The Wildcats return a proven offensive core, bring back an experienced and disruptive defensive front and welcome both of last season’s co-champions to Wildcat Field. After coming painfully close to the NAIA postseason, Louisiana Christian enters 2026 determined to leave nothing to a tiebreaker.
Louisiana Christian’s 2025 season ended with a championship celebration—and unfinished business.
The Wildcats traveled to Arizona for their finale and dismantled nationally ranked Ottawa University Arizona, 48-13, earning a share of the Sooner Athletic Conference championship. The victory completed an 8-3 season, a 7-1 conference record and a four-game winning streak.
But the program’s biggest goal remained just out of reach.
LCU finished in a three-way tie with Texas Wesleyan and OUAZ, with Texas Wesleyan receiving the SAC’s automatic bid to the NAIA Football Championship Series through the conference tiebreaking procedure. The Wildcats had proven they could win the conference. They had not secured the opportunity to represent it in the postseason.
That distinction will shape everything about 2026.
In the third season under head coach Ben McLaughlin, Louisiana Christian is no longer rebuilding, searching for an identity or trying to surprise the rest of the SAC. The Wildcats enter the year as established championship contenders with a clear objective: win the conference outright.
The Standard Has Changed
The transformation from McLaughlin’s first season to his second was dramatic.
After finishing 4-7 in 2024, LCU doubled its victory total in 2025. The Wildcats scored 401 points, accumulated 4,414 yards and went undefeated in five games at Wildcat Field. A team selected fifth in the SAC preseason poll finished tied for first and placed 20 players on the All-Conference teams.
LCU was especially dominant down the stretch. The Wildcats won their final four games by a combined score of 175-32, allowing only two touchdowns over the final three contests. That closing run included a 77-6 victory over Arkansas Baptist and the statement win at No. 11 OUAZ.
The Wildcats also demonstrated the balance generally associated with championship teams. They rushed for 2,017 yards, passed for 2,397 and forced 24 turnovers. Defensively, they held opponents to 119.3 rushing yards per game and 3.3 yards per attempt while recording 28 sacks.
The challenge is carrying that performance into a new season without assuming last year’s success automatically transfers.
Perkins Leads a Proven Offense
The greatest reason for optimism is an offense returning much of the production behind last season’s breakthrough.
Quarterback Bryce Perkins enters 2026 after one of the most productive freshman seasons in the conference. Perkins completed 155 of 289 passes for 2,262 yards and 21 touchdowns, earning SAC Newcomer of the Year honors.
He showed the arm strength and confidence to attack defenses vertically, but his next step will be improving efficiency. Perkins completed 53.6 percent of his attempts and threw 11 interceptions. LCU also allowed 30 sacks and committed 20 total turnovers.
Perkins does not need to become an entirely different quarterback. He needs to become a more consistent version of the one who helped LCU average more than 36 points per game.
The Wildcats can protect their young quarterback with one of the SAC’s most dependable backfields.
Datlan Cunningham rushed for 918 yards and 11 touchdowns on 201 attempts, earning SAC Athlete of the Year and first-team All-Conference recognition. Joe Johnson added 594 yards and seven touchdowns while averaging 5.2 yards per carry.
Together, Cunningham and Johnson produced 1,512 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns. Their contrasting styles give LCU the ability to control games physically, remain balanced on early downs and punish defenses that devote too much attention to the passing game.
Another name to watch is Travis Adams, who has enjoyed an impressive summer and fall camp. Adams gives the Wildcats another option in an already-deep backfield and could provide fresh legs as the schedule begins to tighten.
The receiving corps may be just as dangerous.
EJ Scott led LCU with 47 receptions for 781 yards and five touchdowns, averaging 16.6 yards per catch. Omarius Davis caught 41 passes for 638 yards and a team-leading seven touchdowns. Both were named to the 2026 preseason All-Louisiana college football teams.
Scott and Davis combined for 1,419 yards and 12 touchdowns in 2025. Xavion Butler added 340 receiving yards and four scores, while Darius Washington contributed as both a receiver and an All-Conference return specialist.
The Wildcats also return experience along the offensive front. All-Conference linemen Javonte Roberts, Gavin Lilley and JD Winans helped LCU surpass 2,000 rushing yards last season. Lilley, a 6-foot-6, 310-pound tackle, received preseason All-Louisiana recognition entering 2026.
There is enough talent here for LCU to field one of the most productive offenses in the SAC. The question is whether the Wildcats can turn production into sustained efficiency by reducing negative plays, improving on third down and protecting the football.
Replacing a Defensive Difference-Maker
The defense presents important questions, but Louisiana Christian will not be starting over.
LCU forced 17 interceptions in 2025, with 11 belonging to Kylon Polk. The freshman defensive back intercepted four passes against Arkansas Baptist and four more against OUAZ, returning one for a touchdown in each game. He was named SAC Defensive Player and Freshman of the Year before earning first-team AP All-America honors.
Polk has since transferred to McNeese, leaving the Wildcats with the difficult task of replacing one of the nation’s premier takeaway threats. Veteran defenders Kendal Rowan and Nate Sullivan must also be replaced. Together, those three players accounted for 132 tackles and 13 of LCU’s 17 interceptions.
However, the return of Jordan Oglesby significantly strengthens the outlook.
Oglesby recorded 55 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery last season. Beyond the numbers, his experience gives LCU a proven leader in the middle of a defense undergoing changes around him.
The Wildcats also possess a dangerous collection of returning defenders near the line of scrimmage.
Jermarian “Ted” Jackson recorded 12.5 tackles for loss and six sacks, leading the team in both categories. Marques “Gator” Hampton added 10.5 tackles for loss and four sacks. Together, Jackson and Hampton produced 23 tackles behind the line and 10 sacks.
Trace McHugh contributed 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, while Jonathan Moore-LeDay recorded four sacks. Brandon Johnson II, David Voorhies III, Judson Mixon and Kristian Doyle provide additional experience behind the defensive front.
With Oglesby back to anchor the unit, LCU’s front seven has the potential to become the defense’s greatest strength. Consistent pressure would protect a reworked secondary and help manufacture the hurried throws that Polk so often turned into takeaways.
The matchup against Texas Wesleyan offers the clearest example of what must improve. The Rams scored 61 points and passed for more than 500 yards in LCU’s only conference loss. It was the one afternoon when the Wildcats could not disrupt the quarterback or limit explosive plays.
LCU’s defense finished 2025 playing championship football. With Oglesby returning to lead an experienced and disruptive front, the Wildcats have a foundation sturdy enough to withstand the loss of an All-American.
Winning the Hidden-Yardage Battle
Special teams should remain a strength—and Preston Baker may become one of the most important players on the roster.
As a freshman, Baker averaged 37.4 yards on 45 punts, placed 11 inside the 20-yard line and delivered a season-long punt of 63 yards. Now the East Ascension product enters his sophomore season taking over the Wildcats’ full kicking duties from Levi Hilborn.
Baker has looked impressive throughout summer and fall camp while preparing to handle the expanded assignment. His ability to manage punts, kickoffs, extra points and field goals could provide LCU with valuable continuity, but it will also place considerable responsibility on one young specialist.
The return game could become another major weapon.
Darius Washington returns after earning first-team All-Conference recognition as a return specialist in 2025. The Wildcats have also added Obadiah Butler from nearby Centenary. Butler arrives after leading NCAA Division III in kickoff-return yardage and finishing fourth nationally in all-purpose yards.
Washington and Butler give LCU multiple players capable of changing field position—or changing the scoreboard—with one touch. That explosiveness could force opponents to rethink how and where they kick the football.
Still, LCU left too many hidden yards on the field last season.
The Wildcats committed 97 penalties for 960 yards—more than 87 penalty yards per game. They converted 37.4 percent of their third downs and possessed the football for fewer than 28 minutes per contest. Despite forcing 24 turnovers, the offense’s 20 giveaways resulted in only a plus-four turnover margin.
Those numbers provide a roadmap for improvement. LCU does not necessarily need more explosive plays. It needs fewer possessions damaged by penalties, sacks, turnovers and third-down struggles.
Championship teams often separate themselves by eliminating the mistakes that keep opponents alive.
A Schedule Built for a Contender
The 2026 schedule is demanding but provides LCU with opportunities to control the championship race.
The Wildcats open August 27 at Northwestern State before hosting Langston in the SAC opener September 5. After a road conference game at Wayland Baptist, LCU visits Southern for its second NCAA Division I opponent in the first four weeks.
Playing Northwestern State and Southern will test LCU’s depth and physicality. Those games will not affect the SAC standings, but they could prepare the Wildcats for the most important portion of the schedule.
Following the Southern game, LCU begins a three-game homestand against Oklahoma Panhandle State, East Texas Baptist and Texas Wesleyan. The October 3 matchup with East Texas Baptist brings back the Battle for the Border Claw as LCU’s Homecoming game.
The October 10 meeting with Texas Wesleyan may be the most important date on the schedule. The Rams handed LCU its only SAC loss in 2025 and ultimately received the conference’s automatic playoff berth.
This time, Texas Wesleyan must come to Pineville, where the Wildcats went 5-0 last season.
LCU then travels to Nelson and Texas College before an open week. The Wildcats finish at Arkansas Baptist on November 7 and at home against OUAZ on November 14.
Both of LCU’s fellow 2025 conference champions—Texas Wesleyan and OUAZ—will visit Wildcat Field. That is a major opportunity, but it also removes every excuse. The Wildcats will have the two most important championship tests on their home field.
The road schedule carries its own danger. Wayland Baptist, Nelson, Texas College and Arkansas Baptist were all teams LCU defeated at home last season. Each matchup shifts away from Pineville in 2026.
The Wildcats must prove their unbeaten home performance can travel.
Five Questions That Will Decide 2026
First, how much more efficient can Perkins become? If he improves his completion percentage and lowers the turnover total while maintaining his downfield aggressiveness, LCU’s offense could reach another level.
Second, can the defense replace Polk’s takeaway production? Oglesby, Jackson, Hampton and the rest of the front seven must create pressure while a reworked secondary develops its own identity.
Third, can LCU become a disciplined road team? Six of the 11 games are away from Wildcat Field, including two FCS opponents and four conference trips.
Fourth, can the Wildcats eliminate self-inflicted mistakes? Cutting down 97 penalties and 20 giveaways would make LCU considerably more difficult to beat.
Finally, can LCU defeat Texas Wesleyan and OUAZ when the championship is decided head-to-head? Both games will be played in Pineville. If the Wildcats protect their home field again, the path to an outright title becomes much clearer.
The Outlook
Louisiana Christian should enter 2026 as one of the legitimate favorites in the Sooner Athletic Conference.
The Wildcats have a returning quarterback with more than 2,200 passing yards, two running backs who combined for more than 1,500 yards, an accomplished receiving tandem and an experienced offensive line.
Defensively, Oglesby’s return gives LCU an established leader surrounded by proven pass-rush production. Baker’s emergence as the full-time kicking specialist provides another reason for optimism, while Washington and Butler could give the Wildcats one of the conference’s most explosive return units.
The concerns are real. Replacing Polk’s 11 interceptions and rebuilding portions of the secondary will not be simple. The schedule includes two FCS opponents, six road games and a conference race likely to remain competitive into November.
But this is no longer a program hoping to arrive ahead of schedule. LCU has already demonstrated that it can win eight games, defeat a nationally ranked opponent on the road and earn a share of the SAC championship.
Now comes the harder step: doing it again when everyone expects it.
The ceiling is an outright conference championship, an 8-0 SAC record and a place in the NAIA Football Championship Series. Another 8-3 season would confirm that LCU has become a consistent winner, but conference tiebreakers offer a powerful reminder that seven league victories may not be enough.
The defining question of 2026 is not whether Louisiana Christian can contend.
It is whether the Wildcats can make the championship theirs alone.
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