WASHINGTON – A young Gallaudet University football team will take the field this fall looking to grow together as the Bison begin their second season under head coach
Stefan LeFors.
Gallaudet enters the 2026 campaign with a young roster that will be asked to take on larger roles after the departure of several key contributors from last season. A core group of experienced returners will help lead the way as the Bison look to establish their identity on both sides of the ball.
The 2026 season also brings another change for Gallaudet as the Bison begin their first year as an affiliate member of the Southern Collegiate Athletic Conference (SCAC). Gallaudet, which competed in the Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) last season, will participate in the SCAC Football Championship Weekend on Nov. 14 in Little Rock, Ark.
Below is a breakdown of the 2026 Gallaudet football team.
2025 Review
Record: 1-8
ODAC Record: 1-7
Highlights: GU earned its first win under Coach LeFors with a 39-30 victory over Averett University in Gallaudet's ODAC debut at Hotchkiss Field. GU had three ODAC Player of the Week honors during its lone season in the conference.
TOP RETURNERS
Offense
Marcus Brown-Gabriel (Beeville, Texas), Sr., Running Back
Brown-Gabriel returns to lead the Bison backfield after rushing for a team-high 417 yards and two touchdowns last season. His biggest performance came against Averett when he rushed for a career-high 217 yards on 26 carries and scored two touchdowns in Gallaudet's 39-30 victory. Brown-Gabriel's performance earned him a spot on the D3football.com Team of the Week and the DC Touchdown Club's Washington Metro College Football Player of the Week Honor Roll.
Dwayne Collins II (Frederick, Md.), So., Wide Receiver
Collins gained valuable experience as a first-year wide receiver last season and finished with five receptions for 62 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 12.4 yards per reception and had a season-high 28 receiving yards against Guilford. Collins will have an opportunity to take on an expanded role in the Bison offense this fall.
Isaiah Baxter (Riverside, Calif.), So., Wide Receiver
Baxter returns after making an immediate contribution as a first-year wide receiver in 2025. The California School for the Deaf-Riverside product caught eight passes for 90 yards in eight games and averaged 11.3 yards per reception. Baxter had a season-best 40 receiving yards against Roanoke and enters his sophomore season as one of Gallaudet's more experienced returning options at wide receiver.
Defense
Dawson Ethington (Baltimore, Md.), Sr., Linebacker
Ethington returns as one of the leaders of the Gallaudet defense after finishing third on the team with 49 tackles in seven games last season. He recorded six tackles for a loss, including two sacks, and broke up two passes. Ethington earned ODAC Defensive Player of the Week honors after making a game-high 13 tackles, including 10 solo stops, in the win over Averett.
Braxton Heffelfinger (Parma, Idaho), Jr., Defensive Back
Heffelfinger started all nine games in the secondary last season and finished with 30 tackles, including 14 solo stops. He added one interception and two pass breakups and will be counted on to provide experience to a young Bison defense.
Kelvin Benjamin (California, Md.), Sr., Defensive Line
Benjamin provides a veteran presence along the defensive front. He played in eight games last season and finished with 11 tackles, including two tackles for a loss and two sacks. Benjamin will be looked upon to help anchor the defensive line in his final season with the buff and blue.
Special Teams
Hawkins Morgan (Whitesboro, Texas), So., Kicker
Morgan returns as Gallaudet's primary placekicker after handling kicking duties as a first-year player last season. The Texas School for the Deaf product gained valuable experience throughout the year and converted four extra points in the Bison's victory over Averett. Morgan will look to build on that experience as he enters his second season with the program.
KEY LOSSES
Andrae' Green (Washington, D.C.), Wide Receiver/Returner
Green made an impact in all three phases of the game during his final season with the Bison and earned All-ECAC honors in 2025. He also earned ODAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors during the season.
Jaylen Johnson (Redlands, Calif.), Wide Receiver
Johnson was a veteran member of the Gallaudet offense and provided experience to the Bison receiving corps during his final season.
Carter Johnson (McCall, Idaho), Running Back
Johnson provided veteran experience in the Gallaudet backfield during his final season and was selected as the Bison's representative on the 2025 ODAC All-Sportsmanship Team.
Zefan Nathanson (Manor, Texas), Defensive Back
Nathanson led the Gallaudet defense with 70 total tackles last season, including 36 solo stops. He also recorded 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks during his final season with the Bison.
Jacob Hundley (McKee, Ky.), Linebacker
Hundley finished second on the team with 65 total tackles in 2025, including 30 solo stops. He added 4.5 tackles for loss, one sack, one interception and two pass breakups.
IMPACT ADDITIONS
Jayden DeFalco (Indianapolis, Ind.), So., Quarterback
DeFalco enters the 2026 season as Gallaudet's starting quarterback after seeing limited action in three games last year on defense. The Indiana School for the Deaf product will take on a much larger role this fall as he directs the Bison offense.
Stevie Oursler (Prince Frederick, Md.), Jr., Quarterback
Oursler joins the Bison after transferring from Saint Vincent College and provides Gallaudet with an experienced option at quarterback. The Calvert High School product appeared in three games for Saint Vincent last season and completed 12 of 18 passes for 125 yards and two touchdowns. He enters the season second on the depth chart behind DeFalco.
Luke LeFors (Baton Rouge, La.), Fy., Wide Receiver
LeFors joins the Gallaudet football program after transferring from Millsaps College, where he competed in men's basketball and men's track and field. The son of Gallaudet head coach Stefan LeFors, he brings collegiate athletic experience to the Bison despite not playing football at Millsaps. LeFors will look to make an impact at wide receiver in his first season with the Gallaudet football program.
QUOTING COACH
"This team may be young, but they are hungry, resilient, and willing to work hard. Our focus for this season isn't fixed only on the scoreboard, it's about how much we grow, how we respond to adversity, and how much we come together as a team. We want to play fast, play physical, take care of the little things, and represent Gallaudet University the right way. If we can stay committed to each other and continue to get better every day, I believe this team has a chance to do some special things." –
Stefan LeFors, Gallaudet University football head coach.
SCHEDULE OVERVIEW
- Season Opener: at Albright (Fri., Sept. 4, 6 p.m.)
- Home Opener: vs. Roanoke (Sat., Sept. 26, 1 p.m.)
- Homecoming: vs. Coppin State (Sat., Oct. 17, 1 p.m.)
- Senior Day: vs. Thaddeus Stevens (Sat., Oct. 24, 2 p.m.)
- SCAC Football Championship: Little Rock, Ark. (Sat., Nov. 14, 10 a.m.)
The schedule features three home games, five road games and a postseason neutral-site game for the Bison.
Gallaudet opens the season with three consecutive road games in three different states. The Bison begin tonight in Reading, Pa., against Albright College before traveling to Indiana to face Anderson University on Sept. 12. GU heads south to Danville, Va., to face former Old Dominion Athletic Conference (ODAC) foe Averett on Sept. 19 before returning to the nation's capital.
The Bison make their Hotchkiss Field debut on Sept. 26 against Roanoke College, another former ODAC foe, before a bye week opens the month of October. Gallaudet returns to action at former Eastern Collegiate Football Conference (ECFC) foe Dean College on Oct. 10 in Franklin, Mass.
GU then returns home for its final two games at Hotchkiss Field. Gallaudet welcomes Coppin State University (club) for Homecoming on Oct. 17 before hosting Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology (club) on Oct. 24 for Senior Day and its home finale.
Following a bye week, Gallaudet concludes the regular season on Nov. 7 at Keystone College in La Plume, Pa., before traveling to Little Rock, Ark., for the SCAC Football Championship on Nov. 14 at War Memorial Stadium. The Bison will be paired with a SCAC opponent based on their NCAA Power Index (NPI) ranking entering championship weekend.
BISON HOME GAMES
Sept. 26 vs. Roanoke, 1 p.m.
Oct. 17 vs. Coppin State, 1 p.m. (Homecoming)
Oct. 24 vs. Thaddeus Stevens, 2 p.m. (Senior Day)
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