STARKVILLE, Miss. – The ULM football team hits the road to open the 2026 season, taking on Mississippi State on Saturday (Sept. 5) night at Davis Wade Stadium. Kickoff is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT.
 
Saturday's game will be broadcast on ESPNU with Doug Sherman (play-by-play) and Tom Luginbill (analyst) on the call. The game will also air on KLIP 105.3 FM with the Voice of the Warhawks, Mike Hammett and analyst Mike McGee.

OPENING DRIVE –
• In its 75-year football history, ULM is 33-40-2 (.440) in season openers, including a 6-4 record (.600) in its last 10 games, with a three-game streak of season openers. When opening the season at on the road, the Warhawks are 12-33 (.267), ULM having not opened its season on the road since 2022. The last time the Warhawks opened the season on the road was a 52-10 defeat at Texas.
• Saturday's game marks the seventh meeting between the Bulldogs and the Warhawks, having not seen action against Mississippi State since 1997. Mississippi State is the lone opponent ULM will face for the first time in the 21st century. The Warhawks have snagged a win over the Bulldogs, occurring in 1995 in Starkville, a 34-23 victory.
• ULM looks to defeat an SEC opponent for the first time since 2012, memorably defeating Arkansas in overtime to open the season, 34-31. Famed Warhawk quarterback Kolton Browning passed for 412 yards, scoring three passing touchdowns and a rushing touchdown on the way to the victory. The 2012 was also the lone season since joining the FBS that ULM qualified for a bowl.
• On the 2026 roster, ULM welcomes back 49 returners and brings in 56 newcomers, providing an 48% retention rate from 2025. Out of the newcomers, the Warhawks welcome 10 first-years, 23 NCAA transfers and 23 JUCO transfers to the bayou. Out of those returning to Monroe, 20 have played with ULM for one year, 21 for two years, three for three years and four for four years.
• As head coach Bryant Vincent enters his third season leading the Warhawks, he looks for a hot start. ULM has opened 3-1 in both of the last two seasons with Vincent at the helm. In 2024, the Warhawks opened 5-1, while the 2025 Warhawks went 3-1 to begin. ULM has not recorded a 3-1 (or better) start in three-straight seasons since a six-year stretch from 1980-85.
• ULM's 12-game football schedule features six home games, four being conference opponents. The last time ULM had six home games was the 2024 season, where the Warhawks went 4-2 at Malone Stadium. Overall, it marks the eighth time that the Warhawks have played a six-game home schedule since joining the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (formerly known as Division I-A). 
• ULM's 2026 opponents went a combined 72-81 (.471) in 2025, with five opponents going over .500. In addition, seven foes also participated in postseason bowl games a year ago: Mississippi State (Duke's Mayo Bowl), Louisiana Tech (Radiance Technologies Independence Bowl), Troy (IS4S Salute to Veterans Bowl), Southern Miss (New Orleans Bowl), Arkansas State (XBox Bowl), the Ragin' Cajuns (68 Ventures Bowl) and App State (JLab Birmingham Bowl).
• Four ULM football players have been recognized on the Preseason All-Sun Belt teams, the most in the Bryant Vincent era and the most since 2020. Two offensive and two defense players were featured on the teams for the Warhawks. AJ Vinson and Noah Flemmings were recognized on the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team and Nic Trujillo and Jabari Tiller were named to the second team.
• ULM has 26 states featured on its roster in 2026. In announcing its roster, ULM Football posts 19 Louisiana players, 11 coming from Monroe's own Ouachita Parish. Louisiana is the state with the most representatives on the team, with Mississippi following close behind with 18. Texas records the third-most with 15 and Alabama records 10. Iowa, Florida, Pennsylvania and Georgia all record a few, while 19 other states are represented with one or two. 
• ULM's coaching staff features six new faces in 2026, including offensive coordinator and receivers coach Jesse Montalto, special teams coordinator and defensive line coach Tony McClain, pass game coordinator Chris Jones, running backs coach Shawn Simmons and tight ends coach Gavin Blomberg. Montalto arrives after eight seasons at the helm of Iowa Central CC, where he claimed the Region XI title and ICCAC Coach of the Year in 2019. McClain makes his ULM appearance after time at East Texas A&M, where he spent two seasons. Jones arrives from a season in the Belichick era at North Carolina as the senior associate director of player personnel. Simmons also arrives from Iowa Central CC, previously playing at Central Methodist. Blomberg rounds out the new staff from Iowa Central.
• Staff updates came in the offseason as well, with Troy Reffett taking over duties at defensive coordinator. Derek Cronenwett was named the team's general manager as Micheal Atiyeh became the director of football operations. Isaac Lopez is responsible for strength & conditioning efforts for the team.
• Returning at the quarterback position this season is fourth-year Aidan Armenta, who assumed the starting position midway through the 2024 season. In 2025, Armenta completed 148 passes on 253 attempts for a 58.5% completion percentage, posting 12 touchdowns and 1,629 yards. Fourth-year Landon Graves also makes the return, after appearing in eight games on the offense making a start at Southern Miss last season. Graves totaled 185 yards and two touchdowns in his third season. Bryson Kimbrough returns for his second season in the quarterback room as well, having not seen time in 2025. 
• Two more quarterbacks joined the Warhawks entering 2026, in Houston transfer Austin Carlisle and Iowa Central transfer Ty Purdy.
• The Warhawks reloaded at the running back position by adding transfers Derrick Jameson (Utah State), Don Chaney (Charlotte), Julian Walker (Saint Vincent), CJ Phillip (Iowa Central CC), Bryson Roland  (Arkansas Tech), Trevon Kinchen (Georgia Military) and Makin Lenard (Ouachita Baptist). Roland was recognized multiple times in 2025, recognized on D2CCA All-Super Region 4 Second Team, GAC Freshman of the Year, All-GAC First Team. He logged 25 receptions for 396 yards and two touchdowns, averaging 15.8 yards per catch.
• The Warhawks return two starting guards from last season. AJ Vinson and Kaliem Croswell are set for their second seasons in Monroe. Vinson was voted to the Preseason All-Sun Belt First Team. Quentis Griffin Jr. is back for a third season with ULM, after appearing in three games last season. Also returning for the Warhawks' offensive line is David Applewhite and Drew Hutchinson, both of whom saw action last season. Roscoe Tucker and Reese Steele return from injury in 2026. 
• Nic Trujillo, named to the Preseason All-Sun Belt Second Team, is back on the roster and was one of Armenta's top targets last season. After returning from injury midway through the season, Trujillo caught four touchdowns, including two at the Ragin' Cajuns. JP Coulter appeared in all 12 games last season and totaled 234 yards from 21 catches, concluding his year with a career-high 56 yards at Texas State. Brandon Buckhaulter also returns for his second season, collecting 52 yards and a touchdown last season. Javon Campbell is also back after being sidelined through injury in 2025, appearing at Texas State to make his return. 
• Added to the receiving room are transfers LT Robinson (Hutchinson CC), Demarcco Blanton (Arkansas State), Parker Fulghum (Clemson) and Marcellus Jackson (Itawamba CC). Freshmen in Keidric Osunde-Brown and Jaiden Tucker are also added to the roster.
• Moses Madubuike (Navarro JC) and Marvin Hall (Garden City CC) both transfer in to add to the defensive ends. Sixth year Levontae Jacobs also makes the return on the defensive line, anchoring newcomers such as CJ Wilson (Butler), Zyan Tremont (Jones College) and Colton Vatne (Mississippi Valley State).  
• James Smith returns for a fifth year at ULM after appearing in 11 games and notching 14 tackles last season. 
• Noah Flemmings is back for his second season with the Warhawks after posting 80 tackles, 11.0 tackles for loss, a pass breakup, a forced fumble and two fumble recoveries to receive All-Sun Belt Third Team accolades. Flemmings was recognized in the preseason by multiple watchlists, most notably named to the Chuck Bednarik Award Watchlist, honoring the best college defensive player of the season. 
• Joining him is Marcus Ross, who registered 35 tackles, two sacks and two forced fumbles in his 2025 campaign. Back for a third year is Jaeden Calender, who appeared in all 12 games with 25 tackles and two quarterback hurries under his belt last season. 
• Newcoming linebackers include Rickey Banks, who recorded 70 tackles last season at Northeast Mississippi CC. Jackson Parker also arrives from Northeast Mississippi. Linebacker LaZavier Amos was named an NJCAA All-American last season after registering 125 tackles and five sacks at Trinity Valley CC. • Returning for the defense includes Jabari Tiller appears for a second season with ULM after collecting 45 tackles, two sacks, a forced fumble and a pass breakup. 
• Also returning is Zy Jackson, who totaled 25 tackles, a pass breakup and a tackle for loss last season and Jay Harper, who made a start and recorded three tackles. Defensive back Navarion Benson remains with ULM as Korian Wilson returns from injury to make an impact in 2026. 
• Defensive newcomers include Armoni Rue, who saw action in five games and posted five solo stops while at UTSA. Other transfers include RJ Hall (Hinds CC), Jonathan Crain (Co-Lin CC) and Willie Wilson (American International).
• Special teams players Max Larson, Makenzie Ryan and Nolan Wilson are all back on ULM's 2026 roster. Larson missed the 2025 season due to injury, but went 14-for-17 on field goal attempts and 27-for-28 on PATs in 2024. Ryan booted 60 punts with an average of 38.8 yards per punt, downing 13 inside the 20-yard line last season. Wilson was the long snapper for all 12 games last season. 
• ULM signed long snapper Matthew Feibush to the roster, who arrives from Colorado State-Pueblo. Gavin Polk, a Monroe native from Ouachita Christian School, joins the special teams room along with California transfer Abram Murray. Murray was named to the Phil Steele Preseason Sun Belt Fourth Team.