ST. PAUL, Minn. – The Concordia-St. Paul football team will open the season as part of NCAA Division II's week zero this Thursday, August 28 with a 6:30 p.m. kickoff in the lone non-conference game at Quincy University in Quincy, Illinois. This marks the second part of a three-part season preview series to be released this week leading up to the season opener.
 
The opener will be Quincy's Military Appreciation Night game at QU Stadium and available to watch online on the GLVC Sports Network for a $15.75 pay-per-view fee. Fans can also follow the game online by viewing live in-game statistics, courtesy Quincy University.
 
This will be the first-ever meeting between the two programs, with Concordia coming off of a 2-9 overall finish and 2-8 NSIC season for an 11^th-place finish in the 13-team NSIC, while Quincy went 6-4 overall with a 5-3 GLVC record to finish fourth in the Great Lakes Valley Conference.
 
CSP has been picked 11^th overall in the 2025 NSIC Preseason Coaches' Poll in the new-look Northern Sun with the University of Jamestown (N.D.) becoming the NSIC's 14^th football-playing member. CSP is picked sixth in the seven-team NSIC South Division. Quincy was tabbed fourth in the GLVC Preseason Poll following the winning 2024 season under Jason Killday, who enters his second season as the head coach of the Hawks.
 
PETERSON SELECTED TO WEAR #26 IN MEMORY OF BILLY BROWN, JR
Junior defensive back Emmitt Peterson has been selected to represent the football program's cherished jersey number 26 to honor the memory of Billy Brown, Jr., a linebacker who graduated from CSP in May of 2018. Billy passed away in 2018 shortly after graduating while working out near his home in the Twin Cities that summer. Head coach Shannon Currier has opted to honor Brown by selecting a player who fits Billy's work ethic and commitment to the program to wear the number each season.
 
Peterson, formerly #37, is athletically a junior and originally from Wausau, Wisconsin. The defensive back is in his fourth season in the program, and in his first two years in the program secured five CSP Scout Team Player of the Week honors between the defense and special teams. As a sophomore in 2024, he earned NSIC All-Academic Team of Excellence honors, and he's seen action in six games as a Golden Bear entering the 2025 campaign.
 
"The #26 jersey is a symbol of selflessness and love, honoring the legacy of the late Billy Brown, Jr. – a Golden Bear who gave himself fully for the betterment of the team and left an enormous impact on all who knew him. This season, that same standard will be carried by Emmitt Peterson. Emmitt has consistently proven himself to be a servant-leader, a great teammate, and someone who lifts others through his acts of love and commitment. His selection to wear #26 is a reflection of the teammate he is, and the legacy he continues."
 
Peterson is originally from St. Louis, Missouri working towards a business major with minors in sociology and marketing. He is interested in pursuing a career in crimes against children in law enforcement with either Homeland Security or the FBI. He is a Dean's List student, and his older brother is a former member of the CSP track & field and football teams.

Past players selected to wear Brown's #26:
2018: Brandon Russell (23 to 26)
2019: Jackson Dobbs (98 to 26)
2020: season cancellation
2021: Dalton Smerchek (32 to 26)
2022: Davaris Cheeks (14 to 26)
2023: Davaris Cheeks
2024: Richard Wauer (9 to 26)
2025: Emmitt Peterson (37 to 26)
 
SEASON PREVIEW PART 2: DEFENSE
Head coach Shannon Currier has been able to rearrange responsibilities with the addition of defensive line coach Dalton Thomas joining the program, with defensive coordinator Craig Stern shifting to coach the linebackers while Mike Bond continues to coach the secondary.
 
"Coach Thomas brings experience in the defensive scheme that we run from his previous places which has helped continue to shape our defense this fall. We are playing faster and more simplified. Coach Stern has a good defensive staff with continuity, and Coach Bond has added a lot from his development time with the Kansas City Chiefs before camp."
 
There has been considerable buzz emanating from the Sea Foam Stadium turf surrounding the performance of the defense during fall camp, which was confirmed by Currier.
 
"Where seem to be the most improved is with our defense. We're long up front, we have athletic linebackers even though we lost experienced players there, we have explosive players at the position. We've created more depth at every level of the defense, and we are playing faster. I'm excited to see us play fast on opening night."
 
MEET THE BEARS: DEFENSIVE LINE
"The defensive line is vastly improved. The culture is heightened and this unit is playing with fire and desire," said Currier.
 
"We have good depth and competition, our returners are better and we have infused transfers into the mix."
 
The defensive ends include seniors Drake Teal and Jason Harris along with sophomore returners Marquis Coleman, Isaiah Wray and Elijah Wray while sophomore newcomer Howard Craft joins the mix from Kaiser University (Fla.) where he played in 13 games last year.
 
Isaiah Wray leads the returning ends from a statistical perspective, compiling 31 tackles last year while posting a team-high 6.5 tackles for loss and tying with Harris for the team lead with 2.5 sacks.
 
"Isaiah is 260-pounds (256) – that's a big strapper!"
 
The two-deep of the interior defensive line includes four newcomers: Marvin Stringfellow, Logan Bockman, Sean Petzold and Melikai Red along with returner Percy Robertson.
 
Stringfellow enters his sophomore season coming from Benedictine University (Kan.) where he redshirted in 2023 and played in four games last year, Petzold was a member of Lock Haven's (Pa.) Division II program for two years while Red brings 23 games of experience to the program where he played two seasons at American River College, racking up 69 tackles, 13.5 TFLs and 3.0 sacks. Bockman is a true freshman who has earned his way into a key role as a rookie.
 
The defensive line also features returning redshirt freshman Danny Coffey.
 
The 19-player position group also features a number of freshmen: Marquell Bovia, Airion Bradley, Wynn Hotchkiss, Jackson Kitzmiller, Trent Ettema, Kaden Ekerke and Jordan Bell. Bell is the son of alumni Nathan Bell, an All-UMAC Second Team player for the CSP Comets in 1994.
 
"What stands out in the defensive line group is our length – we have long dudes on the edge. They compete with relentless play which is one of our team's values, but you see the behaviors of that relentlessness more at this position group, there's more desire and they are playing hard. They have more confidence, having fun and playing fast."
 
MEET THE BEARS: LINEBACKERS
"We have a new group of linebackers, we've done a good job recruiting young talent: we are athletic and explosive at this position group."
 
The unit is led by the experience of Ben Rehl, a junior who has played in 21 games across the past two seasons with 101 tackles, 8.5 for loss, 3.0 sacks, four passes defended including two interceptions.
 
"Ben Rehl is a mainstay and a feature of our defense from years past, he's caused havoc in his career, he's always around the ball forcing turnovers and seems to be getting interceptions at key times," said Currier.
 
Joining Rehl as outside linebackers are redshirt freshman Mike King and juniors Dominic Stencel and Jaden Burandt.
 
"Stencel and Burandt are returning players who have played well in the fall and King's intensity is something that has stood out in a big way, and Tez Jones has been really solid, as well."
 
The middle will see redshirt freshmen Bo Kenney and Jonas Barros, "a pair of redshirts from last year who have had a great spring and summer leading up to the season, while junior Michael Hall is another returning linebacker who's been competing hard and playing well during camp."
 
"The position also features Jude Onuoha who has been playing well, big-time special teams standout Crash Davis, transfer Elijah Moore from Central Lakes and a trio of players who are either out with injury or on their way back from injury: Jawon Carr who we expect back this season while Talan Summers and Adam Kelbrants are expected to miss the season," Currier explained.
 
The team also welcomes true freshmen Triston Brown and Moise Paul who are "both long and explosive outside backers" while Etienne Isuk and Cal Nitti are "true freshmen who are really good additions who can player here, as well."
 
Like Bell on the defensive line, Nitti is also a second-generation CSP athlete as his mother, Vanessa, competed on an NSIC championship basketball team that was ranked in the top-10 in the nation in 2003-04.
 
"Our linebackers feature explosiveness and speed and as a result we expect to be more successful in our blitz packages, putting the heat on because they are getting to the QB quicker. We have intensity and athleticism in this group."
 
MEET THE BEARS: SECONDARY
"We've experienced a lot of growth in the secondary room, a lot of high-quality guys in there. We have a mix of veterans who will be good and some strong freshmen, as well," said Currier.
 
MEET THE BEARS: CORNERBACKS
The team's season-opening two-deep features the return of Jordan Johnson along with Dilan Williamson as starting corners, with Safdar McCrary and Antoine Jarrett also featured behind them.
 
Johnson gets a repeat on his sophomore season after suffering a season-ending injury in 2024 while Williamson earned his way into five starts a year ago and will enter his junior season poised for a bigger role. McCrary, a junior, played in four games while Jarrett appeared in two games while preserving his redshirt status.
 
"In addition to our two-deep, we also feature returners Garian Denson, Jameson Jean, Emmitt Peterson and Basit Adesanya," said Currier.
 
"We are locked in our assignments and details, playing with more confidence and are more aggressive and physical – this group will step up and make a tackle!"
 
MEET THE BEARS: SAFETIES
The team's starting safeties will be juniors Ricky Dixon and Machai Campbell with juniors Hudson Jean and Byron Sweeny backing them up.
 
Dixon enters his third year in the program but spent his first fall camp as a defensive back. He joined CSP as a wide receiver and kickoff returner before making the switch to defense midway through the 2024 season. He's now had gone through the spring season and offseason summer training and fall camp with the defensive backs.
 
"Ricky Dixon is a smart football player," commented Coach Currier. "He was a running back in high school, we had conversations about his best fit as a college football player and started him in our program as a wide receiver. But when we had him make the move to defensive back, we knew it was a great decision right away. How he goes about his business is special."
 
Campbell is an experienced player in the secondary, playing in 21 games the past two seasons while securing 71 tackles, 4.5 TFLs and six passes defended including one interception.
 
Hudson Jean has played in 19 career games and returns to the mix after missing 2024 due to injury, "Hudson is playing confident, stronger and faster this fall," Currier stated.
 
Sweeny's role continues to expand at CSP, playing in four games in 2023 before getting work in nine games in 2024, with his role growing from primarily special teams to include more time in the defensive backfield.
 
Coach Currier is also excited about the future of the safety position, noting, "we've added more freshmen and it's an intelligent group. They love football, they can cover and play the run, it's an exciting future for this room!"
 
Among the secondary, Currier notes that the safety and corner group includes infusion from the likes of J-Rod Abrams, Milton Blamo, Aydin Buchanan, Kyle Campbell, Shymier Hargrove, Eldridge Johnson, Korey West and Kam Williams. "These young players are all solid who will develop into something special at CSP."
 
Currier concluded, "The secondary has a really good brotherhood culture that Coach Bond has fostered, these guys look out for each other. I'm looking forward to seeing us get more interceptions, partially created from more pressure to create more errant passes. I'd like to see us have more interceptions this year. We expect to cause more turnovers with how much faster we are playing."
 
In summarizing the growth of the defense, Currier added, "We had all of our players here this summer, including 15 or 16 freshmen, it's a testament to the commitment of the players."