Gospel of Hal.

[Soapy]

ULM Football Preview 2026: Can this Finally Happen For the Warhawks?
Bryant Vincent continues to rebuild ULM, and after laying the foundation, there's a shot at the first winning season since 2012.
Pete Fiutak - Jul 18, 2026

It's so tough to get this ULM thing going, but Bryant Vincent is the type to keep giving this a push.

He was a key assistant when UAB came back from the dead in the mid-2010s, had the interim head coaching job for the 2022 season, and now he's in his third season in Monroe.

He's continuing to work against history.

Can ULM Finally End the Drought?

Nov 16, 2024; Auburn, Alabama, USA; Louisiana Monroe Warhawks quarterback Aidan Armenta (10) scrambles from the
pocket during the fourth quarter against the Auburn Tigers at Jordan-Hare Stadium.
© John Reed-Imagn Images

In 39 seasons at the FBS level, ULM has had just three winning seasons, with the last one in 2012.

It's been hard to come up with a differentiating factor that makes everyone worry, and the program can't seem to buy any sort of a break.

Vincent did a decent job in the transfer portal, and he's had two years to build this up. There have been a few rays of light.

The Warhawks started 3-1 last season, and then the offense couldn't do anything against all the solid teams over the final eight games.

The 2024 team beat James Madison and started 5-1, and closed with six straight losses.

The rebuild continues, but Vincent is putting his team in a position to surprise.

ULM Quick Hits

• Head Coach: Bryant Vincent (4th year overall, 15-22; 3rd year at ULM, 8-16)
• Best Case / Worst Case: A winning season and bowl game for the first time since 2012/A fifth season with four wins or fewer in six years
• Key Player: Noah Flemmings, LB Sr.
• 2025 Record: 3-9
• Biggest Question: Is there enough talent in place to make a push for a winning season?

ULM Key 2025 Stats

• Field Goals: Opponents 18-of-22, ULM 2-of-7
• Penalties: ULM 88 for 780 yards, Opponents 63 for 598 yards
• Second Half Scoring: Opponents 198, ULM 95

Offense
Offensive coordinator Jaleel Mosley has some good pieces to work with to make the passing game click.

Last year's offense only averaged 323 yards and 16.6 points per game, but that should change fast.

What's Working
Quarterback Aidan Armenta has the potential to be far stronger. He's a big passer who can move, throwing for 1,629 yards and 12 touchdowns with eight picks. As long as he's a bit more accurate, the offense will change fast, helped by ...

The receiving corps. There's a lot to like with this group, starting with Nic Trujillo, a good deep threat who averaged 16 yards per catch with a team-high four scores.

JP Coulter is a shifty inside receiver who caught 21 passes, and Clemson's Parker Fulghum and Arkansas State's Damarcco Blanton are getting their chances to shine.

Is this when Donald Chaney Jr. gets a little luck? The one-time Miami running back spent four years at Miami, finishing with 852 yards and six scores despite suffering a major knee injury early on.

He spent one year at Louisville, moved to Charlotte, got hurt, and now is at ULM in his seventh season.

If he's healthy, he's a talented back who can carry the offense.

What's Needs Work
The offensive line has to find the right starting five. It gets back a few decent pieces in tackle AJ Vinson and guard Kaliem Croswell, and Nate Green is an interesting tackle option, but overall, this bunch has to be better at preventing plays behind the line.

The running game has to be more consistent. The line and coaching staff are good enough to put together a few big games, but ULM has to go off on the ground to win.

Last year's team was 3-0 when running for six yards or more per carry, and was 0-9 when it didn't.

The FBS running back depth is really, really thin if Donald Chaney isn't able to hold up. The top backs - Zach Palmer-Smith and Braylon McReynolds (UAB) - are done, and the Warhawks need big things from ...

Player to Watch
Bryson Roland, RB Soph.
This is Chaney's ground attack to run, but the coaching staff wants a rotation.

The speedy 5-8, 180-pound Roland ran for 1,148 yards and nine scores for Arkansas Tech last year, and now he'll be used in a variety of ways.

Keys to the Season

• Better overall offensive efficiency is a must.
• Quickly replace the lost production on the defensive line.
• Be far, far, far better on special teams.

Biggest Concern
Score whenever there's a chance.
It's going to be hard enough for the Warhawks to hang around with most of the teams on the slate, but they have to put points on the board when there's a shot.

ULM finished second-to-last in red zone offense (just ahead of Charlotte) - that's partly because the offense made one field goal all year when getting inside the 20.

Overall, ULM scored just 18 times in 28 trips - it proved deadly in the 30-27 loss to Louisiana - going 8-for-18 after Week 4.

Biggest Game
Louisiana Tech, October 17
The two schools are only a half hour apart, but they haven't played each other since 2000 - a 42-19 Louisiana Tech win.

With the Bulldogs joining the Sun Belt, this matchup suddenly should start to mean something on an annual basis.

ULM gets a week off to get prepared, and it's a chance to get its Sun Belt mojo going.

Transfer Portal
The Warhawks did a decent job coming up with parts to help fill in some gaps.

They might have hit a home run at running back in Donald Chaney (Charlotte), likely got a starting tight end in Bryce Anderson (Memphis), and helped the secondary and receiving corps.

And in Austin Carlisle (Houston), they have a potential quarterback.

It's not enough to make ULM a Sun Belt superpower, but they got better.

Best Signing
Bryce Anderson, TE (Memphis)
ULM stepped up at tight end with 6-3, 220-pound Cade Callahan (Merrimack) and Anderson, a 6-5, 250-pound pass catcher who made 12 grabs for 101 yards last year at Memphis.

With the coaching change, Anderson left the Tigers and is off to ULM.

Biggest Loss
Jerome Simmons, DT (Oregon)
Tackles with his tools and bulk are almost impossible to replace at the Group of Six level. He might not play much for Oregon, but at 6-4 and 330 pounds, he's a big body to rotate in and help clog things up.

CFN Season Prediction
The Warhawks aren't going to take a step back.

That might not mean they'll do anything special, or be a Sun Belt surprise, but this year's team should be a wee bit better than last year's 3-9 version.

However, it'll be a fight each and every week. The date with SE Louisiana should be the only time it'll likely be the favorite.

CFN Prediction: 4-8

There's no James Madison, Old Dominion, or Georgia Southern to deal with - being in the Sun Belt West is a break - and there aren't two road games in a row after opening up at Mississippi State and UAB.

But Bryant Vincent has pushed the team in the right direction. The Warhawks will keep fighting, and eventually the breakthrough will come.

[Captain Canada]

Feels like y'all might get more belt than 4 wins, but hopefully I'm just being pessimistic.

[redsox907]

I got my season preview from CFN too

I say he finishes at 6-6

[The JZA]

Think we can be looking at a 4-8, 5-7 season

[Soapy]

Gospel of Hal - CFB 27 - House Rules

Gameplay Restrictions
- No switching players on offense or defense after the snap with exception being on offense during designed jump ball situations (ie goal-line fade).
- No unusual moving of defensive players pre-snap (ie moving a player with deep third responsibility close to the LOS).
- Must control the defensive player that made the latest play from scrimmage (tackle, pass break up, sack, etc.)
- No hot routes allowed on offense with the exception of adjusting the depth of routes based on field position. Defense allowed to shift to adjust to offense formation or game situation.
- Must mix up the snap cadence on offense in order to simulate real-game scenarios and be susceptible to false start penalties.
- No audibling on the road (see QB/MLB Awareness Perks for exceptions).
- Audibling is limited to quick audibles (ie: run play, quick pass, man coverage) only under the following circumstances:
-------- Defense is overloaded to one side. QB is allowed to flip the run play.
-------- Defense is playing press coverage on a WR screen/bubble play. QB is allowed to audible to a run.
-------- Defense is showing blitz on a run headed towards the player(s) showing blitz. QB is allowed to flip the run play.
-------- Offense is lining up in an empty set on a play where a blitz is called. Defense is allowed to audible out of the blitz.
-------- Offense is lining up in the wildcat formation. Defense is allowed to audible to a blitz.
-------- Offense has overloaded one side of the football. Defense is allowed to audible to man coverage in order to match leverage.
- Cannot utilize the pre-snap coach view (reveals play being run) on offense. Allowed once per play on defense and an additional time if the offense changes formation/motions.
- Play selection is limited to recommended plays on offense and defense except on third/fourth down and in the final two minutes of the half.
- Can overrule AI fourth down decision once per half or in the final two minutes of the game.
- QB/MLB Awareness Perks:
-------- If QB/MLB awareness rating is under 75:
--------------- no audibling on the road and limited to one audible per drive at home
-------- If QB/MLB awareness rating is 75-80
--------------- no audibling on the road and limited to one audible per set of downs at home
--------------- can utilize the pre-snap coach view on third downs at home (offense only)
-------- If QB/MLB awareness rating is 81-85
--------------- limited to one audible per drive on the road and limited to two audibles per set of downs at home
--------------- can utilize the pre-snap coach view on third downs and in the redzone at home (offense only)
-------- If QB/MLB awareness rating is 86-90
--------------- limited to one audible per set of downs on the road and unlimited audibles at home
--------------- can utilize the pre-snap coach view on any play at home (offense and defense) and on third downs on the road (offense only)
-------- If QB/MLB awareness rating is 90+
--------------- unlimited audibles on the road and at home
--------------- can utilize the pre-snap coach view on any play at home and on the road (offense and defense)

Dynasty Roster Management Restrictions
- Cannot convince players to stay.
- Cannot redshirt players that are part of two-deep depth chart (QBs exempt).
- Cannot redshirt 4-star or higher players (QBs exempt).
- Cannot go over roster limit. If this occurs, random generator will be ran to determine who is cut from team.
- Position Change Restrictions
-------HB to WR allowed if catch rating exceed carrying rating
-------WR to HB allowed if carry rating exceeds catching rating
-------OL to TE allowed if acceleration rating exceeds strength rating AND Weight is within 20lbs of heaviest natural TE already on the roster
-------LB to DE allowed if FMV/PMV exceeds MCV/ZCV rating AND Weight is within 10lbs of lightest natural DE already on the roster
-------S to LB allowed if BSH/TKL exceeds MZC/ZCV rating and Weight is 205lbs+
-------DE to DT allowed if Weight is 275lbs+

Dynasty Recruiting Restrictions
- Auto recruiting is enabled unless head coach with the following exceptions:
-------High school quarterbacks
-------Transfer portal quarterbacks
-------Allowed to remove an offensive player from the board
- JUCO Restrictions
-------Schools with A or better Academic Prestige: 0 JUCO recruits per class
-------Schools with B Academic Prestige: 1 JUCO recruit per class
-------School with C or under Academic Prestige: 3 JUCO recruits per class
- Cannot target none-pipeline recruits unless in recruit's top five.
- Recruiting Board limit set to Seniors on roster + half of Juniors on roster (ie: 15 seniors + 10 juniors = 20 players in recruiting board).
- Cannot offer players 4-star or higher with no other offers past Week 9.
- Cannot sign more than one 4-star or higher QB in a given class.
- Cannot sign more than two 4-star or higher TE in a given class.
- Cannot sign more than two 4-star or higher RB in a given class.
- Cannot sign more than three 4-star or higher WRs in a given class.
- Cannot recruit ATH as QBs unless running spread option or option offense as base.
- Can only target recruits at or below school prestige rating unless in recruit top five.
- NIL offer must be within 25% of highest paid player at the current position that is on the roster (QBs exempt)

Dynasty Coaching Restrictions
- Can only apply for lateral jobs that are within one prestige rating of current school
- Can only apply for head coaching jobs as a coordinator that are at or below the prestige rating of current school
- As a head coach, coordinator salaries must be within 25% of each other
- As a head coach, can only offer coordinators whose prestige rating are at or below the prestige rating of current school (A = 5*, B=4*, C=3*, D=2* and below)
- Must max out QB specific perks before investing coaching points in other positions

Gameplay Sliders HUM/CPU
QB Accuracy: 25/25
Pass Blocking: 65/85
WR Catching: 35/44
Run Blocking: 35/65
Ball Security: 48/48
Interceptions: 35/35
Pass Coverage: 53/53
Tackling: 49/49

FG Power: 40
FG Accuracy: 35
Punt Power: 40
Punt Accuracy: 30
Kickoff Power: 40

Injuries: 20
Fatigue: 75
Speed Threshold: 99

Offsides: 50
False Start: 80
Holding: 65
Face Mask: 50
DPI: 99
Illegal Contact: Off

Default Wear and Tear

Dynasty Settings
Max Transfers per Team: 8
User Transfer: 60
CPU Transfer: 40

Auto Progress Players: On
Auto Recruiting: On (requires being head coach)
CPU Manage Overall Budget: On (requires prestige of B+ as head coach to disable)
CPU Manage Facilities Spending: On (requires prestige of B+ as head coach to disable)
CPU Manage Support Staff: On (requires prestige of B+ as head coach to disable)

[Captain Canada]

I will ask - how do you remember all of those house rules while you're playing? Is this just something you get accustomed to after the years?

[Soapy]

I will ask - how do you remember all of those house rules while you're playing? Is this just something you get accustomed to after the years?

Pretty much. The only one I have to check often is the awareness one as that does change from season to season, depending on the player's rating.

[Soapy]

Feels like y'all might get more belt than 4 wins, but hopefully I'm just being pessimistic.

if you think i'm winning a grand total of 3 games, when one of those is a guaranteed dub against the FCS...

I got my season preview from CFN too

I say he finishes at 6-6

Think we can be looking at a 4-8, 5-7 season

I think we can get to six, the schedule is pretty favorable

[Soapy]

ethical bumps only in this thread

[Soapy]

#TheTrueKing