2026 Concordia Football Media Guide (PDF)
Head Coach: Patrick Daberkow (47-41, 10th season)
2025 Record: 7-3 overall, 7-3 GPAC (3rd)
Key Returners: K Peyton Atwood; LB Deegan Barnes; OL Derek Campbell; RB Carlos Collazo; DL AJ Frazey; LB Dylan Meyer; S Luke Penrod; WR Jonny Puelz; CB Will Potratz; TE Maddox Rickertsen; RB Calvin Sassaman; DL Terry Sebek; QB Gideon Stark; WR Adam Van Cleave; OL Jeremiah Vasquez.
Key Losses: WR Max Bartels; OL Brevin Damrow; DL Carson Fehlhafer; S Daylon Henson; LB Grant Huss; OL Seth Moore; DB Jacob Rolen; S Jaden Seier; OL Kadence Velde.
2025 NAIA All-Americans: Carson Fehlhafer (First Team – AFCA; Third Team – VSN); Daylon Henson (Third Team – AFCA; HM – VSN); Adam Van Cleave (Third Team – VSN).
2025 GPAC All-Conference: Carson Fehlhafer (First Team); Brevin Damrow (First Team); Daylon Henson (First Team); Grant Huss (First Team); Adam Van Cleave (First Team); Peyton Atwood (Second Team); Derek Campbell (Second Team); Carlos Collazo (Second Team); Braxtyn Koch (Second Team); Dylan Meyer (Second Team); Max Wurdeman (Second Team); Max Bartels (Honorable Mention); Terry Sebek (Honorable Mention); Gideon Stark (Honorable Mention).
Outlook
Thanks to top four conference placements in three-straight years and in four of the past five seasons, Concordia University, Nebraska Football has altered external expectations. The program’s 15-5 record over the past two seasons provided tangible proof that Head Coach Patrick Daberkow’s outfit has turned a corner. An NAIA playoff berth is the next hopeful step on the path to greater national respect.
Heading into his 10th season, Daberkow isn’t offering up much more than guarded optimism while insisting that the expectations are always high within the locker room. The Bulldogs’ placement of fourth in the GPAC preseason coaches’ poll is merely an offseason talking point.
Says Daberkow, “I'd say we've always had that high expectation. After you beat teams that people on the outside didn't think you'd beat, you can raise external expectations. But our internal expectations have always been as high as possible. We don't ever forecast our schedule. We understand that we can beat anybody in this conference, and anybody in this conference can beat us on a week-by-week basis.”
As Concordia learned the hard way in 2024, even an 8-2 record in arguably the NAIA’s most competitive and most challenging conference won’t guarantee a spot in the postseason. As the opening kickoff of the 2026 season nears, the Bulldogs are prepared to answer questions about a revamped offensive line and a defense that surrendered 31.0 points per game in 2025.
Inside the GPAC, 2025 playoff qualifiers Morningside and Dordt are unsurprisingly being touted as favorites. Meanwhile, perennial power Northwestern (which Concordia defeated in 2024 and 2025) stood just in front of the Bulldogs at third in the league preseason poll as part of the top four. Concordia aspires to close the gap at the top and continue to fend off in-state rivals Midland, Hastings and Doane.
Offense
There is veteran leadership in spades. The offense is likely to feature four graduate students in the starting lineup this fall: quarterback Gideon Stark, receiver Adam Van Cleave, offensive tackle Derek Campbell and tight end Maddox Rickertsen. Collectively, they collaborated on an offense that averaged 34.8 points and 396.2 yards per game in 2025.
The program’s offensive surge in recent seasons has made Concordia capable of tangling in shootouts with the GPAC’s powerhouses. In Stark’s first season at the controls, the Bulldogs hit the 34-point mark in six different games and averaged 242.1 passing yards per game. The 6-foot-6 native Texan Stark threw for 2,339 yards and 21 touchdowns last season and now seeks to cut down on the interceptions (12) while improving his completion rate (51.5).
Stark knows as well as anyone that the cupboard is well-stocked with skill talent. The top returning pass catchers include wideouts Adam Van Cleave (63 catches for 726 yards and six TDs) and Jonny Puelz (31 for 519 and nine TDs) and tight end Maddox Rickertsen (19 for 323 and 3 TDs). The receiver room also includes Carter Skleba and three transfers, led by Northern State University (S.D.) transfer Collin Fritton. At tight end, Dustin Kapke recovered quickly from a gruesome injury that occurred in the final game of last season.
The familiarity means Stark and company are routinely on the same page when coming to the line of scrimmage. The dynamics allow for Concordia to move with pace and quickly get the ball into the hands of playmakers in its version of a power spread offense.
Says Stark, “Each year we go into the season with new goals and try to grow based on what we did last year. We're trying to be the best offense in Concordia football history. We're just trying to push it, keep on growing the record book. That's what our goal is.”
So long as star running back Carlos Collazo picks up where he left off prior to last season’s ACL injury, Van Cleave can settle back into a role as a dynamic slot receiver. The Columbus native Van Cleave earned an NAIA National Player of the Week award after last season’s win at Hastings when he eclipsed 100 yards rushing and receiving. Van Cleave is a game changer in the passing game and as a kick returner. He’s complimented nicely by the 6-foot-3 Puelz, a former hooper at Nebraska Wesleyan.
A healthy Collazo will make an immense difference. The Marquette, Neb., native was leading the NAIA in rushing yards per game (147.8) when he went down in the middle of 2025. Collazo broke the school single game rushing record with 283 yards in the win at Mount Marty. He’s rushed for 1,147 yards on 185 career attempts (6.2 per carry). In his most extensive action, now senior Calvin Sassaman chipped in with 464 yards on 106 carries in 2025. Senior Tyler Douglass adds depth to the room.
A Second Team All-GPAC honoree at left tackle, Campbell anchors an offensive line that finds itself without four starters from a year ago. Concordia successfully replaced all five starters after 2024 and believes it can work similar wonders this fall. With Campbell entrenched at one tackle spot, the other starting positions may be held down by some combination of Layne Bugarske, Jackson Jenkins, Joshua Luehr, Carter Meier, Ethan Olson and Thomas Thomas.
The offensive line is coached by Grady Koch and is always a major developmental focus. The ’25 line allowed only three sacks and paved the way for the ground game to average 4.0 yards per attempt. Daberkow referred to Meier as a “brute” and added, “I think they are where we thought they'd be. We're in our second week of fall camp, and we've been at it for 14 days. We're not quite there, but we're getting closer every day.”
Once again, former Lincoln Lutheran head coach Greg Nelson will serve as the play caller. Onlookers should expect plenty of touches for the likes of Collazo and Van Cleave. Daberkow joked that they will “probably try to throw the ball to him every once in a while” when describing Van Cleave, who can consistently beat defenders with quickness and agility.
The bar has been set at more than 30 points per game. The previous three years, Concordia averaged 30.3, 38.5 and 34.8 points, respectively. The 2026 team will take aim at topping those marks.
Defense
Every year, the Concordia defense will see its fair share of prolific offenses within the GPAC. The vast majority of the time, 10th-year coordinator Corby Osten and company find ways to keep those offenses contained. This fall, the Bulldogs would prefer to cut back on the 31.0 points and 384.9 yards per game they surrendered in 2025.
Six starters are back in the fold, including defensive linemen AJ Frazey and Terry Sebek, linebackers Deegan Barnes and Dylan Meyer and defensive backs Luke Penrod and Will Potratz. A transfer from Chadron State College, Meyer emerged in a big way in his first season as a Bulldog, leading the GPAC in tackles for loss (16.5). Meyer thrived in Concordia’s 3-3-5 scheme.
If Concordia is to return to a stingier unit in 2026, it will have to start up front. The loss of NAIA First Team All-American Carson Fehlhafer in game No. 6 of last season stung mightily, but many Bulldogs got the type of experience that will serve them well this season.
Said Daberkow, “When we lost Fehlhafer midseason last year, we saw guys step into roles where they were kind of comfortable being a supporting actor, and then we needed them to step into the limelight a little bit more. Getting to that point took us longer than we wanted last year. I think those guys are ready for those roles now, and we're excited to see them in those roles.”
Another year of development figures to be beneficial for linemen such as Frazey, Sebek, Lukas Lafler, Brock Ostdiek, Nicolas Steuter and other returners. Sebek collected 11 tackles for loss and six sacks in his first season as a starter. With help from the linebackers, Concordia piled up 31 sacks as a defense. Per GPAC rules, Doane transfer Keegan Shuler (7.5 career sacks) will have to sit out a year.
An injury slowed down Meyer this preseason, but the Hickman, Neb., native plans to be ready in time for the season opener. His 2025 campaign concluded on a major high note as he posted four sacks in the Bulldogs’ 21-17 home win over the Red Raiders. The top returning tacklers out of the linebacker crew include Barnes (76), Meyer (70) and Drake Trent (47). Other names to watch are Tanner Frahm, Luke Kolsrud and Tristen Ray. Concordia must replace 100-tackle performer Grant Huss, now a graduate assistant.
Potratz (corner) and Penrod (safety) bring multiple years of starting experience to the table for a secondary that said goodbye to three starters, including All-American safety Daylon Henson. Plenty of others return from last season’s two deep, such as corner Cade Seaman and safeties Gabe Schmidt and Kaden Thompson. Daberkow also gave mention to a strong group of freshmen defensive backs.
From his viewpoint, Meyer sees a defensive unit that has gained ground since the spring. Said Meyer, “One of the key things going into spring ball was that we needed to build depth. From spring ball to now, I've truly seen a lot of these younger guys step up. It's not just them being better athletes or anything like that. It's them keeping it simple, learning their job and doing their job correctly.”
Twice in the previous five years, Osten’s defenses limited opposing offenses to fewer than 20 points per game. Concordia is working towards a return to that level.
Specialists
The special teams are in as good of shape as they’ve ever been during Daberkow’s tenure. The Bulldogs return their kicker (Peyton Atwood), punter (Braxtyn Koch), long snapper (Max Wurdeman) and holder (Braylen Muhle), in addition to the game breaking kick returner Van Cleave.
Atwood, Koch and Wurdeman were each named Second Team All-GPAC honorees in 2025. Atwood already owns school records for career PATs (121) and longest field goal (50). He made immense strides while knocking through 12-of-16 field goal tries as a junior. In his sophomore season, Koch downed 26 of his 54 attempts inside the opponent’s 20 (with another 20 of his punts being fair caught). Daberkow feels confident in the entire kicking operation with Wurdeman and Muhle reprising their roles.
Van Cleave is a threat anytime he has the ball in his hands. He returned a kick 81 yards for a touchdown last season at Morningside. In the punt return game, Concordia has been working on replacing Blake Mosenteen. From a coverage unit standpoint, the Bulldogs were effective in 2025 in allowing only 14.1 yards per kickoff return and a grand total of 69 punt return yards. Special teams will be a strength this fall.
Final Thoughts
There’s no question that Daberkow and his staff have gotten the buy-in they sought. Concordia retained nearly 100 players from last season’s roster and will enter 2026 with the largest roster in program history (numbering roughly 160 players). That type of retention rate is nearly unheard of in today’s college football.
The dynamics mean that program veterans are typically the players next in line to replace departed starters. The Bulldogs will supplement the roster with transfers, but they are the farthest thing from a transfer portal school.
As Daberkow says, “We want to recruit great players who want to be here for a while. When I say a while, I'm talking maybe four, maybe five years. We want guys to come in and graduate from here and maybe even work on graduate degrees. I think that's been a huge thing — guys being here for years. It's not a lightning-in-a-bottle situation. We're trying to build something that's sustainable over years.”
The 2026 campaign will represent the 100th season in the history of Concordia University, Nebraska Football. Part of a long line of family members to have worn Bulldog Blue, Gideon Stark isn’t taking the opportunity for granted.
Said Stark, “It means a lot. It's really cool to see that we're going into this year as Team 100. Just knowing all the teams that came before us and the work they put in, it's special to know that we're putting the work in, too, and continuing the legacy of Concordia Football.”
Leading into game No. 1, the Bulldogs are focused on the daily process. Meyer says he doesn’t even know who they play next after Waldorf. “It's as simple as this: everyone has just got to do their job,” says Meyer.
It will be a night game (7 p.m. CT kickoff) underneath the Bulldog Stadium lights when the ’26 season gets started. Concordia will take on Waldorf on Aug. 29 as part of week zero across the NAIA football landscape. The complete schedule can be found HERE.