The sun always sets in the West, and gravity and electromagnetism govern the universe.
Then, there are things that rarely change. For instance, it is rare when the University of Mount Union football team does not win the Ohio Athletic Conference championship. Heck, it rarely loses an OAC game.
Proof can be found in the Dom and Karen Capers Football Coaching Center or the Gulling Training Center, where the 31 championship trophies covering the last 32 years are displayed.
The tradition at Mount Union runs deeper than any of the Great Lakes. There is an inherent quality about the program that has endured for 40 years. Think about that.
Change is inevitable in college football, however, and the 2025 OAC season will feature at least one major change. John Carroll departed for the North Coast Athletic Conference. Another significant change can be found in the Purple Raiders’ schedule. The Raiders’ two non-conference games will be against Wheaton College and Grove City College. Both clubs are ranked nationally by D3football.com and provide a beefier and more difficult challenge than some UMU schedules of the past. It was an intentional move, aimed at improving UMU’s playoff status, as strength of schedule is regarded as a major dealbreaker in determining playoff hopefuls who might not win their conference championship.
Mount Union, the national runner-up for the second time in the last three years in 2024, enters the season as the perennial OAC favorite – followed by BW, Marietta, and Heidelberg — and is ranked second nationally, behind reigning national champion North Central. The Cardinals defeated the Raiders, 41-25, in last year’s Stagg Bowl in a game that was much closer than the final score would lead you to believe.
Wheaton, the opponent in the season opener on Saturday (Sept.6) went 9-2 last season, losing to nationally ranked University of Washington-Oshkosh, 21-14, and the aforementioned North Central, 55-27. Wheaton is ranked 17th in the country and is coached by Jesse Scott, a former roommate of UMU coach Geoff Dartt when both were graduate assistants.
Grove City, which the Raiders visit in Week 2, is ranked 23rd in the nation – there are approximately 450 Division III schools in the USA – and is coming off a 9-2 season, losing only to Washington & Jefferson, 27-19, and 17th-ranked Johns Hopkins, 17-14.
Two nationally ranked opponents to begin the season. An admirable adventure, for sure.
“Our thought was to be more aggressive with our schedule,” Dartt said about his team’s ambitious start. “I have full confidence in our players and coaches to be prepared.”
As always, the ultimate goal at UMU is to win a 14th national championship.
While lineups can change depending on a variety of circumstances, here is what we can expect to see when the Raiders open the University’s 128th season (865-390-38 record, if you’re wondering) on Saturday.
FACT: The Raiders lost an abundance of terrific talent, 37 in all. FACT: There are 200-plus players in the program, including 47 returning lettermen. Finding talent should not be an issue.
Among those gone include:
OFFENSE: Linemen Ben Lilly, Aiden Cange, and Jarrett Burress; Quarterbacks Noah Beaudrie (who has transferred to Albion College) and T.J. DeShields, who led the Raiders to the national championship game after Beaudrie was injured; Wide receiver Tyrell Sanders, running back Tyler Echeverry, and several other spot starters and performers.
DEFENSE: Tackles Rossy Moore and Von Factor; Linebackers Marcus Jackson and Jazz Jackson; John Roland, Tony Cook, and Brandon Yanssens from the secondary.
All of them and many others were intrinsic members of Mount Union’s 35th OAC title, 23rd appearance in the national championship game, 33rd undefeated regular season, and heart-testing victories over Muskingum (35-28), Marietta (28-21), and John Carroll (37-31) in the regular season and playoff wins over JCU (42-7), Carnegie-Mellon (24-19), Salisbury (38-17), and Johns Hopkins (45-37) in the NCAA semifinals.
Not to worry. The cupboard is far from bare.
Any discussion about Mount Union in 2025 has to start with guard Giovanni Kennedy and defensive end Kaleb Brown. Both have been declared preseason All-Americans by D3football.com.
Kennedy, from Avon and St. Edward High, was named an All-American by two organizations last year after spearheading an offense that led the OAC in points per game, rushing yards per game, and total yards per game. The 6-1, 275-pound senior returns at left guard.
Brown was named an All-American by D3football.com last year. The 6-2, 220-pound defensive end (bandit in UMU jargon) from LaPlata, Md., tied for the conference lead with 12.5 sacks and was third with 18 tackles behind the line of scrimmage.
Both have been voted team captains (voted on by their teammates) – along with Jerry Cooper Jr., who has been moved from wide receiver to safety – and that speaks volumes.
“You can feel it when they are on the field,” said Dartt, about to begin his sixth season as his alma mater’s head coach. “They make a difference.”
Any discussion about any football team must start with the quarterback. Redshirt freshman Mikey Maloney (Concord/Painesville Riverside) suffered a season-ending injury in the third game last year but has been sharp in practice and UMU’s scrimmages against Washington & Jefferson.
“He has looked great,” Dartt said of the 6-foot, 185-pound Maloney. “He had a great spring and a great camp. He has a great arm and is very athletic.”
Just in case, the Raiders have two promising backups in 6-2, 170-pound junior Chase Copper, from Orlando, Fla., and 6-2, 200-pound freshman Carson Dyrlund (North Canton Hoover).
Maloney will have what appears to be three talented wide receivers to target in seniors Nick Turner and Jacob Cockrell and junior Davion Grant. The latter two are transfers with impressive credentials. The trio gives the Raiders a deep set of receivers.
Turner, from Strongsville, is coming off a sterling 2024 season in which he caught 43 passes for 838 yards and six touchdowns.
Cockrell comes to Mount from Elmhurst University, where he was a first-team all-conference after catching 35 passes for 815 yards and nine touchdowns in the rugged College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, home of three-time national champion North Central.
Grant might be familiar to UMU fans, as he comes to Alliance from Muskingum via the transfer portal, where he led the OAC in reception yards (112.3 per game) while being named first-team all-conference and setting a couple school records. In 10 games, the Naples, Fla. native caught 71 passes for eight touchdowns. That included nine receptions for 130 yards in the Raiders’ 35-28 win in the final regular-season game.
“They are both super talented guys,” Dartt said. “Darion had a great game against us.”
Seniors Matt Anderson (Scottsdale, Az.) and Wyatt Stiehl (Tampa) return at tight end. The 6-1, 215-pound Anderson caught 13 passes for 187 yards and one score, and Stiehl is back at Mount after a one-year hiatus at Division I Southern Florida. Stiehl saw action at UMU in 2023 before transferring.
“I think our tight end group is very, very good,” said Dartt. “Both have had very good camps, and they complement one another very well.”
The loss of running back Echeverry (1,714 yards/35 touchdowns) would cripple many teams. But many teams don’t have a Darnell Williams (63 carries/530 yards/6 TDs and 14 receptions/157 yards/1 TD) or a Shaun Thomas (414 combined yards/6 TDs) in the backfield, who both return as productive backs.
Freshmen Lucas Weaver (Barberton/Walsh Jesuit) and Christian Glenn, the son of former Ohio State standout and NFL Pro Bowler Terry Glenn, add to an already talented skilled group.
Giovanni Kennedy anchors the offensive line at the left guard spot and will line up alongside senior Fred Fevrier (6-3, 285) or junior Mitch Coffee (6-3, 270). Senior Mason Fortner (6-2, 290) has moved to right guard after starting 40 games at center. Pat Lavelle, a 6-foot, 270-pound junior from Cleveland St. Ignatius is expected to play at guard.
Versatile Garrett Beazley, a 6-4, 265-pound transfer from Concordia University, could make an impact at either guard or tackle. He has been impressive in camp.
Dartt, the reigning OAC Coach-of-the-Year, said there are several others ready to see significant action.
“I am very comfortable with our depth along both lines,” he said, while pointing to freshmen Parker Jenks (Smithville) and Jose Matos (Orange City, Fla.), junior Jonathan Pettey (Sarasota), and senior Greg Rockwell Jr. (Beloit).
The decorated Kaleb Brown will lead the defense from his end position after forcing three fumbles and making 53 tackles last year. Senior Logan Parker will line up opposite Brown with senior Elijah Franklin (6-3, 235), senior Brandon Bowden (6-2, 220), junior Corey Gibson (6-0, 210), sophomores Zavion Roberts (5-9, 260) and Gabe Gannelli (6-1, 240), and transfer Edmund Wisseh (6-0, 245) expected to see quality time.
“When you have depth along both the O-line and D-line, a lot of good things can happen.”
The linebacker spots should be filled by seniors Caleb Rinard (6-0, 200) and 5-10, 165-pound Weston Arthur, who returns at the Spur spot he held last season. Sophomores Jerry Merchant (6-1, 205), Carter Dalton (6-2, 220), and Tipp City’s Cael Liette (6-0, 193), as well as freshman Gavin Ehrhardt (5-11, 220), are expected to see time.
Dartt also likes what he sees in Merchant (Columbus), Dalton (Venice, Fla.), and Ehrhardt, who played at Avon under former UMU player Mike Elder.
“All of them have flashed in camp.” Dartt said.
Sophomore Zack Liebler (Massillon) returns at cornerback and will probably team with senior transfer Kosta Thrasivoulou (North Ridgeville), sophomore Evan Liette (Cael’s twin), and freshman Jaeson Anderson (Akron Buchtel).
The secondary received a big boost when senior Jerry Cooper Jr. moved from wide receiver – where he caught 50 passes for 582 yards and three touchdowns last season – to safety. Dartt loves Cooper’s leadership, athleticism, and aggressiveness.
Sophomore Ricky Levak and juniors Davis Nye (Wadsworth) and Connor Adelman (Louisville) will join with Cooper to make a solid secondary.
The punting and kicking duties are in the invaluable hands-or we should say on the feet-of punter Mike Franklin, who averaged 41.1 yards per punt, and Ivan Maric, who made 56 of 58 extra-point attempts and 7 of 11 field goal attempts, including a school record 51-yarder vs. Capital.
Dartt won his second OAC Coach of the Year Award last year. His teams have gone 56-4 overall and 40-0 in the OAC. Both marks are dazzling. Both have maintained UMU’s dazzling tradition.
