The South Division of the Heart Conference feels a lot like the North when it comes to predicting a favorite. Benedictine made a deep postseason run in 2024 and played in some of the most exciting games in the NAIA. They return a ton of starters and have a huge chip on their shoulder after exiting the NAIA Football Championship Series semifinals in dramatic fashion last season. Baker University fought their way into the playoffs alongside MidAmerica Nazarene, resulting in a three-way tie for the conference title. Missouri Baptist showed significant improvement last season, and Missouri Valley College remains a proud program always looking to compete for championships.
There’s plenty to like about the top end of this division—but also a lot of uncertainty. MNU and Baker have key weapons to replace, while teams like MoBapt and MoVal return a wealth of experience. Don’t be surprised if the Heart South delivers some shakeups by season’s end in 2025.
Entering 2025, Benedictine looks like the team to beat. The Ravens return one of the NAIA’s top quarterbacks in Jackson Dooley, along with a host of offensive weapons. Nine starters are back on offense, including running backs Dalton Witherspoon and Xavier Ugorji, and wide receiver Joseph Lagafuaina. But the biggest strength may be up front, with Britton Smith, Rashad Beckham, Ja’Kobe Hinton, and Harrison Schmitt anchoring the offensive line. Tight end Tanner Zimmerman also returns, giving the Ravens a strong offensive core.
Defensively, Benedictine returns five starters. Kevin Harris is back on the defensive line, while linebackers Zach Lacombe and Abram Phillips will be key to stopping the run. In the secondary, Trey Williams and Isaiah Hasten return to help round out the unit.
The Wildcats will again be led by tough, physical quarterback Truman Juelsgaard, who isn’t afraid of contact. Last season he ran for 454 yards and nine touchdowns to go with his impressive passing numbers. Protecting him will be critical, and offensive lineman Aidan Palmer will be central to that effort. Juelsgaard’s top targets—Gaige Warren and Adrion Seals—also return. In total, six offensive starters are back.
On defense, Baker brings back four starters, including Heart South Defensive Player of the Year Zac Kramer at linebacker. He’ll be joined by Eli’Sha Malveaux and Jalen Smith on the defensive line and Cameron Porter in the secondary.
MidAmerica Nazarene University enters a new era under head coach Ivan Cordova. The Pioneers return five starters on each side of the ball but will need to replace several key contributors from last year’s NAIA Championship Series team.
Offensively, First Team All-Heart lineman Justin Miller will lead the charge. WR Aiyo’n Carter and RB Devin Andrews will be playmakers to watch. Defensively, First Team All-Heart linebacker Jon Brown returns to anchor the unit. Cordova has a chance to make an immediate impact as he builds on the program’s recent success.
Missouri Valley also has a new head coach in LaQuentin Black, an alum of the program. He inherits a strong offensive core with ten returning starters and five on defense.
Up front, Luke Clayton—an all-conference selection—leads a veteran offensive line that includes Wyatt Nordean, Zane Thompson, Varney Shannon, and Jared Bedell. They’ll try to improve on the Vikings 20.3 pointer per game on offense. On defense, the Vikings will look to re-establish themselves as one of the NAIA’s top units. Last season, they allowed 22.5 points per game—ranking in the lower quarter of the Heart Conference.
Missouri Baptist surprised many with a 6-4 finish in 2024, including late-season wins over Graceland and Missouri Valley. The Spartans return eight starters on offense and six on defense.
Offensively, the team is short on returning experience outside of RB Lionel Banks and WR Shane Becker—so developing new contributors will be key. Defensively, returners include DE Brady Davis, DT Jacob Raines, and linebackers Cade Biedscheid and Nick Stepney. If the Spartans can score consistently, they have the potential to climb further in the standings.
Central Methodist University went 1-10 last season, with its lone win coming over first-year program William Woods. The Eagles return seven offensive starters and six on defense. RB Dawan Lomax, a Second Team All-Conference selection, brings explosiveness to the offense and could help spark improvement in 2025.
In just their second year, William Woods continues to build under head coach Sam Camp, who was the team’s offensive coordinator last season. As expected from a young program, they return many starters—seven on offense, including QB Gabe Serri, and six on defense. Defensively, DB Carter Holloway and DL Sovereign Morton lead the way. The Owls appear to be trending upward and should take a noticeable step forward this fall.
Dannelly’s Heart South Prediction
- Benedictine
- Baker
- MNU
- Missouri Valley
- Missouri Baptist
- Central Methodist
- William Woods
Heart South Team Profiles
Baker University (2024 Record: 9-2)
Head Coach: Miguel Regalado (28-33)
Offensive Coordinator: Miguel Regalado
Defensive Coordinator: Tucker Pauely
Returning Starters on Offense: 6
Key Offensive Returners: Truman Juelsgaard QB Aidan Palmer OL Gaige Warren WR Adrion Seals WR
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Aron Dominick OL Jeff Moore OL Tony Kennedy OL
Returning Starters on Defense: 4
Key Defensive Returners: Eli’Sha Malveaux DL Jalen Smith DL Zac Kramer LB Cameron Porter DB
Key Losses on Defense: Dylan Gillespie DL Brian Lane DL Canon Karn LB Thad Metcalfe DB Deshon Lewis DB
Key Returners on Special Teams: Seth Simpson K Joshua Gonzalez P
Key Losses on Special Teams: Seth Dankenbring LS
Key Recruits or Transfers: Casey Rooney QB WR Gavin Fellingham Gabriel Tamba DL Alex Gunderson LB
Benedictine College (2024 Record: 11-3)
Head Coach: Joel Osborn (38-12)
Offensive Coordinator: Joel Osborn
Defensive Coordinator: Trevor Strong
Special Teams Coordinator: Andy Merfeld
Returning Starters on Offense: 9
Key Offensive Returners: Jackson Dooley – QB, Tanner Zimmerman – TE, Joseph Lagafuaina – WR, Dalton Witherspoon – RB, Xavier Ugorji – RB, Britton Smith – OL, Rashad Beckham – OL, Ja’Kobe Hinton – OL, Harrison Schmitt – OL
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Jacob Gathright – WR, Jashawn Todd – WR
Returning Starters on Defense: 5
Key Defensive Returners: Kevin Harris – DL, Zach Lacombe – LB, Abram Phillips – LB, Trey Williams – CB, Isaiah Hasten – S
Key Losses on Defense: Isaac Anderson – DL, Heath Baker – DE, Jared Herron – DE, Javhi Blomquist – S, Jack Hoskins – CB, Blue Caplinger – S
Key Returners on Special Teams: None
Key Losses on Special Teams: Jashawn Todd – Returner, Harry Balke – Kicker, Cullen Bruner – Punter & Kickoff Specialist, Zach Philippi – LS
Key Recruits or Transfers: Anthony Lonergan – S (St. Thomas MN), Nick Driscoll – DE (Southwestern JC)
Central Methodist University (2024 Record: 1-10)
Head Coach: Dave Brown (2-20)
Offensive Coordinator: Dave Brown
Defensive Coordinator: Open
Returning Starters on Offense: 7
Key Offensive Returners: Dawan Lomax, Tristan Boyce
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Carl Robinson, Drake Dudley
Returning Starters on Defense: 6
Key Defensive Returners: Jaylon Williamson, Nate Smith, Caleb Justice
Key Losses on Defense: Dylan Holt
MidAmerica Nazarene University (2024 Record: 9-2)
Head Coach: Ivan Cordova (0-0)
Offensive Coordinator: CJ Collins
Defensive Coordinator: Venique Benton
Special Teams Coordinator: Kevin McGrew
Returning Starters on Offense: 5
Key Offensive Returners: Justin Miller OL, Aiyo’n Carter WR, Devin Andrews RB
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Adrian Parsons QB, Shawn Cherry RB, EJ Rogers WR, Miles Hymes WR,
Returning Starters on Defense: 5
Key Defensive Returners: Eli Saintjuste OLB, Marco Flores DL, Jon Brown LB, Matthew Potucek Star, Kevin Ledesma-Garcia DB
Key Losses on Defense: Ziwaun White DL, Calvin Broussard DL, Matthew Georgie LB, Zach Martinez LB, Elias Carson DB, Ethan Pritchard DB, Jacob Tegt DB, Kidd Dickerson DB, Max Webber DB
Missouri Baptist University (2024 Record: 6-4)
Head Coach: Jason Burianek (30-84)
Offensive Coordinator: Jonathan Heck
Defensive Coordinator: Jason Burianek
Special Teams Coordinator: Zack Kern
Returning Starters on Offense: 8
Key Offensive Returners: OG: Cale Bunner, RB: Lionel Banks, OT: Antonio Willis, WR: Shane Becker
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: OC: Xaivier Tipler, QB: Jordan Simpson, WR: Joseph White
Returning Starters on Defense: 6
Key Defensive Returners: DE: Brady Davis, DT: Jacob Raines, LB: Cade Biedscheid, LB: Nick Stepney
Key Losses on Defense: DT: Giovannoi Sanes, DE: Rakweon Ramsey, CB: Rondale Messer
Key Returners on Special Teams: P: Jaden George, LS: Cade Martin
Key Losses on Special Teams: K: Jonah Cox
Key Recruits or Transfers: OL: Haven Hatfield, RB: Calvin Griffin, DB: Auntrell Ross
Missouri Valley College (2024 Record: 4-6)
Head Coach: LaQuentin Black (0-0)
Offensive Coordinator: Jack Goulet
Defensive Coordinator: David Calloway
Special Teams Coordinator: Jake Wilson
Returning Starters on Offense: 10
Key Offensive Returners: Wyatt Nordean-OL, Zane Thompason-OL, Luke Clayton-OL, Varney Shannon-OL, Jared Bedell-OL, Jesse Johnson-WR, Adonnis Whitley-WR, Eddie Strong-WR, Markus Stepanoff-TE, James Phillips-RB
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Cole Robertson-QB, Rondarius Gregory-RB, Tavion Campbell-RB, Malik Brown-WR,
Returning Starters on Defense: 5
Key Defensive Returners: Ryan Greenwood-DL, Agustus McKoy-DL, Jeremiah McNair-DB, Eric Potts-DB, Bryan Sarente-DB,
Key Losses on Defense: Kobe Windham-DB, Taylor Hunt-DB, Ethan Towers-DL, Adyn Schwarzer-LB, Eddie Rankin-LB
Key Returners on Special Teams: 1
Key Losses on Special Teams: Bruno Kincaid
William Woods University (2024 Record: 1-10)
Head Coach: Sam Camp (0-0)
Offensive Coordinator: Sam Camp
Defensive Coordinator: Justin Coleman
Special Teams Coordinator: Charles Barnes
Returning Starters on Offense: 7
Key Offensive Returners: Jalen Becerra WR, Gabe Serri QB, Daniel Milnes OL
Key Offensive Losses from 2024: Arin Spears TE
Returning Starters on Defense: 6
Key Defensive Returners: Carter Holloway DB, Sovereign Morton DL
Key Losses on Defense: O’Neal Cotton DB, Jaylen Scruggs DB
Key Returners on Special Teams: Justin Sharkey K
Key Recruits or Transfers: Keron Starks DL, Francis Carrillo OL, Bryson Nealy TE, Siddiq Webb DL
