There were plenty of reasons to wonder what Brevard College football would look like in 2026.
The Tornados entered the season needing to replace several of the biggest contributors from last year – including starting quarterback Ethan Beamish, the top two receivers (Adam Douglas and Reggie Taylor II) and multiple key defenders like Robert Dorsey, Baylee Ramey and Brandon Broughton.
Four games into 2026 and Brevard hasn’t taken a step backward.
If anything, the Tornados have taken a sizable step forward.
One of our state’s five Division III programs, Brevard is 4-0 for the first time since 2009 – and one of only four unbeaten college teams in North Carolina at any level. The Tornados have outscored opponents 176-36 and are beginning to earn national recognition.
Coach Bill Khayat’s team received votes in the latest AFCA Division III Coaches Poll after consecutive blowout victories over Guilford and Belhaven.
And some of the numbers behind Brevard’s unbeaten start are eye-catching.
The Tornados are averaging 44 points and 435 yards per game while allowing just nine points and 197.5 yards. Brevard has been particularly dominant on the ground, plowing teams for 270.5 rushing yards per contest while allowing only 53.8.
For reference, Brevard College finished 5-4 last season and averaged 28.4 points and 339.7 yards per game.
Brevard has turned up the heat
Brevard opened the season with a 39-14 victory over Sewanee before winning 27-14 at Erskine, a D2 program it has beaten the past two seasons.
Since then, the Tornados have shifted into another gear.
Brevard shut out Guilford 59-0 on Sept. 26 in the first-ever meeting between the schools, then opened USA South play Saturday with a 51-8 victory over Belhaven, a team picked to finish third in the USA South Athletic Conference. Brevard was tabbed fourth (though picking up one first-place vote).
The performance against Belhaven might have been the most impressive yet.
Brevard piled up 513 yards of total offense, including 336 rushing yards – its most in a game since 2016 – while holding Belhaven to 155 total yards and only two rushing yards.
Three Brevard running backs surpassed 100 yards. Zion Fauntleroy-McDaniel rushed seven times for 118 yards and a touchdown, freshman Marvin Reed Jr. had 103 yards and three touchdowns on 11 carries and King Faison added 101 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown run.
The defense was just as disruptive, finishing with 13 tackles-for-loss and eight sacks. DJ Stevenson intercepted his fourth pass of the season.
Several new names, new offensive identity
Brevard’s success is particularly notable considering how much of last year’s offensive production had to be replaced.
Beamish accounted for 1,811 of Brevard’s 1,816 passing yards in 2025 and threw all 17 of the team’s touchdown passes. Douglas led the Tornados with 680 receiving yards, while Taylor added 455 yards and a team-high five touchdown catches.
This year’s offense looks considerably different.
Christian Conley has taken over at quarterback, but the Tornados have built their attack around a rushing game that has nearly doubled its production from a year ago – from 137.9 yards per game in 2025 to 270.5 so far this season.
Fauntleroy-McDaniel has made a particularly significant jump. After leading Brevard with 562 rushing yards and four touchdowns all of last season, he already has 386 yards and four touchdowns on only 35 carries this fall. He’s picking up an astounding 11 yards per attempt.
Reed has emerged immediately as a freshman, rushing for 300 yards and a team-high five touchdowns, while Faison has added 229 yards. The three have combined for 915 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns through four games.
Football: BREAKING NEWS – The Brevard College football team garners national recognition, receiving votes in the latest AFCA DIII Coaches Poll. The Tornados, who are 4-0 for the first time since 2009, return to action this Saturday at 1 PM at Southern Virginia! #NadoNation #d3fb https://t.co/YGmNLbCst5 — Brevard College Athletics (@BCTornados) October 6, 2026
Brevard offensive line paving the way
The guys creating all that running room are getting noticed, too.
Brevard’s starting offensive line of Garrett Hall, LaRoddrick Rucker, Bryce Shoemake, Bernard Werts and Jason White was selected to the D3football.com National Team of the Week following the Belhaven victory.
The Tornados did not allow a sack in the victory and have only allowed two sacks all season.
Reed also was named USA South Offensive Rookie of the Week after his three-touchdown performance against Belhaven. Sophomore linebacker Antonio Simpson earned conference Defensive Player of the Week honors after recording five solo tackles, three tackles for loss and a safety.
Tornados have been strong on both sides of the ball
As productive as Brevard has been offensively, the defense has produced some of the most remarkable numbers of the 4-0 start.
Opponents have rushed for only 215 yards in four games, an average of 53.8 per contest, and are gaining just 1.8 yards per carry. Brevard has recorded 34 tackles for loss and 16 sacks.
Getting off the field hasn’t been much of a problem, either.
Opponents have converted just seven of 48 third downs – 14.6% – and three of 14 fourth-down attempts. Deshon Hadden has 5.5 tackles for loss and three sacks, while James Laycock has 4.5 tackles for loss and three sacks.
And opponents have yet to score a point in the third quarter.
📊 Brevard College Football By the Numbers
4-0 – Brevard’s record, its best start since 2009
44.0 – Points scored per game
9.0 – Points allowed per game
176-36 – Brevard’s scoring advantage through four games
270.5 – Rushing yards per game
53.8 – Rushing yards allowed per game
6.4 – Yards per rushing attempt
1.8 – Yards per rushing attempt allowed
14.6% – Opponents’ third-down conversion rate
16 – Sacks by Brevard
2 – Sacks allowed
45-0 – Brevard’s third-quarter scoring advantage
What’s next for Brevard:
Brevard College will try to extend its unbeaten start Saturday when the Tornados travel to Buena Vista, Va., to face Southern Virginia at 1 p.m. The Tornados defeated Southern Virginia 35-32 last Oct. 11.
From there, the Tornados will tackle the two teams picked to lead the USA South in the preseason poll – LaGrange (home on Oct. 17) and Huntingdon (away on Oct. 24). LaGrange won the conference title last season.
The final season stretch includes three games against in-state rivals: Greensboro (home on Oct. 31), Methodist (home on Nov. 7) and North Carolina Wesleyan (away on Nov. 14).
🔗 More North Carolina College Football Coverage
- Brevard College Football Schedule
- USA South Conference Standings
- North Carolina D3 Football Scores
- 2026 week-by-week schedule
