3 FCS Sleeper Teams That Are Flying Under The Radar Entering 2026

Even with the countless hours spent evaluating transfer portal classes, incoming high school prospects, returning players, and coaching changes, there are always a handful of teams that surprise the national media and fans, outperforming preseason expectations or emerging as unexpected playoff contenders.

I wanted to take a look at three teams that aren't receiving much attention during the offseason and could potentially emerge as unexpected contenders in their conference, or even on the national level.

Two of these teams have been fairly consistent playoff contenders, but had an unexpected coaching change or even underperformed last season, which has led to some mixed expectations entering 2026. The other team is one of the newest teams in FCS football, which always leads to skepticism about whether their success can be sustained long-term or if they just caught lightning in a bottle.

Below are three sleeper teams who could unexpectedly make some real noise next season.

Richmond

It was an uncharacteristic season for the Spiders last year. They finished 7-5 overall, 3-4 in the Patriot League, which ended their streak of three straight seasons with an appearance in the FCS playoffs. Don't get lost in the record, though. This team lost all 4 of its FCS games by 7 points or less, including a 7-point loss to Lehigh, which was a Top 8 seed, on the road.

I had some concerns about Richmond entering last year, mainly the lack of proven experience, but this season, the Spiders find themselves in a completely different space. Richmond is projected to have 22 significant contributors return from last season's team. This includes 16 players who played over 300 snaps in 2025.

The defense was still outstanding last season, ranking 2nd in the Patriot League in scoring and total defense. All-Patriot League EDGE Camden Byrd returns after a dominant season, recording 11.5 TFLs and 8.5 sacks.

He's joined by All-Patriot League linebacker Carter Glassmyer and safety Tayshaun Burney, who led the team with 10 pass breakups. Burney, along with Jordan Allen and Lee Bruner IV, gives the Spiders one of the deepest safety rooms in the country. I expect this defense to be excellent once again, which puts the spotlight on the offense.

Offensively, there was plenty left to be desired for the Spiders. They ranked 5th in the conference in total and scoring offense, which was mostly due to a poor passing attack that only averaged 183.3 yards per game.

The reason that Richmond is being tabbed as a sleeper, and not a contender, is the question mark surrounding quarterback Ashten Snelsire. He was named a captain and is the presumed starter in 2026, but we need to see him grow into a more consistent passer if the Spiders are going to make a real push.

Snelsire finished with 848 passing yards, 8 passing TDs, and 5 INTs last year, while adding 188 rushing yards and 3 scores on the ground. He showed flashes of being a solid signal-caller, including a game-winning drive against William & Mary in the Capital Cup.

If Snelsire takes a step forward, the Spiders are going to be a potential sleeper out of the Patriot League, but if this offense continues to sputter, it may be another missed opportunity for Richmond.

There are some questions for this program entering the 2026 season, but history suggests that head coach Russ Huesman is going to find his way back into playoff contention. He's led the Spiders to three playoff appearances and two conference titles over the past four seasons. I like the odds of Richmond emerging as a sneaky playoff contender in 2026.

UTRGV

Am I a year too early? Possibly, but I've been outspoken about how UTRGV didn't receive enough hype for what they accomplished in their inaugural season. This team finished 9-3; their only 3 losses were against playoff teams on the road, plus they notched a win over the SWAC champions in Prairie View A&M.

I have the Vaqueros as a sleeper because there is a chance that the growing pains could hit in Year 2. That's always a possibility, but I really think this program could be a real dark horse to push for a postseason spot, which makes them the perfect sleeper team to keep an eye on in 2026.

The Vaqueros return 17 defensive significant contributors, including 8 players who had over 400 snaps of experience last year. That's the highest percentage of returning experience in the FCS. This was an extremely young defense last year, which went through some growing pains in conference play. With another year of development and experience, this defense could be much improved in 2026.

Keep an eye on cornerback Alijah Prosser, who started 12 games for the Vaqueros and was a Freshman All-American. Add that to linebacker Jaiden Haygood, who led the team with 102 tackles, linebacker Spencer Rich, safety TJ Neal, and safety Marcus Heard Jr., and this defense has a ton of promising young talent that's ready to take a big step forward.

The big question is who will step up at quarterback and wide receiver. The Vaqueros added former Oklahoma State/Virginia Tech QB Garret Rangel this offseason. He brings some starting experience at OSU, totaling over 1,000 passing yards over his 13 appearances for the Cowboys. He has real upside in this offensive scheme, which allows the quarterback to be a playmaker, similar to what we saw Eddie Lee Marburger become last season.

As for wide receiver, I would expect to see Tavian Cord and Kyran Lee take much bigger roles. I like what we saw from Cord last season. He finished with 302 receiving yards on only 17 receptions, along with 4 receiving TDs. Former Tulsa WR Alex Green flashed during spring camp, making him a potential breakout player for the Vaqueros.

Looking at UTRGV's schedule, there's a real path for this team to be a sleeper in the Southland race. The Vaqueros get their three toughest conference games at home as they host Southeastern Louisiana, Lamar, and Stephen F. Austin. They also have another winnable FCS non-conference game against Central Arkansas, which could be a solid win for their playoff resume.

There's always a possibility that the Vaqueros take a step back in Year 2, but I love the foundation that head coach Travis Bush has laid for this program. Add that to the investment and commitment of the university to building a competitive Division I football program, and I would imagine that it's only a matter of time before this team makes a postseason push.

Mercer

A lot of the skepticism surrounding Mercer's potential is linked to the departure of Mike Jacobs. He took a ton of talent with him to Toledo, including Buck Buchanan winner Andrew Zock. The caution is justified, but I think the hire of Joel Taylor was one of the best head coaching hires of the offseason.

Taylor turned West Georgia into an immediate contender in the UAC, winning eight games last year in only its second season at the Division I level. He also has intricate knowledge of how this Mercer program has been building to what we've seen over the past three years, as he led the defense from 2020 to 2023.

This isn't a rebuild, it's a reload, which Taylor was able to achieve by bringing over a dozen players with him from West Georgia. The Bears also kept some key contributors from last season's team, including Freshman All-Americans Tyler Murray and Kobe McInnis. Wide receiver Brayden Smith is another cornerstone piece that remained in Macon, earning FCS All-American honors as an all-purpose player in 2024.

I thought the staff did a solid job of identifying some FCS and non-Division I talent that could step in and push for immediate playing time. Javonte Walker and Jeremy Richardson are two names to keep an eye on in the secondary, while Javious Bond is an athlete who could play both ways, but averaged 7.7 YPC last season at Austin Peay.

My biggest question will be who steps into the starting quarterback role in 2026. JP Pickles was a highly-touted recruit out of Florida, while Jaylen King was a Freshman All-American at ETSU in 2023. The real dark horse could be Franklin Pierce transfer Adrian Parker, who was the NE10 Offensive Player of the Year in 2024.

I have no doubt that the Bears should still be outstanding defensively under Taylor, which is why the offense just needs to be consistent. If they find their quarterback, this team should remain a big factor in the SoCon race next season.

I wouldn't expect many voters to have Mercer in their preseason Top 25 ballots, which is why they are the perfect sleeper team entering next season. This is a program that's made three consecutive FCS playoff appearances, along with winning back-to-back SoCon titles.

It's been a few seasons since Mercer could say it is flying under the radar entering a season, but that's exactly where the Bears find themselves in 2026.

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