Three North Carolina FCS football players have been recognized with national honors by Lindy’s Sports heading into the 2026 season:
- Running back Carson Gresock (Gardner-Webb): named Lindy’s pick for Ohio Valley Conference preseason offensive player of the year and a second-team All-FCS selection.
- Return specialist Elijah Kennedy (North Carolina A&T): named to Lindy’s All-FCS first team
- Kicker Kaleb Robison (Campbell): also named to Lindy’s All-FCS first team.
The “All-FCS” designation is Lindy’s version of preseason All-America for the FCS level. The entire All-FCS team was released in Lindy’s College Football National 2026 Preview, published in early June.
Gresock led the Runnin’ Bulldogs with 14 rushing touchdowns in 2025. The 5-11, 215-pound redshirt senior from Columbus, OH, finished with 798 yards on the ground, teaming with Quasean Holmes (969 yards, 5 TDs) to comprise one of the most formidable rushing duos in the state last season.
Kennedy, also a redshirt senior, earned All-CAA and All-America honors as a return specialist in 2025. The former High Point Central standout returned a punt (96 yards) and a kickoff (85 yards) for touchdowns in the fourth quarter of a comeback win against Campbell.
Robison transferred from North Carolina Central to Campbell for the 2026 season. The rising junior placekicker from Middleburg, FL, finished with 99 total points a year ago – including 18-for-24 field goal makes and a perfect 45-for-45 on PATs.
Robison landed on the All-MEAC first team and was recently named academic all-conference.
Lindy’s picks FCS conference finishes
Of all the preseason college football preview publications, Lindy’s Sports devotes the most space to non-FBS programs. The magazine compiled a top-25 for the FCS as well as predictions for each FCS conference race and preseason MVPs.
Highlights:
- Gardner-Webb was picked third in the Ohio Valley Conference (formerly the OVC/Big South) behind UT Martin and Southeast Missouri State.
- North Carolina Central was tabbed third in the MEAC behind defending champ South Carolina State and Delaware State.
- Western Carolina was tabbed fourth in the Southern Conference behind newcomer Tennessee Tech, defending champ Mercer and ETSU.
- Elon was picked fourth in the new-look CAA, which lost members Villanova and William & Mary to the Patriot. Rhode Island is the favorite to defend its 2025 crown, with New Hampshire and Monmouth rounding out the top three
- Campbell and North Carolina A&T are still looking for their first breakthrough in the CAA and are ranked 10th and 12th respectively.
- Furman’s Joshua Stoneking, who is from Raleigh and played at Cardinal Gibbons High, was tabbed the overall FCS preseason Defensive Player of the Year as well as conference Defensive Player of the Year.
Related content
- FCS Football Schedules: View full 2026 schedules for all seven North Carolina teams
- FCS Football Headlines: Read the latest news involving teams from our state
- Small-College Saturdays: Check out our Substack/newsletter devoted to North Carolina FCS, D2 and D3 football.
