WASHINGTON – A new chapter for Gallaudet University football begins this fall as the Bison welcome new head coach
Stefan LeFors to the sidelines while the program joins the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) as an associate member.
GU finished last season with a winning record of 5-4 and 2-1 conference mark in the final year of the Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC).
The 2025 season will be a lot of firsts for the buff and blue but with a solid returning group of veterans along with a mix of new faces the Bison are ready to give their all as they begin a new era.
Below is a breakdown of the 2025 Gallaudet football team.
2024 Review
Record: 5-4
ECFC Record: 2-1
Highlights: GU just missed out on making the 2024 ECFC championship game last season but finished the year on a high note with a 37-15 home victory over Dean College in the ECFC Consolation Game. The Bison posted a winning record for the third time out of the last four seasons. GU had 15 All-ECFC honorees including the ECFC Defensive Player of the Year and ECFC Offensive Lineman of the Year.
TOP RETURNERS
Offense
Kyle Albertson (Pierre, S.D.), Sr., Offensive Line
Albertson is Gallaudet's rock on offense as the two-time All-ECFC First Team Offense honoree will hold down and lead the offensive line in 2025. Albertson helped the GU offense rush for 2,406 yards in nine games (244.2 per game average). Albertson picked up a 2024 All-ECAC Second Team Offense honor last year.
Christian Begani (Chesapeake, Va.), Sr., Offensive Line
Albertson is joined up front by another 2024 All-ECFC honoree in Begani, who was named to the second team offense last season. Begani and Albertson will help to protect Gallaudet's quarterback and open holes for the running backs.
Marcus Brown-Gabriel (Beeville, Texas), Jr., Running Back
Brown-Gabriel was fourth on the Bison with 232 rushing yards on 38 carries and two touchdowns. The 2024 All-ECFC Second Team honoree will be one of GU's featured backs this season.
Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.), Sr., Wide Receiver
Green switches from defense to offense this season and will line up on the outside for the Bison. Green was an All-ECFC First Team Defense selection and landed on the All-ECFC Second Team Offense for his return skills.
Jaylen Johnson (Redlands, Calif.), Sr., Wide Receiver
Johnson led the Bison with four receiving touchdowns last season and finished the year with 11 catches for 161 yards in nine games. Johnson's statistics and play helped him land on the All-ECFC Second Team Offense. Johnson will be a big target down field for the Bison this season.
Defense
Jacob Hundley (McKee, Ky.), Sr. Linebacker
Hundley was third on the team with 42 tackles (25 solo) last season for the Bison. He added six tackles for a loss of 21 yards, which included two sacks for 13 yards. Hundley also made two interceptions as he was voted to the All-ECFC Second Team Defense.
Zefan Nathanson (Manor, Texas), Sr., Defensive Back
Nathanson was all over the field in 2024 as he led the Bison with 61 tackles (42 solo) as he picked up All-ECFC First Team Defense honors. The veteran leader was tied for the team lead in sacks (2.5) and finished with seven tackles for a loss of 35 yards. The 2024 All-ECAC Second Team Defender will continue to be an anchor on defense for the Bison this season.
Joshua Saaty (Ada, Okla.), Sr., Defensive Back
Saaty was tied for the team lead in interceptions last year as he picked off two passes and finished with 26 tackles (19 solo) to go with four pass breakups. For his efforts Saaty was named to the 2024 All-ECFC Second Team Defense.
Special Teams
Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.), Sr., Return Specialist
Green led NCAA Division III last year with an average of 37.0 yards per kickoff return as he fielded six kickoffs and tallied 222 yards and one touchdown (89 yards). He was named to the 2024 D3football.com All-Region Second Team for Region 1 in addition to being selected to the All-ECFC Second Team Offense as a return specialist.
Adem Mahassini (Long Island City, N.Y.), So., Kicker
Mahassini made 18 of 22 point after attempts last season for the Bison and held down the kickoff duties for GU. For his efforts he was named to the All-ECFC Second Team Offense.
IMPACT NEWCOMER
JeVaughn Sargent (Laurel, Md.), Fy., Quarterback
For the first time in five seasons there will be a new signal caller under center for the Bison. First-year quarterback JeVaughn Sargent, a local product from nearby Laurel, Md., and Bowie High School, will be this year's starter for GU. Sargent transferred to Gallaudet from Stevenson University where he played defense.
QUOTING COACH
"Heading into the 2025 season, I am excited to see what kind of football team we will be. Our focus has been to establish a sustainable, high-level culture and to improve every single day on and off the field. The growth we have made over the last three weeks has been good and I expect that to continue over the next 10 weeks of the season. I expect to see our team compete, play fast, play hard and remain positive throughout the ups and downs of a football season." –
Stefan LeFors, Gallaudet University football head coach.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
- Season/Home Opener: vs. Albright (Fri., Sept. 5, 6 p.m.)
- Conference Opener: vs. Averett (Sat., Sept. 20, 1 p.m.)
- Homecoming: vs. Randolph-Macon (Sat., Oct. 25, 1 p.m.)
- Senior Day: vs. Hampden-Sydney (Sat., Nov. 1, 1 p.m.)
The schedule features five home games and four road games for the Bison, who begin its first season as an affiliate member of the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC).
Gallaudet will begin the season at home under the lights at Hotchkiss Field. The Bison will welcome Albright College for a Friday Night Lights showdown in the nation's capital on Sept. 5 against the Lions. The Bison will be off the following week before diving into conference play. GU will play its first ODAC game on Sept. 20 at home against Averett University. The Bison will close out the month on the road against Roanoke College on Sept. 27.
GU begins the month of October at home against Guilford College (Oct. 4) before back-to-back road trips to Washington and Lee University (Oct. 11) and Bridgewater (Va.) College (Oct. 18). The buff and blue return to Hotchkiss Field for Homecoming on Oct. 25 and play host to three-time defending ODAC champion Randolph-Macon College.
The Bison will host its final home game of the season to start November as GU welcomes Hampden-Sydney College to Hotchkiss Field on Nov. 1 for Senior Day. GU will conclude the regular-season schedule the following week on the road at Shenandoah University (Nov. 8) in Winchester, Va., under the lights for a 6 p.m. night game.
BISON HOME GAMES
Sept. 5 vs. Albright, 6 p.m.
Sept. 20 vs. Averett, 1 p.m.
Oct. 4 vs. Guilford, 1 p.m.
Oct. 25 vs. Randolph-Macon, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Nov. 1 vs. Hampden-Sydney, 1 p.m. (Senior Day)
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