HELENA, Mont. - The No. 25-ranked Carroll College Football team will begin their quest for conference championship No. 46 this afternoon, as they open the 2025 campaign on the road against MSU-Northern at 1 p.m. in Havre.
Ten long months have passed since we last saw the Carroll Football team on the field. The wait is finally over, however, and the 106th group of Fighting Saints will officially kick off their 2025 campaign this afternoon on the Hi-line. The Saints will look to put an end to a two-year postseason drought, bringing a highly-competitive group of returning talent and new faces to a new-look Frontier Conference.
RANKINGS
While preseason coaches' polls rarely reflect actual on-field results at the end of the season, both the Frontier Conference and NAIA have released their annual preseason polls. The Fighting Saints will begin the season as the No. 25 team in the NAIA, grabbing the final spot in the preseason poll with a total of 83 points. Four other Frontier teams are listed in the Poll, No. 5 Montana Western, No. 11 Montana Tech, No. 13 Dickinson State, and No. 22 Southern Oregon.
STAFF
Coming into 2025, Carroll had little turnover on the coaching staff. Head Coach Troy Purcell returns for his seventh season, flanked by Offensive Coordinator Alex Pfannenstiel, Defensive Coordinator Randy Bandelow, and Special Team Coordinator Mike Brunk. Luke Hyde (OL), Okesa Smith (DB), Denis Brunk (WR) return to the sideline in '25, while wew faces include DB coach Broderick Thomas, Kicking coach Dylan Torgerson, TE's coach Quade McQueary, and the return of DL Coach Nolan Bartholomew after a year at Weber State
RETURNING TALENT
Big-time playmakers will return to the field for the Fighting Saints in 2025. A pair of players were featured in Victory Sports Network's "NAIA 99" as two of the best players in the nation entering the season, Braeden Orlandi (Valley Springs, Calif. / R-SO) and Carson Ochoa (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SR). Both were First Team All-Frontier selections in '24, with Ochoa earning Third Team VSN All-American honors as well. Second Team All-Frontier performers Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor Wash. / R-SR) and Forrest Suero (Helena, Mont. / SR) will look to cap their storied careers with big seasons, while honorable mention selections Brett Tommasini (Eagle, Idaho / R-SR) and Eli Aby (Laurel, Mont. / R-SR) will lead a talented Linebacker group.
DEFENSE
The strength of the Carroll program in recent years has unquestionably been the defense. 2025 will be no exception. While the defense graduated several All-Conference players, the unit will likely be as stiff as any in the conference this fall. Braeden Orlandi might be the best safety in the entirety of the NAIA, and should be a strong candidate for All-American as a sophomore. Forrest Suero has proven to be one of the best defensive linemen in the league and will be a centerpiece of a position group that's been borderline dominant in recent years. Brett Tommasini and Eli Aby both transferred in prior to '24, and their impact was felt immediately. With great '24 campaigns, look for the pair to challenge for First Team All-Frontier honors by season's end. Henry Gross (Helena, Mont. / R-SO) burst onto the scene last season, finishing with 8.0 TFL and 3.5 sacks. The former Capital Bruin got bigger and stronger this offseason, and could emerge as the next great Carroll edge rusher. Outside, Daxon Graham (Dillon, Mont. / R-SR) & Elijah Larson (Sandpoint, Idaho / R-SR) enter their final collegiate seasons, providing multiple years of experience and veteran leadership at the corners
QB1
For the first time in four seasons, the Fighting Saints begin the year with a new QB under center. Kaden Huot, a junior transfer from the University of Montana, returns to his hometown of Helena to lead the Saints this Fall. Replacing a four-year starter in Jack Prka is no easy ask, but Huot comes in with experience at the Division I level and one of the most prolific prep careers in Capital City history. The three-time All-State selection shattered Helena HS records in offensive yardage (6,977) and touchdowns (61). The six-four QB brings a dual threat to the Carroll offense, having showcased both arm talent and the ability to create with his legs over the spring and summer.
O-LINE
Carroll College has continually produced some of the top offensive line talent in the NAIA over the last 30 years. Entering 2025, the Saints will have one of the more veteran lines in the Frontier week one. Andrew Devine (Wasilla, Alaska / R-SR) anchors the backside of Huot at his left tackle spot for the second-straight year. Wyatt Sandford (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho / R-JR) will slide over from a guard to right tackle on the other side, and Ben Larsen (Washoe Valley, Nev. / R-JR) will play left guard in '25 to round out the returning starters. Redshirt freshmen Ryan Fehr (Enumclaw, Wash. / R-FR) and Sam Keen (Springfield, Ore. / R-FR) will slot in at center and right guard, respectfully, and the Carroll staff feels very confident in the group after a terrific Fall Camp.
RB ROOM
The RB room was decimated with injuries last Fall, but will only get stronger as the year progresses in '25. Jake Jeske (Spangle, Wash. / R-SO) & Brison Bailey (Tacoma, Wash. / SO) will get the majority of snaps early in the year. With several players recently cleared for contact following offseason surgeries, the stable of Carroll backs should be a position group to watch in 2025.
CAPTAINS
Eli Aby (Laurel, Mont. / R-SR)
Daxon Graham (Dillon, Mont. / R-SR)
Forrest Suero (Helena, Mont. / SR)
Andrew Devine (Wasilla, Alaksa / R-SR)
Chris Akulschin (Gig Harbor, Wash. / R-SR)
Carson Ochoa (Yorba Linda, Calif. / R-SR)
Saturday afternoon's game is slated to kick-off at 1 p.m. from Tilleman Field in Havre.
The game will be broadcast throughout Montana, Northern Idaho, and Eastern Washington on SWX channels, highlighted as one of the Frontier Conference's Games of the Week.
A live stream can be found online HERE, and live stats for the afternoon can be followed HERE.
Catch Voice of the Saints, Stewart Davis, and Carroll Hall of Famer, Gary Turcott, call all the action live on Rewind 94.9 FM in Helena, or online HERE.
Be sure to visit www.carrollathletics.com this evening for a full recap of the action, and to stay up to date with everything going on in Carroll Athletics.
FOLLOW THE FIGHTING SAINTS
Facebook: @carrollcollegeathletics
Instagram: @cc_saints
X: @CCsaints
#MarchOn
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