WATERLOO, Ont. - "Let's walk the walk, and not talk it anymore" is the message head coach Chris Bertoia is instilling into the mindsets of the 107 rostered, who will make up his football team in 2026.  

Your Warriors on the gridiron are gearing up for eight weeks of action, and a clean slate ahead of them. Armed with an encouraging mix of youth and experience, Bertoia enters his 11th season in charge, eager for more magic moments. 

Coming off a 2-6 season in 2025, The Warriors' opponent in week one remains as the Ottawa Gee-Gees for the second straight season. In total, the Warriors will face seven of the same opponents in 2026. In weeks two and three, the Warriors will play away, with trips to Queen's and Carleton respectively. Week five will see them on the road in Guelph, taking on the Gryphons for the first time in two seasons. The team will conclude the regular season with a week eight showdown at York on October 24. 

Apart from facing the Gee Gees in their home opener on Saturday at 1:00 PM at Warrior Field, Waterloo rounds out their home schedule by welcoming in the: 

Tickets for every regular season home game are on sale now at gowarriorsgo.ca/tickets. UW students receive free admission by tapping their WatCard at the gate.  

A successful training camp is ironically one that makes selecting the lineup for week one among the most daunting tasks in university sport. 

"I believe in them, and they believe that they should believe in themselves," Bertoia states. "We've worked really hard over the last eight and a half months to get to this position. This culture is special." 

The 107 who will dawn the black and gold this season are comprised of fan-favourites, all-stars, and debutants, all with a story to tell. 

OFFENCE 

Quarterbacks 

The Warriors fearless leader on the attack, aims to cement his legacy with a swan song for the ages. As cool and calm as can be – and most importantly, healthy – Nick Orr (Caledon/) is back in the driver's seat.  

Having faced the adversity of a scary injury early last season which cut his fourth-year short, Orr, a fan-favourite, couldn't be happier to be back alongside his band of brothers. A band of brothers who had supported him immensely through his recovery. 

When asked about Orr's training camp, Bertoia stated, "He's had an outstanding offseason. He's ultimately the true leader of our team." 

After Nolan Kaban (Calgary/) and Emett Ward split time filling in for Orr due to his injury last year, Kaban's graduation will open the door for Ward to take over the second-string role, with a leap to the starting position for 2027 in his sights. 

"We've essentially got two starting quarterbacks," Bertoia added. 

Bertoia, and offensive coordinator Brendan Conway, can be confident with the up-and-coming depth at their fingertips, with second-year Salvatore Folino (Vaughan/) rounding out the QB room. 

Running Backs 

The Warriors head coach could not wrap up a preview of the offence without mentioning the potential Roy Van der Veen (Grand Valley/) has to make a sizeable impact this season at the running back position. He has the opportunity to "put the league on notice," as Bertoia championed. 

Being propelled into the number one spot with the graduation of Anthony Miller (Brampton/), Van der Veen is a quintessential "20-plus carry a game running back." 

Ethan Miller (Brampton/), the brother of Anthony, alongside Brandon Riggin, are two more essential pieces to the puzzle, that bring a lot to the table in the run game. 

Miller in particular, is one Bertoia wants fans to look out for, due to his versatility and "uncanny ability to find open spots." 

Receivers 

With the veteran presences of Tyler Tierney (London/) and Marcus Hoegl (Burlington/), who have started plenty of games under Bertoia and Conway, the Warriors' receiving core are loaded with sparkplugs for Nick Orr (Caledon/) to connect with. 

The pure speed of Logan Heroux (Burlington/) will be missed for at least the first few weeks of the season as he deals with an injury, but fans shall fear not, with the likes of Yinka Ogunnote (Guelph/) and Riley Webster (Waterloo/) at Orr's disposal. Both Ogunnote and Webster track the ball exceptionally - and paired with both the vertical stretch of Isaac White (St thomas/), and "electric" pace of rookies Matthew Jonah-Eleweke and Semi Adefila, the Warriors round out a fast and fiery reception team. 

Offensive Line/Halfbacks 

A veteran-dominated group on the O-line, the one-two punch of outside tackles Nick Gidaro (Vaughan/) and Thomas Levings (Abbotsford/) had exceptional camps going into their final OUA seasons. 

The O-line is completed with a trio of second-year guards. Marcus Palumbo (Sault Ste.Marie/), Noah DiValentin (Sault Ste Marie/), and Marven Han (Taiyuan/) had brilliant showings through the offseason, with even more room to develop as the season progresses. 

Entering their fifth and fourth seasons respectively, halfbacks Evan Basalyga (Thunder Bay/) and Elijah Pappin (Niagara falls/) can both run fast and hit hard. Their experience is accompanied by the emergence of second-year Nathan Channer (Ancaster/), who completes a versatile trio of H-backs. 

DEFENCE 

Defensive Line 

The defensive side of the game is one that both Bertoia and defensive coordinator Kevin MacNeill are also ecstatic about. Five D-lineman to note in particular are headlined by Warriors team Defensive Lineman of the Year, Marcus Ola (Brockville/). Fellow fifth-year Cameron Krug (London/), former OUA all-rookie Jack Lausch (Winnipeg/), 6'7" fourth-year Dominque Walker, and Josiah St Denis (London/) round out a physically apt formation. 

Linebackers 

In a spot with minimal turnover, much to the delight of OUA first-team All-Star Michael Omoseni (Burlington/), the linebacker position should continue to be Waterloo's scariest. Having suffered an injury which kept him out the U SPORTS East-West Bowl this past May, Omoseni is back, and eager to make more noise. 

Waterloo gave up the fourth-fewest passing yards in the OUA last season, and that was no accident. 

Off the back of Omoseni's all-star campaign and East-West Bowl selection, the graduation of defensive stars such as Keesean Bowen (Calgary/) will place the likes of Arden Martinez (Niagara Falls/) and Nate Mortenson (Windsor/) into an important role in rounding out the Warriors' depth on defense, a defense Omoseni thinks "can be one of the best in the league."  

With how crafty plays on offence can be in the Canadian game, high totals on tackles come at a premium, an area in which Waterloo will look to strengthen this season. With middle linebackers such as Omar Sbeah (Oakville/) collecting nine special teams tackles last year as a rookie, another year of experience will benefit a defensive piece that Bertoia rates highly.  

With the consistency these linebackers possess, and Omoseni back to 100% health-wise, the Warriors' success-rate in breaking through to their opposing backfield threats should be improved in 2026. 

Defensive Backs 

The defensive backs are a group in which Bertoia and MacNeill feel can make a huge difference, as they appear to be more physical than ever. Bertoia in particular loved the aggression the Warriors showed in facing the Western Mustangs during a crossover practice in London last weekend. 

Both Isiah Blackson (London/) and Mason Henry (Milton/) return for their final seasons, two more former East-West bowlers for MacNeill to integrate. 

Special Teams 

In a rookie campaign in which he was named OUA Athlete of the Week for his record-breaking 57-yard field goal kick that gave the Warriors their first win in over a year, all-rookie Evan Astolfo (Burlington/) will look to keep the spotlight shining on his right foot, and solidify it as one of the most dangerous in the province. 

He's already been setting the tone before the season's even started. In the crossover with Western last weekend, Astolfo was drilling 58-yard kicks with ease, and even "kicked" off training camp with a 59-yarder on Warrior Field. 

Astolfo's consistency and clutch gene will continue be a major factor in 2026, at a position which can make or break a result. With the punting experience of Brandon Swain (Harrington/) returning, the squad's kicking and punting depth is solidified.  

At kick return, the Warriors have the option to mix in the rookie Jonah-Eleweke with the pace of someone like Ogunnote. Jonah-Eleweke in particular is no stranger to returning kicks all the way to the end zone. In fact, he's been known to do it at every level he's played. 

The pieces are coming together to produce a campaign in which the Warriors shall not be overlooked. Bertoia wants this group to have no regrets - and it begins with the opening 60 minutes of football - in front of their own home crowd, just mere days away.