Olentangy Orange 2026 Football Preview: Schedule, Players and Prediction | Top 25 Public HSFB
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2026 Public Schools Top 100 Preview: No. 89 Olentangy Orange
The defending Ohio Division I champion returns only four starters, led by multi-offer linebacker Brennan Kesler, with a new quarterback and a rebuilt offense.
Top 25 Public HSFB8/17/20266 min read
Olentangy Orange owns the 2025 OHSAA Division I trophy but returns only four starters from the team that won it.
The Pioneers went 15-0 and beat Cincinnati St. Xavier 28-14 in the state final. Quarterback Levi Davis, running back Lucas Fickel and receiver MC Walker drove that championship offense, and all three graduated. Wes Schroeder now has to rebuild most of the lineup while defending the first football state title in school history.
Team Snapshot
2025 record: 15-0
2025 finish: OHSAA Division I state champion
2026 classification: OHSAA Division I
Head coach: Wes Schroeder
Returning starters: Four
2026 Outlook
The first job is finding a quarterback. Senior Felix Dimpfl and sophomore Landon Basnett are competing to replace Davis, who accounted for 270 total yards and three touchdowns in the state championship game. Dimpfl was a cornerback before injuries pushed him into the backup quarterback and junior varsity roles last season. Basnett was a freshman on the title roster and is now listed as a sophomore on Orange's official 2026 roster.
Whoever wins the job will operate without the team's top three offensive players from 2025. Fickel carried 31 times for 133 yards in the final, Walker caught five passes for 123 yards, and both scored touchdowns. Senior Jake Luling is the only returning starting skill player. He caught three passes for 33 yards in the championship game and gives the new quarterback a receiver who has already handled postseason snaps.
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The line rebuild starts with junior Jake Hendon. He was one of the four returning starters identified by the program during its spring college showcase and is the lone returning starter up front. That makes the preseason work less about recreating last year's offense and more about finding a dependable five-man group around one proven blocker.
Orange has more certainty on defense because Brennan Kesler is back in the middle. The senior led the team with at least 125 tackles, 17 tackles for loss and 13 sacks, then made eight tackles and two sacks against St. Xavier. Junior defensive back Colby Luling is the other returning starter on that side of the ball.
The returning roster's Division I recruiting attention belongs to Kesler. The 6-foot-2, 215-pound linebacker has offers from Miami (Ohio) and Bucknell. Jake Luling added a Division II offer from Davenport during the spring showcase, while Hendon is a Class of 2028 interior lineman whose recruitment is still developing.
Players to Know
Brennan Kesler | LB | Senior
Kesler is the foundation of the rebuild. He led Orange in tackles, tackles for loss, sacks and forced fumbles during the championship season, and his two sacks in the state final were part of a defensive effort that held St. Xavier to 192 total yards. His confirmed Division I offers are Miami (Ohio) and Bucknell.
Felix Dimpfl | QB/DB | Senior
Dimpfl is one of the two quarterbacks competing for the starting job. He began last season at cornerback before moving into a larger quarterback role when injuries changed the depth chart. His experience in the program gives him an early point of separation in an otherwise open competition.
Landon Basnett | QB | Sophomore
Basnett was a freshman on the 2025 roster and is now listed as a sophomore. Asking a young quarterback to replace an Ohio University signee behind a rebuilt line would be a major assignment, but his presence in the competition gives Orange a long-term option with a full offseason in the system.
Jake Luling | WR | Senior
Luling is the only returning offensive skill starter. His three catches in the state championship game mattered because St. Xavier could not focus entirely on Walker and Fickel. Orange now needs him to move from complementary target to the receiver who steadies a new quarterback.
Jake Hendon | OL | Junior
Hendon is the lone returning starter on the offensive line and is listed at 6-foot-1 and 275 pounds in current recruiting coverage. His value is immediate: the Pioneers need one experienced interior blocker to organize four new starters around him.
Colby Luling | DB | Junior
Colby Luling made five tackles in the state championship game and returns as the only other defensive starter besides Kesler. With the secondary replacing multiple seniors, his communication and tackling will matter as much as his individual coverage.
Schedule Breakdown
The title defense begins with four consecutive road games. Orange visits district rival Olentangy Berlin on Aug. 21, Westerville North on Aug. 28, Olentangy on Sept. 4 and Gahanna Lincoln on Sept. 11 before playing its first home game against Pickerington North.
The OCC-Central schedule opens Sept. 25 against Hilliard Davidson. Orange then travels to Dublin Coffman, hosts Upper Arlington, visits Hilliard Bradley and closes the regular season at home against Olentangy Liberty. Six of the 10 games are on the road, including the entire first month.
Complete 2026 Schedule
Aug. 21: at Olentangy Berlin
Aug. 28: at Westerville North
Sept. 4: at Olentangy
Sept. 11: at Gahanna Lincoln
Sept. 18: Pickerington North
Sept. 25: Hilliard Davidson
Oct. 2: at Dublin Coffman
Oct. 9: Upper Arlington
Oct. 16: at Hilliard Bradley
Oct. 23: Olentangy Liberty
Biggest Question
Can four returning starters carry championship standards while nearly every offensive role changes?
Kesler gives Orange an elite defensive anchor, but the Pioneers must identify a quarterback, replace Fickel's rushing production, replace Walker's explosive plays and build four new offensive-line spots. The first four games all being on the road leaves almost no room for a slow September installation.
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I have Olentangy Orange finishing 8-2 in the regular season.
The schedule and turnover make another unbeaten run unlikely, but Kesler, the four returning starters and a championship staff give Orange enough structure to remain one of Ohio's strongest Division I teams.
Bottom Line
Olentangy Orange is not defending its championship with last year's lineup. The Pioneers are defending it with one proven defensive star, four total returning starters and an open quarterback competition. If the new offense settles before OCC play, Orange can stay in the state conversation. If it does not, the four-game road opening will expose the rebuild quickly.
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