Arkansas-Monticello and Northwestern Oklahoma State begin new eras, while Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene search for the kind of breakthrough that changes a program’s direction. Not every team enters a season talking about championships. Some are trying to build the foundation that eventually makes championship talk possible.
New Coaches, New Hope: Four GAC Teams Trying to Flip the Script
That is where Arkansas-Monticello, Northwestern Oklahoma State, Oklahoma Baptist and Southern Nazarene begin the 2026 season. Each program has a different path, a different challenge and a different reason to believe this fall can be the start of something better.
Arkansas-Monticello Starts Over
Arkansas-Monticello opens the Gary Goff era, and that matters. Goff has been around winning Division II football. He understands the kind of line play, discipline and player development required to build a program that does more than survive Saturdays. The Weevils went 2-9 last season, so this is not a quick-fix situation. It is a culture built.
UAM averaged 13.3 points per game and less than 100 rushing yards per contest in 2025. Those numbers tell you the offense needs an identity. Drew Forkner is the quarterback who can help establish one. Carsen Berg is important up front. Stran Smith gives the offense a returning option on the outside.
Defensively, Ghee Evans is the player to watch. He had 15 tackles for loss and 7.5 sacks last season. Every rebuilding defense needs a player who can change a series, and Evans has that potential. Keith Wells Jr., Cayden Dominey and Charles Thomas are additional pieces the staff can build around.
The goal for UAM is not just to win more games. It is to look like a tougher, more connected football team from the first week forward.
Northwestern Has a Proven Builder
Northwestern Oklahoma State is also beginning with a new head coach, and Jerry Partridge brings a résumé that commands respect.
Partridge won 149 games and made four Division II playoff appearances at Missouri Western. His job in Alva is to create structure, accountability and an offense that can turn possession into points.
The Rangers went 2-9 last season, but they did lead the GAC in time of possession. That is a strange statistic for a team that struggled, but it suggests Northwestern was not incapable of controlling a game. It simply did not do enough with the ball.
Jacob Jones needs to lead a more efficient offense. Royal Kyle and Henry Wilson Jr. return outside. Aiden Lewis and Rock Schomaker bring experience at linebacker, while Omarion Buckmon is a key piece in the secondary.
Northwestern has to run the football better, avoid explosive mistakes and become more dependable late in games. Those are basic goals, but that is how a program begins moving in the right direction.
OBU and SNU Need Their Talent to Matter
Oklahoma Baptist has enough offensive talent to make people wonder what happens if it finally puts the whole thing together.
The Bison led the GAC in passing offense last season. Nick Harris is a player defenses have to account for. Haven Lysell provides another option. Andrew Sukmungsa is important up front.
But the Bison have to protect the football, run it better and defend the run much better. Bryce Starlin, Brady Luff and Richard Smith lead a defense that has to become more physical and more reliable.
Southern Nazarene has a different issue. The Crimson Storm could run the ball last season, but the passing game was not productive enough to keep defenses honest. Jaxon Worley and Karomo Collins are central to changing that.
Brandon Hobbs, Wyatt Brown and Tyler Ulrich give the defense a veteran spine. Dezmond Williams can bring life to the return game. If Southern Nazarene becomes more balanced, it can make Bethany a difficult place to play.
The teams at the bottom of a preseason poll are not there to make the schedule complete. They are there to change the conversation. For these four programs, that work begins now.
