By: Cody Bush, Associate Commissioner / External Communication Strategy

The Weekly Preview

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – League leaders Colorado State University Pueblo and Western Colorado University return home and look to stay unbeaten in 2026 as the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s football slate reaches its halfway point with Week 5 action.

The nationally-ranked ThunderWolves and their 28-game RMAC winning streak are back in Pueblo to face Adams State. CSU Pueblo is 3-0 in league play after dispatching three of the top four contenders for the 2026 title to begin conference play.

Nationally-ranked Western Colorado is back in Gunnison and hosts New Mexico Highlands. The Mountaineers' 3-0 start includes wins against two of the top five teams predicted by the preseason coaches’ poll to be in the race for the 2026 RMAC title.

Behind the league-leading pair is a trio of teams at 2-1, with two of those teams squaring off in Week 5. Black Hills State travels to Colorado School of Mines for that battle of 2-1 teams, with the Yellow Jackets 0-1 on the road and the Orediggers 1-0 at home in league play. South Dakota Mines is the third 2-1 team in the mix and is also on the road with a trip to Fort Lewis on the slate. Elsewhere, Chadron State seeks its first RMAC win when it travels to Colorado Mesa.

Week 5 Schedule

Saturday, Oct. 3
Black Hills State at Colorado School of Mines	12 p.m.	RMAC Network / RYZ Network
South Dakota Mines at Fort Lewis	12 p.m.	RMAC Network
#4/6 CSU Pueblo at Adams State	12 p.m.	RMAC Network
Chadron State at Colorado Mesa	6 p.m.	RMAC Network
#7/7 Western Colorado at New Mexico Highlands	6 p.m.	RMAC Network / RYZ Network

Rankings: AFCA Coaches Poll/D2Football.com Poll. Yellow indicates an RMAC contest. (RV) indicates the team was receiving votes in the AFCA Coaches Poll.

RMAC Weekly Award Winners

Week	Offensive	Defensive	Special Teams
Week 0	Andre Branch, ASU 21 att., 282 yds, 3 TDs vs. WNMU	Carter Daniels, CSUP 16 tackles, 1.5 sacks, Pick-6 vs. Central Mo.	JT Miller, WCU 10 pts, 1-1 FG, 7-7 PATs at WTAM
Week 1	Jayden Williams, BHSU 12 rec., 206 yds, 2 TDs vs. DSU	Jarred Marquez, CSC 11 tackles, 2 forced fumbles, 1 PBU	Triston Hite, CSC 6 punts, 45.3 avg, 4 inside 20
Week 2	Navi Bruzon, CSUP 22-27, 421 yds, 4 TDs vs. CSM	Dante Vigil, CSM 17 tackles at SDM	Lucas Schmitten, FLC 37-yd GW FG, 3-3 FG, 2 PATs vs. NMHU
Week 3	Kadyn Parr, NMHU 20-31, 315 yds, 4 TDs vs. BHSU	Parker Johnson, CSM 40-yd Pick-6, 4 tackles, 2 PBUs	Lucas LeSieur, CSM 3 punts, 55.0 avg., all 50+ & Inside-20
Week 4	Navi Bruzon, CSUP 16-21, 287 yds, 3 TDs, 1 rush TD vs. CMU	Christian Peluse, CSM 7 tackles, 2 TFL, Sack at CSC	Jevon Young, WCU 3 blocked punts, 1 TD vs. ASU
Week 5
Week 6
Week 7
Week 8
Week 9
Week 10
Week 11
Week 12

The 10 Summits

• CSU Pueblo quarterback Navi Bruzo has quickly made his case as one of Division II’s top signal callers. He enters Week 5 ranked No. 3 in passing (306.6 yards per game), No. 2 in points responsible for (114), and No. 5 in passing efficiency (190.5).  Bolstering his performance, he has two of Division II’s Top 10 receivers in Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. (491 receiving yards) and Dedrek Taylor-Akins (453 yards).
• Western Colorado kicker JT Miller is making his case for kicker of the year in Division II already with 8 field goals, 24 PATs, and 48 points through four weeks. He is third among Division II kickers in scoring (20th overall), behind Roosevelt’s Sean Sample (43 points, 10.8 ppg) and East Stroudsburg’s Ty Quintois (39 pts, 9.8 ppg). Miller is No. 3 in the RMAC and Division II in field goals made, a category led by Colorado School of Mines’ Preston Kyle (11 FGM) and Chadron State’s Shay Prichard (9 FGM).
• Black Hills State kick returner Bryce Coulson provided a spark with his 95-yard kick-six at New Mexico Highlands in Week 3.  The return catapulted him to the top of the RMAC combined kick return leaderboard. Last week, he added 30 punt return and 97 kick return yards and is now No. 2 nationally with 404 combined kick return yards; he is one of only five return specialists with 100 yards in both punt and kick returns this season.
• Colorado School of Mines punter Lucas LeSieur dropped out of the Division II punting rankings this week after getting one punt at Chadron State last week. That dropped him to 17 punts in five games, which is one punt below Division II’s 3.6 punt-per-game minimum. However, his 47.6 yards per punt average would put him atop the Division II rankings
• South Dakota Mines running back Dawson Dunbar just missed his fourth 100-yard rushing performance last week, but still took over the top spot on the RMAC rushing leaderboard with 90 yards last week against New Mexico Highlands. His league-leading 510 rushing yards is No. 7 nationally, and he leads the RMAC in rushing touchdowns (8, fifth in Division II) and all-purpose yardage (135.8 ypg, 15th in Division II).
• Colorado Mesa linebackers Dante Vigil and La’Markus Reed are the RMAC top two defenders in total tackles. Vigil leads the league with 54 total tackles, averaging 10.8 per game, which ranks him No. 12 in Division II. Reed is second in the league with 51 total tackles, averaging 10.2 per game, which is No. 16 nationally.
• After the departure of all-world tackler Jake Penney (352 career tackles), it would be easy to question who would step up for Fort Lewis. Enter Trenton Sullivan, who leads the Skyhawks with 40 tackles and averages 10.0 tackles per game, third in the RMAC and 18th among Division II defenders.
• New Mexico Highlands is tied for the RMAC lead with seven interceptions in 2026, a mark matched by South Dakota Mines. The Cowboys’ Kaleb Harris leads the way with three picks this season after picking off two passes against Black Hills State. Four other Cowboys have an interception this year, and all are part of a group of eight with a pass breakup.
• Adams State running back Andre Branch leads a rushing attack that has amassed 932 rushing yards this season, averaging 186.4 yards per game and third-best in the RMAC. Branch is No. 2 in the RMAC with 464 net rushing yards (92.8 ypg) this season. He is one of six Grizzlies with 10 or more carries this season.
• Chadron State kicker Shay Prichard went 2-for-4 on field goals against Colorado School of Mines, including a season-best tying 50-yarder, and now has nine field goals made this season. He is No. 2 among RMAC kickers in field goals made, trailing the Orediggers’ Preston Kyle..

Kicking the Points

RMAC head coaches haven’t been shy about sending their kickers out to score this season. RMAC teams have combined for 64 field goals (and 86 attempts) in just 49 games, averaging 1.3 field goals per game. That far outpaces any other Division II league, with the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference second in Division II at 58 field goals but in 30 games. The RMAC boasts four of Division II’s most prolific kickers in field goals made and nine of the Top 50 in the category.

Common Bye Week Upcoming

After this week’s action, the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s football teams will enjoy a common bye week during Week 6, with no teams in action. After the break, it’s a five-week sprint to the end of the regular season on Nov. 14.

RMAC Network Extends Reach with Licensing Deal

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference signed a broadcast licensing agreement with Metta Sport to broadcast select games worldwide through its partnerships. Under the agreement, select RMAC games will be broadcast on the RYZ Sports Network and SI TV, both linear Free Ad-Supported TV (FAST) channels. RYZ Sports Network and SI TV are available through Amazon Prime Video, DirecTV, Fubo, Sling TV, and Fire TV, as well as Samsung TV Plus, Roku, LG Channels, VIZIO WatchFree+, Xumo Play, and Google TV.

RMAC’s 10 D2 wins 2nd in Division II

The RMAC’s 10 wins against fellow Division II teams rank second among all D2 conferences after two weeks, trailing only the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference’s 11 nonconference Division II victories. The RMAC leads the group of four conferences in Super Region 4, with the Lone Star Conference at 4-10 and the Mid-America Athletic Association at 5-7-1 against other D2 foes. The Great America Conference does not play any nonconference teams during its season.

Four RMAC Football Student-Athletes Named Campbell Trophy Semifinalists

Four Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference football student-athletes are among the record 206 named as semifinalists for the 2026 William V. Campbell Trophy®, presented by the National Football Foundation (NFF) & College Football Hall of Fame.
The Campbell Trophy® is college football's premier scholar-athlete award. Celebrating its 37th year, the Campbell Trophy® recognizes an individual as the nation's best football scholar-athlete for combined academic success, football performance, and exemplary leadership.

CSU Pueblo’s Bruzon Named NFFCC Player of the Week

CSU Pueblo quarterback Navi Bruzon claimed the National Football Foundation Colorado Chapter’s Player of the Week honor after leading the ThunderWolves to a home win against Colorado School of Mines in Week 2. Bruzon completed 22-of-27 passes (81.5 percent) for 421 yards and four touchdowns, leading CSU Pueblo to a 45-17 victory against Colorado School of Mines. His four touchdown passes went for 75, 66, 24, and 38 yards, with wide receiver Marcellus Honeycutt Jr. catching two of them (75 and 24 yards) in his seven-reception, 156-yard outing.

Chadron State’s Hite Nabs D2Football Weekly Nod

For a second consecutive week, an RMAC student-athlete claimed one of D2Football.com’s weekly honors as Chadron State’s Triston Hite was the site’s National Special Teams Player of the Week after Week 1 action. Hite averaged 45.3 yards on six punts with four downed inside the 20-yard line in the Eagles' win against Nebraska-Kearney.

CSU Pueblo’s Daniels claims Week Zero State & National Honors

CSU Pueblo linebacker Carter Daniels, the RMAC’s Defensive Player of the Week in Week Zero, also claimed the NFF Colorado Chapter’s Player of the Week and the D2Football.com National Defensive Player of the Week honor. He began his ThunderWolves career with a 16-tackle effort against Central Missouri that included 1.5 sacks and a fourth-quarter pick-six.

NCAA Division II Championship Field Selection Moves to NPI

New for 2026, the NCAA Division II Championship Field Selection will be determined by the NCAA Power Index (NPI). Used in Division III for the past two seasons, the NPI will replace the NCAA’s Regional Advisory Committees across most team sports during the 2026-27 season.

The NPI is a system that objectively applies the selection criteria to data based on the sport committee’s established weighted criteria. NPI is a combination of the following: winning percentage, strength of schedule, home-away multiplier, quality win bonus, and minimum wins.

The first NPI will be released on Mondays four weeks before Selection Sunday in each sport, with the first football NPI release on Monday, Oct. 19. In the two weeks before Selection Sunday, the NPI will be updated daily.

Nine RMAC Athletes Included in D2Football.com Preseason Top 100

D2Football.com released its Preseason Elite 100 list of Division II’s top football athletes, with RMAC student-athletes earning six spots. Western Colorado linebacker Ian Loomis, Colorado Mesa defensive back Gibson Leafgreen, and Colorado School of Mines punter Lucas LeSieur earned second-team recognition. CSU Pueblo wide receiver Marcellus Honeycutt Jr., Chadron State defensive lineman William Stemler, and Western Colorado defensive lineman Drew Johnson.

Two RMAC Kickers Named to Fred Mitchell Award Watch List

The Fred Mitchell Award Selection Committee released its 2026 Preseason Watch List for the 18th edition of the award, which recognizes the nation’s top place-kickers competing outside the Division I ranks. Colorado School of Mines’ Preston Kyle and CSU Pueblo’s Jackson Smith were two of 12 Division II place-kickers recognized on the list.

RMAC Preseason Poll

Two-time defending champion Colorado State University Pueblo is again picked as the preseason favorite in the Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference’s Preseason Football Coaches’ Poll released in late July.

CSU Pueblo received eight of a possible nine first-place votes, and one second-place vote, to amass 80 of a possible maximum 81 points to lead the 2026 preseason poll. The ThunderWolves had three athletes named to the preseason team, led by wide receiver Marcellus Honeycutt Jr., who returns after earning Second-Team All-RMAC recognition last season.

Western Colorado University, which reached the second round of the NCAA Division II Football Playoffs last season, was picked second in the poll with one first-place vote and 69 points. The Mountaineers led all teams with seven returning student-athletes, including two offensive linemen from the 2025 First Team All-RMAC, named to the Preseason All-RMAC Team.
Colorado School of Mines (62 points), Chadron State (60) and Colorado Mesa (52) rounded out the top half of the preseason poll. New Mexico Highlands University led the second half of the 10-team poll with 38 points and were followed by South Dakota Mines (34 points), Black Hills State University (29), Fort Lewis College (16), and Adams State University (10).

RMAC Preseason Squad

Four 2025 First Team All-RMAC honorees return to lead the 2026 Preseason All-RMAC unit. Western Colorado offensive linemen Taylor Nichols and Joseph Shepardson, Black Hills State kick returner Bryce Coulson, and Colorado School of Mines long snapper Josh Hildebrand. They were joined by 14 returning Second Team All-RMAC selections, including New Mexico Highlands outside linebacker Dontaivious Nelson, who returns after earning the league’s Defensive Freshman of the Year honor last season.

RMAC Championships

Western Colorado (19, 2021); Colorado School of Mines (16, 2023); Colorado Mesa (12, 2017); CSU Pueblo (10, 2025); Chadron State (8, 2008); Adams State (7, 1989); New Mexico Highlands (2, 1999); and Fort Lewis (1, 1984).
(Championships won and the last year the program won or shared a championship)

RMAC Network PPV

All RMAC football games broadcast by its 15 full-member institutions and associate members are available for purchase via a single-game pass or a monthly or annual subscription. A discounted annual subscription price is available to students, faculty, and staff of each member institution throughout the year. Revenue generated by the network will be redistributed to the league’s membership to enhance their programs. Visit RMACNetwork.com/Purchase for more information and to subscribe.

About the RMAC

The Rocky Mountain Athletic Conference, headquartered in Colorado Springs, is a premier NCAA Division II conference with 15 institutions located in Colorado, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Dakota, and Utah. The RMAC currently competes in 22 NCAA Division II sports and has earned 71 national championships since 1992. Founded in 1909, the RMAC is the most historic athletic conference in the western United States and Division II.

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