SEMO Football held its first practice of preseason camp Wednesday morning at the Rosengarten Athletic Complex.
SEMO has 25 practices during a 31-day window leading up to its 2026 season-opener at Indiana State on Aug. 29.
The Redhawks enter the year picked second in the eight-team Ohio Valley Conference Preseason Poll behind UT Martin. The Redhawks receive done first place vote.
SEMO starts its 13th season under the direction of Head Coach Tom Matukewicz who has guided the Redhawks to three conference championships and four Football Championship Subdivision (FCS) Playoff berths in the last seven seasons.
The Redhawks return eight starters, with five on offense and three on defense. The bulk of the experience is back on the offensive line, where four starting linemen return after combining for 34 starts last season.
Seven players represented SEMO among the OVC's Players to Watch ahead of the 2026 campaign: Stats Perform Preseason All-American defensive lineman McCoy Casey, linebacker Cole Dutkovich, running back Khyair Spain, offensive lineman Rashad Turner, wide receiver/punt return specialist Jobe Bryant, defensive back Adrian Patterson and kicker Justin Keller are in that group.
SEMO's 12-game slate starts with three-straight road games at Indiana State (Aug. 29), Iowa State (Sept. 5) and longtime rival Southern Illinois (Sept. 12). The Redhawks play their home opener on September 19 vs. Central Arkansas.
