Lebanon, IL - It's almost that time.
After two and a half weeks of fall camp, the feeling around the McKendree University football program has shifted from the excitement of being back on the field to the anticipation of finally kicking off a new season.
The Bearcats, under third-year Head Coach Jason Rejfek, will begin the 66th season of McKendree Football on Thursday, August 27th, traveling to University Center, Michigan, for a 6:00 PM central time matchup with Saginaw Valley State at Wickes Memorial Stadium. The meeting will be the first all-time between the Bearcats and Cardinals.
The opener also begins a unique start to the schedule, with McKendree making back-to-back trips to Michigan. Following Thursday's game, the Bearcats travel to Hillsdale on September 5th before an early bye week. GLVC play begins September 19th when preseason No. 9 UIndy visits Leemon Field.
A NEW-LOOK BEARCAT TEAM
The offseason brought plenty of change to Lebanon following the departure of a large senior class.
Quarterback Ty Michael, running back Eddie Clark, center Nick Cicero, kicker Chase Reeves, as well as a pair of all-conference caliber players at defensive end in Tanner Hollerich and Dameion Hatten - are all among the key pieces gone from the 2025 squad. McKendree also had changes on its coaching staff at the coordinator level with the departures of offensive coordinator Nick Holeton and defensive coordinator Opetaia Tuiava, the latter of which is now a Coaching Fellow with the NFL's Baltimore Ravens, while Holeton took another opportunity in Division II.
That made the development of the Bearcats throughout the offseason and fall camp all the more important.
Thomas Jenkins moves into the solo offensive coordinator role during his second stint at McKendree, while Dalton Franks takes over the defense after spending the 2025 season as Senior Defensive Analyst at FBS member Coastal Carolina. Franks previously spent two seasons as Director of On-Campus Recruiting at Missouri State and has Division II coaching experience at Missouri Western.
Rejfek also added Jakob North as tight ends coach, Brandon Brown as cornerbacks coach, Logan Zacharias as offensive line coach, and Truman Dick as running backs coach.
NEW FACES IN THE BACKFIELD
Perhaps no position better represents the transition into 2026 than quarterback.
Michael accounted for 2,265 passing yards and 15 touchdowns a season ago, leaving the Bearcats looking to a new option under center. Kendrick Lyons, Charlie Blondin, and Colt Michael have emerged entering Week Zero.
Lyons saw limited action last year, completing 3-of-7 passes for 62 yards, while Blondin completed both of his attempts for 10 yards. Colt Michael brings the most returning game experience to the quarterback room after appearing in six games and throwing for 406 yards and a touchdown in 2025.
There will also be a new primary ball carrier following Clark's departure after an 877-yard season.
Jerry Richardson and Philip Shaw enter the opener as leading names. Richardson finished last season with 69 net rushing yards, while Shaw rushed for 72 yards and made the most of his opportunities around the goal line, scoring five touchdowns on just 18 carries.
EXPERIENCE RETURNS ON THE OUTSIDE
While the backfield will feature new names in larger roles, the receiving corps provides considerably more continuity.
Daryle Jones Jr. returns after leading McKendree with 560 receiving yards and five touchdowns in 2025. Brylan Apholone is also back after recording 486 yards and three scores, while Quincy Hall Jr. added 380 yards and two touchdowns. David Richard returns after totaling 252 receiving yards.
That experienced group should give whoever takes the snaps at quarterback several familiar targets as the offense settles into its new look.
McKendree showed its ability to create explosive production through the air at points last season. The Bearcats ranked fourth in the GLVC at 249.7 passing yards per game and produced a conference-best 23.3 yards per reception during their 40-35 victory over William Jewell.
BUILDING UP FRONT
There will be plenty of youth mixed with experience along the offensive line. Nick Pedersen, Nate Parker, Konnor Goersch, Marcus Hansen, and Connor Liescheidt are among returning names that could get reps. Ian Lichtenberger gives the group an experienced presence at tight end, with Kam Schumacher also returning.
The unit will be tasked with helping McKendree improve a rushing attack that averaged 101.5 yards per game last season while protecting a passing game that produced nearly 250 yards per game.
FAMILIAR NAMES LEAD THE DEFENSE
Franks takes over a defense that has its share of production to replace, but several proven pieces return.
Linebacker Nick Bova headlines that group. Bova finished second on the team in tackles last season with 72, including a team-best 42 solo stops. He added eight tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. His two forced fumbles ranked fifth among GLVC players.
Jayden Howard is another returning piece at linebacker after totaling 43 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss and a sack in 2025.
The secondary also brings back several experienced contributors, led by Cyris Davis. Davis intercepted a team-high three passes last season, returning them for 21 yards, and ranked second among GLVC players in interceptions.
Darren Pennell, Johnnie Robinson, Mylan Nettles, and Aden Chase are also among the returning defensive backs who saw action last season.
Up front, Jackson Barnhart, Robert Frank, Keaton Fort, Kaleb Randolph, Dwayne Wilmington, and Joel Codjoe-DePluzer all return with experience as the Bearcats look to build upon a pass rush that recorded 23 sacks last season, third-most in the GLVC.
NEW ROLES ON SPECIAL TEAMS
Special Teams Coordinator Jackson Hall enters his second season with the Bearcats with another transition on his hands.
McKendree must replace Reeves, who handled the majority of the kicking and punting duties in 2025. The Bearcats led the GLVC in punting and field goals last season, while ranking second in kickoff returns.
Warren Tomczak and Truman Carnine are among others for options at kicker, while Luke Herzic and Jake Miller are names that can contribute at punter. Jakob Church returns at long snapper.
Hall Jr. and Kendric Johnson are both back and can handle kickoff and punt return duties. Hall Jr. provides an experienced option after averaging 24.9 yards per kickoff return and ranking fourth in the GLVC with 398 kickoff return yards last season.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Thursday's opener begins an 11-game regular-season schedule featuring six road games and five games at Leemon Field.
After trips to Saginaw Valley State and Hillsdale and the September 12th bye, McKendree opens its home and GLVC schedule against preseason No. 9 UIndy on September 19th.
The Bearcats then travel to William Jewell before returning home for the annual Battle for the Land of Lincoln game against Quincy on October 3rd and Homecoming against Southwest Baptist on October 10th.
Road trips to Missouri S&T and Lincoln follow before McKendree closes the regular season with three November games. Upper Iowa and Northeastern State visit Leemon Field on October 31st and November 7th, respectively, before the Bearcats head to Truman State for the regular-season finale on November 14th.
For a roster that will rely on returning experience at some positions and new faces at others, the answer will start coming Thursday night.
After an offseason of changes, position battles and preparation, the 2026 Bearcats are finally ready to play football.
