A Look at the Presbterian College Blue Hose

 Preseason Preview of the 2026 PC Blue Hose

Head coach Matt Rahl enters his debut season at the helm after two years as PC’s offensive line coach. He takes over a program coming off its best year since joining the Pioneer Football League.

Schedule & Context
The Blue Hose play 11 games, 5 at Bailey Memorial Stadium. The season opens Thursday, Aug 27, 2026 vs UVA Wise at 7:00 pm – the earliest opener in PC’s PFL era. Non-conference trips to Mercer (Sept 5) and Western Carolina (Sept 19) set up PFL play starting Sept 26 at Marist. Home PFL dates: St. Thomas Oct 3 (1:00), Davidson Oct 10 (5:30), Butler Oct 31 (1:00 Homecoming), Dayton Nov 21 (1:00 Senior Day).

PC rides an active eight-game home winning streak, tied for 6th-longest in FCS. In 2025 they finished 10-2 overall, 6-0 at home, and climbed to #16 in the AFCA rankings. That sets the bar for 2026.

 
Offense -Key returners on roster:
-WR Dominic Kibby – PC’s all-time leader in receiving yards (2,538) and TD catches (15). Still the #1 target.
-RB/ATH Warner, Worth – Listed on 2026 roster. Versatile piece in Rahl’s run-heavy scheme.
-OL/TE depth – Names like Hodges, Wyatt, Russ-Martin, Bradley, Brown, Nigel, Bennett, Patch are all on the roster and give Rahl the trench foundation he coached up in 2025.

Defense-Key returners on roster:
-LB Bankhead, Boyce – Went from special teams to leading tackler in 2025. Back for 2026.
-LB Lewis, Malik – Veteran presence in the middle.
-DB McCray, Raymond – Experienced secondary piece.
-DB Hall, Debo – Another returner in the defensive backfield.
-DL/LB Drayton, Ashton, Burleson, Jackson, Boone, Tristan – All listed and will rotate up front.

Special Teams
-K/P Lipscombe, Peter – Returns after handling both duties in 2025. Big leg and was key in the blocked-kick games last year.
-Coverage/return – Sealey, Tyleek, Epps, Dalton, and Tucker, Anthony are all on the roster and played special teams roles in 2025.

Key losses from the 2025 football team
T Here are the key losses from the 2025 Presbyterian Blue Hose team heading into 2026, based on who’s not on the published 2026 roster and 2025 game notes:

Offense
QB Collin Hurst – 2025 PFL Offensive Rookie of the Year. Started most of 2025, including 26/35, 201 yds, 1 TD vs Drake. Not listed on 2026 roster.
QB Ty Englehart – Went 5/5, 107 yds, 2 TD vs Virginia-Lynchburg in 2024 and saw action in 2025. Not on 2026 roster.
WR Cincere Gill – Led PC with 7 TD catches in 2025, tied for 4th-most in FCS. Had 100+ yards vs Dayton. Not on 2026 roster.
RB Zach Switzer – Led PC with 87 rushing yards vs Drake. Not on 2026 roster.
RB Antonio Wright – Scored 4-yd TD vs VUL. Not on 2026 roster.
RB Quante Jennings – Had 7 carries, 59 yds vs VUL. Not on 2026 roster.
K Mack Mikko – Handled placekicking in 2024/2025. Not on 2026 roster; Peter Lipscombe is back.

Defense
DL Robert Porter – Senior lineman had 2 sacks vs Dayton and was a key part of the DL rotation. Not on 2026 roster.
LB Michal Torres – Reached 10 tackles vs Dayton alongside Bankhead. Not on 2026 roster. Coaching Staff

Impact of the Losses
QB room reset – Hurst + Englehart accounted for all meaningful QB snaps in 2025. 2026 roster lists Monroe, Max and Bush, Warner as the QBs. Top WR gone – Gill’s 7 TDs and 72-yd score vs Dayton were game-breakers. Dominic Kibby returns, but Gill’s production has to be replaced. RB depth hit – Switzer, Wright, and Jennings were the top 3 rushers in box scores we have. Warner, Worth is back.
DL leadership – Porter was PC’s only multi-sack player mentioned in 2025 recaps.

The good news: Dominic Kibby (WR), Boyce Bankhead (LB), Malik Lewis (LB), Peter Lipscombe (K/P), Raymond McCray (DB), Debo Hall (DB) all return from the 2025 10-2 team.

Prospects for a Winning Season
Roster reality check: PC still returns a strong core from a 10-2 team, including the PFL’s all-time leading receiver in Kibby, its leading tackler in Bankhead, and the kicker Lipscombe. The QB spot is the biggest question without Hurst listed.

The path to 8-3, 6-2 PFL still holds if:

Bailey Memorial stays a fortress – 6-0 at home in 2025, 8 straight home wins. They get St. Thomas, Davidson, Butler, Dayton at home. Kibby + run game carry the load – Rahl’s OL returns multiple pieces, and Kibby is a matchup nightmare. Bankhead/Lipscombe win close games – Defense + special teams were the difference in 2025.

Biggest unknown: QB play. With Monroe, Max and Bush, Warner as the listed QBs, fall camp will decide if the offense stays explosive.

Road struggles – PC was 4-2 away in 2025 and lost at Mercer 45-7 in 2019. Trips to WCU and Mercer early could start 1-2. PFL parity – Drake, San Diego, and St. Thomas all finished ahead of PC in 3-year PFL rankings. Dayton beat PC by 16 last meeting.

 
Defensive depth – Giving up 39.3 PPG during the win streak won’t work if the offense slips. 

Prediction: 8-3, 6-2 PFL. The Blue Hose should defend Bailey Memorial and split the road slate. The Oct 10 Davidson “Battle for the 1919 Cup” and Nov 21 Dayton finale are swing games. If Hurst takes a step and Szydlowski gets 10+ sacks, PC contends for the PFL title and a first-ever FCS playoff berth.