Game of the week: West Alabama at West Florida

D2 & D3 Week 7 Football Predictions 2026 | RallyFuel

Week 7 of the small-college season (Oct. 15–17, 2026) is loaded with rivalry games, playoff-race swings and HBCU showdowns — and the best of it is happening below the FBS spotlight. Here are the Division II and Division III matchups worth your Saturday, the players to watch, and our picks.

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Sat., Oct. 17 · 2 p.m. ET · ESPN+ · PenAir Field, Pensacola · Make your pick →

This is a reunion of old Gulf South Conference rivals with a twist. West Florida left Division II this summer for the FCS and the United Athletic Conference, and Saturday is its homecoming. The Argos are 3–2 (1–2 UAC) in their first FCS season. West Alabama stays in the GSC with a rebuilt offense.

Players to watch

• Ty’ray Davis, QB, West Florida — RS-sophomore from Orlando who threw 3 TDs on 14-of-17 passing in the win at Central Arkansas.
• Brite Cannon, WR, West Florida — 5’8″ sophomore playmaker.
• Luther Richesson, QB, West Alabama — graduate transfer from Central Arkansas who took over for Spencer Arceneaux.
• Tommie Weatherspoon III, TE, West Alabama — 6’5″ senior target in the red zone.

Our pick: West Florida 31, West Alabama 20. An FCS-level roster, a 53-player signing class and a homecoming crowd tip it to the Argos. West Alabama’s backfield depth keeps it close into the second half.

Follow the teams: West Florida football · West Alabama football

Division II: the marquee matchups

Ferris State at Grand Valley State — the Anchor-Bone Classic

Sat., Oct. 17 · 3 p.m. ET · Lubbers Stadium, Allendale, Mich.

The best rivalry in D2 has national stakes again. Ferris State entered 2026 as the unanimous preseason No. 1 after winning four of the last five national titles, and Grand Valley was No. 9. The Bulldogs also beat No. 4 Pittsburg State 42–14 in the opener.

• Wyatt Bower, QB, Ferris State — sophomore who accounted for six TDs in a 66–0 win at Roosevelt as a freshman.
• Taariik Brett, WR, Ferris State — senior chasing a fifth national-title ring.
• Andrew Schuster, QB, Grand Valley State — the Lakers’ trigger man in Allendale.
• Tre Buckley, DL, Grand Valley State — 6’3″, 280-lb junior who has to win up front.

Our pick: Ferris State 34, Grand Valley State 24. The Lakers are dangerous at home, but Ferris State’s depth and turnover-hungry secondary travel.

Teams: Ferris State · Grand Valley State

Morehouse at Howard — HBCU crossover

Sat., Oct. 17 · 3:30 p.m. ET · ESPN+ · William H. Greene Stadium, Washington, D.C. · Make your pick →

SIAC member Morehouse visits the FCS Bison in Brad Sherrod’s first season as head coach. Howard won last year’s meeting 38–10, and the Maroon Tigers get an open date right after this one.

Our pick: Howard 35, Morehouse 17. The size gap shows late, but Morehouse has nothing to lose and a bye to recover.

Teams: Morehouse · Howard

More D2 games to watch

• Missouri Western at Pittsburg State (3 p.m. ET) — the Gorillas started No. 4 in the preseason before the Ferris loss. Pick: Pittsburg State 31, Missouri Western 20. Pittsburg State
• Albany State at Tuskegee (3 p.m. ET, ESPN+) — Albany State opened the year ranked No. 21. Pick: Albany State 24, Tuskegee 17.
• Northwest Missouri State at Fort Hays State (8 p.m. ET) — a preseason top-10 Bearcats team against a Fort Hays side that entered the poll in Week 1. Pick: Northwest Missouri 27, Fort Hays 21. NW Missouri State
• Fort Valley State at Savannah State (3 p.m. ET) — SIAC bragging rights in Savannah. Pick: Savannah State 23, Fort Valley State 20. Savannah State

Division III: the marquee matchups

Mount Union at Capital

Sat., Oct. 17 · 1:30 p.m. ET · Bernlohr Stadium, Bexley, Ohio

The 13-time national champions opened 2026 ranked No. 3 by D3football.com and picked first in the OAC for a conference-record 37th title. Mount routed Capital 65–17 last November.

• Mikey Maloney, QB, Mount Union — dual-threat captain tabbed one of the top quarterbacks in D3 by Lindy’s.
• Mitch Coffee, OL, Mount Union — All-OAC senior anchoring the line.
• Braden Krejci, LB, Mount Union — junior in the middle of the Purple Raiders’ defense.

Our pick: Mount Union 49, Capital 14.

Teams: Mount Union · Capital

Concordia-Moorhead at Saint John’s

Sat., Oct. 17 · 2 p.m. ET · Clemens Stadium, Collegeville, Minn.

Saint John’s started at No. 11 and has been ranked in 139 straight D3football.com polls. Concordia’s job is to shorten the game and keep the Johnnies’ offense off the field.

Our pick: Saint John’s 35, Concordia-Moorhead 13.

Teams: Saint John’s · Concordia

More D3 games to watch

• North Central at Elmhurst (2 p.m. ET) — the unanimous preseason No. 1 and 2025 runner-up in a CCIW road test. Pick: North Central 45, Elmhurst 10. North Central
• Johns Hopkins at Ursinus (1 p.m. ET) — preseason No. 4 Hopkins on the road in the Centennial. Pick: Johns Hopkins 38, Ursinus 10.
• UW-Whitewater at UW-Stout (2 p.m. ET) — WIAC slugfest; Whitewater opened No. 12. Pick: UW-Whitewater 24, UW-Stout 20.
• Mary Hardin-Baylor at Texas Wesleyan (2 p.m. ET) — the preseason No. 21 Cru keep pace in the ASC. Pick: Mary Hardin-Baylor 38, Texas Wesleyan 17.
• Kean at Rowan (1 p.m. ET, YouTube) — NJAC rivals with conference seeding on the line. Pick: Rowan 27, Kean 21.

Week 7 picks at a glance

Kickoff times are from ESPN’s Week 7 Division II/III schedule. Linked matchups have live RallyFuel prediction pages.

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