Photo by: Elysa Ripley
Defending Southland Champs Open Camp Wednesday
7/29/2026 12:07:00 PM | Football
Lumberjacks’ title defense underway with 100th season looming in late August
NACOGDOCHES, Texas – Defending Southland Conference champion Stephen F. Austin opened fall camp on Wednesday morning in advance of the program's 100th season. The Jacks acclimated to the always-welcoming Texas heat, albeit with a light breeze, in helmets for practice No. 1 and will continue to operate in the early morning daylight hours through the rest of the week in advance of Saturday night's practice inside Homer Bryce Stadium.
The Lumberjacks, under the leadership of eighth-year head coach Colby Carthel, feature a reloaded roster of 61 new faces. Twenty-two prep athletes made up SFA's early signing period high school class with 19 hailing from the Lone Star State. Carthel added collegiate experience in the form of 39 transfer student-athletes including ten G5 additions, nine players from both the FCS and NCAA DII levels, six from the JUCO ranks and five that were on P4 rosters last fall.
Among the talent returning to Nacogdoches for the '26 campaign are preseason All-America honorees Erik Gray (2025 SLC Offensive Lineman of the Year) and Bugs Mortimer (2025 All-SLC First Team). Both players recently represented the Jacks in Houston at the SLC's annual Opening Drive Media Days.
>> FULL SLC OPENING DRIVE MEDIA DAY
(Jacks appear at 3:55:00 to 4:07:00 and 5:03:00 to 5:20:00)
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener and the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season. The Lumberjacks boast six home games on their schedule for the third-consecutive season and since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 26-6 inside Homer Bryce Stadium. The Jacks enter the season having won eight straight in Nacogdoches. For a full 2026 schedule, visit here.
NOTABLES
* SFA will see two new coordinators calling plays this fall, but neither are strangers to the program. Jared May takes over as OC after serving as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach since beginning his second stint in Nacogdoches in 2019. Caid Faske, recently named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's 2026 40 Under 40 class, is back in the Piney Woods following three seasons as DC at Colorado State Pueblo. Faske coached the Jack defensive ends from 2019 to 2022.
* In addition to first-team honorees Gray and Mortimer, SFA returns just one other All-Southland performer from a season ago after producing a league-best 16 selections. Placekicker and SLC second teamer Carlos Alvarado is back after leading the league in total points (91) and FG% in league play (90.9%).
* SFA returns one starter, senior linebacker Malachi Williams, from its record-setting defense in 2025. Williams, selected as the Ultimate Teammate by his fellow Lumberjacks this spring and who will wear the #0 in 2026, ranked second on the team in total tackles (91) last fall and became the first Jack since 2019 with a 17-tackle performance in the Week 2 loss at ACU.
* Eli Ennis, the SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-America linebacker at Nicholls, joins the SFA linebacker room following a one-year stint at Alabama-Birmingham. Ennis was recently among the 30 defensive standouts named to the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List. The Ohatchee, Alabama native is one of five defenders that was a previous finalist for the honor.
* Gavin Rutherford played in 14 games with two starts at quarterback in '25 and enters the fall as QB1. The dual threat, big-bodied signal caller completed 63% of his 81 attempts last fall for 542 yards and six TDs to go along with 176 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
* Jaylen Jenkins is the top returning rusher for the Jacks this fall and headlines a loaded running back room. A 1,000-yard rusher for his collegiate career, Jenkins scored on the ground six times last season and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
* The Jacks aim to replace All-American production provided by wide receiver Kylon Harris with a revamped wide receiver room which includes the return of Clayton Wayland who enjoyed a breakout 2025 behind Harris. Under the leadership of AFCA 35 Under 35 honoree Josh Atkinson, Wayland posted career highs in catches, yards and TDs in 2025.
FALL CAMP MEDIA REQUESTS
Media members interested in attending practice for content and/or interview purposes should reach out to SFA Assistant AD for Communications Jacob Pumphrey at jacob.pumphrey@sfasu.edu or at 870-312-6322 prior to attending any fall practices. Additional information on single game and season credentialing will be made available in the coming weeks.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will see SFA football program hit the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
The Lumberjacks, under the leadership of eighth-year head coach Colby Carthel, feature a reloaded roster of 61 new faces. Twenty-two prep athletes made up SFA's early signing period high school class with 19 hailing from the Lone Star State. Carthel added collegiate experience in the form of 39 transfer student-athletes including ten G5 additions, nine players from both the FCS and NCAA DII levels, six from the JUCO ranks and five that were on P4 rosters last fall.
Among the talent returning to Nacogdoches for the '26 campaign are preseason All-America honorees Erik Gray (2025 SLC Offensive Lineman of the Year) and Bugs Mortimer (2025 All-SLC First Team). Both players recently represented the Jacks in Houston at the SLC's annual Opening Drive Media Days.
>> FULL SLC OPENING DRIVE MEDIA DAY
(Jacks appear at 3:55:00 to 4:07:00 and 5:03:00 to 5:20:00)
SFA opens the 2026 season on August 29 in Lake Charles against McNeese. The Jacks host East Texas A&M on September 5 in the home opener and the lone game in Nacogdoches through the first four weeks of the season. The Lumberjacks boast six home games on their schedule for the third-consecutive season and since the 2020 campaign, SFA is 26-6 inside Homer Bryce Stadium. The Jacks enter the season having won eight straight in Nacogdoches. For a full 2026 schedule, visit here.
NOTABLES
* SFA will see two new coordinators calling plays this fall, but neither are strangers to the program. Jared May takes over as OC after serving as passing game coordinator and quarterbacks coach since beginning his second stint in Nacogdoches in 2019. Caid Faske, recently named to Dave Campbell's Texas Football's 2026 40 Under 40 class, is back in the Piney Woods following three seasons as DC at Colorado State Pueblo. Faske coached the Jack defensive ends from 2019 to 2022.
* In addition to first-team honorees Gray and Mortimer, SFA returns just one other All-Southland performer from a season ago after producing a league-best 16 selections. Placekicker and SLC second teamer Carlos Alvarado is back after leading the league in total points (91) and FG% in league play (90.9%).
* SFA returns one starter, senior linebacker Malachi Williams, from its record-setting defense in 2025. Williams, selected as the Ultimate Teammate by his fellow Lumberjacks this spring and who will wear the #0 in 2026, ranked second on the team in total tackles (91) last fall and became the first Jack since 2019 with a 17-tackle performance in the Week 2 loss at ACU.
* Eli Ennis, the SLC Freshman of the Year and a Freshman All-America linebacker at Nicholls, joins the SFA linebacker room following a one-year stint at Alabama-Birmingham. Ennis was recently among the 30 defensive standouts named to the 2026 Buck Buchanan Award Preseason Watch List. The Ohatchee, Alabama native is one of five defenders that was a previous finalist for the honor.
* Gavin Rutherford played in 14 games with two starts at quarterback in '25 and enters the fall as QB1. The dual threat, big-bodied signal caller completed 63% of his 81 attempts last fall for 542 yards and six TDs to go along with 176 yards rushing and six touchdowns.
* Jaylen Jenkins is the top returning rusher for the Jacks this fall and headlines a loaded running back room. A 1,000-yard rusher for his collegiate career, Jenkins scored on the ground six times last season and averaged 4.4 yards per carry.
* The Jacks aim to replace All-American production provided by wide receiver Kylon Harris with a revamped wide receiver room which includes the return of Clayton Wayland who enjoyed a breakout 2025 behind Harris. Under the leadership of AFCA 35 Under 35 honoree Josh Atkinson, Wayland posted career highs in catches, yards and TDs in 2025.
FALL CAMP MEDIA REQUESTS
Media members interested in attending practice for content and/or interview purposes should reach out to SFA Assistant AD for Communications Jacob Pumphrey at jacob.pumphrey@sfasu.edu or at 870-312-6322 prior to attending any fall practices. Additional information on single game and season credentialing will be made available in the coming weeks.
SEASON 100: ON THE HEELS OF HISTORY
The 2026 season will see SFA football program hit the century mark in gridiron campaigns. The Lumberjacks are coming off a historic 2025 that saw SFA capture the program's fifth SLC title and first since 2010, while making the program's ninth FCS postseason appearance. That title came behind the program's first eight-win conference season and first perfect finish in league play in 99 seasons. The Jacks reached double-digit wins for the fifth time in program history, and the 11 victories last fall are the most since the '95 campaign.
SEASON TICKETS ON SALE NOW
There's never been a better time to lock in your seat at Homer Bryce Stadium! Season tickets for the upcoming SFA Football season are on sale now, offering the best value for a six-game home slate. Don't miss a single snap as SFA looks to defend its Southland Conference title. Visit www.SFATickets.com to secure your season tickets today and be part of the action all season long.
FOLLOW THE LUMBERJACKS
For all the latest information on SFA football, visit SFAjacks.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow the Lumberjacks on X, Instagram and Facebook.
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