Football 7/27/2026 10:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Picked Third In MIAA Preseason Polls

MIAA Football Media Day Kicks Off 2026 Season

TOPEKA, Kan. – Central Oklahoma was picked third in both the MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and the MIAA Preseason Media Poll which were announced Monday morning at the league's annual football media day.

Pittsburg State and Northwest Missouri tied for the conference title in 2025 and the two schools were each picked first in the polls. Pitt topped the coaches' poll with seven first-place votes ahead of Northwest, which had the other three first-place nods. NWMSU took first in the media poll with 19 first-place votes ahead of PSU, which had 10 first-place votes.

UCO was third in both polls and received one first-place vote in the media poll. The Bronchos finished third in 2025, going 6-3 in league play.

Fort Hays State was picked fourth and Central Missouri fifth in the coaches' poll and the two schools swapped spots in the media poll. Emporia State, Nebraska Kearney, Washburn, Missouri Western, and Missouri Southern appeared in identical order from sixth to 10th in both polls.

MIAA Football Media Day is hosted in 2026 at Washburn University. Adam Dorrel, with seniors Jett Huff and Zacary Stilwell, took to the podium to answer questions ahead of the new season. Huff, Stillwell, and fellow 2026 captains Andrew Carney, Gabe Grazier, Dev Mathews, Reese Roller, and David Williams were all in attendance in Topeka for Media Day.

Dorrel enters his fifth season at Central Oklahoma. The 15th-year head football coach has a 123-58 career record, including a 28-18 mark in four seasons at UCO. Dorrel led the Bronchos to an 11-2 record in 2024, when Central went 8-1 to win the MIAA title for the first time.

Central Oklahoma has 64 returning lettermen on the 2026 football squad, including more than 40 that have appeared in a game for the Bronchos. UCO has 11 starters back this season, five on the offense and six on the defense.

Huff leads UCO into 2026 with 5,806 career passing yards and 52 career passing touchdowns. He ranks third in career yards at Central and is second in career touchdown passes. Huff leads all MIAA active quarterbacks in both categories.

Carney has 12 career touchdowns (10 rushing) in three-plus seasons at UCO. His senior season was cut short due to injury last fall and the tight end/fullback returns in 2026 to finish the job. Mathews, a true junior running back, has 11 rushing touchdowns in 20 career games. He rushed for 579 yards, 6.4 per carry, last fall. Grazier has 30 career games played including 23 starts at center for the Bronchos.

Stilwell has played in 32 of 35 games for the Bronchos over the past three seasons and has 19 tackles and a pair of quarterback sacks starting at defensive end. Roller has played in all 35 games for UCO over the past three seasons and the senior linebacker has 64 career tackles, 10.5 behind the line of scrimmage, and 2.5 QB sacks. Williams has in two seasons made 110 tackles, three interceptions, three forced fumbles, and one fumble recovery from his safety position.

Central Oklahoma opens the 2026 season at Texas Wesleyan on Thursday, Aug. 27 in Fort Worth. The Bronchos will host the soon-to-be Division II squad in 2027 in Edmond. Following a Sept. 5 bye, Central Oklahoma will travel to Conway, Arkansas to take on Division I program Central Arkansas in the first game against an FCS opponent since 2011.

UCO begins MIAA play Sept. 19 at Washburn and will make its home debut Sept. 26 against Northwest Missouri at Chad Richison Stadium. The Bronchos are 19-5 at home since Dorrel took over in 2022 and have won 197 games at Chad Richison Stadium since it opened in 1965.

Following the home opener, Central Oklahoma travels to Central Missouri on Oct. 3 and then is back home against Fort Hays State on Oct. 10. It's back-to-back road games after that for the Bronchos, visiting Emporia State on Oct. 17 and Pittsburg State on Oct. 24.

UCO hosts Nebraska Kearney on Oct. 31, travels to Missouri Southern on Nov. 7, and finishes the regular season at home against Missouri Western on Nov. 14.

Following MIAA Media Day, the Bronchos will report to fall camp during the first week in August.

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Players Mentioned

#18 Andrew Carney: TE; 6' 1"; Senior

#54 Gabe Grazier: OL; 6' 3"; Junior

#3 Jett Huff: QB; 5' 8"; Junior

#6 Dev Mathews: RB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#33 Reese Roller: LB; 5' 10"; Junior

#99 Zacary Stilwell: DL; 6' 3"; Junior

#24 David Williams: DB; 6' 0"; Senior

Players Mentioned

#18 Andrew Carney
: 6' 1"; Senior
: TE

#54 Gabe Grazier
: 6' 3"; Junior
: OL

#3 Jett Huff
: 5' 8"; Junior
: QB

#6 Dev Mathews
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: RB

#33 Reese Roller
: 5' 10"; Junior
: LB

#99 Zacary Stilwell
: 6' 3"; Junior
: DL

#24 David Williams
: 6' 0"; Senior
: DB