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Wingate, N.C.----The Wingate University Bulldogs open the 2026 season this week, traveling to UNC Pembroke for a 6 p.m. kickoff Thursday, Aug. 27. Wingate is coming off a 9-3 season, going 7-2 in league play. The 'Dogs made the NCAA D2 play-offs for the seventh time in program history and the sixth time in the last eight years. The Bulldogs check in at #19 in the AFCA preseason poll.

Wingate has been the most consistent team in the conference over the past decade. The Bulldogs have won at least eight games in each of the last nine fall seasons, including back-to-back nine-win seasons to go along with a program-record 11 wins in 2022, when the 'Dogs advanced to the national quarterfinals. Wingate leads the SAC in overall wins and conference victories over the last nine years. The Bulldogs were chosen as the preseason SAC favorite in the 2026 preseason coaches' poll, which was released earlier this month.

The Bulldogs have a good mix of returners and newcomers this year, with six players earning "SAC Player to Watch" accolades. The three offensive players include running back Ethan Wallace, tight end Jesse Clinesmith and wide receiver Xavier Jackson, with the 'Dogs also returning All-American offensive lineman Will Hart. The defensive SAC Players to Watch include Tyson Brown, Jaden White and Brandon Perry.

"We had a good, productive preseason," head coach Rashaan Jordan says. "We have a lot of new faces this year and a lot of guys that we are depending on to step into bigger roles, but it still has the same feel as the teams in the past. The culture is the same, we are working hard leading up to game day. The guys that have been here that have been elevated to bigger roles have done a good job to try and carry on the tradition and work ethic that we have always had. We've got a really good freshman class, those guys have been doing things the right way, trying to assimilate and become a key part of the program."

As the preseason favorites after another impressive season, the expectations and goals are high for the Bulldogs, with the process staying the same. "We're coming in the same way as we have every year, just like every program in the country, we want to win our first game," Jordan says. "We obviously want to be in position to win a conference title, but the focus is on the day-to-day operation, focusing on each practice, each game and trying not to get too far ahead of yourself. We don't focus or talk about the future; we have expectations of the program and we keep focused on who we want to be."

OFFENSIVE LINE

The offensive line is a deep group with good experience, led by the All-American Hart at right guard, who is a team captain. Brandon Hicks will be the starting left tackle, with Aden Harper at the left guard spot and Jack Schultz taking over at center. Hart is joined by Kaleb McKenzie on the right side of the line, with a solid crew of backups to add great depth at the position.

"The offensive line had a really good camp," Jordan says. "This is a very talented group and they've been working really well together. We have Will as the key of the group, a returning All-American that we have great confidence in. Jack is a guy that came in as a defensive lineman, then switched to center in the middle of last year. He has stepped up and taken ownership at that spot. Kaleb saw significant time last year, now is a full-time starter that we are confident in. Aden Harper also will see more time this year. Brandon at left tackle has been around the program for a long time and was a key player last year. We're hoping to see him step up to be the guy to protect the blindside. We've also got a good group of guys behind them, rotational players that will see minutes. We feel good about the unit, and we're excited to see them when they get on the field on game day."

WIDE RECEIVER

The receiver group is led by Jackson, a preseason Player to Watch that ranked second on the team with 25 catches for 505 yards last year. Jackson averaged a team-best 20.20 yards per reception. The rest of the starters at receiver include Zymill Patterson and Kayden Bash, with Aaron Griffin, Tre Ryan and Hudson Cooper also ready to play key roles this year.

"This group was impacted by the portal, so we have a lot of new guys that either haven't played for us, or will be seeing more minutes with bigger roles this year," Jordan says. "We have some explosive players, and there is a lot of speed in the group, and some great athletes. The biggest thing will be to get them on the field, get them some live game reps and let them show what they have. We feel confident about the guys in the room, we're just ready to see them on the field."  

RUNNING BACK

The running back will be led by a solid duo of Wallace and Jayshawn Appling. A preseason Player to Watch, Wallace is coming off an injury-filled season in 2025. He ran for 261 yards in 2024, adding four rushing touchdowns. Appling had 323 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns last year.

"We have two excellent guys coming back in Ethan and Jayshawn, kind of our fire and ice combo," Jordan says. "Ethan is a big, powerful back with good speed; he's a tough down-hill running back. Jayshawn is more of a scat-back runner, explosive guy that can create big plays. We also have a host of other guys like Jason Willis and Jacob Johnson that we know we can count on. We have a few freshmen that may see some time as the year goes on. This is a really talented group. Ethan will be getting his time to shine, along with Jayshawn. It is going to be fun to watch these guys play."

TIGHT END/FULLBACK

The deep group of tight ends and fullbacks will be led by preseason Player to Watch Clinesmith at the tight end position. He had eight receptions for 123 yards and a touchdown last year. Silas Tate will be the starting fullback. He added six grabs for 94 yards and a TD last season. Tanner Mays will once again be a key contributor at tight end after going for seven caches, 125 yards and a touchdown last year. Chase Littlejohn will also be a key figure at fullback.

"Of all the groups, this is most veteran," Jordan says. "Jesse has been great for us. He's a physical guy who is great in the run game and is a receiving threat. Tanner saw significant time as a freshman, and is another guy that can be a threat as a receiver. The tight end room is really strong; we've got some young guys we're developing and looking to mix in during the season. At full back, Silas has been here a long time and is a key factor in the run game that can also be a threat in the passing game. He is a great leader and is one of our team captains. Just a rock-solid guy, program guy. Chase will see more time this year and will have a bigger role in the offense."

QUARTERBACK

The Bulldogs will see new faces at the quarterback position in 2026, led by redshirt freshman Brooks Brien. Classmate Justin Little will begin the year as the backup quarterback.

"We've got a brand new starter for the second year in a row," Jordan says. "Brooks has been here all summer and has been doing a good job taking control of the offense and being in command of the unit. It has been encouraging to see his development in operating the offense. He'll be making his first start Thursday, and we are very confident that he'll perform at a high level this year. It will be a fun journey to have a redshirt freshman quarterback lead your team. Justin came in last year did a good job on scout team, then during the spring made real improvements moving from scout team to work with first and second teams. He has a different dynamic, has some good speed and is a good passer. We will be interested to see what he can do when he gets his opportunity; he also has a good command of the offense."

DEFENSIVE LINE

The defensive line is led by Brown, another preseason Player to Watch. He collected 27 tackles with 3.5 tackles for loss, two sacks and three QB hurries in 2025. Elijah Evans and Chris Harris will be the interior defensive linemen, with Geviaunta Walker as the other defensive end. Harris notched a pair of TFLs last year, with Evans adding three tackles.

"We have a bunch of new faces, along with some familiar names on the defensive line," Jordan says. "Tyson has been here a long time, he's a great athlete and we are expecting big things from him. Elijah is another guy with great athleticism, is a dynamic playmaker that we have high expectations for. Chris has been here for a long time, saw some big minutes last year, and now he is stepping into a leadership role this season. He's another big, physical guy who we hope will anchor in the interior. Geviaunta has also been here a while and is getting his chance to start and see big minutes. He's a great athlete that we're excited to see stablish himself as a starter. The backups will be new to a lot of guys - Xavier Johnson and Brandon Boone at the ends are both true freshmen that had great camps. We're really excited to see what they can do for us this year. On the interior, Sam Whitley and Kale Vest will also see plenty of time and we've got some other new faces we're excited to see as the season goes."

LINEBACKER

The linebacker group will be anchored by Paul Thompson and David Squires, along with GW Clemmer and Elijah Manning. Squires piled up 36 tackles with 2.5 tackles for loss and four QB hurries last year, adding three pass break-ups. Thompson also had nine tackles on the season. Clemmer notched eight tackles with a TFL in 2025.

"We have a strong group of guys at the linebacker position, and we have some good depth there," Jordan says. "We have guys that have been waiting their turn to be a primary starter and see significant time. Paul had a great spring, and continued that into the fall, we can't wait to see what he does once the games start; excited to see him shine. David was a good rotational guy last year, now he's stepping up as a starter this year and we expect big things from him. GW is a physical kid that has been a great special teams player that will now see more time at linebacker. There are some guys we brought in from other places that will get some chances throughout the year. We are looking forward to seeing them mix in with guys that have been around for a while."

SECONDARY

The 'Dogs have a pair of solid cornerbacks, including Perry, a preseason Player to Watch, along with Noah Collins. Tory Kelly and Ephraim Wright have good experience at safety, with White, another preseason Player to Watch at the rover spot. Perry piled up 12 break-ups and a pair of interceptions last year, adding 27 tackles with a sack. Collins added seven break-ups, two picks and 22 tackles with a pair of TFLs. Wright ranked fourth on the team with 40 tackles last season, which included 2.5 TFLs and a sack, while also piling up nine break-ups and a forced fumble. Kelly had 23 tackles, two break-ups and an interception last year. White added eight tackles with two TFLs and a QB hurry last year.

"This group is somewhat young, but it is an experienced group," Jordan says. "We had a lot of freshmen play for us last year, so now in their second year they have great experience. Jaden is coming back from a season-ending injury and is such a great athlete at the rover, which is a critical spot for us. He's good in man-to-man and is also a key part in defending the run game. Brandon is another team captain, such a gifted athlete that has been starting for us for three years. He's a great cover guy and just does anything we need him to do out there. Noah played a significant amount of time as a freshman last year and we are excited to see his growth, he's such a physical guy at corner. J'Von Mack played some big minutes last year, fun to see what he can do for us after fighting through some injuries last season. The safety position is anchored by Ephraim, who stepped up last year and was great for us, looking for him to continue to develop. Tory is a great athlete and is a super physical, hard-hitting player that can also cover. He just does so many things for us and allows us to be flexible. We'll have some other guys stepping up - Derek Smith and Anthony Dangerfield, guys that didn't see much time last year, but will be important for our depth this season. Also, Ryan Woods as a transfer will also see time, along with Aaron Cloud, who has been around a while. We've got a lot of guys to rotate through, making it such a solid unit."

SPECIAL TEAMS

The kicking game will be led by graduate student Mason Suber, along with junior Gunnar Hilsinger and redshirt freshman Oliver Whisonant. Suber has served as a key member of the kickoff unit the last two years, registering four touchbacks in eight kickoffs last year.

"Mason got in and made some kicks for us last year, and will be our starting placekicker this season," Jordan says. "He backed up some guys last year, but stepped in when needed. Gunnar is a guy that came in a couple years ago, stepped up big time throughout the preseason. From a punting standpoint, Oliver redshirted last year, has a tremendous leg. Gunnar can also step in to do some punting. There's some live legs in the group, just like some other spots, guys that haven't had a chance in games yet, so we're looking for people to step up and do a great job for us. The long snapper will be Killian Burr, a redshirt freshman that has been very accurate and consistent. He'll have his first game action this week, and will be fun to watch out there. Noah Collins will serve as our primary punt returner. He's a fearless guy that is going to be aggressive; it will be fun to see what he's able to do. Kelson Tate is a freshman that has a lot of speed and will be an exciting addition in the return game. Aaron Cloud and Rocco Caldarella will be our main kick returners. They are both explosive athletes, Aaron is a guy that when he runs, you can tell he's got great talent. We brought Rocco in from a community college, he has some good speed and can be a dangerous playmaker."

SCHEDULE

The Bulldogs have a challenging start to the season with three straight road games, starting Thursday night at UNC Pembroke. The 'Dogs will then travel to Mississippi next week to face Delta State at 7 p.m. Saturday night. Wingate opens league play with a challenging matchup at Carson-Newman Sept. 12 at 1 p.m. The Bulldogs play their first home game Sept. 19, hosting defending SAC champion Newberry at 6 p.m. on Hall of Fame Weekend. The 'Dogs return home the following weekend to welcome UVA Wise to town. Wingate has a big road trip toe Lenoir-Rhyne in October, while hosting Anderson Oct. 31 on Homecoming weekend. The regular season wraps up Nov. 14 at Mars Hill.