SAN ANTONIO -- As is the case with its offense, the University of the Incarnate Word football team will look vastly different on the defensive side of the ball entering 2026.

But, as is also the case with the offense, the defense, which is now under the watch of newly promoted coordinator Ben Olson, has a lot of exciting new pieces coaches believe will give the team an edge it was missing during an inconsistent 2025 season.

SEE ALSO: UIW FOOTBALL WEEK 0 DEPTH CHART: OFFENSE

Special teams will have a whole new look as well, as many specialist have transferred in from other programs.

All units are hoping to go deep into the depth chart in the season opener Saturday, as the Cardinals will be heavily favored at home against visiting Oklahoma Panhandle State out of the NAIA. Kickoff is set for 6 p.m. at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.

Here's a look at both the defensive and special teams depth chart heading into the week zero matchup.

Defense

Defensive line

STARTERS: Jeremiah Young and Walt Gray, defensive ends; Logan Granville and Terrell Elliott, defensive tackles

RESERVES: Chance Symons and Mekhi Brown, defensive ends; Jace Bardwell, Josh Gonzalez and Marlon Cook, defensive tackles

OUTLOOK: Young played nine games in 2025 after transferring from the junior college ranks, and will be bookended by Gray, who spent 2025 at Coastal Carolina. On the inside, Logan Granville looks for his most extended action after playing in six games over the last three years. Elliott is in his third year at UIW, starting in 2024 before being limited to four games with injury last season.

Brown (Carson-Newman) and Symons (North Dakota State) are both transfers on the edge while interior lineman Cook is a true freshman from Houston. Barwell and Gonzalez each bring a good deal of experience to the second unit, having played a combined 43 games at UIW.

Linebackers

STARTERS: Jachai Pulley, Christian Barney and Rome Jeffers

RESERVES: Jordan Norwood, Braden Hay, Jameer Dudley

OUTLOOK: Pulley, the will linebacker, and Jeffers, the star, both played at UIW a year ago, Pulley netting 12 tackles in 11 games, while Jeffers played primarily on special teams. They'll be joined by newcomer Barney, who had 85 tackles and three interceptions while being named NJCAA Honorable Mention All-American at Iowa Central Community College in 2025.

The next players on the depth chart are all looking for bounce back seasons, as Norwood, Hay and Dudley all missed 2025 due to injury.

Secondary

STARTERS: Lamont Johnson-Burrell and A.J. Tisdell, cornerbacks; Buddha Garrett and Isaiah Pruitt, safeties

RESERVES: D'Arius Carmouche and Patrick Batiste, cornerbacks; Pig Cage and Kaden Jammer, safeties

OUTLOOK: Johnson-Burrell, a 6-foot, 3-inch, long-armed corner has drawn rave reviews from coaches after transferring from Sacramento State, and will play opposite Tisdell, who's played 24 games at UIW with 10 starts a season ago. At safety, Tulsa transfer Buddha Garrett will play at strong safety with Isaiah Pruitt, who's in his third year at UIW, will begin the year as the starting free safety.

All four members of the second unit are returning players, with Carmouche and Batiste both returning for their fourth seasons.

Special teams

Punter

PUNTER: Efren Jasso

Jasso comes from the Power-4 ranks, where he had 147 punts for 6,530 yards at Kansas from 2022-24. He did not play in 2025.

KICKER: Joey Bryson

Bryson primarily served in kickoff duty at the University of Maine from 2022-25, but did make 9-of-13 field goal tries and 26-of-27 extra points during the 2024 season

LONG SNAPPER: Jonas Halbrook

Now in his third season with the program, Halbrook is set to handle long snapping duties.

PUNT AND KICK RETURNER: Jackson Hancock

The Cardinals expect to use a committee approach in the return game early in the season, but Hancock, a third-year player, is likely to get first crack at it Saturday.

TICKETING INFO

Tickets for UIW Football are available now at tickets.uiwcardinals.com. Fans can purchase season tickets, single-game tickets, and group experiences today and join Cardinal Nation at Gayle and Tom Benson Stadium.