Football 8/25/2026 3:22:00 PM

Cumberland Eyes Another Step Forward in 2026

LEBANON, Tenn.--Cumberland University football enters the 2026 season looking to build on consecutive seven-win campaigns as the Phoenix prepare for their ninth season under head coach Tim Mathis.

Cumberland finished 7-4 overall and 3-3 in the Mid-South Conference last season, marking the program's first back-to-back seven-win seasons since 2012 and 2013. The Phoenix received votes in nine NAIA Coaches' Top 25 polls, completed a perfect 5-0 home schedule and ended the season with a program-record 72 points against Faulkner.

The Phoenix begin the new season receiving votes in the NAIA preseason poll and were picked fourth in the MSC Preseason Coaches' Poll, one point behind third-place Campbellsville.

Cumberland returns experience at several of its most productive positions, including nine starters on both sides of the football. The Phoenix will pair that returning group with several transfers and young players as they prepare for an 11-game schedule featuring six home contests.

Offense

Cumberland produced one of the NAIA's most balanced offensive attacks in 2025, averaging 397.3 yards and 31.5 points per game.

The Phoenix ranked 11th nationally with 210.7 rushing yards per game, finishing with 2,318 yards and 27 touchdowns on the ground. Cumberland averaged 4.6 yards per rushing attempt and controlled possession for more than 32 minutes per game.

The offense was particularly effective against conference opponents, averaging 479.8 total yards, 232.0 rushing yards and 36.8 points per game. Cumberland converted 51 percent of its third downs in MSC play and scored on 84 percent of its red-zone opportunities.

The Phoenix finished the season with three wins over their final four games, scoring 35 points against Campbellsville, 40 against Cumberlands and 72 against Faulkner. Cumberland rushed for a season-high 461 yards and eight touchdowns in the finale.

Quarterbacks

Redshirt senior Jake Parker returns as Cumberland's starting quarterback after emerging as one of the most productive dual-threat players in the Mid-South Conference.

Parker completed 103-of-174 passes for 1,536 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games last season. He added 532 yards and eight touchdowns on 90 carries, averaging 5.9 yards per attempt.

Parker threw three touchdown passes in three different games and became increasingly dangerous as a runner late in the season, scoring seven rushing touchdowns over Cumberland's final four contests. He rushed for four scores in the season-ending victory over Faulkner.

Parker also set a Cumberland single-game record with 388 passing yards at Lindsey Wilson. His longest completion of the season covered 80 yards, while his longest rush went for 70.

Redshirt freshman Luke Parker enters the opener as the No. 2 quarterback. The Rockmart, Georgia, native passed for 1,166 yards and 13 touchdowns during his senior season of high school and helped Rockmart reach the state semifinals.

Jaylen Abston also brings significant game experience to the room. Abston appeared in eight games last season, completing 8-of-17 passes for 199 yards and two touchdowns. He was third on the team with 312 rushing yards, averaging 6.0 yards per carry.

Running Backs

The backfield will have a new look following the departure of Cumberland's two leading running backs from 2025.

Jacob Cornejo led the Phoenix with 854 yards and nine touchdowns on 189 attempts, while Lamar Childress added four rushing touchdowns. Along with Parker and Abston, the group helped Cumberland finish among the top rushing teams in the NAIA.

The Phoenix will turn to a combination of Jordan Cason, redshirt freshman Rashod Daniel and redshirt freshman Pierce Meacham to replace that production.

Cason brings significant experience to the position after transferring from Mid-South Conference rival Bethel. The Watertown, Tennessee, native has rushed for 1,102 yards and 12 touchdowns on 185 collegiate carries, averaging 6.0 yards per attempt.

Cason led Bethel with 359 rushing yards and four touchdowns in seven games last season. He carried seven times for 48 yards and two touchdowns against Cumberland in the Wildcats' 28-24 victory. His best collegiate season came in 2024 when he rushed for 622 yards and six touchdowns while averaging 7.0 yards per carry. He also caught 15 passes for 123 yards that season.

Cason's experience gives Cumberland an established option in a backfield otherwise composed largely of young players.

Daniel enters the opener at the top of the depth chart after a decorated career at Putnam County High School in Georgia. He was a four-time all-region and two-time all-state selection, rushing for 2,493 yards and 38 touchdowns during his career.

As a senior, Daniel posted 1,159 yards and 18 touchdowns while averaging 7.3 yards per carry. He surpassed 100 yards six times during his final season and originally committed to Army before joining Cumberland.

Meacham gives the Phoenix another physical option. The Atoka, Tennessee, native helped Brighton High School reach the postseason for the first time since 2021.

While Daniel and Meacham will make their collegiate debuts, Cason's proven production and familiarity with the Mid-South Conference add a veteran presence to the group. Parker's ability to run also gives Cumberland another established component in a backfield expected to use multiple players throughout the season.

Receivers and Tight Ends

Cumberland returns its top three receivers from last season, giving the Phoenix one of their most experienced position groups.

First Team All-MSC receiver Jarrius Rogers led Cumberland with 601 yards and six touchdowns on 26 receptions. He averaged 23.1 yards per catch and finished fifth in the conference in receiving yards.

Rogers enters his junior season with 46 career catches for 1,027 yards and 12 touchdowns. He has averaged 22.3 yards per reception during his two seasons with the Phoenix.

Isaiah O'Neal returns after finishing second on the team in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns. The redshirt senior caught 28 passes for 415 yards and four scores, averaging 14.8 yards per reception.

O'Neal has recorded 46 receptions for 674 yards and seven touchdowns across 21 games at Cumberland. The 6-foot-3 target posted a career-high 96 yards at Pikeville and caught at least four passes in four of the final eight games last season.

Redshirt senior Kaiden Hatchett led the team with 30 receptions and finished with 413 yards and three touchdowns. Hatchett delivered the top individual receiving performance of the year with career highs of eight receptions and 205 yards at Lindsey Wilson.

Hatchett has accumulated 51 receptions for 604 yards across 26 career games. He also carried 14 times for 64 yards last season, giving the Phoenix another option on designed runs and pre-snap motion.

Senior Nate Stephens and redshirt junior Andrae Williams provide experience behind the starting group. Stephens has appeared in 29 career games and has recorded 29 receptions for 341 yards.

Redshirt junior Devin Williams enters the season as the starting tight end. Williams caught nine passes for 73 yards and scored his first career touchdown at Lindsey Wilson last season. He has also been utilized as an additional blocker in Cumberland's running game.

Offensive Line

The offensive line must replace All-American left tackle Will Sanchez but returns three projected starters who played significant snaps last season.

Redshirt freshman Austin Johnson takes over at left tackle. Johnson started the final two games of 2025 at right tackle, gaining important experience against Lindsey Wilson and Faulkner. He was a Tennessee Football Coaches Association Class 5A All-State selection at Page High School, where the Patriots reached the state championship game in all four of his seasons.

Redshirt freshman Kelan Roberson is listed as the starter at left guard. The 6-foot-4, 328-pound lineman was a four-year starter and two-time all-region selection at Union City High School. He helped clear the way for an offense that averaged 325 yards and 39 points per game as a senior.

Redshirt junior Collin Nelson returns at center after playing in the first nine games last season. Nelson has appeared in 11 games during his Cumberland career.

Second Team All-MSC selection Drake Fisher returns at right guard. Fisher played in all 11 games last season and helped the Phoenix average 210.7 rushing yards per contest. He has appeared in 15 career games.

Redshirt junior Saylor Tull returns at right tackle after playing in all 11 games in 2025. Tull has appeared in 22 career contests and earned MSC Academic All-Conference honors last season.

RJ Cobb, Logan Martin, Elijah Lawson, Khelan Slocum and CJ Gulley give Cumberland additional experienced options across the two-deep. Martin played in all 11 games at left guard last season, Lawson appeared in the final nine games and Gulley played in 10.

Defense

Cumberland's defense allowed 346.2 yards per game last season while limiting opponents to approximately 132 rushing yards per contest.

The Phoenix held six opponents below 100 rushing yards, forced 11 interceptions and recorded 16 sacks. Cumberland allowed fewer than 20 points in wins over Reinhardt, Ave Maria, Pikeville and Faulkner.

Several experienced players return across the defense, led by All-American safety Cannon Johnson.

Defensive Line

Cumberland returns all three projected starters along the defensive front.

Redshirt senior Tavarius Pitts starts at defensive end after recording 14 tackles, two tackles for loss and one fumble recovery in 10 games. Pitts previously earned Junior College First Team All-America honors at Contra Costa College, where he led the team in sacks twice.

Junior Jeremy Willoughby is listed behind Pitts after transferring from Webber International. Willoughby collected 21 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and two sacks in eight games last season.

Redshirt junior Jaren Tatum starts at defensive tackle. Tatum recorded 10 tackles and one tackle for loss in six appearances last season and has 25 tackles across 14 career games.

Sophomore Gryffin Keller provides additional size at defensive tackle at 6-foot-3 and 300 pounds.

Redshirt senior Josh Jones anchors the middle of the front at nose tackle. Jones has collected 96 tackles, 16.5 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, three fumble recoveries and six pass breakups in 26 career games.

Jones returned from missing the entire 2024 season to record 27 tackles, five tackles for loss and two sacks last year.

Redshirt senior Woodens PierreLouis is listed behind Jones. PierreLouis recorded 13 tackles, one tackle for loss and one pass breakup in three games last season.

Linebackers

The Phoenix bring experience and production back at all three linebacker positions.

Graduate student Lance Mathews starts at the hybrid joker position. Mathews has appeared in 27 games and recorded 51 tackles, five tackles for loss, three sacks, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He posted 12 tackles, one sack and one forced fumble in seven games last season.

Junior Tristan Bohannon, who began his career at Washington State before attending Mississippi Delta Community College, is listed behind Mathews.

Redshirt junior Knox Watson returns at linebacker after starting throughout the 2025 season. Watson recorded 28 tackles, two tackles for loss and one sack in 10 games. He has 58 tackles, four tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception in 23 career appearances.

Gerald Nathan gives the Phoenix an experienced option behind Watson. Nathan began his college career at Missouri before playing at Johnson C. Smith.

Senior Eli Denton is one of Cumberland's most experienced defenders. Denton has recorded exactly 100 tackles across 30 career games, including 41 stops last season. He added 3.5 tackles for loss, 1.5 sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery in 2025.

Denton finished fourth on the team in tackles and posted a career-high eight stops at Georgetown.

Sophomore Jacobi Johnson is listed behind Denton after transferring from Langston. Johnson led Langston with 48 tackles last season and added 7.5 tackles for loss, three sacks, an interception and two pass breakups.

Secondary

The secondary is led by senior safety Cannon Johnson, the reigning MSC Defensive Player of the Year and an AFCA First Team All-American.

Johnson led the conference with 45 solo tackles and ranked second with 68 total stops. He also led Cumberland with 11 tackles for loss and four sacks while recording two interceptions, six pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.

Johnson scored two defensive touchdowns and earned MSC Defensive Player of the Week honors twice. He was also selected as a Second Team All-American by the Associated Press and Victory Sports Network.

Johnson enters his senior season with 111 tackles, 14 tackles for loss, five sacks, four interceptions and 12 pass breakups in 27 games.

Georgia Tech transfer Troy Stevenson is set to start at the other safety position. Stevenson appeared in four games across two seasons with the Yellow Jackets. He was a four-star prospect and the No. 5-ranked player in South Carolina by ESPN coming out of Philip Simmons High School.

Daniel Doegan returns as a starting cornerback following a Second Team All-MSC campaign. Doegan recorded 35 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, an interception, a forced fumble and six pass breakups in 10 games. He posted a season-high nine tackles at Pikeville and intercepted a pass against Campbellsville.

Rocky Mountain College transfer James Mozon III is listed as the starter at the other cornerback position. Mozon appeared in 19 games at Rocky Mountain, recording 17 tackles, one tackle for loss and one sack.

Redshirt sophomore Tyriq Edwards starts at the "Star" position after recording eight tackles in six games last season.

The secondary's two-deep also features several experienced transfers. Marec Square earned First Team All-Conference honors at Texas Lutheran last season after recording four interceptions and seven pass breakups. Mason Smiley posted 58 tackles in 11 games at Adams State, while Malachi Smith arrives from Murray State.

Peyton Hardway and Chase Manning add returning experience. Manning recorded 14 tackles and an interception as a freshman last season.

Special Teams

Senior Jack Kantner returns after putting together the best season of his Cumberland career.

Kantner converted 11-of-13 field goals and 37-of-42 extra points in 2025. He made his final 10 field-goal attempts and finished the season perfect on field goals over the final seven games.

Kantner made multiple field goals three times and connected from a career-long 39 yards. He enters 2026 with 16 career field goals and 82 made extra points. Kantner earned NAIA Special Teams Player of the Week last year for his efforts in the win over No. 6 Campbellsville.

Senior Nolan Gottlied returns as the starting punter. Gottlied averaged 35.6 yards on 43 punts last season with a career-long 69-yarder. Six of his punts traveled at least 50 yards, while 13 were downed inside the 20-yard line.

Transfers James Mozon and Mason Smiley are listed as Cumberland's primary returners.

2026 Schedule

Cumberland opens the season Thursday, Aug. 27, against No. 16 St. Thomas University at Nokes-Lasater Field. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m.

The matchup begins an 11-game schedule featuring six home contests. Following an open week, Cumberland travels to Ave Maria on Sept. 12. The Phoenix then return to Lebanon for three consecutive home games, hosting RV Pikeville on Sept. 19, Florida Memorial on Sept. 26 and 20th-ranked Georgetown on Oct. 3.

Cumberland follows the homestand with three straight road games at Andrew College, Campbellsville and Cumberlands. The Phoenix return home to face defending MSC champion Lindsey Wilson on Oct. 31 before traveling to Faulkner on Nov. 7.

The regular season concludes with a Senior Day matchup against rival Bethel on Nov. 14 at Nokes-Lasater Field.

Thursday's opener will be streamed live on the Cumberland Sports Network. Radio coverage will be available on WANT FM 98.9 and WCOR AM 1490. Live statistics and ticket information are available online.

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Players Mentioned

#1 Jaylen Abston: QB; 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore

#32 Lamar Childress: RB; 5' 10"; Graduate Student

#72 RJ Cobb: DL; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#0 Jacob Cornejo: RB; 6' 0"; Sophomore

#41 Eli Denton: LB; 6' 1"; Junior

#33 Tyriq Edwards: DB; 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman

#62 Drake Fisher: OL; 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore

#88 Nolan Gottlied: P; 6' 3"; Junior

#55 CJ Gulley: OL; 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman

#16 Peyton Hardway: DB; 5' 11"; Junior

Players Mentioned

#1 Jaylen Abston
: 6' 3"; Redshirt Sophomore
: QB

#32 Lamar Childress
: 5' 10"; Graduate Student
: RB

#72 RJ Cobb
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: DL

#0 Jacob Cornejo
: 6' 0"; Sophomore
: RB

#41 Eli Denton
: 6' 1"; Junior
: LB

#33 Tyriq Edwards
: 5' 10"; Redshirt Freshman
: DB

#62 Drake Fisher
: 6' 2"; Redshirt Sophomore
: OL

#88 Nolan Gottlied
: 6' 3"; Junior
: P

#55 CJ Gulley
: 6' 4"; Redshirt Freshman
: OL

#16 Peyton Hardway
: 5' 11"; Junior
: DB