MIAA Preview: Central Missouri

JON DYKSTRA/THE FORUM
Central Missouri coach Josh Lamberson claps as his team comes off the field on Oct. 11, 2025, in Warrensburg.

TOPEKA, Kan. — It is rare for a transition season in a head coach’s fourth season on campus, but that is where Josh Lamberson and the Central Missouri Mules found themselves in 2025.

The catalyst for that transition was the graduation of 2-time Harlon Hill Trophy winning quarterback Zach Zebrowski. Without the driving force for one of the most successful offenses Division-II has seen, Lamberson knew the team had to be more balanced and find a defensive identity.

So out with one of the best quarterbacks in Division-II history and in with one of the best defensive coordinators in Division-II history. Lamberson announced the hiring of former Northwest Missouri State head coach Rich Wright on January 7, 2025, and tasked Wright with giving the Mules a defensive identity.

“I sleep really well at night knowing the two guys we have in charge of our offense and defense,” Lamberson said. “Coach (Hayden) Hawk on offense. Coach Hawk was a guy that I actually coached when I was the offensive coordinator at Central Missouri. I recruited him and have known him since he was 18 years old. I’m so proud of him and his development. …

“I think that we have the best defensive coordinator in the entire country in Rich Wright. If you look at his resume and the things that he’s been able to do with his defenses and the people he’s been able to impact in their lives. That speaks for itself.”

Wright’s defense improved from the 2024 version of Central Missouri’s defense with three less points per game and 40 less yards per game. But Lamberson has much higher expectations from that unit in 2026 with Wright having a full season to make the flip from a 3-4 to the Bearcat 4-3 he’s run for years.

“Central Missouri had been a 3-man front for years prior to that,” Lamberson said. “So for him to come in and really have the personnell that we had to fit into his defensive scheme, I don’t think that was a good representation of who he is as a defensive coordinator and what we want to be as a defense.”

One of those players he’s relying on to help make that leap forward is senior linebacker Drew Kaufman. Kaufman was second on the team in tackles last season with 71 including 7.5 tackles for loss.

“Where we were compared to last year, it is just night and day,” Kaufman said. “Being able to have a year of experience and a year of the play calls has let us explore this defense more and get into what this defense is all about.”

The defensive line is anchored by the return of junior defensive end Kyan Franklin, who really shined early in the season against Colorado State-Pueblo. Franklin had six tackles, two tackles for loss and a sack in that near-upset win for the Mules. He finished the season with 53 tackles and 2.5 sacks.

The secondary is led by junior Malachi Howard. Howard had 30 tackles last season and led the team with 12 passes broken up.

Replacing Zebrowski offensively proved to be no easy task with senior Jordan Pachot and freshman Donovyn Omolo splitting reps. The anticipation was that Pachot would lead the way last season and that Omolo would take over this year.

Plans rarely work out that simply and Pachot broke his foot in a win over Missouri Western — a game he finished with 401 yards despite playing with two broken bones for a portion of it. Following the game, he also was informed of a death in the family, causing him to need to go home to California before he even had surgery.

“Since that game happened, everyone on this team has had my back, from the coaches to the players, everyone involved has had my back,” Pachot said. “That has helped me get back to where I need to be so I can have an even better year than I wanted to have last year.”

Omolo took over for Pachot and lacked the passing efficiency, but added a major element of running the ball.

Following the season, Omolo transferred to Central Arkansas, but Pachot was granted an additional year of eligibility and returned to Warrensburg where he was selected as a captain for this season.

“When he speaks everyone listens,” Lamberson said. “He is a good football player, there is no doubt about that. He can do the things in between that we ask our quarterback to do from a physical perspective.”

The weapons for Pachot will be familiar to Bearcat fans with the leading returning rusher and receiver both being Northwest Missouri State transfers. Jake Weber finished last season with 44 catches for 493 yards while Tank Young had 28 carries for 94 yards.

Young, who was an All-MIAA performer for the Bearcats, found himself fourth in line for running back carries last season, but with the departures of Latravious Boyd, Keyon Butler and LaAngelo Bell, there will likely be an increased role available.

The other injury that derailed the Mules’ season was receiver Jack Pospisil. He had 12 catches for 252 yards against Pueblo, and looked ready to score the game winning touchdown, but a 66-yard catch and run was stopped on the 3-yard line when an injury slowed him down so the defense could catch up.

A chop block penalty two plays later and then a sack ended the Mules’ upset hopes, but Pospisil’s season also ended.

With Pachot and Pospisil back, the Mules look to recapture the passing game magic that Lamberson’s Mules are known for.

That starts where in some ways it ended last season. The Mules open the season with a rematch against Pueblo, this time in Colorado, on August 27.

“They are going to be ranked in the top-10 in the beginning of the season and (Pueblo coach) Phil (Vigil) does a great job out there of prepping his team,” Lamberson said. “One of the things that I am excited about is that is a Thursday night game. We are leaving on a Tuesday and our travel squad gets to — I think we are driving out to Hays, stay in Hays on Tuesday night and drive the rest of the way on Wednesday. … To be able to go on the road, go to the hotels, have those meetings, have those walk throughs … that time that you have together on the road is special. If you look back, I have some of my most incredible memories on road trips.”