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The Abilene Christian Wildcats Aren’t Chasing Respect Anymore
There was a time when Abilene Christian football was trying to establish itself at the Division I level.
Those days are over.
Entering the 2026 season, the Wildcats aren’t a program hoping to surprise the United Athletic Conference. They are the program everyone else is trying to knock off.
ACU has captured back-to-back UAC championships and advanced to the second round of the FCS Playoffs in consecutive seasons under head coach Keith Patterson. After another 9-5 campaign in 2025, including a 7-1 conference record, expectations around Abilene have changed.
Winning seasons are no longer enough. The next challenge is turning consistency into something bigger and that starts with Coach Patterson at the helm.
Patterson Has Built a Contender in Abilene
Keith Patterson enters his fifth season at ACU with a 30-20 record, two consecutive UAC championships and two straight trips to the second round of the FCS Playoffs.
That’s a significant climb for a program still relatively young in its Division I history.
The Wildcats’ success earned Patterson a three-year contract extension through the 2029 season, giving ACU continuity at the top while the roster around him continues to evolve.
Continuity also exists on the coaching staff. Eight coaches from the 2025 staff return, including associate head coach and co-offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
Harrell’s first ACU offense averaged 408 yards and 30 points per game last season.
Now comes the difficult part.
Doing it with a new quarterback.
The Biggest Question: Who Takes Over at Quarterback?
Stone Earle’s college career is over, leaving ACU without an established returning starter behind center.
That makes quarterback the defining position battle of fall camp.
Among the names to watch is Marcos Davila, a 6-foot-3, 225-pound redshirt sophomore who arrives in Abilene after stops at Purdue and Nebraska.
There’s also John David Black, a 6-foot-2 redshirt sophomore who previously played at East Carolina.
The Wildcats added competition throughout the quarterback room, and whoever wins the job will inherit something many first-year starters don’t receive:
Experience everywhere around him.
ACU returns significant pieces at running back, receiver and — most importantly — along the offensive line.
That should make the transition considerably easier.
It Starts Up Front
If you’re looking for the strength of the 2026 Wildcats, start with the offensive line.
ACU placed three offensive linemen on the Preseason All-UAC Team.
Center Colter Lynch was a unanimous selection, while twin brothers Luke Roaten and Landon Roaten also earned preseason honors.
That’s an enormous advantage for an offense breaking in a new quarterback.
Instead of asking its next signal caller to carry the offense immediately, ACU should have the ability to lean on its veteran offensive front and running game while the quarterback develops.
Landon Roaten started all 14 games at right guard last season and earned first-team All-UAC honors, while Luke Roaten has developed into another cornerstone of the Wildcats’ front.
In an era when roster continuity can disappear almost overnight, having that experience in the trenches could become ACU’s offensive identity.
A Crowded Backfield Could Be a Good Problem
The Wildcats also have options at running back.
Rovaughn Banks Jr. returns after rushing for 687 yards on 142 carries last season, averaging 4.8 yards per attempt.
But he won’t be alone.
ACU added Makenzie McGill II from North Texas and Brandon Johnson from Northern Colorado, while Deonte Dean and Boston College transfer Alex Broome provide additional depth.
For an offense replacing its quarterback, that collection of running backs matters.
ACU doesn’t necessarily need its next quarterback to throw the ball 40 times in September. If the offensive line performs as expected, the Wildcats can establish the run, control tempo and create favorable situations for whoever wins the job.
Weapons on the Outside
The receiving corps could quietly become one of the deeper groups on the roster.
Dallas Dudley headlines the returners after catching 47 passes for 494 yards last season. He was named to the Preseason All-UAC offensive team.
Raydrian Baltrip also returns after recording 30 catches for 339 yards and four touchdowns.
Then come the newcomers.
ACU added Cristian Driver, a former Penn State and Minnesota receiver, along with Oregon State transfer Jimmy Valsin III, Memphis transfer Keonde Henry and Baylor transfer Seth Weller.
That’s size, speed and Power Four experience entering a room that already had proven production.
The quarterback may be new.
His targets won’t be.
Defense Has Stars — and Questions
The biggest defensive challenge isn’t necessarily talent.
It’s turnover.
ACU entered spring practice needing to replace starters at several positions, most notably linebacker.
But the Wildcats still have established pieces capable of anchoring the unit.
It starts up front with Kortlin Rausaw.
Rausaw returns after recording 42 tackles, five tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks last season. He earned Preseason All-UAC honors alongside defensive lineman Chris Herpin.
If ACU wants to survive its early schedule, its defensive front will need to be disruptive.
The secondary also features intriguing experience.
Jocelyn Malaska returns after producing 43 tackles and four pass breakups, while Central Arkansas transfer Dillon Williams enters the program as a Preseason All-UAC selection.
ACU also added Tennessee transfer Colin Brazzell, Texas Tech transfer Deante Lindsay and Kansas transfer Jacoby Davis to the defensive back room.
There is plenty of talent.
The question is how quickly all of those pieces become one defense.
The Transfer Portal Has Reshaped the Roster
Welcome to modern college football.
Patterson said ACU expected approximately 100 players to report for fall camp, with 55 newcomers on the roster.
Fifty-five.
For comparison, ACU entered the previous season with 43 newcomers.
That creates both excitement and uncertainty.
The Wildcats have added players with experience at Nebraska, Purdue, Penn State, Minnesota, Tennessee, Texas Tech, Kansas, Baylor, North Texas, Boston College and other programs around the country.
On paper, the roster may be deeper and more athletic.
But September doesn’t care about recruiting résumés.
Patterson and his staff have only a few weeks to turn dozens of new players into a cohesive football team.
And the schedule gives them virtually no warm-up period.
Welcome to the Gauntlet
ACU opens the season August 29 on the road against No. 20 Lamar.
Then things get harder.
The Wildcats travel to Lubbock on September 5 to face Texas Tech.
One week later, No. 13 Stephen F. Austin arrives in Abilene for ACU’s home opener.
Then ACU travels more than 1,500 miles to Moscow, Idaho, to face Idaho before returning home September 26 against Mercer.
Read that again.
Lamar.
Texas Tech.
Stephen F. Austin.
Idaho.
Mercer.
That’s the first five weeks.
There might not be another FCS contender in America that learns more about itself before October.
The Wildcats could be significantly better than their record suggests entering conference play.
That’s why September needs to be judged differently.
ACU doesn’t necessarily need perfection.
It needs growth.
The 2026 Schedule
Aug. 29 — at No. 20 Lamar
The season begins with an immediate FCS test in Beaumont. There is no tune-up game for a team replacing its quarterback.
Sept. 5 — at Texas Tech
ACU gets its annual opportunity against an FBS opponent, this time under the lights in Lubbock. The Wildcats have little to lose and plenty to learn about their roster.
Sept. 12 — vs. No. 13 Stephen F. Austin
The home opener might already feel like a playoff game. ACU beat SFA twice last season, including in the FCS Playoffs. Expect the Lumberjacks to remember.
Sept. 19 — at Idaho
A difficult road environment and another quality FCS opponent. This could be one of the most revealing games of ACU’s season.
Sept. 26 — vs. Mercer
Finally, another home game — but hardly an easy one. Mercer provides one final non-conference measuring stick before the UAC race begins.
Oct. 3 — vs. West Florida
Conference play begins against one of the most interesting newcomers in college football. West Florida makes the jump from Division II after going 10-2 in 2025.
Oct. 10 — vs. Central Arkansas
A second consecutive home conference game gives ACU an opportunity to establish early control of the UAC race.
Oct. 17 — at North Alabama
Conference road games are rarely comfortable. This is the type of matchup championship teams can’t overlook.
Oct. 31 — vs. West Georgia
Homecoming in Abilene following an open week. The timing could be valuable as the Wildcats prepare for the most important stretch of the season.
Nov. 7 — at No. 5 Tarleton State
Circle it.
ACU and Tarleton tied atop the UAC preseason coaches poll with 65 points and three first-place votes apiece.
If preseason expectations hold, the road to the UAC championship could run directly through Stephenville.
Nov. 14 — at No. 17 Austin Peay
And the schedule doesn’t provide any relief afterward.
ACU immediately travels to Clarksville for another potentially massive conference matchup against Austin Peay, which finished third in the preseason poll.
Nov. 21 — vs. Eastern Kentucky
The regular season concludes at Wildcat Stadium.
Depending on what happens in Stephenville and Clarksville, there could be a championship — and playoff positioning — on the line.
November Will Decide Everything
ACU’s schedule has two distinctly different challenges.
September tests whether the Wildcats are nationally competitive.
November determines whether they remain champions.
The back-to-back road games against Tarleton State and Austin Peay jump off the page.
Tarleton tied ACU for first in the preseason UAC coaches poll, while Austin Peay finished only three points behind the two favorites.
That means the conference championship could come down to an eight-day stretch away from Abilene.
Those are the games championship programs are expected to win.
ACU has reached that standard.
Players to Watch
Rovaughn Banks Jr., RB — A proven runner who could become especially important while ACU breaks in a new quarterback.
Dallas Dudley, WR — The Wildcats’ leading returning receiving threat and a Preseason All-UAC selection.
Colter Lynch, OL — The unanimous Preseason All-UAC center is the centerpiece of an experienced offensive front.
Luke Roaten, OL — A veteran leader and another preseason all-conference selection.
Landon Roaten, OL — Gives ACU another proven veteran in the trenches and completes one of the conference’s best offensive-line cores.
Kortlin Rausaw, DL — One of the most important returning defenders and a player ACU needs to create pressure consistently.
Dillon Williams, DB — The Central Arkansas transfer arrives with enough respect around the conference to earn Preseason All-UAC recognition before playing his first game for ACU.
Brandon Perez, K — Special teams can decide close conference games, and Perez enters the year as the UAC’s preseason all-conference kicker.
The Standard Has Changed
Perhaps the best indication of how far Abilene Christian has come isn’t a statistic.
It’s expectations.
ACU was picked first in a preseason conference poll for the first time since 2011.
Eight Wildcats earned Preseason All-UAC honors, more than any other team in the conference.
The Wildcats aren’t sneaking up on anybody anymore.
Every conference opponent understands what beating ACU means.
That’s the challenge awaiting Patterson’s team.
Winning the first championship establishes a program. Winning the second proves it wasn’t a fluke. Winning a third?
That starts looking like a dynasty.
The Wildcats have enough returning experience to believe it’s possible. They have an offensive line capable of becoming the foundation of the team. They have proven weapons at running back and receiver. They have veterans on defense and an enormous collection of transfer talent.
They also have 55 newcomers, a new quarterback and one of the most unforgiving non-conference schedules in the FCS.
Those contradictions make ACU one of the more fascinating teams to follow in 2026.
The Wildcats already know they can win the UAC.
Now comes the next question:
How high can Abilene Christian climb?
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