Football 8/24/2026 6:00:00 AM Chris Brannick

UCO Opens Football Season Thursday In Texas

Central Oklahoma Plays At Texas Wesleyan In Week Zero Non-Conference Game

FORT WORTH, Texas – Central Oklahoma kicks off a new football season Thursday night with a Week Zero non-conference game at Texas Wesleyan.

Kickoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. at Crowley ISD Multi-Purpose Stadium. UCO is hosting a Texas Tailgate prior to kickoff outside the venue. Fans making the trip to Fort Worth can register for the tailgate at give.uco.edu.

UCO opens the year under the direction of fifth-year head coach Adam Dorrel, who is 28-18 in four seasons leading the Bronchos. Dorrel is 123-58 in 15 years as a head coach. He was named the 2024 MIAA Coach of the Year after leading the Bronchos to a league title and a trip to the playoffs.

Central Oklahoma was picked third in this season's MIAA Preseason Coaches' Poll and was also third in the MIAA Preseason Media Poll. UCO finished third last season with a 6-3 record in league play. The Bronchos are receiving votes in the AFCA Preseason Coaches' Poll, with UCO earning the third-most points of teams not in the Top 25.

Dorrel has more than 60 players back from last year's squad, including starters on both sides of the ball. The Bronchos have almost two dozen new transfers and more than 40 freshmen competing for time with several ready to not only play but make a difference early.

Leading the way on the offensive side of the ball is senior quarterback Jett Huff. The fifth-year gunslinger and third-year Broncho is a two-time All-MIAA pick that earned All-American honors as a sophomore. Huff has 5,806 career passing yards and 52 career passing touchdowns. He is 1,606 yards shy of Central's all-time record for yards and just three touchdowns shy of that record. Huff already owns the school record for most 300-yard and most 400-yard passing games in a career.

Protecting Huff is the priority and fifth-year senior Gabe Grazier returns to lead the way up front. Grazier is one of five players on the team to enter his fifth season at Central Oklahoma. Cameron Branecky is also a returning starter on the offensive line and David Smithwick and Erik Moller are returning linemen with experience. Several newcomers are vying to fill out the roles up front.

UCO also has starters back at tight end, running back, and wide receiver.

Andrew Carney is another fifth-year Broncho. He played in all 11 games as a true freshman, all 11 as a sophomore, and 10 of 13 during his junior season. Carney took a medical redshirt last season after three games and now enters his fifth year healthy again and ready to make a difference. Carney has 362 rushing yards on 89 career carries (4.1 yards per carry) with 10 rushing touchdowns. He also has 223 receiving yards on 18 career receptions (12.4 yards per catch) with two receiving TDs.

Dev Mathews enters his third year in the program and is prepared to be the primary running back for the Bronchos. He had 35 yards on 11 carries and a touchdown as a true freshman on the 2024 MIAA title team. He turned out 579 yards on 90 carries with 10 touchdowns last season, averaging 6.4 yards per rush.

Returners at wide receiver include Javohn Thomas, who started last season, Zayden Martinez, Gage Keaton, Braden Turner, C.J. Williams, Jaxon Laminack, Zane Zielny, Gavin Cunningham, and Darren Nickerson. Thomas hauled in 18 receptions for 244 yards last season to lead the group. Mathews caught 10 passes for 67 yards out of the backfield. Martinez added two receptions for 62 yards, Keaton had seven for 55 with a touchdown, and Turner had four for 48 with one touchdown. Williams (3-25), Laminack (3-23), and Zielny (1-10) also caught passes. All are aimed at improved roles this season.

Central Oklahoma will also look to redshirt freshmen Talan Holmes and Caden Rowe, as well as newcomers Makel Paiva, Tony Kennedy, and Tahkari Bethel to bolster the pass game. Marquise Harris and Terry Simmons return as redshirt freshmen running backs and newcomers Ja'Daniel Nettles and Edric Lambert round out the backfield looking to help the Broncho run game.

In 2025, Central Oklahoma averaged 31.4 points per game and 455.1 yards per game. The Bronchos put up 259.7 passing yards and 195.4 rushing yards per game.

On the defensive side of the ball, Central Oklahoma has similar positions – returning starters, veteran experience, a few fifth-year Bronchos, and newcomers ready to join the mix.

Zacary Stilwell leads the defensive line into his fifth year in the program. Stilwell, Bradyn Smith, and Cameron Done all have starting experience on the front lines. Stilwell has 32 career games played and he and Smith are driving forces. Done had 5.5 sacks, 7.5 tackles in the backfield, and five QB hurries last season.

Ethan Stites, Naithen Spaulding, Mac Saul, and Servhant Counsellor all return with experience. Drake DeVore, Brogan Hardy, and Ezekiel Duncan were in the program last year as redshirts. And newcomers Nasir Hudson, Jack Wiltshire, Zavier Freeman, and Trip Roberts are ready to compete for snaps on a deep defensive line.

Reese Roller and Chris Fitzpatrick are returning starters at linebacker and Hank Puckett has plenty of experience there as well. Talon Kendrick is another returner who went down early with an injury but is a key piece in this group. Roller had 42 tackles (19 solo), nine of them in the backfield, and 2.5 sacks last year. He had five QB hurries, three passes broke up and one interception. Fitzpatrick has 27 tackles and a couple of QB hurries. Puckett had 18 stops.

Joey Havir is in the fifth-year Broncho club and played in nine games last year. He'll be in the mix regularly as well this fall. Kendrick had two tackles in three games before an injury cut his season short in 2025. Kazeyn Bird is working his way back from a late summer offseason injury but the senior will be a key figure upon return. Hudson Conrad, Whelan Carson, Cannon Wood, Shepherd Sisemore, and Jett Calmus all return ready to increase their roles. Cooper Snyder and Jace Hager are newcomers that look to get involved.

The defensive backfield is the deepest position at Central Oklahoma and like the others includes starters back, veteran experience, and touted newcomers.

Dalton Hurd is in his fifth year at Central Oklahoma and is ready to continue what has been a constant improvement over every year. Hurd, along with David Williams and Bryant Coley, each have starting experience at three safety positions. Daniel Ekwese, Marcus Works, Ryan Stewart, Antwan Gilbreath, and Xzavier Booth are all back as well with experience on the field.

Coley had 37 tackles, three breakups and one interception, Ekwese had 23 stops, four pass breakups and one interception, Works finished with 17 tackles and six pass breakups with one pick, and Hurd had 14 tackles and five breakups.

Austin Hubert, Matthew Ciers, Jaden Jenkins, Treyvion Williams, Mason Lopez, and Braden French all return ready to get more involved this fall. Chad Walker, Christian Cooper, AJ Roberts, Kentrelle Omar, Adam Geukens, Devin Howard, and Jackson Franklin are all newcomers that figure to be in the mix.

UCO conceded 25.9 points per game last season and allowed 344.4 yards per game. The Bronchos gave up 209.8 passing yards and 134.5 rushing yards per game on the year. Central forced 19 turnovers, intercepting 13 passes and recovering six fumbles.

Special Teams is a place with the most turnover. Ethan Spiwak and Greg McDonnell are returning kickers and freshman Bradley Thao joins the group. Central Oklahoma will have two new punters in Tyler Madsen (Central Arkansas) and Cade Dowd (Pittsburgh) joining the program.

UCO has never played Texas Wesleyan in football. The Rams of Fort Worth have three separate eras in which they fielded a team. Texas Wesleyan played from 1902-1914, 1935-1941, and then 2017-present. In nine seasons of the current era, Texas Wesleyan is 49-38.

The Rams are under the direction of first-year head coach Fran Jackson, who spent the past six years as the offensive coordinator on staff. Texas Wesleyan has been to the NAIA playoffs and finished atop the Sooner Athletic Conference twice in recent years.

While Thursday is the first meeting, the second meeting is already planned. Texas Wesleyan will visit Central Oklahoma in Edmond in 2027 for the return match of this new series. TWU is preparing to transition to Division II and will play in the Lone Star Conference in the near future.

Central Oklahoma has a Week 1 bye and with the opener on a Thursday night, the Bronchos will have 15 days off before playing their second game of the season. UCO travels to Conway, Arkansas to face Division I opponent Central Arkansas on Sept. 12.

UCO's MIAA slate begins in Week 3 at Washburn. The Bronchos will finally open the gates to Chad Richison Stadium on Sept. 26 against preseason No. 8 Northwest Missouri. That game will also be Homecoming at Central.

UCO plays at Central Missouri to start October, then hosts Fort Hays State before back-to-back road games at Emporia State and preseason No. 5 Pittsburg State. The Bronchos finish October at home against Nebraska Kearney on Halloween.

Central Oklahoma plays at Missouri Southern and then hosts Missouri Western to wrap up the regular season in November.

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Players Mentioned

#30 Kazeyn Bird: LB; 5' 11"; Senior

#26 Xzavier Booth: DB; 5' 10"; Sophomore

#66 Cameron Branecky: OL; 6' 3"; Junior

#50 Jett Calmus: LB; 6' 1"; Sophomore

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

#31 Matthew Ciers: DB; 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman

#5 Bryant Coley: DB; 6' 1"; Senior

#34 Hudson Conrad: LB; 6' 0"; Junior

#93 Servhant Counsellor: DL; 6' 4"; Junior

#13 Gavin Cunningham: WR; 6' 4"; Sophomore

Players Mentioned

#30 Kazeyn Bird
: 5' 11"; Senior
: LB

#26 Xzavier Booth
: 5' 10"; Sophomore
: DB

#66 Cameron Branecky
: 6' 3"; Junior
: OL

#50 Jett Calmus
: 6' 1"; Sophomore
: LB

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

#31 Matthew Ciers
: 6' 1"; Redshirt Freshman
: DB

#5 Bryant Coley
: 6' 1"; Senior
: DB

#34 Hudson Conrad
: 6' 0"; Junior
: LB

#93 Servhant Counsellor
: 6' 4"; Junior
: DL

#13 Gavin Cunningham
: 6' 4"; Sophomore
: WR