Wayne State University Athletics

Football 7/13/2026 9:00:00 AM Jeff Weiss, Senior Associate Director of Athletics/Media Relations

WSU Football - 2026 Season Preview

DETROIT -- Over the next six weeks, we will be previewing each position on the 2026 Wayne State University football team with each position coach highlighting their respective units. This segment is the season preview with first-year head coach Terrence Isaac, Sr. and former Warrior Brady Beedon.

The Wayne State University football team will look much different both on the field and as a coaching staff in 2026.

WSU's entire coaching staff is new to the program, except two graduate assistants from 2025. Only 27 returning letterwinners are back plus 40 others who have not lettered as a Warrior, including 28 who will be a redshirt freshman this fall.

On the field, the Warriors have just three three-time letterwinners returning in offensive linemen Will Edwards and Ethan Gates, along with running back Brayden McKenna. There are just two two-time letterwinners on the roster in defensive end Joe Clark, Jr. and linebacker CJ Gordon.

Of the 98 players currently on the roster, the 30 newcomers include 16 true freshmen and 14 transfers with more expected to be added before the first camp practice on August 10th.

WSU returns four starters on offense in offensive linemen Will Edwards and Ethan Gates, wide receiver Drew Hickmott and fullback/blaster Haiden Bollini.

Other offensive letterwinners returning include running backs Sterling Anderson, D'Vaun Bentley and Brayden McKenna, wide receivers Jordan Bell, Donovan Isaac, Kristian Kilpatrick and Raymond Payne, offensive linemen Omar El Khatib and Mikey O'Brien along with tight end Blake Nelson.

Defensively, the Warriors have four starters returning in defensive end Joe Clark, Jr., defensive tackle Justhin Austin, linebacker Max Edwards and safety Kelly Matthews.

Other returning letterwinners on defense include linebackers Luke Johnson and Ryan Spate, cornerback Amauri Haller, safety Jaydon Bush, and defensive tackles Tanielu Ah-Loe and Mikey Thomas.

In terms of special teams, long snapper Zaiden Hall returns as does place-kicker Griffin Nowak.

The 2025 Warriors played the 16th-toughest schedule in NCAA Division 2, including post-season match-ups, as WSU's opponents had a .580 winning percentage (65-47).

The GLIAC will look very familiar this fall as all league institutions will play seven GLIAC games for the third consecutive year. Wayne State will play its league rivals at the opposite location from last fall and in a new order as 2026 begins a two-year cycle of games.

The first four games on the slate will be non-conference against some familiar foes.

The season and home opener will take place on Thursday, Sept. 3rd against Northwood. The Warriors and Timberwolves have met 41 times before with WSU holding a 21-20 advantage. The schools met 36 times as GLIAC/MIFC foes from 1975-2021, along with five non-conference affairs (1987-88-89-92-2010).

In week two, Wayne State renews an old rivalry with Hillsdale College by visiting the Chargers. The schools have met 58 times before with HC holding a 39-18-1 advantage. The last 42 meetings (1975-2016) were as GLIAC rivals. The first 16 battles came between 1926 and 1974. Wayne State has won five of the last seven meetings, with two of those contests going into overtime (WSU 27-24 at Hilldale on Oct. 22, 2011; and HC prevailing 31-24 on Nov. 14, 2015). The squads have not met since a 41-30 Warrior triumph on Oct. 1, 2016, in Detroit.

The week three contest has WSU hosting Wisconsin-La Crosse for a 1 p.m. kick-off. The schools have met just twice before with the Division 3 powerhouse Eagles recording a 28-21 win at Tom Adams Field in 2022, and then UWL upending Wayne State 31-22 last fall in Wisconsin.

The Warriors conclude the first month of the season and its non-conference slate with a return game at Quincy on Sept. 26th. WSU and the Hawks have met just twice previously with Wayne State notching a 33-7 road win at Quincy in 2019, and QU claiming a 31-14 win in Detroit in 2025.

Wayne State begins fall practice on Monday, August 10th with the players reporting the weekend prior.

Football season and individual game tickets for the 2026 campaign are on sale by clicking here.

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Players Mentioned

#95 Tanielu Ah-Loe: DT; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#3 Sterling Anderson: RB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior

#98 Justhin Austin: DT; 6' 1"; Senior

#83 Jordan Bell: WR; 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior

#1 D'Vaun Bentley: RB; 5' 11"; Graduate Student

#46 Haiden Bollini: BLSTR; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#43 Jaydon Bush: S; 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.: DE; 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior

#33 Max Edwards: LB; 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore

#62 Will Edwards: OL; 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior

Players Mentioned

#95 Tanielu Ah-Loe
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DT

#3 Sterling Anderson
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Junior
: RB

#98 Justhin Austin
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DT

#83 Jordan Bell
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Junior
: WR

#1 D'Vaun Bentley
: 5' 11"; Graduate Student
: RB

#46 Haiden Bollini
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: BLSTR

#43 Jaydon Bush
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Junior
: S

#90 Joe Clark, Jr.
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Senior
: DE

#33 Max Edwards
: 6' 0"; Redshirt Sophomore
: LB

#62 Will Edwards
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Senior
: OL