After back-to-back seasons of growing pains, the Jefferson Football team is turning the page.
The 2026 season marks the beginning of a new era under first-year head coach Caleb Davis, who inherits a battle-tested roster that has quietly accumulated valuable varsity experience. While Jefferson finished 2-8 a year ago, the Falcons return eight offensive starters and nine defensive starters, giving Davis a veteran foundation as he begins establishing the culture he hopes will define the program for years to come.
With experience at quarterback, a deep group of playmakers and one of the conference’s most seasoned linebacker corps, Jefferson believes the pieces are in place to become a far more competitive team this fall.
Veteran Experience Fuels Optimism
One of the biggest differences between this year’s team and recent Jefferson squads is maturity.
For several seasons, the Falcons relied heavily on underclassmen. Now those players have grown into experienced veterans who understand the speed and physicality of Friday nights.
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“We have had a young team the last few years,” Davis said. “Seeing this group come back with a lot of varsity experience is exciting.”
That experience starts on offense.
Quarterback Mason Kalil returns to direct Jefferson’s spread attack after gaining valuable experience under center. He’ll have plenty of familiar targets, including dynamic receiver Shawn Miklacic and versatile playmaker Paxton Fritzsche, giving the Falcons continuity at the game’s most important positions.
The ground game will feature Michael Riffle, while newcomers Josiah Tillman and Antonio Matta could quickly carve out significant roles as the season progresses.
Defense Could Lead the Way
If there’s one unit Davis feels especially confident about, it’s his defense.
Jefferson returns nine starters on that side of the football, led by an experienced linebacker group anchored by Brody Dietrich and Miklacic. Their combination of size, athleticism and experience gives the Falcons a dependable core in the middle of their 4-2-5 defense.
“Defensively, our linebackers are probably our strongest unit,” Davis said. “We bring back a lot of experience, size and athleticism.”
Riffle also returns along the defensive line, while Fritzsche provides experience in the secondary. Newcomer Glenn Wheeler is expected to strengthen both the offensive and defensive fronts.
With so many returning contributors, Jefferson hopes defensive consistency becomes the catalyst for a turnaround.
Winning the Line of Scrimmage
While Jefferson brings back plenty of skill-position talent, replacing departed linemen remains one of the team’s biggest challenges.
Developing an inexperienced offensive line will be critical if the Falcons hope to maximize their returning weapons.
“Some inexperience on the offensive line is something we’re working to develop,” Davis said.
The schedule won’t make that task any easier.
Davis believes the defining stretch of Jefferson’s season will come during the middle portion of its schedule, where several challenging opponents could determine whether the Falcons are playing for a winning season or simply trying to finish strong.
Building Something Bigger
For Davis, success won’t be measured solely by wins and losses.
Taking over a program after another coaching change, his first priority has been creating stability, accountability and belief throughout the locker room.
The early signs have been encouraging.
“As a first-year head coach, I am focused on building culture and setting expectations for our program from this point forward,” Davis said. “We have had great buy-in from the kids, and I have been impressed with attendance throughout the offseason.”
He believes discipline, sound fundamentals and consistent effort will eventually translate into victories.
Just as importantly, he sees a team that has embraced adversity rather than allowing it to become an excuse.
“This is a tough group of kids,” Davis said. “They don’t back down from adversity and have shown resilience dealing with another staff change. They are bought into the identity I was hoping to create and have continuously shown up and worked hard.”
Outlook
Jefferson may still be in the early stages of rebuilding, but the Falcons have more experience returning than their recent record might suggest.
With an established quarterback, a talented receiving corps, an experienced defense and a roster fully invested in its new coaching staff, Jefferson has the ingredients to take meaningful steps forward in 2026.
If the offensive line develops quickly and the Falcons navigate the demanding middle portion of their schedule, Jefferson could emerge as one of the CVC’s surprise teams while laying the foundation for long-term success.
