Weber State University has released its 2026 football roster, a snapshot of a team that blends seasoned veterans with a wave of newcomers as the program prepares for its first season under the NCAA’s new ‘5 for 5’ eligibility framework.
Eligibility Rules Redefine Player Paths
The policy, which grants athletes five years of eligibility without the traditional redshirt year, only carves out exceptions for military service, missionary work, and maternity leave. This shift has forced coaches to label athletes by class — freshman, sophomore, junior, senior, or fifth‑year — rather than by academic standing, reshaping scholarship calculations and depth‑chart planning.
On offense, quarterback Cash McCollum, a junior from China Springs, Texas, returns after a season‑ending injury that limited his 2025 snap count to two attempts. Running back Levon Morton, a 5‑7 senior from Dallas, Texas, burst onto the scene with 1,265 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns last year, positioning him as a cornerstone of the backfield. At the tight end position, the roster lists seven players, including sophomore transfer DJ Duran from Laney College, adding depth to a unit that also features freshman standouts such as Samson Fatu and Caleb Patton.
Defensively, the Wildcats boast a strong front line anchored by fifth‑year defensive end Josh Hardy, a Maryland native who recorded 16 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and three sacks in 2025. Linebacker Chipper Harding, a senior from Roosevelt, Utah, was seen leading warmups and contributed two appearances on the field, while fifth‑year safety Erin Foster from California added 50 tackles and an interception to the secondary.
A Mosaic of Transfers and Fresh Faces
The 2026 squad reflects a geographic spread that stretches from Utah’s mountain towns to the West Coast, Texas, and even Hawaii. Transfers such as Tyler Buckway, a 6‑2 freshman from Utah, join freshmen like Samson Fatu and Caleb Patton, while veteran fifth‑year players like Devin Brown, who transferred from the University of California’s FBS program, bring experience after completing four of seven passes for 48 yards and a touchdown in his limited 2025 action. The roster also includes Dax Sumko, a Brigham City native who returned from missionary service and posted a 1,896‑yard rushing season in 2023, and David Dellenbach, an Ohio product who handled kicking duties, converting four of six field goals and 26 of 29 extra points.
Special teams will rely on veteran kicker David Dellenbach, whose accuracy on extra points and field goals provides a reliable option as the team looks to tighten games that were decided by narrow margins last season. The blend of returning lettermen, impact transfers and promising freshmen creates a competitive atmosphere heading into fall camp, with coaches emphasizing that the new eligibility rules will reward depth and versatility.
As the Wildcats gear up for the upcoming campaign, the mix of seasoned leadership and youthful energy suggests a promising outlook. The roster’s diversity — both in player backgrounds and in the positions they occupy — offers the coaching staff flexibility in shaping game plans, while the new ‘5 for 5’ framework adds an intriguing layer of strategy to scholarship management. Fans can expect a dynamic season as Weber State looks to translate its depth into on‑field success.