TIFFIN, Ohio – The Tiffin University football team is set to embark on a new chapter as the Dragons open the 2026 season on the road Thursday, Aug. 27. Tiffin enters the campaign coming off a 7-4 record in 2025, highlighted by a season-ending victory over then No. 8 Findlay.
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The offseason brought significant change for the program as former head coach Brett Ekkens departed to pursue an opportunity in the NFL. In response, Tiffin turned to a familiar face, promoting offensive coordinator
Zack Blair to lead the program. Blair, who helped orchestrate one of the nation's most explosive offenses over the past several seasons, now takes the reins as the Dragons look to build on last year's success and continue their ascent within the Great Midwest Athletic Conference.
"One of the biggest changes to our coaching staff was bringing in defensive coordinator
Dan McKeown, who joined us this spring after spending time at Quincy and Saginaw Valley State," said Blair. "He's developed elite talent on the defensive side of the ball throughout his career and has already made a tremendous impact on our program. We also promoted offensive line coach
Caleb Rufener to offensive coordinator. Caleb has done an unbelievable job building relationships with our student-athletes and has been instrumental in maintaining the culture and offensive identity we've established."
Tiffin, in a vote by the G-MAC's head coaches, was recognized to finish fourth in the Great Midwest Athletic Conference Football Coaches Preseason Poll. Defending conference co-champion Ashland was selected as the preseason favorite, earning 87 points and six first-place votes.
2026 Great Midwest Football Coaches Preseason Poll
| Rank |
Team |
Points |
| 1. |
Ashland (6) |
87 |
| 2. |
Northwood (4) |
85 |
| 3. |
Findlay |
74 |
| 4. |
Tiffin |
66 |
| 5. |
Hillsdale |
61 |
| 6. |
Walsh |
51 |
| 7. |
Ohio Dominican |
42 |
| 8. |
Lake Erie |
36 |
| 9. |
Thomas More |
25 |
| 10. |
Kentucky Wesleyan |
18 |
First-place votes are listed in parentheses.
The Dragons will hit the road to take on Carson-Newman to begin the season for the first-ever matchup between the programs. The Eagles posted a 7-3 record in 2025, including a 5-0 mark at home. Kickoff is slated for 7 p.m. from Burke-Tarr Stadium.
TIFFIN NOTES
- Offense Looks to Remain Among G-MAC's Best: The Dragons led the G-MAC in both scoring offense and passing offense in 2025, averaging 31.5 points per game and more than 275 passing yards per contest. Tiffin will look to maintain that production despite the graduation of quarterback Alex Johnson, who played a key role in the league's top-ranked attack.
- Quarterback Battle Continues: With Johnson's departure, the Dragons enter the season with an open competition at quarterback. Kyle Antoine, Cane Mack, and Drake Wells have all taken first-team reps throughout fall camp, and head coach Zack Blair indicated the position battle remains ongoing. Tiffin could utilize multiple quarterbacks during the opening weeks of the season as the staff evaluates its options. Antoine appeared in four games in 2025 tossing a touchdown, while Mack appeared in seven games rushing for 31 yards.
- Blackman Leads Deep Backfield: Fifth year running back Ronald Blackman returns as one of the most accomplished offensive players in the G-MAC after leading the Dragons with 820 rushing yards in 2025. He also added 38 receptions for 371 yards and two touchdowns, showcasing his versatility as both a runner and receiver. Entering the season, Blackman sits just five yards shy of 3,000 career rushing yards while averaging 93.6 rushing yards per game and 5.7 yards per carry throughout his career. Daniel Weems is also expected to play a larger role in the Dragons' rushing attack after totaling 125 rushing yards last season.
- Veteran Line Anchors New-Look Receiving Corps: Tiffin returns an experienced offensive line, providing stability for an offense replacing several key contributors at the skill positions. While the receiving corps will feature a number of fresh faces, the Dragons are led by senior tight end Joey Zalewski, who appeared in all 11 games last season and totaled 351 receiving yards and five touchdowns. Wide receiver Jaedyn McKinstry also returns after emerging as a big-play threat in 2025. He hauled in 18 receptions for 280 yards and four touchdowns, averaging more than 15 yards per catch.
- Experienced Secondary Leads the Defense: The Dragons' secondary is anchored by fifth-year defensive back Isaiah Funches-Foster, who returns after a standout 2025 season. Funches-Foster totaled 59 tackles, including 37 solo stops, while adding two interceptions and a fumble recovery to help lead the back end of the defense.
- Veteran Presence Up Front: Tiffin will also rely on strong play along the defensive front from returning standouts Gio Albanese and Radical Rothermel. Rothermel recorded 2.5 sacks last season, while Albanese contributed 3.5 tackles for loss. Together, the pair provide experience and physicality in the trenches as the Dragons look to generate pressure and disrupt opposing offenses at the line of scrimmage.
- Jacob Tueimeh Featured on the D2Football.com Elite 100 Preseason Watch List: Tueimeh had a steller season on the gridiron last fall leading the squad in solo tackles (68), assisted tackles (35) and total tackles with 103. The Cincinnati, Ohio native also forced a team-best three fumbles and was a First Team All-GMAC selection along with earning D2CCA Second Team All-Region honors.
- Rudolph Provides Stability on Special Teams: Junior kicker Ben Rudolph returns as a reliable weapon in the Dragons' special teams unit after converting 11-of-16 field goal attempts during the 2025 season. Rudolph was particularly consistent from short and intermediate range, connecting on 11-of-13 attempts between 20 and 39 yards.
CARSON-NEWMAN NOTES
- Seven Eagles Earn Preseason Recognition: Carson-Newman placed seven student-athletes on the South Atlantic Conference Preseason Players to Watch list, including running back Josh Adams, offensive lineman Jay'Den Williams, defensive lineman Martavis Mason, linebackers Cruz Temple and Terry Lemon, defensive back Isaiah Cane, and kicker Bennett Smith. Adams appeared in all 10 games as a reserve in 2025, rushing for 37 yards, including a season-high 20-yard effort against UVA Wise.
- Defensive Leaders Return: Mason finished third on the team with 41 tackles in 2025 while leading the Eagles with 8.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. He is joined by veteran linebackers Cruz Temple and Terry Lemon, who anchor the defense. Temple led Carson-Newman with 66 tackles, including 31 solo stops, while Lemon added 51 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, and two sacks.
- Quarterback Competition Ongoing: Like Tiffin, Carson-Newman enters the season with an unsettled quarterback situation. The competition features Shooby Coleman, Eli Graf, Justin Johnson, and Payton Wehner. Coleman redshirted at UNC Pembroke last season, while Graf also spent 2025 as a redshirt. Johnson is the only contender with collegiate starting experience, appearing in six games with three starts as a freshman. He completed 11-of-20 passes for 190 yards and a touchdown while rushing 35 times for 110 yards and another score.
- Smith Headlines Special Teams: Junior kicker Bennett Smith returns after a strong 2025 campaign in which he converted 9-of-12 field goal attempts. His season was highlighted by back-to-back 52-yard field goals against Wingate (Sept. 27) and Emory & Henry (Oct. 4), showcasing one of the strongest legs in the conference.
