There’s a fresh energy buzzing around Little Giant Stadium this fall, one that starts with a familiar face. Head Football Coach and Defensive Coordinator Jake Gilbert ’98 is here to lead the program he once suited up for. Gilbert isn’t just bringing his playbook, he’s establishing a culture built on mentorship and toughness.
Picked second in the NCAC preseason poll, the Little Giants sit just behind defending champion DePauw, despite not receiving a single first-place vote. After an 8-3 season in 2024, Wabash enters 2025 ready to prove the projections wrong, even in the competitive North Coast Athletic Conference (NCAC).
Wabash brings back an offense that moved the ball and lit up the scoreboard last fall. The Little Giants piled up 1,801 rushing yards, 46 total touchdowns and 33.5 points per game in 2024, all good for second in the NCAC while finishing third in total offense with 4,034 all-purpose yards.
At quarterback, Brand Campbell ’27 enters his second season under center after being thrown into the fire last September after Blake White ’25 went down with an injury in Week 2. Despite missing those early reps, he finished with 1,939 passing yards and 19 touchdowns—third best in the league. In 2025, he’ll benefit from gathering new perspectives from new offensive coordinator Casey Gillin working in a fresh scheme. Now with a full offseason of conditioning and film study, Campbell has the chance to elevate the passing game even further.
“My confidence has skyrocketed since last year,” said Campbell. “I took my diet and conditioning a lot more seriously this offseason and I feel twice the athlete I was last year. I feel faster and mentally stronger, not only from a football perspective, but an emotional one as well.”
“I think Brand put in the best summer he’s ever had and his body is in better shape than it’s ever been,” said Coach Gilbert. “He clearly had a more disciplined summer with his conditioning. He looks faster and I’m more excited about him in the run game than I was in the spring. I feel great that he took that level of leadership and commitment.”
The ground game should remain the foundation of the offense thanks to the fierce one-two punch of Xavier Tyler ’26 and Cole Dickerson ’28 in the backfield. Tyler, the NCAC’s rushing champ, led the conference with 1,091 yards and was the only back to eclipse the 1,000-yard mark in 2024. Alongside him, Dickerson piled up 401 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground, the latter of which was second among freshman backs in the conference. Together, they give Wabash one of the most exciting running back duos in the league.
Up front, the offensive line will look a little different. The Little Giants lost three All-NCAC selections from last year’s unit, but the leader remains in Quinn Sholar ’26, a three-time first-team All-NCAC tackle and 2025 D3football.com Preseason All-American. Sholar will guide a group that mixes youth with key transfers, including Lucas Copenhaver ’27 from Marshall University.
“From all four years I’ve played here, this is definitely the least size we’ve had on the offensive line, but it’s the toughest we’ve been as a unit,” said Sholar. “I think we’re going to play more hard-nosed, downhill, straight to the football type plays. We’re not trying to get around anyone, we’re going straight through the middle gaps and right up the hash marks.”
If there’s one thing opposing teams know about facing Wabash, it’s that moving the ball won’t come easy. The Little Giants return nearly all of their defensive core from a unit that finished near the top of the conference a season ago, piling up 35 sacks, 15 interceptions and seven fumble recoveries.
The secondary is anchored by Mike Holsclaw ’26, a first-team All-NCAC selection whose four interceptions tied for second in the conference. At linebacker, the Little Giants boast a loaded group led by Gavin Ruppert ’26, who earned second-team honors after tallying 96 tackles—third most in the NCAC. He’s joined by fellow linebacker Sam Ringer ’26 and defensive end Jerry McBee ’26 off the edge, both second-team selections last fall.
“I think we should have the flexibility to go do a lot of different things on defense,” said Gilbert. “With great players at each level and most of them in the second year of the system, I expect improvement.”
With experienced seniors at every level and depth behind them, this defense expects to set the tone and field one of the most feared units in the NCAC.
“What makes this group special is how long we’ve been doing it together,” said Ruppert. “Most of us have started since freshman or sophomore year and we have seen all the ups and downs and gone through it together, which builds a high level of trust. Our closeness comes from three years of holding each other accountable and truly wanting everyone to succeed.”
Every season has its checkpoints and the 2025 schedule is loaded with opportunities to make statements. The journey begins with a trip up to St. Norbert, a team the Little Giants shut out 31-0 at home last fall. In Week 2, the Little Giants host Case Western Reserve, who’ll be making its first visit to Crawfordsville since 1948. There’s also a new chapter to write in University Heights, Ohio, squaring off against John Carroll in the Blue Streaks’ debut season as an NCAC member. Denison comes to town for Homecoming, a team in which Wabash has split its last six meetings with. And then, of course, the School Down South makes its 29-mile trip to Little Giant Stadium on November 15th for the 131st Monon Bell Classic. 2025 will be filled with its hills and valleys, but the Little Giants are poised to learn from the adversities of 2024 to attack the challenges that await them this fall.
“Coach Gilbert has reinforced to lean back on the habits we build when we need them the most,” said Campbell. “When we go into those big games like John Carroll or the Bell game, we’ll lean back on what we did in the off season and what we’ve learned in the meeting rooms as well.”
The Little Giants open the season at St. Norbert on Saturday, September 6, an opportunity to silence a hungry opponent and launch 2025 with a statement victory.