QUINCY, Ill. – The Quincy University football team enters the 2026 season with a familiar face under center, a nearly rebuilt coaching staff and plenty of new opportunities throughout the roster as the Hawks prepare for year three under head coach Jason Killday.

Quincy finished the 2025 campaign with a 6-5 overall record and a 4-4 mark in Great Lakes Valley Conference play, securing a second consecutive winning season under Killday.

While the head coach remains the same, much of the staff surrounding him will look different in 2026.

Offensive coordinator and quarterbacks coach Kade Warner enters his second season with the Hawks and is the lone returning assistant from last year's coaching staff.

He is joined by first-year defensive coordinator and linebackers coach Elijah Shaah, special teams coordinator and defensive backs coach Damani Neal, offensive line coach Jesse Sosebee and defensive line coach Carson Picheco. August Nieberle joins the staff as the offensive graduate assistant, while Mayo Bola will serve as the defensive graduate assistant.

The roster itself features a similar mix of returning experience and significant youth.

Quincy's class breakdown includes 48 freshmen, 42 sophomores, 19 juniors, 25 seniors and one graduate student.

The Hawks return 73 letterwinners from last season, including 39 offensive players, 33 defensive players and one specialist. Nine starters return, with six coming on offense and three on defense.

That difference in returning experience creates two distinct storylines heading into the season. Quincy brings back several of its top offensive weapons from a season ago, while a much different defensive unit will have to emerge around a handful of proven veterans.

GLVC Freshman of the Year Returns Under Center

Any conversation about the Quincy offense begins with sophomore quarterback Bradyn Little, who returns after one of the most productive freshman seasons in program history.

Little started all 11 games during his debut campaign and became just the second player in program history to be named the GLVC Freshman of the Year in football.

The Quincy product completed 253 of 388 passes for 2,492 yards and 17 touchdowns while throwing just six interceptions. His 65.21 completion percentage ranked fourth in the GLVC and 20th in NCAA Division II.

Little led the conference and ranked eighth nationally with 23.00 completions per game while averaging 226.55 passing yards per contest. He also added four rushing touchdowns.

After spending his freshman season learning the offense alongside Warner, Little returns for year two with the same offensive coordinator and a large group of familiar weapons around him.

Backfield Brings Back Top Options

The Hawks also return two of their top running backs from last season in juniors Collin Parsons and Aaron Harvey.

Parsons emerged as Quincy's lead back during the second half of the 2025 campaign after not seeing game action as a freshman.

He finished the season with a team-high 420 rushing yards on 88 carries, averaging a team-best 4.8 yards per attempt while tying for the team lead with four rushing touchdowns. His performance earned him GLVC All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.

Harvey appeared in all 11 games and made one start as his offensive role expanded during his sophomore season. He carried the ball 64 times for 266 yards while also contributing as a receiving option out of the backfield with 20 catches for 99 yards and one touchdown.

With both players returning, Quincy enters the season with continuity at quarterback and running back.

Receiving Corps Returns Nearly Intact

Perhaps the deepest collection of returning experience on the roster comes at wide receiver.

Sophomore Jackson Burnett headlines the group after emerging as one of Quincy's breakout freshmen in 2025.

Burnett appeared in all 11 games and made 10 starts, tying for the team lead with 38 receptions and four receiving touchdowns. He led the Hawks with 402 receiving yards while averaging 10.58 yards per reception.

Senior Troy TW Crozier also returns after making an immediate impact during his first season in a Quincy uniform.

Crozier appeared in all 11 games with six starts and caught 28 passes for 344 yards and one touchdown.

His impact stretched well beyond the offense. Crozier returned 22 kickoffs for 527 yards, ranking second in the GLVC, and averaged 24.0 yards per return with a long of 92 yards. He also returned seven punts for 80 yards, including one touchdown.

Senior Derrick Miller provides another experienced target after recording 23 receptions for 339 yards across 10 appearances and five starts last season.

Junior Owen Hampton is also back after taking a significant step forward during his sophomore campaign.

Hampton appeared in 10 games with five starts and finished third on the team with 31 receptions while ranking second with 359 receiving yards. He scored twice and also contributed as a punt returner, totaling 51 yards on 10 returns.

Sophomore tight end Elijah Genenbacher adds another proven weapon following a strong freshman season. Genenbacher appeared in 10 games and made one start, catching 16 passes for 112 yards. His four receiving touchdowns tied Burnett for the team lead.

With Little back at quarterback and most of his top targets returning, the passing game enters 2026 as one of the most experienced areas of the roster.

Offensive Line Faces Important Rebuild

The biggest question surrounding the Quincy offense comes up front, where the Hawks must replace three primary starters from last season's offensive line.

Senior center Jack Bishop could be one of the most important returners on the entire roster.

Bishop started all 11 games at center in 2025 after returning from a major injury the previous season. He helped provide stability in front of a freshman quarterback and established himself as one of the top linemen in the conference, earning GLVC All-Conference Honorable Mention recognition.

Junior Nathaniel Knaff gives the Hawks another experienced returning piece.

Knaff appeared in all 11 games as a sophomore and made 10 starts on the left side of the offensive line, giving Quincy two established veterans to build around while replacing the other three starters.

The Hawks also attacked the position heavily through the transfer portal, adding several offensive linemen with previous collegiate experience.

Wiley Leads New-Look Defense

The defensive side of the ball will feature considerably more turnover, with only three starters returning from last season.

Senior linebacker Brock Wiley becomes the centerpiece of that group following one of the best defensive seasons in the GLVC in 2025. Wiley started all 11 games and led Quincy with 106 tackles, averaging 9.6 per game. His tackle total ranked second in the conference and 18th nationally. He added 51 solo tackles, 55 assists, eight tackles for loss, three sacks, one interception, one quarterback hurry and six pass breakups.

Wiley earned Second Team All-GLVC honors and enters his senior season as the lone returning linebacker who saw action last year.

With significant turnover throughout the defense, his experience and production will make him a central figure as the Hawks work new players into the lineup.

Experience Returns in the Secondary

The secondary features two of Quincy's other most experienced returning defenders in junior cornerbacks Kendrick Adimado and DJ Cross.

Adimado started all 11 games during his sophomore season and finished with 30 tackles, including 20 solo stops.

He led the Hawks with 11 pass breakups and also recorded one blocked kick, establishing himself as one of Quincy's most consistent players in coverage.

Cross appeared in all 11 games and made eight starts. He totaled 15 tackles while recording one interception, one fumble recovery and two pass breakups.

With a new defensive system being installed under Shaah and Neal, the experience of Adimado and Cross gives the Hawks two proven pieces to build around in the defensive backfield.

Malone Anchors Defensive Front

Junior defensive lineman Aidan Malone enters 2026 as the lone returning member of last season's defensive front to see significant action.

Malone appeared in all 11 games and made 10 starts during his sophomore campaign after not seeing action as a freshman. He finished the season with 33 tackles, including 13 solo stops and 20 assists.

With the remainder of the defensive line featuring new faces, Malone's experience becomes increasingly important as Quincy looks to establish its rotation up front.

Fikejs Provides Special Teams Stability

Senior long snapper Caleb Fikejs provides the Hawks with experience at an often-overlooked special teams position.

Fikejs appeared in all 11 games last season as Quincy's primary long snapper and returns to provide consistency in the role.

Other areas of the special teams unit will feature open competition, particularly at kicker and punter following the departures of last year's primary specialists.

Transfers Compete for Immediate Roles

With openings across both sides of the ball and special teams, several transfers could find immediate opportunities in 2026.

Junior cornerback Jaylen Mooring joins Quincy after spending one season apiece at Citrus College and Fullerton College. Mooring appeared in four games last season at Fullerton and recorded three tackles.

Junior Jeremiah Cunningham arrives after two seasons at Southeast Missouri State. Cunningham did not see game action with the Redhawks but enters Quincy with an opportunity to compete for the open kicking and punting jobs.

The Hawks added significant depth along the offensive line through the transfer class.

Junior Jackson Metzdorff spent two seasons at Western Illinois, appearing in two games, while senior Zach Hudson joins the Hawks after three seasons at Southeast Missouri State. Hudson appeared in 24 games during his time at SEMO, primarily contributing along the line on special teams.

Junior Aaron Jacobsen brings starting experience from Adams State. He appeared in nine of 11 games during the 2025 season and made five starts along the offensive line.

Junior Joseph Hunt also joins the offensive line group after transferring from San Diego Mesa Community College.

The Hawks added additional collegiate experience to the secondary with seniors Kieran Jackson and Brevin Jackson, who each spent the previous three seasons at Siena Heights University.

Kieran Jackson appeared in nine games last season and recorded 39 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception and four pass breakups.

Brevin Jackson totaled 80 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, two interceptions and three pass breakups across his previous two seasons of action.

With only a few starters returning on defense, the experience brought in through the transfer class could prove especially important during the opening weeks of the season.

Youth Creates Opportunity

No group better represents the new look of the roster than Quincy's 48-player freshman class.

Four dozen first-year players enter the program with opportunities available throughout the depth chart.

The Hawks also feature 42 sophomores, meaning a significant portion of the roster enters the season with two or fewer years of collegiate experience.

That youth will create plenty for the coaching staff to evaluate as Quincy works through preseason camp and prepares depth charts across a roster featuring 73 returning letterwinners but only nine returning starters.

Hawks Open 2026 on the Road

Quincy opens the 2026 season on Thursday, August 27, traveling to St. Paul, Minnesota, for a matchup with Concordia-St. Paul at 6:00 PM at Sea Foam Stadium.

The matchup is a rematch of last year's season opener, when the Hawks defeated Concordia-St. Paul 38-7 at QU Stadium.

With Little and a large collection of offensive weapons returning, several proven defensive leaders back and a nearly entirely new coaching staff in place, the Hawks enter year three under Killday with experience in key areas but plenty of positions still to be decided.

For a full breakdown of the Hawks' 2026 schedule, click here.