CARMEL, Indiana – The Mount St. Joseph University football program has been picked to finish second in the Heartland Collegiate Athletic Conference in the 2026 preseason coaches poll, released Tuesday by the league office.
The Lions received 31 total points in the voting, including one first-place vote. Mount St. Joseph finished second in the poll behind defending conference champion Hanover, which received 36 points and six first-place votes.
Entering the 2026 season, the Lions will be led by a pair of D3football.com Preseason Second Team All-America selections, with one on each side of the ball.
Offensively, wide receiver Eli Aston returns after a prolific 2025 campaign. Aston finished third in the nation with a school-record 21 touchdown receptions and will once again serve as one of the primary weapons in the Mount offense.
On the defensive side, senior linebacker Luke Paff earned preseason All-America recognition after leading the Lions with 99 tackles last season. Paff also recorded one sack, one interception and a pair of pass breakups.
The keys to the Lions' high-powered offense will once again belong to senior quarterback Jaxon Schreiber. Schreiber completed 250 passes in 2025 for 3,608 yards and 47 touchdowns.
Joining Aston at wide receiver will be seniors Michael Hunkus and Keymari Pittman. Hunkus caught 63 passes for 1,030 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, while Pittman finished with 20 receptions for 308 yards and four touchdowns.
Up front, the Lions return all five starters from an offensive line that played a major role in the team's success in 2025. The group includes seniors Donnie Lewis and Dalando Anderson, junior Austin Partin and sophomores EJ Davis Jr. and Elijah Ludd.
Defensively, Paff will be joined by senior safety Brady Pierce, who finished second on the team with 65 tackles last season while recording a team-high six interceptions.
Logan Julian is expected to once again line up opposite Paff at linebacker, while junior Luke Fortkamp returns in the nickel role. In the secondary, Jaylen White, Austin Adams and Brady Blevins give the Lions an experienced group at cornerback.
Along the defensive front, Mount St. Joseph returns another talented group led by Derrick Rack, Jason Oprisek and Daniel Gray.
The Lions will open the 2026 season under the lights at Schueler Field on Saturday, Sept. 5, when they host Muskingum. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:00 p.m.
