KIRKSVILLE, Mo. – After a breakthrough 2025 season that saw Truman State return to the NCAA Division II Football Championship for the first time since 1994, expectations remain high entering the 2026 campaign. The Bulldogs were selected second in the Great Lakes Valley Conference preseason coaches poll, receiving 58 points and two first-place votes. Indianapolis was chosen as the preseason favorite with 63 points and seven first-place votes.
Head coach Kellen Nesbitt enters his third season leading the Bulldogs after guiding Truman State to an 8-4 overall record, a 7-1 mark in GLVC play, and a postseason appearance last fall. Nesbitt was named the GLVC Coach of the Year following the program's first playoff berth in more than three decades.
The Bulldogs return a strong veteran nucleus from that squad, including 17 returning starters and a number of All-GLVC performers.
Leading the offense is senior quarterback Dylan Hair, who earned Second Team All-GLVC honors after throwing for 2,463 yards and accounting for 33 total touchdowns last season. Hair will once again have one of his top targets available in senior wide receiver Nathan Ryan, a Second Team All-GLVC selection who caught nine touchdown passes in 2025. Along the offensive line, First Team All-GLVC selections Greg Krupa and Wyatt Bonnett provide valuable experience up front.
Defensively, senior linebacker Jack Weltha returns after earning First Team All-GLVC honors and recording 94 tackles a season ago. Linebacker Logan Montoya and defensive linemen Tucker McDowell and Tyler Shanks also return after playing key roles in one of the conference's top defenses.
Special teams continuity will be another strength for Truman State with senior punter Mason Gessert and sophomore kicker Diego Perez both back for the 2026 season. Perez converted all 48 of his extra-point attempts last fall, while Gessert averaged 38.8 yards per punt and recorded eight punts of 50 yards or more.
The Bulldogs also welcomed over twenty newcomers to the roster during the offseason, including three transfers along with numerous freshmen. The class is highlighted by transfer quarterback Askia Bullie, defensive back D'Javonte Richmond, and cornerback Idrique Carmichael, along with a talented freshman group that will add competition and depth throughout the roster.
Truman State's offseason also included additions to the coaching staff. Dominic Stoneking was promoted to defensive backs coach after serving with the program during the 2025 season, while Mike Glass joined the Bulldogs as wide receivers coach following coaching stops at Eastern Michigan, Washington University in St. Louis, and Dayton. Tyson Bochert was added as running backs coach after serving on the staff at Northern Colorado.
The Bulldogs will open the 2026 season on Aug. 29 when they host Washburn at Stokes Stadium. The schedule also features nonconference matchups against Davenport and Northeastern State before conference play begins Sept. 19 against Missouri S&T in Kirksville. A key early-season showdown awaits Sept. 26 when Truman travels to Indianapolis in a matchup featuring the top two teams in the GLVC preseason poll.
Homecoming is scheduled for Oct. 24 against Southwest Baptist, while Senior Day is set for Nov. 14 against McKendree in the regular-season finale. The Bulldogs will play six home games at Stokes Stadium during the 2026 season.
Information regarding season tickets, single-game tickets, and tailgate lot reservations for the upcoming season will be announced next week through TrumanBulldogs.com and the Truman State Athletics social media channels.
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