# 2025 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team

The 2025 Gardner–Webb Runnin' Bulldogs football team will represent Gardner–Webb University as a member of the OVC–Big South Football Association during the 2025 NCAA Division I FCS football season. The team are expected to be led by second-year head coach Cris Reisert and play their home games at the Ernest W. Spangler Stadium located in Boiling Springs, North Carolina.

## Offseason
### Transfers
#### Outgoing

| Player | Position | Destination |
| Tyler Riddell | QB | Duquesne |
| Trevor Moffitt | LB | East Tennessee State |
| Camden Overton | TE | Georgia State |
| Diondre Glover | DB | Limestone |
| Phinnell Marshall | DL | North Carolina A&T |
| Pius Njenge | DL | Tarleton State |

#### Incoming

| Player | Position | Previous school |
| Dylan Manders | LB | Anderson |
| Jesse Igwe | OL | Charleston |
| Jalen Harris | WR | Coastal Carolina |
| Brady Braun | P | Coffeyville CC |
| Sabin Mclaughlin | S/LB | Davidson |
| Andre Crawley | DL | Emory and Henry |
| Charlie Viorel | K | Fullerton CC |
| Jabre Bevineau | WR | Fullerton CC |
| Daejuan Thompson | LB | Garden City CC |
| Jaden Watkins | DB | Garden City CC |
| Chris Lofton | WR | James Madison |
| Gatlin Hancock | TE | Kennesaw State |
| Ryan Demonbreun | TE | Kentucky Wesleyan |
| Kam Wyatt | S | Lackawanna |
| Markel Fortenberry | WR | Liberty |
| Nate Hampton | QB | Liberty |
| Cole Pennington | QB | Marshall |
| Henry Kofowo | OL | Murray State |
| Adam Hickerson | OL | Sewanee |
| Jackson Dorr | P | Stony Brook |
| Trey Weems | DL | Thomas More |
| Jaylen Hampton | WR | Western Kentucky |
| Elvin Fofanah | TE | Western Kentucky |

### Recruiting class

| Name | Position | Height | Weight | Hometown | High School |
| Zalen Watkins | DL | 6-3 | 260 | Forest City, NC | East Rutherford |
| Sean Brady | WR | 5-9 | 165 | Charlotte, NC | Hough |
| Finley Polk | QB | 6-3 | 185 | Rock Hill, SC | Northwestern |
| David Torres | OL | 6-2 | 285 | Marietta, GA | Kell |
| Carter Isaacs | DB | 6-0 | 185 | Hamilton, OH | Hamilton |
| Ontario Hewitt Jr. | DE | 6-3 | 220 | Mansfield, TX | Mansfield Timberview |
| Paul Williams | DL | 6-2 | 245 | Milton, GA | Milton |
| Jacob Mull | LS | 6-3 | 245 | Connelly Springs, NC | Jimmy C. Draughn |
| Brooks Kerwin | OL | 6-3 | 280 | Lexington, KY | Lexington Christian Academy |
| James Newton | WR | 5-11 | 175 | Burlington, NC | Western Alamance |
| Abraham Brown | DB | 5-11 | 160 | Sarasota, FL | Booker |

## Schedule

| Date | Opponent | Site | TV |
| August 30 | at Western Carolina* | E.J. Whitmire StadiumCullowhee, NC | TBA |
| September 6 | at Georgia Tech* | Bobby Dodd StadiumAtlanta, GA | TBA |
| September 13 | The Citadel* | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | TBA |
| September 20 | at Ohio* | Peden StadiumAthens, OH | TBA |
| October 4 | Charleston Southern | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ |
| October 11 | at Eastern Illinois | O'Brien FieldCharleston, IL | ESPN+ |
| October 18 | UT Martin | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ |
| October 25 | at Lindenwood | Harlen C. Hunter StadiumSt. Charles, MO | ESPN+ |
| November 1 | at Tennessee Tech | Tucker StadiumCookeville, TN | ESPN+ |
| November 8 | Southeast Missouri State | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ |
| November 15 | at Tennessee State | Nissan StadiumNashville, TN | ESPN+ |
| November 22 | Western Illinois | Ernest W. Spangler StadiumBoiling Springs, NC | ESPN+ |
| *Non-conference game |||||

## Game summaries
### at Western Carolina

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Catamounts | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at E. J. Whitmire Stadium • Cullowhee, NC
* Date: Saturday August 30, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Western Carolina | Passing |
| Western Carolina | Rushing |
| Western Carolina | Receiving |

### at (FBS) Georgia Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (FBS) Yellow Jackets | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Bobby Dodd Stadium • Atlanta, GA
* Date: Saturday September 6, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Georgia Tech | Passing |
| Georgia Tech | Rushing |
| Georgia Tech | Receiving |

### vs. The Citadel

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday September 13, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| The Citadel | Passing |
| The Citadel | Rushing |
| The Citadel | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |

### at (FBS) Ohio

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| (FBS) Bobcats | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Peden Stadium • Athens, OH
* Date: Saturday September 20, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (TBA): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Ohio | Passing |
| Ohio | Rushing |
| Ohio | Receiving |

### vs. Charleston Southern

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Buccaneers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday October 4, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Charleston Southern | Passing |
| Charleston Southern | Rushing |
| Charleston Southern | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |

### at Eastern Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Panthers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at O'Brien Field • Charleston, IL
* Date: Saturday October 11, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Eastern Illinois | Passing |
| Eastern Illinois | Rushing |
| Eastern Illinois | Receiving |

### vs. UT Martin

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Skyhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday October 18, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| UT Martin | Passing |
| UT Martin | Rushing |
| UT Martin | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |

### at Lindenwood

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lions | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Harlen C. Hunter Stadium • St. Charles, MO
* Date: Saturday October 25, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Lindenwood | Passing |
| Lindenwood | Rushing |
| Lindenwood | Receiving |

### at Tennessee Tech

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Golden Eagles | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Tucker Stadium • Cookeville, TN
* Date: Saturday November 1, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Tennessee Tech | Passing |
| Tennessee Tech | Rushing |
| Tennessee Tech | Receiving |

### vs. Southeast Missouri State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Redhawks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday November 8, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Southeast Missouri State | Passing |
| Southeast Missouri State | Rushing |
| Southeast Missouri State | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |

### at Tennessee State

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tigers | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Nissan Stadium • Nashville, TN
* Date: Saturday November 15, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |
| Tennessee State | Passing |
| Tennessee State | Rushing |
| Tennessee State | Receiving |

### vs. Western Illinois

| Quarter | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | Total |
| Leathernecks | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Runnin' Bulldogs | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
at Ernest W. Spangler Stadium • Boiling Springs, NC
* Date: Saturday November 22, 2025
* Game time: TBA
* TV announcers (ESPN+): TBA
* Statistics
* First downs
* Total yards
* Rushing yards
* Passing yards
* Passing: Comp–Att–Int
* Time of possession
| Team | Category |
| Western Illinois | Passing |
| Western Illinois | Rushing |
| Western Illinois | Receiving |
| Gardner–Webb | Passing |
| Gardner–Webb | Rushing |
| Gardner–Webb | Receiving |