A pair of Abilene Christian football stars have been recognized on the national level entering the 2026 college football season.
ACU senior offensive lineman Luke Roaten and senior defensive back Dillon Williams were both named 2026 Preseason FCS All-American selections.
Roaten — a former Tomball High School standout — was tabbed a Stats Perform Second Team FCS Preseason All-American and a Second Team Preseason All-American by Phil Steele, too.
Roaten transferred to ACU from Washington State alongside his brother, Landon, prior to the start of the 2025 campaign.
Roaten started all 14 games at right tackle for the Wildcats last year, posting 65 knockdowns and an overall 84% blocking grade to earn First Team All-UAC honors.
Williams, meanwhile, is an incoming transfer to Abilene by way of United Athletic Conference rival Central Arkansas.
The senior defensive back was named a Second Team Preseason FCS All-American by Sports Illustrated/FCS Football Central heading into 2026 after a strong 2025 season for the Bears.
He boasted a team-leading 83 tackles for the Bears last year and tallied 176 career tackles in four years of playing at Central Arkansas.
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"We've competed against him the last three years,” ACU football head coach Keith Patterson said on National Signing Day. “He brings experience and a confidence we need in the back end of our defense.”
No. 15 Abilene Christian will kick off the 2026 college football season when the Wildcats travel to face No. 21 Lamar at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Aug. 28, at Umphrey Provost Stadium in Beaumont, Texas, in a rematch of the first round of the 2025 FCS Playoffs.
ACU will then take on the Texas Tech Red Raiders at 6 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 5, at Galaxy Stadium in Lubbock before the Wildcats return to Abilene for their home opener against No. 13 Stephen F. Austin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 12, at Anthony Field at Wildcat Stadium in a rematch of the second round of the 2025 FCS Playoffs.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: ACU football veterans named 2026 Preseason FCS All-Americans