs on the road in Florence to take on the Lions.
Like both VMI and Mercer, it will also be a new start in a new locale for new head coach John Grass, who comes aboard after spending the previous five seasons as an analyst at Clemson. Prior to that, Grass coached eight seasons at Jacksonville State where he parted ways with two games remaining in 2021.
SoCon Game of the Week: The "Big Dog" Bowl
The Citadel (0-0) at Wofford (0-0)Aug. 29, 2026/Spartanburg, S.C.
Gibbs Stadium (13,000)/ 6 p.m. EST
Series: Saturday's game will mark the 81st meeting between The Citadel and Wofford, with the Bulldogs holding a 45-34-1 all-time series edge.
For the first time since 2018, The Citadel and
Wofford will square off in the first Southern Conference game of the season.
The Terriers were able to win the contest between the two on that occasion back
in 2018, as the Terriers were able to get what was a 28-21 win at Gibbs Stadium.
Since joining the SoCon in the late 1990s, however, Wofford has won 24 of the 30 meetings between the two, including a 16-14 contest in Charleston last season. Wofford has also claimed three of the past four meetings, with the lone win by the Bulldogs coming back in 2024 in Spartanburg, as the Bulldogs were able to pick up what was a 30-17 win at Gibbs Stadium in Spartanburg.
The Citadel's schedule featured a tough opening act a year ago, however, it will be challenging in a different way this season. The Bulldogs won't have to stare down an angry group of NDSU Bison defending another national title on home turf, however, they will have to deal with some ankle-biting dogs from Wofford that would love nothing more than to be enough of a nuisance to hand The Citadel its first SoCon loss in Spartanburg to begin the 2026 season.The Citadel is a charter member of the SoCon, and though the Bulldogs begin their 88th as a league member, they are comparable to the Terriers in that respect.
Since 1970 the Bulldogs have started a season with a league opener also being the actual season opener on six occasions. One of the strange exceptions is 2004, as the Bulldogs would being have their season opener slated against Charleston Southern canceled due to Hurricane Gaston, which meant the season would actually start in Boone, N.C., with a game against former league member Appalachian State.
In those six seasons in which the Bulldogs have opened the season with a SoCon game are as follows: 1971, ’88, ’99, 2004, ’16 and ’18. The Citadel is 1-5 in such games.
Only the 2016 season would see the Bulldogs triumphant, as the Bulldogs claimed a narrow 24-23 win at Mercer. That would be an excellent of harbinger, of course, as the Bulldogs went unbeaten in the SoCon (8-0) and claimed their most recent of four league regular-season titles in former The Citadel head coach Brent Thompson's first season at the helm. The other five games were all losses, which came against William & Mary (L, 38-35/1971), at Appalachian State (L, 38-14/1988), at East Tennessee State (L, 28-10/1999), at Appalachian State (L, 28-14/2004) and at Wofford (L, 28-21/2018).
Other
than the 2020-21 COVID-19 spring season, It will mark the first time since 2018
that the Bulldogs have opened a season against a SoCon foe, which saw the
Bulldogs fall, 28-21, to Wofford in Spartanburg. It is the seventh overall that the Bulldogs will open against a league foe since
Wofford, meanwhile, will open its 30th season as a league member playing a league game for just the sixth time in its history. The Terriers began their SoCon venture with three-consective SoCon games in their first three seasons as a SoCon member, taking on VMI (W, 23-13/1997), The Citadel (L, 20-14) and Georgia Southern (L, 55-14) to start out what has been a journey that has included seven league titles and 10 FCS Playoff appearances. The other two seasons in which the Terriers have opened a campaign against SoCon opposition was 2017 vs. Furman (W, 24-23) and '18 vs. The Citadel (W, 28-21). Saturday's game against the visitors from the Low Country will mark the sixth.
There is another interesting fact about these two Palmetto State programs.
Both Wofford and The Citadel are the two teams that
return their starting quarterbacks from a year ago, with Quentin Hayes returning for the Bulldogs and JT Fayard back under center for Wofford after beating out Ethan Drumm for the starting job during fall camp.
Fayard was sensational last fall, and he's part of the reason Wofford found a way to win six of its final seven games of the season, as he finished out the season completing 139-of-207 passes for 1,471 yards, with 13 TD tosses and only three INTs. Fayard originally transferred into The Citadel from Northwestern State, but spent the early portion of last season trying to recover from an injury.
With Wofford's strong-suit being its talented, big-play wide receivers, in Fayard, they had a quarterback that consistently find them.
Guys like Terrence Honeywood and Ivory Aikens were both excellent examples of this last season, and will once again be go to guys on the offensive side of the football for the Terriers. Aikens logged time in all 12 games for Wofford a year ago, finishing the season with 39 catches for 489 yards and posted a team-best six touchdown grabs, including three in one game against Chattanooga to tie a school record.
Aikens also added eight carries for 35 yards and was the second-leading pass-catcher last season. He posted 80-yard receptions against both Mercer and is Western Carolina last season, with his 83-yard scoring grab against the Catamounts accounting for the third longest pass play in school history, while his 80-yard catch against Mercer now ranks fourth in program history.
Honeywood is a 6-1, 180-lb sophomore out of Miami, and he was outstanding catching the football last fall in his first season with the program. Honeywood logged action in all 12 games, which included making eight starts and finished off his rookie campaign with some solid numbers, hauling in 16 passes for 167 yards and a pair of scores. Colby Alexander is yet another wideout that cut his teeth in the Terriers’ passing attack last season, as he hauled in 25 passes for 244 yards and a pair of scores in 10 games, including three starts.
Junior wideout Isaiah Scott might be the best wideout on the roster, and he’s coming off a solid season last fall, as he posted starts in all 12 games and has his most rewarding season yet as a Wofford a wideout. He finished the season with 36 catches for 587 yards and four touchdowns, leading the unit in receiving last season. Scott was also a huge threat as a punt return threat last season for the Terriers, as he averaged 16.0 YPR, ranking third in the country. Scott turned in an outstanding afternoon at the office in the one-point loss against Mercer, as he hauled in three passes for 99 yards, including a 51-yard scoring catch.
Scott turned in an outstanding afternoon at the office in the one-point loss against Mercer, as he hauled in three passes for 99 yards, including a 51-yard scoring catch.
A player that figures to be very much apart of the two-deep one again this fall is Anjuan “Ant” Coleman Jr. after logging only limited time as a freshman last season for Wofford. Another player that could factor in at wideout this fall for Wofford is transfer receiver Acie Hatfield, who comes aboard after logging a season at The Citadel. Hatfield was a four-year letterman at nearby Christ Church in Greenville, S.C.
Tight end has another veteran starter returning to the fold, in 6-4, 250-lb junior Matt Flanders. He ended up starting 11 games as a sophomore last season for the Terriers, finishing out the season with 15 catches for 92 yards.
Flanders has been a reliable target throughout his three seasons even before coming to Wofford last season, as he has posted a combined 44 catches for 473 and six touchdowns over the course of time spent at Wingate before coming to Wofford prior to the start of the 2025 season.
Junior Jaden Fowler will add some solid depth at tight end this fall. He played in al 12 games last season, including having made a pair of starts, making five catches for 45 yards.
A problem for Wofford's offense last season became its reliance on the "big play" and there was enough meat and potatoes in between the 20s to sustain drives at times, causing the Terriers to rank 112th nationally in total offensive output (289.4 YPG) last season.
The running game will be in the capable hands of Gerald Modest Jr., who enters the season as a Second-Team All-SoCon pick. . Modest saw action in 11 games last season, which included a pair of starts and ranked second on the team in rushing with 567 yards on 115 attempts, scoring five touchdowns. His five rushing scores for the Terriers last season led the team.
Look for a guy like Isaiah Nell to get plenty more reps as the No. 2 guy behind Modest Jr. in the ground game this fall. Nell saw action in six games as a freshman last fall, posting eight carries for 33 yards and one TD. Tay Franklin is another capable young option in the backfield that could be a playmaker in the offense this fall.
The key to everything for the Terriers offensively this season will be its offensive line, which is true for most team in any classification. These days that usually depends on continuity, and the good news for Wofford is that plenty of that is still around, as three starters return along the offensive front for the upcoming season. Reggie Houston, who will start at right guard, as a preseason All-SoCon selection, while Dillon Porter returns at right tackle and Clayton Hixson at center.
Defensively is where Wofford has been so strong during Watson's time as the head coach, and despite some key losses this season, it should once again be a formidable unit under the leadership of Mitch Doolittle. The secondary took the biggest hit in terms of production lost, with Maximus Pulley and CJ Coombes having moved on, but Eli Campbell returns at free safety where he is a first-team all-league selection heading into the season.
Campbell saw action in all 12 games last fall,
including making 11 starts and posted his most productive season as a part of
the Terrier defensive unit, finishing with 67 tackles, two tackles-for-loss and
forced a pair of fumbles.
His most impressive stat from his line a year ago
were his four interceptions, putting him just one behind his league-leading
teammate. The Terriers totaled nine INTs from their two safeties a year ago,
which is quite impressive.
Linebacker will be the strongest aspect of the Wofford defense this fall, with OLB and edge rusher Javario Tinch leading the way as one of the biggest playmakers on the defensive side of the ball for the Terriers. Tinch saw action in nine games last season, including four starts, and when he’s on the field for the Wofford defense or special teams, good things always seem to happen.
Tinch finished off the 2025 campaign totaling 28 tackles, 4.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack, while adding two forced fumbles and a 66-yard INT return for a touchdown in the 31-13 win over I-85 rival Furman. He also contributed five tackles and half-a-sack in the win over the Paladins.
Sophomore Tyce Donnelly returns at the other outside spot, however, the real strength of the unit lies with its two inside guys--Kade Moleador and preseason All-SoCon pick Wyatt Ward. Ward put in work as a rookie last fall, starting four times and played in 11 games, completed his true freshman campaign with 55 tackles, 5.5 tackles-for-loss, two sacks and forced a pair of fumbles.
The defensive line was also hit hard, losing all three regulars to either graduation or the transfer portal. Gone is All-SoCon defensive end Brandon Maina, nose tackle Seth Foster and defensive end Marion Smokes.
Wofford added Micah Pryor (Delaware), Joseph
Polite (West Georgia) and Esom Nnajiofor (Liberty), and all
three should be able to make an immediate impact and even potentially start for
the Terriers along the defensive front this fall.
Only Polite has seen action
in an actual collegiate game, however, as he saw action in a couple of games at
West Georgia last season. Both Jeremiah Shelby and Zeb Taylor
should figure into the mix this fall, with Taylor a holdover from last season,
while Shelby comes to Wofford from Air Force Prep.
Sophomore Nicholas Mathious
logged time in nine games as a freshman last season, finishing the campaign
with seven tackles, 3.5 tackles-for-loss and half-a-sack. He’s in line to
replace the all-conference Maina at defensive end, and those will some
incredibly big shoes to fill.
The Citadel counters with an offense that can be explosive and was towards the latter part of the season last fall. The one good thing about the Bulldogs under Maurice Drayton is they've always had an identity set in running the football from day one. Now as the former Bulldog enters year five, he likely has his most talented offensive unit yet and he's gotten The Citadel back to where they are one of the perennial top 10 rushing units in all of FCS Football.
Last season, The Citadel finished the campaign ranked in the top 10 nationally in rushing offense for a second-straight season, completing the campaign ranked No. 9 nationally in rushing average, at 210.6 YPG.
The Citadel has just seven regulars back from last season, with five returning on the offensive side of the ball. The good news for Hayes and that ground attack is that the other four returning on offense are all on the offensive line, giving the Bulldogs a nice head start on fielding another top 10 ground unit and arguably the top offensive line in the Southern Conference this fall.
Hayes was solid at the controls but has a chance to be even better now that he's in full control of the unit.
The Citadel’s offense has two major positives going forward into the 2026 season, and those are the fact that the Bulldogs return their starting quarterback, in Quentin Hayes, as well as four of five starters along the offensive line for the ’26 season.
Hayes, a first-team All-SoCon selection heading into the 2026 campaign, comes off a strong first season in the Holy City, as the redshirt junior from Enterprise, AL, led the Bulldogs both on the ground and through the air last season.
As a ground threat, Hayes finished the season with 682 yards and seven touchdowns on 153 attempts, averaging 4.5 yards-per-rush last season. As a passer, Hayes was also pretty good, finishing the 58-of-92 passing for 897 yards, including eight touchdown tosses and four INTs. His 63% completion rate last season ranked third in Bulldogs history.
Hayes will have control of the offense exclusively this season, which is unlike last season when the Hayes had to share the reps with Cobey Thompkins. Hayes was pushed by the offensive coaches during the off-season to get a better understanding of the offense, as well as get with his receivers throughout the summer and put in some work.
The redshirt junior Air Foce transfer will be backed up under center by Nick Billoups, who has a bit of a nomad in college football, having played at BYU, UCLA, Utah and Lane College. He walked on as a true freshman at Utah in 2020, but didn’t see any action on the gridiron until last season at Lane College when he logged action in 10 contests, posting 106 carries for 343 yards and a pair of touchdowns, while completing 81-of-165 passes for 1,035 yards, including seven touchdowns and interceptions.
As big as it is for the Bulldogs to have a guy like Hayes returning to lead the offense this fall, it’s equally important to have the kind of continuity the Bulldogs will have along the offensive line this fall, which includes the return of four starters that helped the Bulldogs to once again field a top 10 ground attack nationally in 2025.
Senior left tackle Darwin Murrillo, redshirt junior left guard Tyler Heggins-Hill, redshirt sophomore right tackle Brady Pickett, and senior right guard Nico Rodriguez-Pena sport a healthy amount off starting experience returning along the front lines this fall for the Bulldogs.
The one player that won’t have a ton of experience heading into the 2026 season is at center, where the Bulldogs lost all-conference center Mike Bartilucci to graduation, as well as his backup Matt Metroskey.
Freshman Zy’Quaz Kelley has un-Citadel like size along the offensive line, as he comes in at 6-0, 320 lbs, and will be interesting to see if he can make an impact in his first season out of nearby Summerville High School.
Set to run behind that experienced offensive line for the Bulldogs this fall will be redshirt sophomore Sebastien Boyle, who was a reserve in all 12 games last season.
Others will also likely figure into the plans at running back this fall, including graduate transfers like Olando Kamara from Ashland University, as well as Kent State graduate transfer Gavin Garcia.
In his final season with Golden Flashes, Garcia finished the campaign with 146 carries for 647 yards and three scores, averaging 4.4 YPC, as he saw action in all 12 games for Kent State. After not seeing action his first two seasons at Ashland, Kamara saw action as a reserve running back over his final two, posting 56 carries for 184 yards and three scores in nine games as a reserve last season.
The Bulldogs obviously don’t throw the ball much, but when they do, they have some more than capable big-play options waiting to become the next Andre Roberts or Raleigh Webb.
One of the guys to definitely keep an eye on as a potential deep threat, big-play option in 2026 is Braylon Knauth, who becomes the default big-play threat this fall after big-play threat Javonte Graves-Billups has moved on. Knauth was a SoCon All-Freshman Team pick two years ago and was also a major contributor last season as a big-play threat for the Bulldogs in ’25. He hauled in 16 passes for 240 yards and a pair of scores, ranking third on the team in all-purpose yards with 567, which also included 221 kick return yards and 103 yards on punt returns.
Expected to contribute alongside Knauth this fall will be guys like Boston College graduate transfer Ismael Zamor, NC State graduate Eli Calhoun and Vanderbilt transfer Derek Kee, with none of that trio having seen very much meaningful action at those respective power four programs prior to matriculating to Charleston to play for the Bulldogs. Damir Abdullah comes aboard from Missouri Western State where he posted 29 catches for 294 yards and three scores last season.
At 6-5, 225-lb, Abdullah could potentially present some matchup issues for foes with his size. Other younger cadets like sophomore Abijah Webb and true freshman Jordan Jenkins could factor into Drayton’s plans at wideout this fall. Syracuse transfer Nick Armentano is another player looking to find his way into the mix for the Bulldogs this fall.
Rounding out the offense is the tight end spot where the Bulldogs will have some big shoes to fill, with the departure of Saul Diaz, however, there is a more than capable performer returning to the fold, in redshirt senior Whit Hobgood. Hobgood has good size, at 6-4, 230 lbs, and is an excellent athlete overall, as he will be in his fourth season with The Citadel after transferring in from Mt. Union. He saw action in all 12 games last season.
It’s been more often the case than it hasn’t been that The Citadel has been good on the defensive side of the football than it has been that they haven’t been in the previous three seasons under head coach Maurice Drayton.
Just two defensive starters are back from a unit that struggled mightily a year ago, however, and of particular concern is the loss of basically the best player at two of the three levels of the defensive side of the ball, with nose tackle Jordan Marks, linebacker Mikey Rosa and Cale Williams having all moved on from the defensive side of the football.
While it hurts to lose three players as talented as that, the fact remains the Bulldogs ranked 103rd nationally in total defense last season, surrendering 418.5 YPG last season. One of those two returning starters from the defensive side of the football will be senior defensive end Chris Benton.
The 6-0, 250-lb defensive end from Haines City, FL, starting all 12 games last season, finishing the season as a Second Team All-SoCon pick after posting 26 tackles (11 solo stops), five tackles-for-loss and five sacks. He also had five quarterback hurries. Benton finished the campaign ranking only behind teammate and all-conference linebacker Mikey Rosa last season. Benton will be one of the top defensive ends in the SoCon this fall, yet was not a first or second team all-league pick in the preseason.
Outside of Benton’s return along the defensive front, the rest of the unit will feature three new starters this fall. Maurice Bonneau Jr. looks like he will be the one to step into the ‘bandit’ linebacker/edge rusher position this fall. Bonneau Jr. comes off a ’25 season, which saw him finish with 13 total tackles in nine games, which he saw action mostly as a reserve. The Rock Hill, S.C., native also posted a tackle-for-loss and half-a-sack, and the 6-1, 245-lb senior will look to solidify his starting spot along the defensive front during fall camp.
Carson-Newman graduate transfer David Alexander could end up competing for one of the two defensive interior spots for the fall. He comes off a season in which he posted 12 tackles and recovered a fumble in action as a reserve. Brandan Green is another transfer from Southwestern Oklahoma State College, and the 6-2, 330-lb native of Monroe, GA, will compete for time at nose tackle in preseason camp.
Miami of Ohio transfer Eli Sheresovech IV Sheresovech also saw limited action last season last season at Miami OH last season Green will compete for time on interior of the defensive line in fall camp with his size, at 300 lbs will compete for the same. D’Angelo Shepherd could also factor in as a starter on the defensive interior after transferring in from Mississippi Valley State, and will have one year of eligibility remaining and posted 20 tackles and half-a-sack, logging time in 10 games last season for the Delta Devils.
The two linebacking positions both have vacancies as a result of the departures of both Je’Mazin Roberts and Mikey Rosa. West Georgia grad transfer Joshua Saddler and Presbyterian grad transfer Boyce Bankhead will both have a chance to compete in fall camp as replacements for Rosa and Roberts in preseason camp.
Bankhead was a significant performer during his time with the Blue Hose last season, as he was named First-Team All Pioneer Football League following a campaign which saw him post 90 tackles (fourth in PFL), 5.5 tackles-for-loss, three sacks, two pass breakups and a pair of forced fumbles last season. Bankhead led the Bluehose in tackles last season and helped the Blue Hose to a 10-2 season and was a big part of the nation’s No. 2 ranked defense last fall. He posted a career-high 14 tackles in a key win over Butler last season.
Another key transfer that could see plenty of action in the middle of that Bulldogs defense in 2026 is Zyion Brown, who is a graduate transfer from Dartmouth, and he started all 10 games for the Big Green at linebacker last season, posting a team-best 83 tackles, five tackles-for-loss, a pair of sacks, four quarterback hurries, one interception and a fumble recovery.
The secondary is also an area that must be completely re-tooled for The Citadel heading into the upcoming campaign with the departures of guys like Cale Willliams, Nolan Jones, Tyrik McDaniel, Sayre Smothers and Bradlee Jones. The leader of the group heading into the upcoming season is Temarcus Elam, who will likely head into the season as a starter at one of the three safety positions.
Elam is a 6-0, 205-lb safety, who hails from Augusta, GA., logged action in eight games for the Bulldogs last season, finishing out the campaign with 23 tackles, including 15 solo stops, with one tackle-for-loss and three pass breakups. He enjoyed his signature performance of the season and his career, notching a career-high 10 tackles in The Citadel’s loss at Ole Miss last season. Elam was The Citadel’s defensive representative at The Citadel’s recent trip to Hotel Hartness in Greenville, S.C., for SoCon Media Day for the upcoming ’26 season.
There are several graduate transfers hoping to compete for a starting spot at both safety and cornerback heading into the season. DK McGruder (Mississippi State), Tre McCloud (Furman), Zeb Stroup (Presbyterian), Savionne Rogers (Barton) and Cole Davis (Alabama) are a group of transfers looking to play either a bigger role as a Bulldog than they did at the program they came from, or they are transferring up a level for more of a challenge.
Savionne Rogers played a big role in his time at NCAA Division II Barton, as he posted 11 starts, which saw him finish out a stellar campaign with 96 tackles, three tackles-for-loss, four pass breakups and two quarterback hurries. He will also look to compete for one of the three safety vacancies within the Bulldogs secondary this fall.
McCloud comes to the Bulldogs program from arch-rival Furman, where he saw action in 10 games and posted 10 tackles, half-a-sack and a fumble recovery last season for the Paladins. He started at free safety for the Paladins two years ago, logging action in all 11 games and finishing with 53 tackles, two tackles-for-loss, recovered a fumble and intercepted a pass.
Like his teammate Boyce Bankhead, Zeb Stroup played a significant role in his time with the Presbyterian Blue Hose. He finished the 2026 season with 10 starts for PC, posting 46 tackles and three INTs as a significant of that Blue Hose defense that ranked second nationally and also posted just their third 10-win season in school history last fall. Stroup will also be competing for a spot at safety for the Bulldogs in preseason camp.
Junior Nikolas Mirabela and redshirt sophomore Peyton Betts are a couple of holdovers from last year’s Bulldogs team that could step into larger roles at nickelback and safety, as both were second-string at those respective positions a year ago. Mirabela served as Jones’ understudy at nickel and Betts played behind Tyrik McDaniel at the free safety spot.
The bigger question for The Citadel’s secondary might be who starts at cornerback heading into the season. Lindsey Wilson transfer Khaleb Bridges is certainly a candidate to step into a starting role at cornerback, showing plenty of talent at the lower level. The 5-10, 175-lb redshirt junior finished the ’25 season with 62 tackles, 12 PBUs and intercepted five passes. Jabraivon Woodard is also a leading candidate to be in the mix to start. He was a SoCon All-Freshman selection three years ago as a reserve cornerback for the Bulldogs.
Check back for the rest of Saturday's previews later this week.
Final Prediction:
Wofford 35, The Citadel 28
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