Portal Football Head Coach Jason McEachin is ready to be back in the playoffs.

“We’ve been right on the cusp of winning a couple games we needed to win for the last two years (to make the playoffs),” he said. “Those close games have kept us out the last couple of years. It’s time to find a way to get over the hump and get our football team back in the playoffs. 2023 was a long time ago.”

McEachin was referring to the last time Portal made the playoffs in a season that saw the Panthers claim their first region championship in school history.

To get back to the postseason Portal will look to build off their 4-6 season from a year ago.

McEachin said the starting point for any offense is controlling the line of scrimmage and while the Panthers graduated several players from that unit, he’s confident in the players he’ll have lining up there, including senior Tre Ellison who has multiple college offers.

“He’s a great kid, hard worker, good demeanor and we’re expecting a big season out of him,” McEachin said.

The other returning lineman is senior Devin Rhodes, who will be moving to center after playing guard previous years for the Panthers.

“I like to have guys in the middle that are smart and accountable and Devin’s one of those kids.” he said.

McEachin said Junior Trayvon Hatcher is a strong candidate to start at one of the tackle spots in the Fall, with the remaining two lineman spots up for grabs. He said it’s likely they could be filled by committee in an effort to rest some players who may have to play both offense and defense.

Portal is expected to have depth at the offensive line position as several younger players have caught McEachin’s eye in offseason workouts as players who could potentially step in, including Mat Mallard, Nick Newkirk and Tatum Boggs.

In the backfield, the Panthers will have a new starter under center as 2025 quarterback Gideon Fulcher moved away. Sophomore Omar Thomas is expected to lead the offensive attack for Portal entering the 2026 season. Thomas played in every junior varsity game in 2025.

“He’s a good, level-headed kid who doesn’t get too high or too low based on the situation which is what you want out of a quarterback,” McEachin said. “He’s well-liked by his peers and he’s always going to show up to work and get better.”

“We’re going to have to count on him to grow up fast and be a good decision maker for us to be good early,” he said.

McEachin said fullback is where his team probably has the most depth, with senior KJ Hunter slated to start behind Thomas to open the year.

Josh Coleman, Charles Weaver and Jase McEachin are also expected to see time at fullback as all four of those players are also expected to see time on the defensive unit as well.

“We’re going to try to play a fullback by committee so that they can stay fresh and help us on both sides of the ball,” McEachin said

Slotbacks is where McEachin sees his biggest offensive threats lining up, with senior Jason Crawford and junior Zeke Purcell leading the way.

“We’re going to try and make sure he gets the ball,” McEachin said of Crawford, who was second on the team last year with 365 yards and four rushing touchdowns.

Percell led Portal with 483 yards on the ground and seven touchdowns.

Out at receiver, sophomore Trent Forehand has one spot locked up while the Panthers will likely again go with a committee approach for the other receiver. CJ Harden, Waylon Martin and Kayden Busby are all in the mix to get time at the other receiver position.

Defensively, the Panthers will look to improve on a season that saw Portal surrender an average of 32 points per game in 2025.

Coleman, who also plays basketball and won the state championship in discus, is expected to anchor the defensive line along with Newkirk.

While those two will solidify the defensive line, the nose guard position could see a rotation of players. Hatcher, CJ Lovett, and Damian Hagins, among others, could see time there.

The Panthers return a lot of depth at linebacker, with junior Charles Weaver leading the way. Weaver was named to the All-Region team in 2025 and had more than 100 tackles for Portal.

Joining Weaver will be Hunter, Jase McEachin and others.

Senior Rasheen Jackson will likely get the nod at one outside linebacker spot and McEachin said T=there could be some rotation between linebacker and the secondary.

Senior Lee Drawdy is one of those who could see time at both spots.

Seniors Ki-ayr Murray-Hill and Jason Crawford have the inside track to start the year at cornerback, with safety positions still in question.

Senior Hayden Scott will hold down kicking duties and could be depended on for longer field goal attempts this season..

“He’s going to be a weapon for us as a kicker and we’re definitely going to count on him,” he said.

Portal’s in a smaller region this season with only five teams and McEachin sayes the only way to guarantee a top 16 seed and hosting a first round playoff game is to win the region.

Portal shares a region with Claxon, Montgomery County, McIntosh County Academy and Emanuel County Institute.

“The region championship probably goes through ECI so if we want a chance of that, we’re going to have to find a way to beat them,” McEachin said.

Portal will open the season with Wheeler County on August 22 at 6 p.m. as part of the Erk Russell Classic on the campus of Georgia Southern.