UWF Athletics

UWF Argonauts Picked Last in Inaugural UAC Preseason Poll

A new chapter in Argonaut football history quietly began today. The United Athletic Conference released its 2026 preseason football awards and coaches poll, and for the first time, West Florida’s name appeared on a UAC ballot—landing at No. 8 in the program’s debut season as a conference member.

•  What the Argos do next is up to them.

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A Big Jump, A Bigger Opportunity

The UAC is not a soft landing for its newest member.  Preseason co-favorites Abilene Christian and Tarleton State ran neck and neck atop the poll, splitting three first-place votes apiece and finishing tied at 65 points. Austin Peay and its do-it-all quarterback Chris Parson grabbed the final two first-place nods and slotted in at No. 3. From there, Eastern Kentucky,  Central Arkansas, and West Georgia filled out the middle of the pack, with North Alabama and West Florida bringing up the rear at seven and eight.

• T1. Abilene Christian (3 first-place votes) — 65 points
• T1. Tarleton State (3 first-place votes) — 65 points
• 3. Austin Peay (2 first-place votes) — 62 points
• 4. Eastern Kentucky— 48 points
• 5. Central Arkansas — 43 points
• 6. West Georgia — 39 points
• 7. North Alabama — 37 points
• 8. West Florida — 33 points

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A League Built on Playoff Pedigree

Abilene Christian rolled through 2025 at 7-1, good enough to seize the conference’s automatic bid into the NCAA FCS Playoffs, while Tarleton State matched that record stride for stride to share the championship.

• Austin Peay’s Parson terrorized UAC defenses to the tune of 3,746 total yards, third-most in the entire FCS, and who put together the single most explosive performance in the league last year: 487 yards of total offense in one night against a Tarleton State team ranked fifth in the country.
• On defense, Eastern Kentuck’s Karen Smith made hitting look like an art form, piling up 77 tackles, 37 of them unassisted, and capping the season with an interception he returned 16 yards for a touchdown against Nicholls.
• No UWF players had made the preseason all-conference team.

 

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What It Means for UWF

Every program that’s ever climbed a conference ladder had to start on the bottom rung, and for West Florida, No. 8 is that rung — a starting point, not a ceiling.

• Without any NIL funds, Coach Kaleb Nobles has attempted to put together a roster that can compete week in and week out against playoff-caliber competition. The Argonaut identity has always been toughness first, and nothing about a preseason poll changes that. Hopefully, it sharpens it.

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United Athletic Conference Football Preseason Coaches Poll

T1. Abilene Christian (3): 65
T1. Tarleton State (3): 65
3. Austin Peay (2): 62
4. Eastern Kentucky (EKU): 48
5. Central Arkansas: 43
6. West Georgia: 39
7. North Alabama: 37
8. West Florida: 33

United Athletic Conference Football Preseason Awards

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: Chris Parson, Austin Peay
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: Kaden Smith, EKU*

All-UAC Preseason Offensive Team
QB: Chris Parson, Austin Peay*
RB: Tylan Hines, Tarleton State
RB: Brayden Latham, EKU
WR: Jaden Robinson, Austin Peay
WR: Dallas Dudley, Abilene Christian
TE: Jackson Head, Austin Peay
OL: Joshua Sales Jr, Austin Peay
OL: Aidan Moe, Tarleton State
OL: Luke Roaten, Abilene Christian
OL: Landon Roaten, Abilene Christian
C: Colter Lynch, Abilene Christian*

All-UAC Preseason Defensive Team
DL: Kortlin Rausaw, Abilene Christian
DL: Trevion Traylor, Central Arkansas
DL: Fred Vili, North Alabama
DL: Chris Herpin, Abilene Christian
LB: Kaden Smith, EKU
LB: Ashtyn Williams, Central Arkansas
LB: Tango McCauley Jr., North Alabama
DB: Omar Emmons, Tarleton State
DB: Dillon Williams, Abilene Christian
DB: Marcus Washington, Central Arkansas
DB: Derek Taylor, EKU

All-UAC Preseason Specialists Team
K: Brandon Perez, Abilene Christian
P: Charlie Mullen, Tarleton State
LS: Quaid Luginbill, EKU
RS: DeAndre Buchannon, Tarleton State*

*indicates a unanimous decision