4 FCS Wild Card Teams With Boom or Bust Potential in 2026

Every year, there are teams with major question marks that spark debates on what their true ceiling or floor could be entering the upcoming season. In other words, they are true "wild cards" in terms of the national landscape.

Whether it's an unexpected coaching change, a high-stakes quarterback battle, or a program that historically hasn't been a national contender. All these factors could play a big role in whether a team is a true threat for a playoff run or becomes the next underachieving team that the media and fans were too high on in the preseason.

I wanted to take a look at four teams that could be true wild cards ahead of the 2026 season. Some of these teams have extremely high expectations, while others appear to be primed for a breakout year, but each one has a major question mark that could greatly impact their trajectory next season.

Below are four wild card FCS teams that could make some noise in 2026.

South Dakota Coyotes

There's a new man in charge in Vermillion. Matt Vitzthum was named the head coach at South Dakota after the unexpected departure of Travis Johansen. He's been on the staff the past two seasons, including playing an integral part as the offensive coordinator in South Dakota's quarterfinal run in 2025.

Vitzthum's promotion was important for a program that has continued to reach new heights despite a lack of continuity at the head coach position. The biggest question is, will that eventually catch up to the Coyotes? It's the exact question that makes them a wild card team entering next season.

The Coyotes did an amazing job at retaining talent, especially on the defensive side of the ball. Cornerback RJ Stewart returns after a Freshman All-American campaign, while Nyle Dickel and Chris Dixon will anchor the defensive front.

Don't forget that All-American Charles Pierre Jr. also returns after missing almost all of last season with an injury. The last time he was fully healthy, he put up over 1,200 rushing yards and 16 touchdowns in 2024. It was one of the biggest developments for this program this offseason.

South Dakota running back Charles Pierre Jr. (3) | Samantha Laurey / Argus Leader / USA TODAY NETWORK

This team has plenty of talent to be a real factor in the FCS Playoff race, but it ultimately comes down to who wins the quarterback battle.

Nobody separated themselves in spring practice, but it's hard not to see Jackson Proctor getting a real shot at QB1. He was a productive starter at Dartmouth, but the potential dark horse in this race could be freshman Austyn Modrzewski. He was a two-time Gatorade Player of the Year in Colorado, possessing the highest potential upside of any quarterback in the room.

This may be the determining factor in whether South Dakota is a legit contender in the MVFC or takes a step back in 2026.

UC Davis Aggies

UC Davis is another team that will have lofty expectations entering the 2026 season. The Aggies have made back-to-back quarterfinal runs under head coach Tim Plough, but it's now time to see if this program can take that next step, especially with a 13-3 Big Sky record over the past two seasons.

Some may question the wild card status for the Aggies, but it stems from the quarterback position. Let me preface this by saying, if there's a head coach I trust to find a quarterback, it's Tim Plough, but it's a major decision because of how much talent the Aggies return for next season.

Championship windows close faster than ever in the transfer portal era, and the Aggies return the 4th-highest percentage of significant contributors in the nation. They return over 70% of their key players on defense, including All-Americans Rex Connor and Porter Connors, who received an extra year from the NCAA.

UC Davis linebacker Porter Connors (39) | Darren Yamashita-Imagn Images

Offensively, the Aggies have four starting offensive linemen returning, also with their two top receivers in Samuel Gbatu Jr. and Stacy Dobbins. Running back Jordan Fisher is also back after his 1,000-yard season in 2025. All the pieces are here for the Aggies. That's why the quarterback play could really make-or-break this team.

Luckily, the Aggies signed one of the top FBS quarterback transfers this offseason, adding Jackson Kollock from Minnesota. The redshirt freshman was a record-setting quarterback at Laguna Beach HS, where he threw for over 7,000 career yards and 94 touchdowns.

If Kollock lives up to the hype, the Aggies could be a real threat to make some noise in the playoffs, but if he experiences some growing pains, UC Davis could miss their shot to capitalize on one of the most talented rosters in the country.

Lamar Cardinals

Pete Rossomando doesn't get nearly enough credit for the rebuild he's done at Lamar. The Cardinals were 9-31 from 2019-22, but it took Rossomando only one season to lead the program to its first winning season since 2018. He's only taken it to new heights since, including a playoff appearance last season with an 8-5 record.

I talked about teams primed for a breakout year, and that's exactly what 2026 could be for the Cardinals. Lamar found success in 2025 despite having one of the most inconsistent offenses in the Southland, ranking 7th in scoring offense and 8th in total offense.

The defense returns nearly half of its significant contributors, including Andrew Huff, who led the Cardinals with 10.5 tackles for loss and 6.5 sacks. It's what this staff did to rebuild the offense that makes Lamar such an interesting wild-card team in 2026.

Lamar head coach Pete Rossomando | Lamar Athletics

The Cardinals signed the No. 12 transfer portal class in the FCS, headlined by Louisiana Tech quarterback Evan Bullock.

Bullock missed most of last season due to injury, but started 10 games the year prior, throwing for 2,101 yards, 14 touchdowns, and only 3 interceptions. He was selected to the CUSA All-Freshman Team. He completely raises, not only the floor, but also the ceiling of what this offense could be.

Lamar did an excellent job of giving him weapons this offseason. The Cardinals signed Parker Jenkins from East Carolina and Devan Williams out of Houston, both of whom project as instant starters next season. Wide receiver Jaydn Girard also returns after playing nearly 500 snaps last year.

If this team can find a true identity offensively, the Cardinals could be a dark horse to make some noise in the FCS Playoffs, but if the offense remains inconsistent, it could cost Lamar in a very competitive race in the Southland.

Northern Arizona Lumberjacks

After finding immediate success in Brian Wright's first season, the Lumberjacks took an unexpected step backward in 2025. They missed the postseason at 7-5, mainly due to a stunning upset loss to Weber State in the final game of the year.

Most voters are going to have this team firmly in their preseason Top 25, but there are some major questions NAU will have to answer early in the year. How these questions are answered will determine if NAU returns to the postseason or falls short of preseason expectations once again.

The Lumberjacks only return about 25% of their significant contributors from last season, including only three defensive players who played over 250 snaps in 2025. That means there will be a ton of new pieces that will have to gel very quickly. That could be tricky with a Week 1 conference game against Eastern Washington on the schedule.

I still think this team could be very competitive despite the lack of returning experience. A lot of it can be attributed to the return of All-Big Sky quarterback Ty Pennington. He's been outstanding the past two years, throwing for over 5,400 yards, 32 touchdowns, and only 6 interceptions. Having such an experienced leader should help this team find its rhythm, which is why they are a true wild card.

Northern Arizona quarterback Ty Pennington (6) | Arianna Grainey-Imagn Images

This staff did an excellent job of navigating the portal, along with the JUCO circuit, to find players who are ready to play immediately. Deuce Zimmerman and Darius Haskin could be real breakout stars at wide receiver; both bring proven production from their previous schools. Carter Lavrusky and KT Carter should also push for immediate playing time on the offensive line.

On the defensive side of the ball, Shoes Brinkley is a proven FCS safety from McNeese, while EDGE Nikhil Webb-Walker brings a ton of upside from Colorado. The Lumberjacks may have a lot of new names in key spots, but there's no shortage of talent in Flagstaff.

We've seen mixed results with transfer portal additions across the FCS. If the Lumberjacks hit on a majority of their portal evaluations, this team could find itself in a position for another playoff run, but if the talent fails to gel, or a few of these key additions don't live up to the hype, then it could be a tough season for NAU.

Follow FCS Football Central on social media for ongoing coverage of FCS football, including on X, Facebook, and YouTube.

Add us as a preferred source on Google