Why West Georgia Could be an FCS Sleeper in 2026

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It is no secret that Georgia is one of football’s hotbeds. From recruiting to storied programs, the state has churned out some of the sport’s most iconic names and teams throughout the years. When you think of Georgia football, though, you almost certainly think of the heavy hitters. Kirby Smart and the Bulldogs. The Yellow Jackets of Georgia Tech. Maybe even the Atlanta Falcons their largely tortured NFL history. What you probably don’t think of, though, is the town of Carrollton.

It does not exactly always get associated with the gridiron, at least not typically. Tucked against the Georgia-Alabama boarder about an hour east of Atlanta, the city boasts a population of around 28,000. Until recently, it was barely more than a blip in Georgia’s football scene. Now, though, it might be getting its seat at the table because of its college football team. The West Georgia Wolves are starting to make a name for themselves as one of the newest Division I units and, if last year was any indication of the trajectory of this program, UWG will be a name to know in the very near future.

A longtime Division II mainstay, West Georgia made the jump to the FCS back in 2024, joining the United Athletic Conference (UAC). It was a move that, while noteworthy for the program itself, didn’t really make waves on the national scene. The FCS typically adds one or two teams from the lower ranks every season and usually it takes them a while to compete. In their first DI season, the Wolves were essentially a non-factor, going 4-7 and finishing tied for last with Utah Tech at the bottom of their league.

Last season, however, it all flipped. Behind a very balanced offense and stout defense, West Georgia came out of the woodwork and was a legitimate player in the UAC. They reached several program milestones in 2025 including an 8-3 record and a #22 ranking in the national polls by season’s end. Had they been eligible for the postseason, UWG had a real case to be in the playoffs in just their second year at the FCS level. It was a success that got noticed by many as has been made evident over this offseason.

Former head coach Joel Taylor was named the new head man at Georgia’s other FCS program in Mercer. The Bears are back-to-back SoCon champions with expectations of being back in the postseason again this year. Standout quarterback Davin Wynder, who threw for 1,667 yards and accounted for 18 touchdowns got scooped up by Louisville in the transfer portal. Latrelle Murrel ran for nearly 900 yards and is on his way to Kennesaw State. Defensive back Kyeaure Magloire authored 42 tackles and two interceptions and is now with Arkansas.

Those are all big losses, of course, but there is still plenty of reason to be excited for Wolves fans heading into this fall. The school has made several big moves since the end of last year including the hiring of Steve Englehart as the next head coach. Englehart comes over from Presbyterian where he guided the Blue Hose to a terrific season in their own right last year. Presbyterian, a non-scholarship program, notably took down the likes of Furman and Mercer en route to a ten-win season.

Englehart’s hiring has paved the way for an influx of talent at UWG. Ten former Presbyterian players followed him to West Georgia and perhaps the most notable of them is junior quarterback Collin Hurst. Hurst has been excellent, throwing for over 5,000 yards over the last two seasons and was named the Pioneer League’s Offensive Player of the Year in 2024. He completed 68% of his passes last year and finished with the seventh highest QB rating among FCS quarterbacks.

The addition of Hurst is huge but is also far form the only noteworthy one, even in that room. Ex-South Dakota State backup Luke Marble also joined the team and is expected to at least compete for the starting job. Marble appeared in six games for SDSU last year as a redshirt freshman in the wake of Chase Mason’s injury. He threw for 492 yards and four touchdowns.

Running back Justin Montgomery is another big get that West Georgia was able to lure away from Presbyterian. He ran for 744 yards and seven scores in 2025 and was named to the All-Pioneer League Second Team. Him, along with a handful of fresh faces on the offensive line including senior Freddie Pelling (Campbell), sophomore Warren Sandbothe (Davidson) and redshirt freshman Austin Powell (Mississippi Valley State) should all help reinforce the offense.

Defensively the Wolves made some splash moves as well and again they come largely from Presbyterian. Linebacker Michael Torres registered 74 tackles, three sacks and two forced fumbles last season and now will feature on the UWG defense as a senior. So too will fellow senior Malik Lewis who is expected to fill into a safety role. With the Blue Hose last year he had 59 stops, a PBU and a pair of fumble recoveries.

It isn’t just new players, though, that will help the Wolves in 2026. The team was able to hold onto a handful of their stars from last year, the most significant being defensive back Chancellor Bryant who broke up five passes and made 25 tackles from his safety spot last year. Also coming back is return specialist Jovanni McGee. McGee ran back three punts for 51 yards a season ago.

West Georgia is in line to have a really talented team around them again and if all the new names can gel sooner rather than later, they should be able to make some noise again. The UAC will undoubtedly be headlined once more by the likes of recent playoff representatives Tarleton State and Abilene Christian. Austin Peay, too, is expected to steal a lot of the spotlight this year. But West Georgia is right there behind that top group and might have just the makings to make things interesting for one or several of them. While they still cannot qualify for the playoffs this year, the Wolves can influence the conference race.

Last season was a coming out party for fans in Carrollton but this doesn’t quite feel like a flash in the pan. There has been a concentrated effort made to improve the football team at West Georgia and year three of FCS ball is shaping up to be a really special one.

West Georgia will begin its 2026 season at home against Chattanooga on August 27.

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