FAYETTE, Iowa - Upper Iowa football officially starts the 2026 season on Saturday at Harms Family Field in Harms-Eischeid Stadium. The Peacocks face the Jamestown (N.D.) Jimmies at 2 p.m. to open the year.

Head coach Jason Hoskins enters his sixth season with the team, winning 19 games over the last three seasons. UIU's 9-3 record in 2025, with a victory in the Albanese Candy Bowl, marked the most wins in a season and the program's first-ever postseason victory. 

The Peacocks return five starters from last year's historic team. Upper Iowa added 56 total newcomers (17 transfers, 39 freshmen) to the roster this offseason, with many projected to play key roles.

LIVE OPTIONS
Fans unable to attend the game in Fayette this weekend can stay connected with a pair of live options available at UIUPeacocks.com/Live, featuring access to live stats and a pay-per-view webcast through GLVCSN. Fans can also refer to the links attached to this story for all live options.  

In addition to GLVCSN.com, viewers can catch the Peacocks on the GLVCSN iOS and Android mobile app, as well as the GLVCSN app on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV and Android TV.

TICKET INFORMATION
Tickets for all Peacock home events can be purchased digitally at tickets.uiu.edu. Single game tickets are available online and at the ticket booth on gameday. If you want to pay in person, both Harms-Eischeid Stadium and Dorman Memorial Gymnasium are now accepting all major credit cards, checks and cash.

TICKET PRICES…
Upper Iowa Students … Free Admission after showing UIU Student ID

Upper Iowa Faculty/Staff … Free Admission after showing 25-26 Season Pass

Football General Admission Sales … Adults - $10, Youth (Grades K-12) - $5, Kids (Age 5 and under) - Free

DIGITAL GAMEDAY PROGRAMS
Fans can access the interactive and digital gameday program any time at UIUPeacocks.com/Programs. The digital programs are available to fans at our games and to those watching at home. QR Codes will be located around the stadium to scan with your cell phone's camera, which will link you directly to that game's specific digital gameday program.

MEET THE CAPTAINS
The Peacocks have announced team captains: graduate quarterback Clark Coleman, senior defensive back Brycen Hendrix, senior defensive lineman Demontay Mack and fifth-year defensive lineman Ben Werner. 

Mack has been named the Ultimate Peacock, which is the player who embodies the core values of the team the best. It's the player who is the most trusted to get their job done, along with being the player who comes to work each day with the right mindset and attitude. Every season, the Ultimate Peacock gets the honor of wearing No. 0 on the field.  

MEET THE COACHING STAFF
Hoskins enters the season with a 21-35 overall record at the helm of Peacock football. He currently holds the fourth-best win percentage in program history and the fifth-most wins by an Upper Iowa head coach. The staff returns four assistant coaches while adding four newcomers.

Max Longman was promoted to offensive coordinator after being the offensive line and tight ends coach for the previous two seasons. Rob Goode returns as the team's defensive line coach and special teams coordinator. Rhett Mizer is the longest-tenured assistant coach on the staff, returning for his sixth season to coach the linebackers. Aiden Rodgers is back for his second year as a student assistant coach.

Cole Peterson joined the staff this summer as an assistant coach for quarterbacks and the team's pass game coordinator. He served under Jim Mora at UCONN for the last four years. Clyde Logan brings 13 years of coaching experience to UIU after coming from Midwestern State (Texas) to coach the wide receivers. Bailey Anderson was brought in to coach the running backs.

Zacarius Murray is back with the team as a graduate assistant helping out with the defensive backs after previously playing for UIU. Murray totaled a team-high six pass breakups with two interceptions and a forced fumble in 2024. 

MEET THE PEACOCKS: OFFENSE
UMASS transfer Zamar Wise and Coleman make up the Peacock quarterback room. Wise appeared in 12 games over four years with the Minutemen, playing games at quarterback, running back and wide receiver. Coleman entered at quarterback in six games last season, finishing 7-of-14 with 144 yards and two touchdowns through the air.

Replacing three-year starter Darryl Overstreet Jr., who finished his career with the second-most career passing yards in program history, leaves a significant void at quarterback. However, Hoskins believes Wise's athleticism can help him step into the position and make an impact.

"Zamar's an extremely athletic player," Hoskins said. "He's good with both his arm and his legs. He's been a great leader so far and a student of the game. It's different when you get a new quarterback, but Zamar has done everything we've asked of him to put himself in a position to make sure we don't take a step back at quarterback."

Arguably the deepest position group on the team is running back, which returns All-GLVC Second Team selection Jayden Gordon, who led the team last season with 717 yards rushing and nine touchdowns. Damon Head Jr. and Calvin Swinney also return after starting games during the 2025 campaign. Lastly, RJ Wells rejoins the backfield after spending the 2025 campaign sidelined due to injury.

The Peacocks also may have a few new guys in the mix at the position as well.

"We've got three freshmen here who are extremely talented, and you're going to see a lot of those guys," Hoskins said. "That is a very deep position with the four returners and those three. I know our offensive staff is working on different ways to get as many of those guys involved as we can."

The Peacocks return Oskaloosa native Waylon Bolibaugh to the wide receiver room, but the rest of the group is entirely new. Transfers Camden Hungerholt (Minnesota State), Saxson Va'a (Cerritos CC), Merv Amazan (Sacred Heart) and Nate Foster (College of DuPage) will all see action this season. Also contributing will be freshman LJ Nyenow Jr. of Thomas Jefferson High School in Cedar Rapids. 

"We're repping those kids quite a bit and trying to see who's rising to the top," Hoskins said. "We feel like we've got a good nucleus of four or five guys who can play. They're going to get the lion's share of the reps, and then we'll continue to develop the guys below them. These kids are still young. We'll have two kids who are in their first or second year who you'll see start for us, so we are extremely young at receiver."

UIU is just as young on the offensive line. The Peacocks return one starter in sophomore Andrew Timmons, who is projected to replace All-GLVC First Teamer Klay Seehase at left tackle. Junior Graeden Sullivan and sophomore Kaden Clark are back to anchor starting roles. Freshmen Jacob Paradowski (Brookfield, Wisconsin) and Gavin Trask (Fredericksburg, Iowa) complete the young line as projected starters.

"On the offensive line, it's the exact same thing as receiver," Hoskins said. "We've got one returning starter in Andrew, and even he is just going into his second year. You're going to see some new faces up front and a lot of freshmen. In terms of the recruiting class, this is one of the best overall offensive-line classes we've brought into Upper Iowa. We've had really good players, but as an overall offensive-line class, it's been good."

The Peacocks will need to replace All-American tight end Eddie Burgess, but will still have some experienced returners. Junior Logan Rosauer returns after catching two touchdown passes last year, and graduate Master Brooks is back after appearing in seven games in 2025. 

MEET THE PEACOCKS: DEFENSE
Mack, an All-GLVC Honorable Mention in 2025, and Werner highlight the defensive leadership on the line. 2026's Ultimate Peacock finished 2025 with eight sacks, the second-most in a single season in program history. 

"What I like about both of them is that you know exactly where you stand with both of them," Hoskins said. "They're very confident in who they are, and they're able to talk to their teammates in the right way or use the right demeanor for the situation. Both of them are going to be extremely important for us in terms of their play. I'm really happy with how those two have developed and taken over leadership roles in that room."

Juniors Daniel Robinson and Logan Wright also project as starters on the defensive line. Both juniors appeared in five games last season. Senior Joshua Buettner and junior Kelvin Daysee will be in the mix, while freshmen Trateris Watson (Davenport, Iowa) and Sincere Williams (Kenosha, Wisconsin) will also be in the mix. 

"Robinson has been a dude in that room, too," Hoskins said. "He's a younger guy who has also stepped up in that regard. Defensive line has been one of our best position groups here over the last decade. With those guys there, they're trying to maintain that dominance as the top position group on this team."

At linebacker, UIU returns both leading tacklers from the past two seasons, starting with junior Evan Dorn. The 2025 All-GLVC Honorable Mention was the team's leading tackler last season with 92 total tackles. Senior Michael Mulherin, who led the team with 71 tackles in 2024, is back after suffering an injury in last season's opener against Drake. 

"Obviously, getting Michael back is huge for us," Hoskins said. "He's a very smart, instinctive and tough player. It's the same thing with Dorn, who has a little more sideline-to-sideline ability. You've got two guys in there who have taken a lot of reps in this program and are arguably two of the better linebackers in the league. We feel really comfortable with both of those guys on the field."

The Peacocks return one starter in the defensive backfield in cornerback Brycen Hendrix, who led the team in pass breakups last season with 10. Central Arkansas transfer Jalen Hodo also brings experience to the room, playing 34 games in his career at the Division I level. 

UIU also returns a fair amount of last season's rotational guys, as sophomores Dominic Salibi and V'Jay Garrard are projected to start. Fellow sophomores Maxwell Bell and Christian Lassiter will also be in the mix along with junior Aaron King and senior Nevan Foss. 

"We're extremely talented at corner," Hoskins said. "We've got four guys competing right now in Salibi, Hendrix, Bell and King. Then we have some competition right now at free safety. Foss is in the mix at rover or strong safety, but I've also got three kids competing at our free-safety spot in Garrard, Lassiter and freshman Christian Wilkerson."

One major change at strong safety is the addition of senior Braylon Kammrad, who was on the roster as a quarterback last season. Kammrad stands at 6-foot-3 and has been a major addition to that room. 

MEET THE PEACOCKS: SPECIAL TEAMS
GLVC Co-Special Teams Player of the Year Nathan Behne is back for his junior campaign. became the first conference player of the year since running back Chris Smith earned NSIC Offensive Player of the Year in 2011. The Jefferson native finished last season 9-of-13 on field goals with a long of 51 yards. He also led the GLVC with 43.3 yards per punt, knocking 11 inside the 20-yard line. 

"We have a weapon in Nathan," Hoskins said. "Once you get the ball inside the 30, you feel like maybe you have points. It's not guaranteed, obviously, but you feel comfortable that he can put points on the board, even from a little farther outside of that range. Honestly, he was a big reason why we were one of the top kickoff units in the country last year. He has also continued developing as a punter, even though we didn't punt very much last year, which is good, but his punt average led the league. He has been a weapon in all three phases when he has been on the field, and he just keeps getting stronger and better."

RECEIVING VOTES
The American Football Coaches Association released the AFCA Division II Preseason Coaches Poll, and the Peacocks received three votes. This marked the first time in program history that UIU has gotten votes in the preseason coaches poll. 

GLVC PRESEASON POLL
Upper Iowa football received a third-place Great Lakes Valley Conference (GLVC) Preseason Coaches' Poll selection for the second straight year. Reigning GLVC champions UIndy took first in the poll, and Truman State (Mo.) came in second place. 

SCHEDULE PREVIEW
One of the biggest challenges of the Peacock schedule is that the team does not play a single home game in the month of September after the home opener this Saturday. UIU will play three road games against Missouri Southern, Michigan Tech and Lincoln (Mo.) to go along with a Sept. 12 bye week. 

Coach Hoskins believes that the program is mentally ready for the early season challenge.

"It's just an 'us' mentality," Hoskins said. "There's a little adversity because we're not playing at home, but it's not bad to get on the road. You go into a hostile environment, figure out a way to put a game plan together and win. We're up for the challenge. Our team flipped a couple of years ago, when road games were a struggle for us, and now they've become a strength. I think our guys have taken the right attitude toward road games, and I think our staff has taken the right attitude of 'Hey, let's get that first one at home under our belt and then go play three on the road.' I think our kids will be up to the challenge."

Upper Iowa faces three teams this season featured in the AFCA Preseason Coaches Poll. Michigan Tech and Truman State received votes while UIndy came in ranked No. 9 in the nation. UIU picked up a 21-14 win in Houghton, Michigan, against the Huskies last season, but fell to UIndy and Truman State in GLVC play.

This season, the Peacocks get both of those top GLVC teams at home. Truman State comes in for homecoming on Oct. 10, and UIndy wraps up the regular season with Senior Day on Nov. 14. 

"You always want to get your top opponents at home," Hoskins said. "I'm excited about Truman State being here for Homecoming. There will be a good crowd, and that's a big game. For us to get over the hump and win a conference championship, these are the two teams we have to beat, and we haven't beaten them over the last three years. Having both teams at home, with good crowds here at Harms-Eischeid Stadium and the way we play here, will be big for us. I'm looking forward to that."

Upper Iowa has two other home games this season. The Peacocks start home GLVC play with Missouri S&T on Oct. 3 and face William Jewell (Mo.) on Oct. 24. UIU has road GLVC games vs. Southwest Baptist (Mo.) on Oct. 17, McKendree (Ill.) on Oct. 31 and Quincy (Ill.) on Nov. 7. 

2025 IN REVIEW
UIU is coming off a historic 2025 campaign that finished with a victory in the Albanese Candy Bowl, marking the program's first-ever postseason win. The team finished with a 9-3 (6-2 GLVC) record after the 37-28 bowl victory over Hillsdale (Mich.) for the most wins in a season in program history. The nine wins surpassed Upper Iowa's lone eight-win season in 1964.

That's just the tip of the iceberg for the program records set by the team. They finished 5-0 at Harms-Eischeid Stadium to post the program's first undefeated home season of the Division II era. Upper Iowa ranked as high as No. 7 in the regional rankings, marking the first time the program has been featured in them since joining Division II. The Peacocks have also won 16 games over the last two seasons, marking their most for a two-season span.

Upper Iowa had 17 players earn All-GLVC postseason accolades, including Behne earning Co-Special Teams Player of the Year. The Peacocks totaled five First Team selections, six Second Team selections and six Honorable Mentions. 

Burgess and Connor Andresen were named All-Americans for the program. The tight end became the second AFCA All-America selection for the program and earned a CSC Academic All-American® selection. Andresen also earned CSC Academic All-American honors. 

Wide receiver Mante Morrow wrapped up his career with a Harlon Hill Trophy nomination season. He also became the first Peacock since 2015 to earn a D2CCA First Team All-District accolade. His 1,007 receiving yards marked the third 1,000-yard receiving season in team history. 

As a team, UIU set the program record for the most points in a single season with 397, most total offense with 5,179 yards and most touchdowns scored with 53. The team's 431.6 yards per game ranked fourth in team history, while the 2,966 passing yards finished fifth. Upper Iowa's average margin of victory in 2025 was 25.4 points. 

ABOUT THE JIMMIES
Jamestown finished 1-9 last season in the team's first year in Division II after making the move from the NAIA. The team's lone win was against Concordia-St. Paul (Minn.). The Jimmies were picked 13th out of 14 teams in the 2026 Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC) Preseason Coaches' Poll. This will mark the first time the Jimmies and Peacocks have met on the gridiron. 

The Jimmies return last season's quarterback, Cole Hentges, who led the team in both passing and rushing. He totaled 1,575 yards and 13 touchdowns through the air, with 641 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. 

The team's top receiver, Nate Burke, is also back for his fifth season. He caught 31 passes for 621 yards and six touchdowns last season. The Jimmies also return their third and fourth-highest receiving threats from last season in Ethan Hoffman (313 yards, one touchdown) and Gage Solano (220 yards). 

Defensive lineman Trayten Johnson was named the team's Defensive Player to Watch. He totaled 11 tackles with 1.5 tackles-for-loss and a sack in five games before his 2025 season was cut short due to injury. The Jimmies return their top tackler from last season, linebacker Zach Mueller. The senior finished the year with 66 tackles (37 solo), 3.5 tackles-for-loss, a pass breakup and a forced fumble.

Linebacker Evan Smith joins Mueller on this year's defense after totaling 35 tackles (20 solo), a team-high two sacks, three quarterback hurries and an interception. Defensive back Tanner Chaffee returns after a team-high three interceptions in 2025. 

Tom Dosch was promoted to head coach after Brian Mistro, who led the program last season, became Jamestown's athletic director. Dosch previously was the head coach of the program in 2004-07 and was the associate head coach last season. In those four seasons at the helm, Dosch led the Jimmies to 25 wins, a Dakota Athletic Conference Championship and back-to-back appearances in the NAIA playoffs. 

He was previously the head coach of Northern State (S.D.) from 2010-19, leading the Wolves to 53 victories. Dosch earned NSIC Coach of the Year in 2014 and won an NSIC North Division Championship in 2015. 

Hoskins and Dosch have a history together, as the Peacock head coach served under Dosch as a defensive backs coach at Northern State for five seasons from 2010-14. During that time, the Wolves went from a two-win team in 2010 to an eight-win season in 2014.