The Bisons have earned their favorite status. Ouachita Baptist, Southern Arkansas and Henderson State have enough to make them sweat for it.
Harding Is the Standard, but the GAC Title Race Is Coming
Harding enters 2026 as the team everyone is chasing. That is the easy part. The harder part is deciding who has the best chance to catch the Bisons. A year ago, Harding went 15-1, finished 11-0 in conference play and reached the NCAA Division II national championship game. The Bisons were the best team in the GAC from opening kickoff through the postseason. They ran the ball better than anyone else, defended better than anyone else and turned most games into a lesson in patience for the opponent.
The 2026 season starts with the same assumption: if someone wants the GAC championship, they probably have to beat Harding.
But there are three programs with the profile to make that happen.
Harding Has Earned Every Bit of the Hype
It is difficult to overstate what Harding did last season. The Bisons averaged 43.5 points per game, rushed for 433.9 yards per game and allowed only 12.8 points per contest. That is not just dominance. That is a team dictating the terms of nearly every game it plays.
Andrew Miller returns after a season that would be remarkable at any level. He rushed for 2,048 yards and 28 touchdowns. Braden Jay ran for 1,514 yards and 22 touchdowns. Defenses know the ball is coming downhill. They still have to find a way to stop it.
That is easier said than done. Harding’s offense is built on repetition, discipline and physical stress. It asks defenders to maintain leverage, read keys correctly and tackle cleanly over and over. One missed fit can become a long run. One long run can force a defense to press. Once that happens, Harding has you where it wants you.
The defense is just as important. Justin Sobczak, Brock Knapton and Jordan Mays lead a returning core that understands how to control the line and punish teams that fall behind schedule.
Roddy Mote takes over as head coach, and that is the story hanging over the program. Not because Harding lacks confidence, but because the standard is so high. There is no gentle learning curve in Searcy. The Bisons expect to be in the playoff conversation from the first Thursday night of the season.
Ouachita Has the Star Power
If there is a team capable of matching Harding punch for punch offensively, it may be Ouachita Baptist.
The Tigers finished last season with six wins in their final seven games, and that late push created real momentum. They now enter 2026 with Tre Nichols at quarterback and Carter McElhany as one of the league’s most dangerous all-purpose players.
Nichols gives Ouachita a different kind of threat. He can beat a defense on schedule, but he can also make a broken play hurt. That matters against good teams. Championship races are usually decided by a handful of plays when everything breaks down and someone has to create.
McElhany gives Nichols a target who can change the game before the offense ever takes the field. He is a weapon in the passing game, after the catch and in the return game. Chris Henley Jr. provides a steady backfield presence, Bo Baker is another reliable option outside and Isaiah Simpson returns to help stabilize the offensive line.
The question for Ouachita is whether the defense can become more dependable against the run. Romelo Bell can create pressure. Justin Crutchmer brings leadership in the middle. But the Tigers need to avoid allowing physical teams to dictate the game.
If OBU becomes tougher against the run, it has the offense to make the title race very uncomfortable for everyone else.
Southern Arkansas and Henderson Have the DNA
Southern Arkansas has become the kind of team that is hard to shake.The Muleriders have won 27 games over the past three years and have posted three consecutive 8-3 seasons. That is not accidental. Brad Smiley has built a program that values experience, ball security, defense and the ability to survive close games.
CJ Montes gives Southern Arkansas a steady quarterback. Jacob Trussell provides versatility at tight end. Matt Elder helps give the Muleriders a foundation up front. Defensively, Carter Wells, Kyle Knox and Walteze Champ form a veteran group that can make big plays when the moment demands it.
Southern Arkansas needs more pop offensively. It needs to turn more good drives into touchdowns. But if the Muleriders find that extra gear, their consistency makes them dangerous.
Henderson State offers the most balance of the challengers. The Reddies went 8-3 and were strong on both sides of the ball last season. Their quarterback transition is the biggest variable, but Austin Ledbetter does not have to do everything alone.
Gabe Hernandez anchors the line. Taylin Paskel can create big plays. Mulumba Wa-Kalonji gives the defense an edge up front, while Lanard Harris and Bryant Hammond II provide stability in the secondary.
Harding deserves to be the favorite. It has earned the target. But Ouachita has the stars, Southern Arkansas has the consistency and Henderson has the balance. That is more than enough to make this a real race.
