NEWBERG, Ore. -- A new season begins. A new season brings a lot of noise, whether from outside sources or inside talk.

Ignore it.

As the George Fox football team gears up for the 2026 season, there's plenty for the Bruins to look back on.

After a tough start to the season, Fox finished the year with a blistering 4-1 mark. Senior defensive end Jacob Erickson was the ninth All-American in GFU history, shattering the program record for single-season (12.0) and career (29.5) sacks. Erickson, named the Northwest Conference Defensive Player of the Year, returns to Newberg alongside Karsen Denault, the NWC Rookie of the Year. Starting quarterback JJ Leman, who put up records of his own, is back as just a sophomore.

There's certainly plenty to be excited about. But second-year head coach Spencer Crace isn't looking back at the past. He's looking forward.

"[Last year] was about planting roots," Crace said, "Roots over results. I thought we did a really good job in year one establishing those roots and then going out and recruiting and retaining and bringing in a great group of guys to just elevate where we're at now going into year two."

For the offense, Leman enters as the incumbent starter and one of the leaders of the team at QB. After becoming just the second freshman to start a game, the signal-caller threw for 1,924 yards and 12 TDs, rushing for an additional 337 yards and eight scores. While freshman Austin Ramsey has also impressed in camp, it's been Leman's show so far.

"JJ has done a phenomenal job," Crace said. "He's having a great fall camp, and he's way more confident in who he is and what he does within the offense."

Once again, the Bruin QB will have plenty of targets to throw to as well. Denault narrowly missed the 1,000-yard mark as a freshman, pulling in 42 catches for 908 yards, the second most in program history.

But it won't just be Denault — senior Kaelan Frey, who was third on the team with 224 yards receiving in 2025, has impressed the coaching staff with his consistency, while three freshmen — Dallas native Bupe Chisanga Jr., Mountainside graduate Sean Gerigk, and Wilsonville grad Luke Carli — have been forces to be reckoned with at fall camp. The. In addition, Dreylen Tolentino returns as another pass-catcher who recorded 14 receptions his junior year.

And that's not to mention the tight ends. Whether it's returning starter Sheyden Iokia, who was second on the team in receiving yards, the versatile Tucker Land, who also took carries out of the backfield, or other key pieces in Noah Bjornstedt and Raiden Gonzales, who have both impressed in camp, Lemen will have several different sure-thing targets.

" We call the tight ends the glue of our offense," Crace said, "and we've got a really loaded room that's highly competitive."

Rounding out the position players is the running back position. After four years of a split backfield between Taylor Saben, the all-time leader in rushing yards and scoring, and William Moffitt, a new face will enter the fray: Brody Snyder. Snyder finished the 2025 season with 372 yards, 145 of which came in the Bruins' first win of the season against Lewis & Clark.

Up front, Fox made sure to focus on the offensive line; four of the five offensive starters from the Bruins' final game of the season return in Rylan McGraw, Toby Esqueda, Miky Amare, and Sean Brewster. In GFU's four-game win streak to help close the season, the line was a menace up front — the Bruins averaged 221 rushing yards per game in that 4-0 stretch. For his efforts, McGraw was named All-NWC Third Team.

With most of their starters returning, the Bruins look to have much-needed depth up front. Kyle Martin, who missed much of the 2025 season due to injury, and 6'8" Aidan Johnson, PLU transfer Tyler Ragan, and Southern Oregon transfer Matt Bradley can all find their way into the rotation.

"Offensively, I'm excited to see what our run game can do," Crace said. "We've gotten really creative in the off-season with how we want to run the football, and we believe that's going to set up our pass in so many ways and create matchups for our receivers. We're going to be explosive."

On the defensive side, it's no surprise that Erickson would make the headlines. After missing his junior season due to injury, the returning All-American will use his medical redshirt to haunt opposing offenses one more year.

"He is the guy," Crace said. "He is the leader. He's the one that sets the standard when it comes to elite competitiveness, and he's the one that we'll follow."

But it's not just Erickson — Fox returns eight of their nine defensive starters in 2026. Up front, that means Erickson will be joined by another force of nature in his own right in Kuyper Assink, who was named First Team All-NWC as a sophomore, and Kaedan Raever, who recorded nine tackles as a defensive tackle.

For the linebackers, another sophomore in Duke Alderete-Labuguen looks to make an impact as one of the few non-incumbent starters. The native of Kalaheo, Hawai'i, had 19 tackles, two of which were for loss, as a freshman. Returner Kaikoa Iokia (one of three Iokia relatives on the team alongside his cousin Sheyden and brother Kainui Iokia) was named All-NWC Second Team to boot after recording 60 tackles, 10.5 of which were for a loss. Freshman 
Mika Petaia, who hails from American Samoa but attended Sumner High, also has impressed at camp.

As for defensive backs, four of the five starters from 2025 return: Zak Holsey, Ben Nuss, Sam Astor, and Ty Borde. Three of the four are seniors, while Holsey is the second of two players to utilize his fifth year of eligibility after an injury his sophomore season. In addition to those four, who combined for five interceptions and 20 pass breakups, Austin Harrison (who led the team with nine PBUs in 2025) and Eli Miller will see the field as well.

"The confidence that our defense has right now and the havoc that they cause on opposing offenses is something that we expect," Crace said, "and last year we saw a glimpse of it. But we definitely expect this defense to be a dominant force in many ways."

Rounding out the three phases of the game are special teams. A key piece for Crace and his staff, the Bruins continue to follow the script with three returners. Ben Rembisz will conclude his career as a kicker after being named Second Team All-NWC, and is just 50 points shy of the GFU individual scoring record. 

Punter Riley Rutledge, meanwhile, comes in for his junior season after being named to the All-NWC Third Team. As a sophomore, Rutledge recorded 1,802 punting yards on 47 attempts with an average of 38.3 yards — as well as one eight-yard rush and a first down on a fake punt. Noah Bjornstedt, who Crace believes is one of the best long snappers in the nation, rounds out the special teams specialists.

"When you break it down — offense, defense, special teams — there's so much good," the Bruin head coach said, "and we think also there's some guys that are going to get better and better over the season."

Once again, the schedule is full of familiar faces. For the third straight season, the Bruins will face the same nine teams: their seven NWC opponents as well as Redlands and Claremont-Mudd-Scripps. In addition, the Bruins will play in the Oregon Cup Championship game, a non-conference matchup against a conference foe in Lewis & Clark. It's a game that is four years in the making, with four NWC Oregon-based teams (GFU, L&C, Pacific, and Willamette) facing each other over three seasons to determine a champion.

While the teams may be familiar, there are still some key differences — mainly, the times of the games. After no night games in the 2025 season, the Bruins will have a record three in 2026. Fox will kick off at 7:05 pm on September 5 against Redlands, September 12 against Lewis & Clark, and, for the first time ever at home, a Friday night game on October 30 against Willamette.

"Night games are fun," Crace said. "It takes guys back, right? When they played Friday Night Lights. But it will also be a challenge. It's one less day of preparation, and you have to be prepared earlier in the week to make sure we're ready to rock and roll."

Though the Bruins began the season 0-5 in 2025, they still managed to finish fourth in the conference thanks to their 4-1 close to the season. Now, they are projected to finish fifth, a slight step back from their impressive end to the season.

What does the GFU coaching staff think about that?

Ignore the noise.

" I don't think we have shown or earned the right to be considered a top-tier team yet," Crace said, " And lots of people can talk and say things, but we preach ignoring the noise. A preseason poll means nothing. But it just adds fuel to the fire, and I think our guys are on a mission to show what they've done and the work they've put in."

That mantra will help the Bruins look to prove any doubters wrong. Soon enough, it will be September 5. Play time will be over, and it'll be time to show that work off to the world.

We hope you'll join us.

Kickoff for George Fox football's first game of the season is at 7:05 on Saturday, September 5 against the Redlands Bulldogs. Tickets, live stream information, and live stats will be available on the GFU Athletics website.