CHADRON, Neb. – After a 2025 season that saw the Eagles make the NCAA playoffs for the first time in over a decade, the Chadron State football program has been picked to finish fourth in the RMAC in 2026, based on a vote of the league's head coaches, while four Eagles earned a Preseason All-RMAC accolade. 

Chadron State earned one first-place vote, one second-place vote and three third-place votes in the poll, accumulating a total of 60 points. Defending conference champion CSU Pueblo led the poll with 80 points and eight first-place votes, while Western Colorado (69 points, 1 first/5 second/2 third) and Colorado School of Mines (62 points, 0 first/2 second/4 third) also finished just ahead of CSC in preseason voting. 

Behind Chadron State, Colorado Mesa ranks fifth with one second place and one third place vote. The poll is rounded out by New Mexico Highlands in sixth followed by South Dakota Mines, Black Hills State, Fort Lewis and Adams State, with none of those programs receiving any votes in the top three. 

Chadron State had four players – quarterback Aidan Thompson, offensive lineman Dominic Castanon, defensive end William Stemler and linebacker Cooper Walton – named to the Preseason All-RMAC team, which is determined by the leading vote getters at each position from last season's all-conference voting that are returning to the league this season. 

Chadron State's four preseason All-RMAC selections are tied for third-most in the conference with Colorado Mesa, trailing Western Colorado and Colorado School of Mines.

The Eagles are up in the preseason poll from a year ago, when the team was picked seventh but finished second in the league standings with an 8-1 conference record. Chadron State was in contention for the RMAC title until the final week of the regular season. 

Reigning RMAC Coach of the Year Jay Long returns for his 15^th season in charge of the Eagle program, while last year's RMAC Defensive Player of the Year (Logan O'Brien), Special Teams Player of the Year (Brodie Eisenbraun), and two other All-Americans (Tommy Thomas, Wilson Yee) are among those who have graduated and exhausted their college eligibility.

The Eagles open the 2026 season on Thursday, August 27 on the road against Northern State of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). CSC's home opener will be the following Thursday, September 3 against Nebraska-Kearney at 6 p.m. 

Chadron State opens the RMAC schedule by facing the three teams ranked above them in the preseason poll in consecutive weeks, as the Eagles will take on Western Colorado on the road on September 12 followed by home games against CSU Pueblo on September 19 and Colorado School of Mines on September 26.
 

Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference 2026 Preseason Football Coaches' Poll
PL	Team	1sts	2nds	3rds	Points
1.	CSU Pueblo	8	1		80
2.	Western Colorado	1	5	2	69
3.	Colorado School of Mines		2	4	62
4.	Chadron State	1	1	3	60
5.	Colorado Mesa		1	1	52
6.	New Mexico Highlands				38
7.	South Dakota Mines				34
8.	Black Hills State				29
9.	Fort Lewis				16
10.	Adams State				10
Notes: Head coaches were not permitted to vote for their team. 9 points for a 1st-place vote, 8 for 2nd, etc. 81 points maximum in football.

 

2026 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Offense
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
QB	Aidan Thompson	Chadron State	6-5	210	RSr.	Abilene, Texas
RB	Max Barnes (2)	Colorado School of Mines	5-9	210	RJr.	Austin, Texas
RB	Dawson Dunbar	South Dakota Mines	5-11	200	RSr.	Chadron, Neb.
WR	Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. (2)	CSU Pueblo	6-1	190	Jr.	Aurora, Colo.
WR	Caden Measner (2)	Western Colorado	6-0	195	RSr.	Greeley, Colo.
WR	Pierce Richards	Colorado School of Mines	5-11	190	RJr.	Kingwood, Texas
TE	Blake Smotherman (2)	Colorado School of Mines	6-4	240	RSr.	Fort Collins, Colo.
TE	Alex Turpin (2)	Colorado Mesa	6-5	250	RJr.	Highlands Ranch, Colo.
OL	Dominic Castanon	Chadron State	6-1	275	Sr.	Fresno, Calif.
OL	Calem Grimble (2)	Colorado Mesa	6-5	295	Sr.	Centennial, Colo.
OL	Cooper Mumford (2)	Colorado Mesa	6-4	275	Sr.	Highland, Utah
OL	Taylor Nichols	Western Colorado	6-2	300	RSr.	Castle Rock, Colo.
OL	Joseph Shepardson	Western Colorado	6-6	295	RSr.	Fruita, Colo.
2026 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Defense
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
DE	Drew Johnson (1)	Western Colorado	6-3	250	RJr.	Salida, Colo.
DE	William Stemler (2)	Chadron State	6-3	240	RSr.	Sierra Vista, Ariz.
DT	Mikey Smith (2)	Western Colorado	5-11	295	RJr.	Colorado Springs, Colo.
ILB	Ian Loomis (1)	Western Colorado	6-3	225	Jr.	Loveland, Colo.
ILB	Cooper Walton (2)	Chadron State	6-1	230	RSr.	Johnstown, Colo.
OLB	Dawson Chapman	New Mexico Highlands	6-2	220	Sr.	Tooele, Utah
OLB	Dontaivious Nelson (2, FotY)	New Mexico Highlands	6-2	200	So.	St. Petersburg, Fla.
S	Gibson Leafgreen (2)	Colorado Mesa	6-0	205	Sr.	Centennial, Colo.
S	Kahden Rullo	CSU Pueblo	6-1	205	Sr.	Denver, Colo.
CB	Joshua Faulkner	Black Hills State	5-8	170	RSo.	Lynwood, Calif.
CB	Jaheim Roper	Black Hills State	6-0	170	RSr.	Denver, Colo.
2026 Preseason All-Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference: Special Teams
Pos.	Player	School	Ht.	Wt.	Yr.	Hometown
PK	Preston Kyle (2)	Colorado School of Mines	6-0	175	RSo.	Houston, Texas
PK	Jackson Smith (2)	CSU Pueblo	5-11	180	Sr.	Centennial, Colo.
P	Lucas LeSieur	Colorado School of Mines	5-11	190	RSo.	Walnut Creek, Calif.
PR	Easton Peterson (2)	Western Colorado	6-0	175	RJr.	El Cajon, Calif.
KR	Bryce Coulson (1)	Black Hills State	5-11	175	So.	Atlanta, Ga.
LS	Josh Hildebrand (1)	Colorado School of Mines	6-3	240	RSo.	Cecil, Ala.