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Our 2026 FCS football team preview series continues with the Abilene Christian Wildcats, who look to win their consecutive UAC championship.
Another season, another championship for the Wildcats.
While other UAC programs garner a ton of attention and lots of hype, head coach Keith Patterson and his staff keep churning out consistent excellence year after year.
It's time for this program to take the next step, which includes making a run to the quarterfinals and showing they belong in that top tier of FCS contenders.
Let's take a deep dive into Abilene Christian ahead of the 2026 college football season.
Roster Outlook 2025 Record: 9-5 (7-1 UAC) Head Coach: Keith Patterson (5th season, 30-20) Returning All-Conference Contributors (2025): Luke Roaten (OL), Colter Lynch (OL) Notable Incoming Transfers: Dillon Williams (Central Arkansas, S), Makenzie McGill II (North Texas, RB), Kanon Gibson (UTPB, QB), Plae Wyatt (Rice, S), Brandon Johnson (Northern Colorado, RB), Obi Udom (Arkansas State, DL), Wes Tucker (Baylor, OL), Tucker Parks (Western Kentucky, QB), Deante Lindsay (Texas Tech, CB), Cristian Driver (Minnesota, WR), Marcos Davila (Nebraska, QB), Colin Brazzell (Tennessee, CB), Larry Benton III (Vanderbilt, TE), Tanner Allen (Texas Tech, DL) Returning Significant Contributors (OFF): 8 Returning Significant Contributors (DEF): 6 Quarterback It's been a long time since the Wildcats have had a true quarterback battle.
Stone Earle and Maverick McIvor have given this team the luxury of steady, excellent quarterback play since 2021.
That all changes this season, and it's probably the biggest question for this program entering the year.
Even with the uncertainty, the Wildcats don't lack options in this room.
Patterson said he feels comfortable with any of the five potential starters, but this team will need one of these options to rise above the other competitors.
The battle starts with a trio of redshirt sophomores, who all played their high school ball in the state of Texas.
Marcos Davila transfers in from Nebraska after not seeing much action for the Cornhuskers.
He lacks any real college experience, but has a big arm and posted over 9,000 yards and 93 TDs in high school.
Western Kentucky transfer Tucker Parks also joins the room, but brings more of a dual-threat ability with over 2,500 passing yards, 825 rushing yards, and 44 total TDs as a junior in high school.
John David Black is a former East Carolina transfer, but he didn't see any action for the Wildcats last season.
The most experienced option is UTPB transfer Kanon Gibson, who was a late addition after Emmett Brown flipped his commitment to Incarnate Word.
Gibson is a senior who spent his first two seasons at West Texas A&M, starting 12 games with 2,341 passing yards and 608 rushing yards.
He had a real breakout season at UTPB last year, completing 64% of his passes for 3,990 passing yards, 31 passing TDs, and 10 INTs.
He added 534 yards and 13 TDs on the ground.
Gibson might not have the arm talent of Davila or the raw ability of Parks, but he gives Abilene Christian the most experience and a combination of passing ability with the skills to make plays with his legs.
He likely represents the highest floor for the Wildcats, while Parks or Davila may offer a slightly higher ceiling.
Freshman Joe Castles is also in the room, whom Patterson has already praised for his arm talent, but may be a stronger option for the Wildcats in future seasons.
Running Back We know the Wildcats will want to run the ball in their spread-power system under offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Rovaughn Banks Jr.
is the only main contributor from this unit after he led the team with 687 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry, but had his biggest games in key moments, including Tarleton State.
Banks was part of a three-man rotation, which makes me believe that the Wildcats will once again look for at least two other options at running back in 2026.
One of my favorite transfers this offseason is redshirt junior Makenzie McGill.
He appeared in 21 games over the last two seasons at North Texas, which had one of the better offenses in the Group of Six.
He was a weapon with 859 rushing yards and 15 rushing TDs on 5.6 yards per carry.
He even started five games last year, posting over 100 yards against Army and Western Michigan.
With his stocky build (5-9, 202 lbs), he has real UAC Offensive Player of the Year potential.
The Wildcats also added Northern Colorado transfer Brandon Johnson, who played in 11 games for the Bears.
He finished the year with 82 carries for 321 rushing yards and 6 rushing TDs, averaging 3.9 yards per carry.
Alex Broome is another transfer from Boston College, playing in 28 games over the past three seasons with 522 yards and 3 TDs.
Deonte Dean only played in one game as a freshman last year, but I expect that Abilene Christian will look to get Dean, Broome, or Johnson into the rotation next season.
Wide Receiver/Tight End Abilene Christian returns two of its Top 4 WRs from last year in Dallas Dudley and Raydrian Baltrip.
The real question is who will replace Javon Gipspn, who had well over double the amount of yards as the next highest player on the team.
Dudley is a 6-2 senior who was a dependable possession receiver for the Wildcats, along with a willing blocker on the outside.
He was the 2nd-leading receiver on the team with 47 receptions for 494 yards and 2 TDs, but will need to be a more reliable option in 2026.
Baltrip was a freshman last year, but he started seven games near the end of the season.
He has real upside potential as a slot option, finishing the year with 30 catches for 339 receiving yards and 4 TDs.
He had a career-high 112 yards and 2 TDs in a huge win over Austin Peay in only his 4th game at the college level.
The next most experienced returner is redshirt sophomore Grant Jones, who will aim to carve out a bigger role this year.
As for transfers, the Wildcats added Minnesota transfer Cristian Driver, who started his career at Penn State.
His most productive year came in 2024, in which he played in 11 games with one start, finishing with 7 catches for 49 yards and 1 TD.
He's a former 4-star prospect, but the Wildcats are hoping he can find some of that same success he had at the HS level.
Jimmy Valsin III spent four seasons at Oregon State, but only had one season of major playing time, in which he finished with 11 receptions for 154 yards and 2 TDs.
Seth Waller is a former JUCO standout who spent the last two seasons at Baylor.
Keonde Henry is a former 4-star prospect, but he didn't see much action at Memphis over the past two years.
If Abilene Christian can get at least one of these transfers to have a breakout season, it could take this offense to another level.
Keep an eye on true freshman Romelo Boykin, who at 6-3, has the talent and size to be an immediate contributor.
Tight end is extremely important for the Wildcats because this is a team that loves to use 12 personnel in their gap run schemes.
Itty Henry is back after spending last season as one of Abilene Christian's two main tight ends.
He was extremely effective in the passing game with 335 yards and 4 TDs on 29 catches.
To fill in the other spot, the Wildcats added a trio of transfers, including Larry Benton III, Kyle Brown, and Jayden York.
Brown had 384 receiving yards at the JUCO level, while York offers real promise as a redzone threat and blocking tight end.
York started 11 games at Houston in 2024, but missed most of last season with an injury.
Benton didn't see much action at Vanderbilt, but could find a role for the Wildcats with a strong fall camp.
Offensive Line Abilene Christian must keep improving along the line of scrimmage if this program wants to move into the upper tier of FCS programs, and that starts on the offensive line.
The Wildcats return three full-time starters, including center Colter Lynch (6-3, 295), guard Landon Roaten (6-5, 305), and tackle Luke Roaten (6-6, 300).
Lynch and Luke Roaten both were All-UAC selections for the Wildcats last season, while Luke earned Preseason FCS All-American honors from Stats Perform.
Redshirt junior Kaden Carr (6-6, 285) started nine games at guard last season, grading out very well as a run blocker.
He projects to be one of the five starters going into the 2026 season.
Cameron Vann (6-6, 305) played 110 snaps in five games as a redshirt freshman, but could push for a starting spot this fall.
The Wildcats also added Davion Martinez (6-7, 290) from Southern Utah, where he started a few games at offensive tackle as a sophomore.
Austin Lopez (6-3, 295) started several games over the past two seasons at Midwestern State.
Eastern Kentucky transfer Liam Coppinger (6-3, 300) can play both center and guard, plus brings over 1,000 career snaps of experience over the last two seasons.
The Wildcats feel like they've increased the depth of this unit compared to what they have had the past two years.
Defensive Line The interior defensive line will be anchored by two returning starters in Kortlin Rausaw and Chris Herpin.
This duo played over 1,400 combined snaps last season, combining for 80 total tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 6 sacks, and 11 QBHs.
That's incredible production for two interior defensive linemen, but the Wildcats aimed to build some depth behind these two starters from the portal.
Tanner Allen (6-3, 280) transferred in from Texas Tech and did see a small amount of playing time last season for one of the best DLs in college football.
Obi Udom is a redshirt sophomore from Arkansas State and was a highly-touted 3-star prospect out of Frisco, TX.
Dartmouth transfer Joe Onuwabhagbe was a Phil Steele 4th Team All-Ivy selection last year, posting 18 tackles, 6.5 TFLs, and 3 sacks.
The much bigger question for the Wildcats will be at the EDGE position, where Abilene Christian loses most of its experience this offseason.
Junior Isaiah Crawford was a key rotational player last season, but the Wildcats will need more from him in 2026.
Cuvanti Crawford redshirted last year, but at 6-4, 220 has the length to make a big jump in his second season.
Okello Okello also redshirted, but gives a bigger option (6-0, 240) off the edge, plus was productive with 31 TFLs and 12 sacks in HS.
Linebackers This is another position that will have a ton of new faces as Abilene Christian doesn't return any of its starters from last year.
The biggest question is the health of Darius Moore, who has battled injuries over the past two seasons.
When he's healthy, he's a real problem for opposing offenses, posting 118 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, and 1.5 sacks over his first two years.
If he can stay healthy, the Wildcats will have a true leader in the middle of this defense.
Former Oklahoma State transfer Gabe Brown also missed last season with an injury, but has plenty of potential after playing over 20 games for the Cowboys.
The issue is that if Brown or Moore isn't healthy, the rest of this room is extremely unproven.
Boone Morris is a potential breakout player with ideal size (6-2, 235), and he played in 8 games as a freshman.
The other name to watch here is Santana Miller, who spent the last two seasons at Iowa Western at the JUCO level.
He finished last season with 53 total tackles, 5.5 TFLs, 1 sack, and 1 INT, in which he helped lead the Reivers to another NJCAA national championship.
The rest of the room is extremely young and unproven, but the Wildcats will need someone to emerge in fall camp.
Defensive Backs There is really only one returning starter for the Wildcats in the secondary, which is cornerback Jocelyn Malaska, who can play on the outside or fit inside with the safeties.
He started games at both positions last year, posting 43 tackles, 2 TFLs, and 4 PBUs in 13 games.
Christian Oku played in eight games as a true freshman and has a chance to elevate into the other starter at corner this season.
There's a bit of a question about who will step up as some other options at cornerback.
Tennessee transfer Colin Brazzell and Kansas transfer Jacoby Davis are two players to watch throughout fall camp.
Davis played in five games for the Jayhawks last season, while Bazzell is still a young player but lacks proven college experience.
The Wildcats also added Deante Lindsay from Texas Tech, who was a former consensus 3-star prospect out of Oklahoma.
At safety, part-time starter Javon Wilcox returns after posting 34 tackles as a sophomore for the Wildcats.
He's joined by DeAngelo Ponder, who started one game last year but made appearances in 13 games as a redshirt sophomore.
One of the biggest FCS-to-FCS transfers of this cycle was former Central Arkansas safety Dillon Williams, who was an All-UAC defender for the Bears.
He brings a ton of experience to this secondary, totaling 163 tackles, 8.5 TFLs, 3 INTs, and 11 PBUs over the past two seasons.
He's a Preseason FCS All-American and projects as an instant starter going into the 2026 season.
Another big-time portal addition was Rice transfer Plae Wyatt, who led the Owls in tackles (81) in 2023.
He's battled injuries the past two seasons, but has the potential to be an All-UAC contributor for this defense.
They also added Austin King from the JUCO level, where he had 30 tackles in only seven games.
Season Outlook Despite the question at quarterback, Abilene Christian will feel like it should be the preseason favorite to win the UAC for the third consecutive season.
They've performed very well in games against the top teams in the UAC, which should give them plenty of confidence going into those must-win matchups.
On the other hand, the non-conference schedule is arguably the most difficult in the entire FCS.
Along with an FBS matchup against Texas Tech, the Wildcats play four teams that have all made the playoffs in the past two seasons, three of whom were in the playoffs last year.
They travel to Lamar and Idaho, while they also host Stephen F.
Austin and Mercer.
This schedule should give them an excellent opportunity to build a very good resume that could earn them a Top 8 seed if they take advantage of these opportunities.
It could also put them in danger of missing the postseason, even with a good team, if they don't take care of business in those games.
Either way, I expect this to be one of the best teams in the country for the 2026 season.
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Timothy Rosario is a national contributor for FCS Football Central on SI.
He previously served as an assistant coach at Sparks High School and North Valleys High School, focusing on linebackers and defensive backs.
Timothy graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno in 2019.
Follow Timothy_Rosy.