August 31st, 2026 2:00pm
Week One is finally here, and I don't think I have seen a GAC season with this many questions surrounding it in a long time. Harding is still Harding until someone proves otherwise, but after the Bisons, there is a whole lot of uncertainty. Seven teams have a legitimate argument that they can compete for the top of the conference, while four more are trying to find a way out of the bottom of the standings.
That makes the middle of this conference incredibly interesting. There are teams with new quarterbacks, teams returning a ton of talent, new coaches trying to turn programs around and a handful of teams that believe they are ready to make the jump. Basically, outside of Harding, I have no idea what this conference is going to look like by the end of the season, and frankly I don't think the teams know either.
Harding Bisons
2025 Record (15-1, 11-0 GAC)
The Harding Bisons have been a juggernaut, but this year they will be led by a new head coach. After Paul Simmons took on the role of General Manager, replacing a coach who made the National Tournament in seven of his eight seasons (not counting cancelled 2020 season) will be no easy task. That run included the 2023 National Championship, the only national championship in GAC history.
Roddy Mote, however, is far from a new face to the program. Mote has served as Harding's defensive coordinator since 2017 and has had multiple stints with the Bisons dating back to 1994. He is coming off the 2025 FootballScoop Division II Coordinator of the Year after his defense led the nation in scoring defense (10.8 ppg) and helped power the Bisons to the National Championship game.
I have no question about the Harding defense. It will continue to dominate, but the fact that this is the first time since the 2021 season that Cole Keylon will not be the one running the triple-option attack in Week One will provide some uncertainty heading into the 2026 campaign.
But don't worry, Bisons faithful, you still have Andrew Miller, the 2025 Harlon Hill Award runner-up, who ran for a measly... 2,048 yards last season.
Henderson State
2025 Record (8-3, 8-3 GAC)
The Reddies have become one of the most consistent teams in the Great American Conference. Over the last six seasons, they have won at least eight games every year, and in the two seasons under head coach Greg Holsworth, they have gone 8-3 both times. At this point, it seems like you can almost book it: Henderson State will find a way to win eight games, every. Single. Time.
Along with Harding, they too will be led by a new person taking the snaps, with fifth-year senior Austin Ledbetter taking the reins for the Reddies after serving as the backup to Andrew Edwards, who had a stellar four-year run as the starter. They should be strong in the wide receiver room after returning three of their top four from a season ago. That group includes two All-GAC selections in Maddox Davis and Taylin Paskel, with Paskel earning his nod as one of the best kick returners in the conference.
Replacing two-time All-American Cayden Davis at tight end will hurt, but the Reddies' defense should continue to get stronger. After giving up the second-fewest points in the league last season, another year of experience could make this unit one of the toughest defenses in the conference.
Southern Arkansas
2025 Record (8-3, 8-3 GAC)
Head coach Brad Smiley has built a powerhouse since arriving in the Blue and Gold, trailing only No. 2 Harding and No. 5 Pittsburg State in Super Region Three in wins during that time.
We have gone through the top three teams in the conference so far, and each will be having a new starting quarterback entering the season. Fun conference. It will be hard to replace Hezekiah Harris, however, who ranked fifth in passing yards in the conference but also rushed for the fifth-most yards in the conference himself. Harris is now with Valdosta State, leaving the Muleriders with a big hole to fill at quarterback.
Whoever leads the offense will have a strong defense behind them, as SAU ranked third in the conference, just behind Harding and Henderson State, with only 20.8 PPG allowed.
Ouachita Baptist
2025 Record (7-4, 7-4 GAC)
Breaking News, we will have a returning starting quarterback! Tre Nichols will lead the Tigers under head coach Todd Knight, who is back for his 28th season. I'm sure in those 28 years the Dallas Cowboys have won the Super Bowl! Right?
Anyways, I believe Ouachita will be competing for the top spot in the GAC.
They return nine of their 20 All-GAC nods from last season, as well as almost 20 players who had starting roles at some point during the season. Every opposing defense will need to be tuned in on WR Carter McElhany, who was a unanimous first-team All-GAC selection, led the league in yards and touchdowns, and had one of the more remarkable punt returns of the season, which landed him at No. 1 on ESPN's Top 10.
Ouachita won six straight games heading into the final week and nearly played themselves into the postseason before the 98th Battle of the Ravine happened. I'm sure that left a sour taste in the mouths of the team on the east side of Tenth Street.
Arkansas Tech
2025 Record (7-5, 7-4 GAC)
Last season, Arkansas Tech earned its first winning season since 2017 under first-year head coach Roy Thompson and earned the right to play in the Heritage Bowl, where they were just a two-point conversion away from beating West Texas A&M.
What did they do in the offseason after his first year? Sign FIFTY-SEVEN freshmen! That is unheard of in today's day and age of college football. Maybe all of the freshmen will not contribute right away, but being able to develop your players for all four, now five, years of college will certainly pay dividends in the years to come.
Southwestern Oklahoma State
2025 Record (6-5, 6-5 GAC)
SWOSU is coming off its first above .500 season in eight years and now has a chance to put together back-to-back winning seasons for the first time since 2006-07. Head coach Andrew Rice is entering his third season at the helm after signing a three-year extension with the Bulldogs this offseason.
Another starting QB job is up for grabs after MJ Rivers' successful one-year stint came to an end. That uncertainty might not be as concerning as it sounds, though, considering the rushing game was the catalyst for the offense last season. The Dawgs ran for a DII school-record 2,347 yards and return a bulk of their offensive line from that record-setting group.
There have been plenty of reasons to be happy with the way Coach Rice has developed the program since arriving, but when you can outscore your rival 95-3 over the last two years, that certainly doesn't hurt anything.
East Central
2025 Record (6-6, 6-5 GAC)
The last team in the conference that got to play an extra weekend of football was East Central, after a trip to Northeastern State to play in the first-ever First Americans Bowl. Although the result did not go the way they would have envisioned, I'm sure it was an unforgettable experience for both teams to be part of the inaugural event.
Sergio Kennedy is back running the offense and notched the most passing yards in the GAC last season while leading the high-powered offense of ECU. They will surely be looking for the junior to continue his great play as they look to be one of the top offenses in the conference under head coach John Litrenta, who is entering his fourth season.
The question will be whether the defense can catch up. The Tigers allowed 384.9 yards per game last season and gave up 374 points over 12 games. If that side of the ball can improve, East Central could be a much more dangerous team in 2026 than its 6-6 record from a year ago suggests.
Southeastern Oklahoma State
2025 Record (5-6, 5-6 GAC)
Southeastern is another team that could be very interesting in 2026. The Storm are bringing back a defense that was one of the better units in the conference last season, with nine players who started a game a year ago returning, including seven All-GAC selections.
The bigger question will be what happens on the other side of the ball. Luke Hohenberger and Levay Duncan both saw significant time at quarterback last season, so there is still a question of who will take the majority of the snaps. Whoever gets the nod will have a good group in front of them, with seven offensive linemen returning who started at some point last season.
Intermission:
*We are now entering the presumable bottom four teams, which could finish in any order. If any team escapes the bottom four by the end of the season, it will be a successful year for the program.*
Arkansas-Monticello
2025 Record (2-9, 2-9 GAC)
Out of the remaining teams, I think Monticello has the best chance to be a surprise team at the end of the season. I really like the hire of Gary Goff, who has been very successful at the DII level at Valdosta State, leading them to the title game in 2021, while also gaining DI experience with McNeese State from 2022-24.
It may take some time for Goff to build the program into what he wants it to be, but the Boil Weevils are a team to keep an eye on. If he can bring that same level of success to Monticello, this could be a program that looks very different in the next few years.
Also, Boll Weevils... just awesome. Who doesn't love college sports?
Southern Nazarene
2025 Record (2-9, 2-9 GAC)
The Crimson Storm had not yet published a 2026 roster when researching for this column, but we do know they will have a new QB. However, they will need more than that to become a real threat in the conference. There are just too many solid teams in the GAC, and unfortunately, some teams have to end up at the bottom of the list.
Oklahoma Baptist
2025 Record (2-9, 2-9 GAC)
Chris Jensen is still kickin' it after becoming the head coach when the program returned to competition in 2013. He went 8-3, remarkably, in just the second year of the program's resurgence in 2014, but that has been the highest winning percentage of his tenure. In the last four seasons, OBU has gone just 11-33. The Bison will need to find a way to turn things around, but that will be easier said than done.
Northwestern Oklahoma State
2025 Record (2-9, 2-9 GAC)
Last but not least, well... the Rangers have not crossed the two-win mark since before COVID and have not had a winning season since 2010. For new head coach Jerry Partridge, winning three games would be a major step in the right direction, and he has had success at the DII level as a head coach, leading Missouri Western to a 149-83 record from 1997-2016 with four NCAA playoff appearances.
Note:
I did not make game predictions for Week One. There is simply too much uncertainty throughout the league for me to feel like it would be productive. However, if there is one game on the schedule I would pay attention to, it would be Arkansas Tech hosting SWOSU. Both teams have an early-season opportunity to pick up a potentially pivotal win, and whoever walks away with it could have some early momentum heading into the rest of the season.
2026 GAC Predictions
1. Harding
2. Henderson State
3. Southern Arkansas
4. Ouachita Baptist
5. Arkansas Tech
6. Southwestern Oklahoma State
7. East Central
8. Southeastern Oklahoma State
9. Arkansas-Monticello
10. Southern Nazarene
11. Oklahoma Baptist
12. Northwestern Oklahoma State
Jared Steward has worked in Sports Information for the last four years and is currently completing a master's degree program in Sports Management. He and his wife reside in Weatherford, Oklahoma