CARMEL, Ind - The Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference (HCAC) has announced the results of its football preseason coaches’ poll on Tuesday morning with 2025 HCAC Champion Hanover predicted to defend its title. The Panthers earned 36 points in the poll and six first place votes.
Mount St. Joseph, which had its championship streak halted last year, ranked second in this year’s voting with 31 points and a first place vote. Franklin and Rose-Hulman ranked third and fourth with 24 and 21 points, respectively. Rounding out the top-five was Bluffton with 17 points.
The Panthers return a slew of strong performers from last year, including last year’s Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year in Eian Roudebush (New Palestine, Ind.) and
Brian Wall (Sellersburg, Ind.).
The 2026 HCAC Football season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 3 as Bluffton opens the season with the remaining teams playing over the weekend. The top team at the end of the regular-season will be named HCAC Champion and earn the league’s automatic qualifier into the 2026 NCAA Division III Football Championship.
2026 HCAC Football Preseason Coaches' Poll Results
| 1. |
Hanover |
36 (6) |
| 2. |
Mount St. Joseph |
31 (1) |
| 3. |
Franklin |
24 |
| 4. |
Rose-Hulman |
21 |
| 5. |
Bluffton |
17 |
| 6. |
Anderson |
11 |
| 7. |
Manchester |
7 |
2026 Team-by-Team Capsules
Hanover College Panthers (Hanover, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = First place with 36 poll points and six first place votes.
Head Coach = Matt Theobald (2025 Coach of the Year)
2025 Results = 9-3 Overall, 6-0 HCAC (HCAC Champion)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Scotty Johnson, Senior Tight End, West Chester, Ohio
- (1st Team) George Marten, Senior Linebacker, Franklin, Ind.
- (1st Team) Saadiq Pasha, Senior Cornerback, Hephzibah, Ga.
- (1st Team) Eian Roudebush, Senior Quarterback, New Palestine, Ind. (2025 Offensive Player of the Year)
- (1st Team) Ben Purciful, Senior Offensive Line, Greenfield, Ind.
- (1st Team) Brian Wall, Junior Safety, Sellersburg, Ind. (2025 Defensive Player of the Year)
- (2nd Team) Joshua Jones, Sophomore Offensive Line, Stow, Ohio
- (2nd Team) Jack Pennington, Junior Wide Receiver, Seymour, Ind.
- (2nd Team) David Holloway, Junior Offensive Line, Louisville, Ky.
Mount St. Joseph Lions (Cincinnati, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Second place with 31 poll points and one first place vote.
Head Coach = Tyler Hopperton
2025 Results = 6-5 Overall, 5-1 HCAC (2nd place)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Eli Aston, Junior Wide Receiver, Cincinnati, Ohio
- (1st Team) Luke Fortkamp, Junior Defensive Back, Cincinnati, Ohio
- (1st Team) Michael Hunkus, Senior Wide Receiver, Hilliard, Ohio
- (1st Team) Brady Pierce, Graduate Defensive Back, Thompson Station, Tenn.
- (1st Team) Luke Paff, Senior Linebacker, Cincinnati, Ohio
- (1st Team) Jaxon Schreiber, Senior Quarterback, Cleves, Ohio
Franklin College Grizzlies (Franklin, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Third place with 24 poll points.
Head Coach = Mike Leonard
2025 Results = 5-5 Overall, 3-3 HCAC (Tied for 3rd place)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Isaak Fischer, Senior Offensive Line, Greenwood, Ind.
- (1st Team) Ben Roembke, Senior Offensive Line, McCordsville, Ind.
- (1st Team) Drew Servies, Senior Linebacker, Tipton, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Brayden Baker, Junior Linebacker, Bedford, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Marshall Kmiecik, Junior Quarterback, Michigan City, Ind.
- Owen Wright, Senior Wide Receiver, Greenwood, Ind.
Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology Fightin’ Engineers (Terre Haute, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fourth place with 21 poll points.
Head Coach = Jeff Sokol
2025 Results = 3-7 Overall, 3-3 HCAC (Tied for 3rd place)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Antonio Barnes, Senior Defensive Back, Highland, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Wyatt Bell, Senior Defensive Back, River Falls, Wis.
- (2nd Team) Austin Hastings, Junior Linebacker, Noblesville, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Augustus Shryock, Senior Defensive Line, Clinton, Ind.
- (HM) Alexander Marsteller, Senior Running Back, Lynchburg, Va.
Bluffton University Beavers (Bluffton, Ohio)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Fifth place with 17 poll points.
Head Coach = Chris Hedden
2025 Results = 5-5 Overall, 3-3 HCAC (Tied for 3rd place)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Antonio Garrett, Senior Offensive Line, Murfreesboro, Tenn.
- (2nd Team) Travion Curry, Senior Linebacker, Thomson, Ga.
- (2nd Team) Kenny Johnson, Senior Offensive Line, Thompson Station, Tenn.
- (2nd Team) Jashawn Wyckoff, Sophomore Wide Receiver, Cleveland, Ohio
- Damien Brockington, Sophomore Running Back, Tiffin, Ohio
- Cadence Carswell, Freshman Running Back, Whitehouse, Ohio
- Savon Gatlin, Junior Defensive Line, Riverdale, Ga.
- Tre Stribling, Sophomore Linebacker, Nashville, Tenn.
Anderson University Ravens (Anderson, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Sixth place with 11 poll points.
Head Coach = Jonathan Coddington
2025 Results = 2-8 Overall, 1-5 HCAC (6th place)
Players to Watch =
- (1st Team) Jaylen Hayes, Sophomore Defensive Line, Louisville, Ky.
- Cam Herron, Sophomore Wide Receiver, Columbus, Ind.
- Luke Manning, Senior Quarterback, Hendersonville, Tenn.
- Preston Yoder, Senior Wide Receiver, Walhonding, Ohio
Manchester University Spartans (North Manchester, Ind.)
Predicted 2026 HCAC Finish = Seventh place with 7 poll points.
Head Coach = Vann Hunt
2025 Results = 0-10 Overall, 0-6 HCAC (7th place)
Players to Watch =
- (2nd Team) Angel Estrada, Senior Punter, Bremen, Ind.
- (2nd Team) Ethan Skinner, Senior Tight End, Kendallville, Ind.
- (HM) Culvin Gilbert, Junior Defensive Line, Monroeville, Ind.
- Ryne Butt, Sophomore Offensive Line, Peru, Ind.
- Levi Campbell, Junior Wide Receiver, Clewiston, Fla.
- Shane Hagen, Senior Linebacker, Hudson, Fla.
- Landon Hicks, Junior Defensive Back, Monroeville, Ind.
- Cameron Puryear, Sophomore Defensive Back, Memphis, Tenn.
- Ethan Witz, Senior Linebacker, South Bend, Ind.